Weekend Event Planner

Edgefest and USA Film Festival top best weekend events in Dallas-Fort Worth

It's the last weekend in April, which means that there are more movies to see at another film festival. There are also two huge music festivals, shopping for a cause, great theater, a hilarious comedian and more, so your choices are most certainly not lacking

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, April 23

Thrift Studio
The annual Thrift Studio is no ordinary thrift store. For one, it features a series of specially designed vignettes full of designer goods for sale. And the whole thing is for charity, with proceeds going to Dwell with Dignity, which helps families escape poverty and homelessness. Thursday's preview party is followed by the actual pop-up shop at Dallas Design Center, which is open through May 23.

USA Film Festival
April is the month that movie lovers in Dallas-Fort Worth always look forward to, as it contains not only the just-finished Dallas International Film Festival, but also the USA Film Festival. The 45th annual event, taking place at Angelika Film Center through Sunday, presents more than 20 feature films and short film programs, including sneak peeks at films like Mr. Holmes and Welcome to Me.

Dallas Theater Center presents Sense and Sensibility
The last show of the 2014-2015 Dallas Theater Center season has the company returning to its roots at Kalita Humphreys Theater once again. This time they take on an adaptation the classic Jane Austen novel, a romantic comedy about the marital hopes, unpredictable misadventures and sincere sisterly bonds of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. The play runs through May 24.

Friday, April 24

Earth Day Texas
Although the actual Earth Day was on April 22, Dallas extends the celebration a few days with this festival at Fair Park, taking place through Sunday. The annual event seeks to elevate environmental awareness and influence the way Texans think, live and work through exhibits, presentations, entertainment and more. And if you missed it, Texans could stand to be a lot more eco-friendly.

Denton Arts & Jazz Festival
The golden triangle of spring arts festivals is complete with the annual Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, taking place at Quakertown Park through Sunday. Featuring more than 2,000 professional and amateur performers in a variety of musical genres on six stages and artists of all types hawking their wares, it's an arts lover's paradise.

Saturday, April 25

2015 Prairie Fest
Getting out and enjoying the splendor of nature is part of what makes spring in Texas so fun, which is pretty much what the annual Prairie Fest at Tandy Hills Natural Area in Fort Worth is all about. The one-day event features music, storytelling and dancing on solar-powered stages, along with wildflower tours, arts and crafts, games, and more.

2015 Edgefest
The annual Edgefest from 102.1 KDGE, taking place once again at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, is a reliably entertaining affair that includes bands and singers both big and small. Among the headliners at this year's festival are The Offspring, Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Hozier, Vance Joy and a special DJ set from Girl Talk.

DADA Spring Gallery Walk
More than 35 art spaces throughout Dallas and North Texas — including Arlington, Irving and Denton — open their doors from noon-8 pm for this all-day affair for art lovers. Presented by Dallas Art Dealers Association (DADA), the tour is a chance for ambitious enthusiasts to see the full spectrum of galleries and special exhibitions in one day — for free. You can download a complete guide with all the details.

Sunday, April 26

Toadies in concert
A month after helping to reopen the Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum, the Toadies introduce their new beer from Martin House Brewing Company with a special concert at the brewery. Everyone attending the event gets a souvenir pint glass, three beers and the first chance to try this year's Toadies beer, Bockslider.

Marc Maron in concert
It's taken comedian Marc Maron longer than some to get to the top of his profession, but he's enjoying the ride now. He has a top-rated podcast, WTF with Marc Maron, a sitcom called Maron on IFC and he continues to be an in-demand stand-up comic. He brings his Maronation tour to Dallas with this stop at the South Side Music Hall in the Gilley's complex.

Tandy Hills Natural Area hosts the annual Prairie Fest, a celebration of the beauty that spring brings to Texas, on April 25.

Tandy Hills Natural Area/Facebook

Tandy Hills Natural Area hosts the annual Prairie Fest, a celebration of the beauty that spring brings to Texas, on April 25.

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Festival News

North Texas Irish Festival leaves Dallas' Fair Park and heads north

Photo courtesy of North Texas Irish Festival

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The long-running North Texas Irish Festival has decided to pull up stakes from its home in Fair Park and relocate to Denton, starting with its 2027 edition.

According to a release, the 2027 event will be held at the North Texas Fairgrounds on March 13 and 14.

Produced by the Southwest Celtic Music Association, the festival has been in existence since 1983, growing into one of the largest Irish festivals in the United States.

The festival was the second-largest annual event at Fair Park, behind only the State Fair of Texas.

In a phone interview with CultureMap, North Texas Irish Festival entertainment director Sheri Bush, who has been with the event since 1997, said the impetus for the move was when Fair Park First took over management of Fair Park in 2019.

Prior to that year, Bush said, Fair Park allowed the North Texas Irish Festival to handle all of the logistics of the event, from ticketing to concessions to security. But that changed under Fair Park First, which - among other things - raised ticket prices to a degree that it was affecting attendance, she said.

Bush said the loss of control, combined with the deteriorating condition of Fair Park's buildings, attendees' perception that the area was unsafe, and what she described as a lack of promotion by the city of Dallas, ultimately made relocating a more appealing option than staying.

The city of Denton has shown an enthusiasm for the event that has been lacking from Dallas, and all logistics will once again be under the festival's control, Bush said.

The move to Denton will not change anything about what the festival has to offer, including including multiple stages of live Celtic music, Irish step dancing performances, cultural demonstrations, storytelling, shopping, authentic food and drink, and more.

"We’re honored that the North Texas Irish Festival has chosen Denton as its new home," said Denton Mayor Chris Watts in a statement. "This move reflects our city’s commitment and reputation as a premier destination for arts, culture and community events."

Festival organizers say in the release that Denton's renowned arts and music community makes it a natural fit for the North Texas Irish Festival.

"Denton is known for embracing music and creativity," Bush said in the release. "Those values align perfectly with what the North Texas Irish Festival has represented for more than four decades. We're excited to become part of the Denton community while continuing to welcome attendees from across Texas and beyond."

Additional details, including the performer lineup and ticket information will be announced in the coming months.

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