Standing ovation for the 11 can't-miss arts events of summer 2023 in Dallas-Fort Worth

Summer arts planner

Courtesy of Meow Wolf

Arts calendars usually have more blank spaces throughout the summer. Musicians play festivals in far-flung places (or take much-needed vacations), museums focus on family-friendly camps and programs to entertain kiddos, and most performing arts organizations gear up for their season debuts in the fall. But this summer, one of the most highly anticipated art events of the year kicks off mid-July. Also, a local museum hops on the biggest concert tour of the year; the best teenage pianists on the planet compete note-for-note; and pop-up concerts and dance festivals remind us that great performances can be staged anywhere.

Here are the 11 can't-miss arts events of summer 2023 in Dallas-Fort Worth. (Find even more arts events, including touring musicals and gallery offerings, in the calendar on our site).

Visual Arts
Note: Several DFW museums currently are showing big exhibitions that will remain open into the summer. Find out more about a few of them here.

Meow Wolf: The Real Unreal
Opening July 14 at Grapevine Mills
The buzziest art event of the summer is Meow Wolf, an immersive experience that's been a sensation since it opened in Santa Fe. The first Texas edition (or "portal," as they call it), dubbed "The Real Unreal," promises to take guests on a journey through a Technicolor wonderland that blends more than 30 rooms' worth of storytelling, technology, and immersive art - much of it created by local artists. (Read more about what to expect in this story.) In addition to the exhibition, The Real Unreal will also include a cafe featuring 15 food purveyors, retail store, and venue for live events. Meow Wolf will be open at 10 am daily beginning July 14. (Hours may vary.) Tickets are now available for pre-purchase starting at $50 for general admission ($45 for children). Pre-booking a time slot for entry is required.

"Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection"
June 3-September 24 at Arlington Museum of Art
Fresh off her sold-out three-night "Eras Tour" stand at AT&T Stadium this spring, the nearby Arlington Museum of Art dedicates an entire summer exhibition to Taylor Swift. In collaboration with the HELP Center for LGBT Health & Wellness, "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection" will feature items from Swift’s private collection. Visitors will be able to experience her journey as an artist and view outfits, photographs, and concert videos from the “eras” of her life and career. Highlights of the collection are eight iconic costumes from four of Swift’s albums. Tickets run $5-$20.

In conjunction with this exhibition, the museum also will present "Girl in a Country Song: Women of Country Music," featuring intimate portraits of such female country music legends as Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Tanya Tucker, LeAnn Rimes, and others. They'll also open "Hometown Harmonies," which includes personal memorabilia from three women whose musical careers began on the stages of Arlington: Mickey Guyton, Kirstin Maldonado, and Maren Morris.

Classical Music

Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition
June 8-17 at SMU's Caruth Auditorium and the Meyerson Symphony Center
The Cliburn will present the third Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival, featuring 24 of the best 13- to 17-year-old pianists on the planet. Through four rounds of competition, including a final round with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the elite young artists will showcase their virtuosity and musicality. Preliminary, Quarterfinal, and Semifinal Round performances (solo recitals) will take place at Caruth Auditorium. The Final Round concert moves to the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, where three finalists will play a full concerto with the DSO, conducted by Valentina Peleggi. Admission is free-$25 for preliminary rounds; $38-$98 for final round. The entire event will be webcast here.

Outdoor symphonic concerts (ongoing)
Summer symphonic concerts lighten up a bit, with more pop-style fare in fun outdoor settings. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's annual Concerts in the Garden series at Fort Worth Botanic Garden runs on weekends through June 11, and each performance ends with a new sparkly extra, a drone show. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents a series of Parks Concerts, which are family-friendly, free, and staged at parks across the city. Remaining performances are June 1 at Exall Park; June 6 at Campbell Green Park; June 8 at Kidd Springs Park; and June 13 at Paul Quinn College. The DSO's popular Concert Truck is also zipping around town, presenting free pop-up concerts in more than 30 locations through June 11.

Courtesy of Meow Wolf

Rendering of the Meow Wolf Grapevine lobby, coming July 14.

Mimir Chamber Music Festival
July 5-14at TCU and Kimbell Art Museum
While the big chamber music presenters prep for their fall seasons, summer chamber music cravings are fulfilled by this renowned festival, now in its 26th year. Acclaimed professional musicians are joined by emerging artists for a series of concerts that span more than a week. Among the big names joining the roster this year are Japanese pianist Rieko Aizawa, two-time Grammy nominated violinist Jesse Mills, and the rare billing of both Canadian pianist Lucille Chung and her husband, DFW fan-favorite pianist Alessio Bax. More information is here, and tickets will go on sale in June.

Dance

Titas/Unbound presents Ballet BC
June 9 at Winspear Opera House
Bold, innovative and uniquely great, Ballet British Columbia is an internationally acclaimed Canadian contemporary dance company. It is rare to find a company where just everything works; vision, dancers, repertory, say press materials. The program includes Crystal Pite’s The Statement, as well as Garden by Medhi Walerski and Bedroom Folk by Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar. Tickets are $12-$135.

Ballet Concerto: Summer Dance Concert
June 22-25 at The Shops at Clearfork
Now, remarkably, in its 41st year, the annual summer showcase isn't slowing down. Three ballets are planned for each night of performances. Spanish dance king Luis Montero will return to restage his Andalusian Suite, which was world premiered at Ballet Concerto’s 1997 Summer Dance Concert. The programs will also Irish Suite with choreography by Dennis Spaight (restaged by Associate Artistic Director Webster Dean) and Dream On with choreography by Elise Lavallee. Performances begin at 8:30 pm and are free to attend on the lawn, or $75 and up for reserved table seating. Make a night of it by pre-ordering food from nearby Rise or B&B Butchers and pick it up at the event tent on the lawn. More information here.

Modern Dance Festival at The Modern
July 22-23, 29-30 at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
Presented by Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth in collaboration with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the 17th edition of the festival will celebrate the exhibition Robert Motherwell: Pure Painting and CD/FW’s “Thirty-Something” anniversary. A series of live performances of dance and music will be inspired by the exhibition and dedicated to the memory of Jerry Bywaters Cochran, who founded the modern dance program at TCU and was a pioneer for modern dance in North Texas. Performances take place at 2 pm in the Grand Lobby and are free to watch.

Theater

Next to Normal
June 1-July 2 at Theatre Three
The Goodman family is just a “normal” family: Dad's an architect, mom packs lunches and makes birthday cakes, and their daughter and son are bright, wise-cracking teens. Under the surface, their family is anything but. Next to Normal is an emotionally charged Tony-Award winning musical that explores a family’s raw and emotional journey with a mother struggling with chronic bipolar disorder as they navigate a world of therapists and medication. Tickets are $37-$40.

Miss Saigon with Lou Diamond Phillips
June 3-11 at Casa Manana
A tragedy of passion and beauty, Miss Saigon is one of the most stunning theatrical spectacles of all time. The musical takes audiences on emotional journey. In the turmoil of the Vietnam War, Chris, an American soldier, and Kim, a Vietnamese girl, fall in love and marry but are distressingly separated when Saigon falls. As years pass, Chris remarries and attempts to move on with his life. Kim, however, gives birth to Chris’ son and waits faithfully for Chris’ return. When circumstances bring Chris back to Vietnam, he learns the truth. (This show is suitable for mature audiences.) Legendary actor Lou Diamond Phillips returns to Texas to star as The Engineer. Tickets start at $59.

Uptown Players presents Chicken & Biscuits
July 28-Aug 13 at Kalita Humphreys Theater
Written by Douglas Lyons, Chicken & Biscuits follows rivaling sisters, Baneatta and Beverly, as they try to bury their father without killing each other. This proves difficult, when Beverly shows up to the chapel with all her “blessings” on display. Baneatta’s husband tries to mediate the family drama while preparing Bernard’s eulogy. Baneatta’s son intentionally brings his neurotic white Jewish boyfriend along, knowing Baneatta disapproves. All while Beverly’s nosy daughter keeps asking questions no one wants to answer. But when a family secret reveals itself at the altar, the two sisters are faced with a truth that could either heal, or break them. The show recently had a run on Broadway and now closes Uptown Players' season. Tickets are $35-$60.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

A Million Miles Away flies with true story of migrant worker turned astronaut

We are in the midst of, if not the golden age, the rising age of representation in the movies. Minorities, including women, the LGBTQ community, and people of color, are seeing a significant number of films featuring them as leads. It’s a wonder it’s taken this long, as not only are the filmmakers and actors making them proving how talented they are, but the movies also tend to show how profitable they can be for the studios.

The latest example is A Million Miles Away, which centers on the somewhat improbable journey of former NASA astronaut Jose Hernández (Michael Peña). Hernández (played as a child by Juan Pablo Monterrubio) grew up as one of four children of migrant farm workers, traveling annually from their hometown of Michoacán, Mexico to a variety of farms around California to help pick crops.

Hernández showed academic promise at an early age, and went on to get an engineering degree. The bulk of the film shows him doggedly pursuing his dream of becoming an astronaut, one that still seems far away despite his experience as an engineer. With the help of his wife, Adela (Rosa Salazar), and a never-quit attitude, Hernández demonstrates how far one can travel from their supposed station in life.

Written and directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella, and co-written by Bettina Gilois and Hernán Jiménez, the film is inspiring, featuring an appealing lead performance by Peña, who doesn’t get as many starring roles as he should. The filmmakers consistently hit the sweet spot between telling a version of the story that only exists in the movie and being truthful to actual events, blending them seamlessly for a rewarding experience.

While Hernández was not the first Hispanic astronaut at NASA, the movie sells the story as one worth telling because of his background. Márquez Abella pointedly shows how hard Hernández and his family worked during his childhood and the sacrifices they were willing to make, not so subtly showing the value of all migrant farm workers. The movie never strays far from his Mexican culture, an important point that stands in contrast to other films that assimilate their minority characters.

Hernández’s time at NASA is treated neither as a surprise nor as the only important part of his life, and both approaches feel right. The family aspect of the film shines through, first as a child and then with his wife and her family, and spending as much time with them as the film does pays big dividends by the end. Hernández’s career is still the most prominent part of the film, but the debt he owes everyone else in his life comes through loud and clear.

Peña, who has run the gamut of characters in his filmography, shines in this role. He has a great combination of friendliness and determinedness that the part needs, and he elevates everyone around him. Salazar makes the most of what can be a thankless role playing the supportive wife. Bobby Soto, playing a similar role to the one he did in Flamin’ Hot, is once again a solid presence.

There have been a multitude of people who have risen from the bottom in the United States, giving filmmakers innumerable ways to tell a rousing story. A Million Miles Away is an entertaining, hopeful, and joyful look at one such man, and the many people who supported him along the way.

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A Million Miles Away debuts on Prime Video on September 15.

$Michael Pe\u00f1a in A Million Miles Away$

Photo by Daniel Daza/Prime Video

Michael Peña in A Million Miles Away.

These are the 5 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

This week in gluttony

Dust off your lederhosen – Oktoberfest arrives in Fort Worth this week for an annual three-day celebration of all things German. Practice stein hoisting and your best polka moves, then partake in complimentary salsa dance lessons at a local brewery. Also on the list, a Keller wine tasting, meat and beer pairing, and museum happy hour.

Wednesday, September 20

3V Tasting: Orin Swift
3 Vino Wine Bar & Bottle Shop in Keller will host a wine tasting featuring varietals by Orin Swift. The $29 price includes five wines and a cheeseboard. Visit anytime between 3:30-8 pm. No reservations required.

Thursday, September 21

Fort Worth Oktoberfest
Prost! Fort Worth’s aMunich-style celebration of German culture is back at Trinity Park. Fort Worth Oktoberfest kicks off Thursday featuring loads of German fare (including those soft Bavarian pretzels), carnival games and rides, stein hoisting, barrel racing, dachshund parades, polka music, and plenty of Spaten beer. (Don’t miss Happy Hour Oktobefestband, visiting all the way from Bavaria.) Admission is $10 on Thursday and $15 on Friday and Saturday. Or pay $20 for a three-day pass. A commemorative stein glass is guaranteed when purchasing tickets in advance. Admission is free for children under 12 with a paying adult. The festival runs from 5-11 pm Thursday and Friday, and 11 am-midnight on Saturday.

Meat & Beer Pairing Class at Funky Picnic Brewery & Café
Funky Picnic will partner with The Meat Board butcher shop for an exploratory pairing of meats and beer. Menu items include German sausage, jalapeno sausage, and bacon-wrapped bourbon sugar bourbon quail legs. Beers will range from pilsner to Prostoberfest. Tickets are $41 and the pairing will begin at 7 pm.

Salsa Dance Lessons at Neutral Ground Brewing Co.
Spice up your dance moves with free salsa lessons at the Race Street brewery. The folks at Neutral Ground Brewing Co. will push the tables aside for a makeshift dancefloor and pour up pints for some liquid courage. No partner needed. The lessons will run from 7-8 pm.

Friday, September 22

Kimbell Happy Hour
Friday means it’s time for happy hour at the Kimbell Art Museum. The museum will open after hours for cocktails, bites, and live music. The Allegro Guitar Society will provide tunes while guests can enjoy beverages and bites available for purchase. (Members receive a 10 percent discount.) Admission is free and the event will run from 5-7 pm.

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