Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Music is a big theme for events in and around Dallas this weekend. You can celebrate the songs of a late, great singer, watch some phenomenal dancing, enjoy a two-day festival, attend two big-name concerts, or run to the tune of multiple bands. Also on tap will be a water circus, new art, and the continuation of a growing activism movement.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, March 22

Eisemann Center presents Sweet Dreams: The Music of Patsy Cline
Performer Mandy Barnett, who originated the role of “Patsy Cline” in the theatrical production Always… Patsy Cline, will take audiences on a sparkling musical journey performing an evening of Cline’s hits. The concert, taking place at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson on Thursday and Friday, will include "Sweet Dreams," "Crazy," "I Fall to Pieces," and more, along with other classic country and pop standards, and selections from Barnett's own albums.

AT&T Performing Arts Center Broadway Series: Riverdance: The 20th Anniversary World Tour
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Riverdance draws on Irish traditions as the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures in an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music, and song. The production will run through Sunday at Winspear Opera House.

Friday, March 23

Toyota Texas Music Revolution
The 2018 edition of Toyota Texas Music Revolution is a two-day festival featuring great music from multiple genres. The festival, taking place at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve in Plano, will include performances by Ryan Bingham, Margo Price, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Gary P. Nunn, Two Tons Of Steel, The Texas Gentlemen, The Buffalo Ruckus, Drew Kennedy, Austin Cunningham, Jesse Dayton, The Bird Dogs, and The O's.

Cirque Italia Aquatic Spectacular
Cirque Italia's Aquatic Spectacular, which was in Hurst the past couple of weeks, will feature aerialists dazzling and shimmering on a chandelier high above the ground, contortion in a bubble, a Venetian aerial duo, and even someone hula hooping while in the air. The event will take place in a tent in the parking lot of Grapevine Mills through April 1.

Alabama in concert
There was no bigger country band in the 1980s than Alabama. They racked up nine consecutive No. 1 albums thanks to an unprecedented run in which 27 out of their 28 singles went to No. 1. That level of success earned them a hall pass for the rest of their lives, allowing them to release only two albums in the 21st century, including Southern Drawl in 2015. They'll play at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Beck in concert
Beck has had one of the oddest careers of any rock musician. He's arguably best known for his first official single, 1994's "Loser," but it wasn't until 2002's Sea Change that one of his albums hit the top 10 on the Billboard charts. He's had a steady run of top-selling albums ever since, including his latest, 2017's Colors. He'll play at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, with Twin Shadow as opening act.

Saturday, March 24

March for Our Lives
The school shooting in Parkland, Florida on February 14 has led to an unprecedented call for gun control from high school students and others. As part of the growing movement, the March for Our Lives will take place in Washington, D.C. and hundreds of other cities around the world, including sister marches in Dallas, McKinney, and Denton.

Sunday, March 25

Toyota Rock n’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon
The musically themed Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon is expected to draw 13,000 runners. The 13.1-mile race will start near the Omni Dallas Hotel on Young St. and Lamar St. and will take runners on a tour of downtown and the Dallas skyline, including Deep Ellum, Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, the Bishop Arts District, and Houston Street Bridge. Live bands will be performing along the course, while Hayes Carll will perform at the finish at The Lawn at Reunion.

Dallas Museum of Art presents "Laura Owens" opening day
For more than 20 years, artist Laura Owens has pioneered an innovative, and at times controversial, approach to painting, challenging traditional assumptions about figuration and abstraction, as well as the relationships among avant-garde art, craft, pop culture, and technology. This exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art is the most comprehensive exhibition of her 20-year career, featuring over 60 paintings and objects from the mid-1990s until today. The exhibition will be on display through July 29.

Alabama will play at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie on March 23.

Photo courtesy of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Alabama will play at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie on March 23.

event-planner

Store closure

Beloved Dallas boat and kayak shop Mariner Sails to close after 50 years

Facebook/Mariner Sails

Mariner Sails will be missed by boaters, kayakers, and fishermen.

After more than five decades serving North Texas paddlers, sailors, and watersports enthusiasts, Dallas watercraft store Mariner Sails is coming into harbor for good.

Founder and owner Aris Tsamis announced the store closure in an email to customers and on the shop website, saying he has decided to retire after more than 50 years in business.

Located at 11110 N. Stemmons Fwy. in north Dallas, Mariner Sails has long been a go-to for kayaks, canoes, sailboats, paddleboards, accessories, repairs, and expert advice. Over the years, the store built a loyal following among everyone from competitive racers to casual weekend paddlers.

"Thank you for your business and support for over 50 years," Tsamis wrote to customers. "We have been fortunate to navigate the retail and service world for over 50 years, and we couldn't have done it without you."

Mariner Sails was known for stocking hard-to-find inventory and taking the time to personally assist customers with questions, purchases, and even helping them load up new watercraft to haul home. As a fun tradition, they took photos of happy customers standing next to their new boats and kayaks outside the store and posted them to their Facebook page.

Tsamis credited customers for helping sustain the business since 1975 and for creating a community centered around life on the water.

"You are the reason we have worked for so many years to help make sure our watersports community can get on the water and enjoy the peace, the competition, the comradery, the friendships, and the satisfaction of being on the water," he said.

Social media posts about the closure have drawn more than 100 comments from longtime customers recounting experiences buying watercraft or seeking expertise on parts and repairs. One likened it to "a death in the family." Others wonder why no one has stepped in to buy the business.

While calling the decision bittersweet, Tsamis said retirement will allow him to spend more time enjoying the sports he has spent a career supporting.

"I'm going to miss my Mariner Sails family and friends, and I have enjoyed every minute of my time with you," he wrote. "On the flip side, I'm very excited about the opportunity to get out on the water more and enjoy the sports we all love."

In news that softens the blow just slightly, the closure means the launch of a major liquidation sale. Mariner Sails closed its doors to customers June 9-10 to prepare for the event, with the store-closing sale beginning Thursday, June 11. Tsamis described it as the company's "biggest, best, and FINAL SALE," adding that "everything MUST GO."

The sale will take place in-store only, with additional details expected through the company's email and social media channels. (The website will not show sale pricing, they note.) Customers are encouraged to shop early for the best selection. Doors will open at the regular time of 9 am June 11.

"Our doors will be closing forever soon, so please visit us and help celebrate our time together," Tsamis said.

No final closing date has been announced, but a Facebook post says it'll be "a few short weeks."

"It has been my privilege to be a part of your watersports community," Tsamis wrote. "We here at Mariner Sails wish you all the time on the water you can stand!"

boats shopping sale closings