This weekend in and around Fort Worth is music-heavy, with five big concerts in the area and a couple more at everybody's favorite honky tonk. There will also be three theater productions, including the national tour of a Broadway play; screenings of both a new documentary and acclaimed short films; the start of haunted house season; and a dance production.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events. Oh, and the State Fair of Texas starts this weekend in Dallas; if you plan on going, make sure you don't pay full price.
Thursday, September 28
Theatre Wesleyan presents Playmarket: Premiere Productions
Theatre Wesleyan will present the continuation of its long-running Playmarket program with the premiere of four original short plays. Playmarket: Premiere Productions will include The Death of Seneca by Jonathan Burt, Dime Store Dinos by Parker County Theatre Company executive producer Lori Coughlin, The Ramifications of a Changed Man by Alexandra Flurry-Powell, and Somewhere Between Floors by Lily Seavey. The production, taking place in the Thad Smotherman Theatre at Texas Wesleyan University, will have four performances through Sunday.
Broadway at the Bass presents To Kill a Mockingbird
Set in Alabama in 1934, Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence centers on one of the most venerated characters in American literature, small-town lawyer Atticus Finch (played by Richard Thomas). The cast of characters includes Atticus’s daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker, Calpurnia, their visiting friend Dill, and a mysterious neighbor, the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley. The touring production, adapted by Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin, will run through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.
Friday, September 29
Magnolia at the Modern: Carlos
The documentary Carlos follows rock legend Carlos Santana’s journey from 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation. The film features unseen archival materials, including home video recordings made by Santana himself, concert footage, and behind-the-scenes moments. There will be seven screenings through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Pink in concert
It can be difficult for a singer to maintain a certain image over a long period of time, but Pink - or, if you prefer, P!nk - has managed to do just that. She's stuck with her version of pop/rock for over 20 years, and her fans have rewarded her by pushing her to the top of the charts with every album, including the new Trustfall. She'll play at Globe Life Field in Arlington as part of her Summer Carnival Tour, joined by Brandi Carlile, Grouplove, and KidCutUp.
The 26th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival
Over 100,000 film lovers unite in over 500 cinemas across six continents to view and vote on the finalists’ films in the 26th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival. Manhattan Short is not a touring festival; rather, it is an instantaneous celebration that occurs simultaneously across the globe, bringing great films to great venues and allowing the audiences to select their favorites. Screenings will take place on Friday and again on October 5 at Palace Arts Center in Grapevine, as well as twice on Saturday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Luke Bryan in concert
Since his debut album in 2011, country singer Luke Bryan has been as consistent as they come, with each of his five albums featuring all-original songs going to No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts and making at least the top 5 on the Billboard 200. He's also upped his profile by appearing on The Voice and, since 2018, serving as a judge on American Idol. He'll play at Dickies Arena in support of his 2022 compilation album, Prayin' In A Deer Stand.
Loona Assemble in concert
K-Pop sensation Loona Assemble will take the audience on a new journey beginning with the Loona Assemble Debut Ceremony, in which “in the year of great chaos, Hyunjin, YeoJin, Vivi, Go Won and HyeJu boarded the Loosemble spacecraft. A new world unfolds here, starting with a long voyage to find their friends.” They'll perform at Will Rogers Auditorium.
Jubilee Theatre presents East Texas Hot Links
It's summer 1955 in the piney woods of East Texas where local men wander into Charlesetta's Top o' the Hill Café almost every night for comfort, solace, and companionship. Times are changing, the Klan is active, and young black men have been disappearing or turning up dead. This night, Delmus wants to celebrate getting a new job, but the other regulars are skeptical. They try to warn him as they joke, feed the jukebox, and play cards until betrayal catches all of them and life at Top o' the Hill is changed forever. The production runs through October 29 at Jubilee Theatre.
Haunted houses
This weekend officially kicks off Halloween season in and around Fort Worth, with four big haunted houses opening their doors. Friday brings Hangman's House of Horrors in Fort Worth and Moxley Manor Haunted House in Bedford, each of which feature three separate haunted attractions. Starting on Saturday are Cutting Edge Haunted Housein Fort Worth, located in a 100-year-old abandoned meat packing plant, and The Parker House in Denton, with two main attractions. All of the haunted houses will be open on weekends through at least Halloween.
Ned LeDoux in concert
Kids following in their parents footsteps has a long tradition in the entertainment industry, although few manage to outshine their mother or father. Ned LeDoux is the son of cowboy musician Chris LeDoux, whose work inspired Garth Brooks and others. Ned, touring in support of his 2022 album, Buckskin, will play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, September 30
Ballet Frontier of Texas presents A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ballet Frontier of Texas' A Midsummer Night's Dream is based on William Shakespeare’s play, a happy tangle of plots and subplots about the loves and adventures of mortals and mystical beings. The play features the iconic characters Puck, Titania, and Oberon, with fairies and wood nymphs, magical potions, and mistaken identities abounding. There will be performances on Saturday and Sunday at I.M. Terrell Academy.
Joji in concert
Japanese singer/rapper Joji first made his name as YouTuber, where he made comedy videos under the name of Filthy Frank. Transitioning to music in 2017, he's made a significant impact in the R&B/lo-fi world, with each of his first three albums making the top 5 on the Billboard 200. He crossed over to the mainstream with the hit "Glimpse of Us" off of his 2022 album, Smithereens. He'll play at Dickies Arena.
RBD in concert
Mexican Latin pop group RBD was huge in their native country and across Latin and South America in the 2000s, starting with their 2004 debut album, Rebelde. The group, which gained popularity due to them starring on the telenovela of the same name, would go on to release five albums (including versions in both Portuguese and English) before disbanding in 2009. Now they've reunited to celebrate that first album and more with the Soy Rebelde Tour. They'll perform at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Easton Corbin in concert
Country singer Easton Corbin was among the fastest rising artists in the genre in the early 2010s, releasing three albums in five years, including 2015's About to Get Real, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts. After a long dormant period, he finally released his first new album in eight years, Let's Do Country Right, earlier this year. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Photo by Julieta Cervantes
