Weekend Event Planner

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

As April gives way to May, there are quite a few eclectic events on tap. Among them are a farewell to a legend; the return of an iconic humorist; three big events celebrating great art, music, and movies; and a living legend performing perhaps his best work.

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 28

Purple Rain Tribute Screenings
The death of Prince on April 21 left a hole in many of his fans' lives, one that can only be filled honor the amazing artist he was. All Studio Movie Grill locations in Dallas-Fort Worth will help in the grieving process by showing Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain, a film that spawned monster hits like "Let's Go Crazy" and the title song, on Thursday. In addition, both Alamo Drafthouse locations will screen the film on Saturday night.

Theatre Three presents Memphis
The latest from Theatre Three is its production of the 2010 Tony Award-winning musical Memphis. It’s the 1950s and an up-and-coming DJ at a white radio station starts to play records coming out of the black underground music scene in Memphis, Tennessee. The joyously raucous musical is about breaking down barriers and singing the song of your soul. It will run through May 22.

Arts & Letters Live: David Sedaris
It's never a bad time to welcome back the renowned humorist David Sedaris, who slays whether you're reading his many books, listening to him on NPR, or seeing him live. For this Arts & Letters Live event, he appears at Dallas City Performance Hall for three straight nights (starting on April 27), reading new and unpublished material.

Diana Sheehan Sings: The Jerome Kern Songbook
Singer Diana Sheehan is a local treasure who usually only gets to showcase her voice in small venues around the area. That will change on Thursday when she takes the stage at Winspear Opera House to sing songs by Jerome Kern, who helped write classics like "All the Things You Are," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "A Fine Romance," and "The Way You Look Tonight."

Friday, April 29

2016 Denton Arts & Jazz Festival
The annual Denton Arts & Jazz Festival is a three-day event celebrating the arts, with more than 3,000 professional and amateur performers on seven stages showcasing the best in jazz, pop, rhythm and blues, and full orchestra music. Taking place at Quakertown Park, it also features a wide variety of dance, choral, storytelling, and theater performances, as well as visual artists.

2016 Texas Frightmare Weekend
If you're a horror movie fan, there's no better event to attend than Texas Frightmare Weekend, the Southwest’s premier horror convention. Featuring celebrity appearances, autograph signings, screenings, exclusive parties, and horror memorabilia vendors, this year's event, primarily taking place at Hyatt Regency DFW Airport, will include Robert Englund, George A. Romero, Rose McGowan, Peter Criss, James Remar, John Carroll Lynch, Lance Henriksen, and many others. The event will go through Sunday.

Saturday, April 30

Edgefest 2016
Toyota Stadium in Frisco seems to be the new go-to place for music festivals, as it hosted the Off the Rails Country Music Fest last weekend and now Edgefest on Saturday. This year's Edgefest will feature performances from Cage The Elephant, The 1975, Bastille, Silversun Pickups, Chrvches, Foals, The Struts, The Joy Formidable, Good Charlotte, Blue October, XAmbassadors, JR JR, Nothing But Thieves, and The Strumbellas.

Taco Libre Dallas 2016
The second annual Taco Libre will include an expanded event site at Main Street Garden and food from 21 taquerias around the state, but this event is about much more than just tacos. The music lineup will feature Mariachi El Bronx, Grupo Fantasma, Larry G(ee), and Mayta. And all of that will be competing with the unique sight of a ring full of lucha libre wrestlers.

Sunday, May 1

Brian Wilson in concert
Just as we lament the loss of one music legend gone too soon, you can also celebrate the seminal work of another musician who's still with us. Brian Wilson will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beach Boys' iconic 1966 album, Pet Sounds, by playing it in its entirety for the very last time. He'll be joined by special guests Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Studio Movie Grill will celebrate the life of Prince with a special screening of Purple Rain on April 28.

111 Prince Golden Globes fashion January 2015

Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC

Studio Movie Grill will celebrate the life of Prince with a special screening of Purple Rain on April 28.

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World Cup Fun

Halperin Park hosts free World Cup watch parties for USA & Mexico games

Bandshell and LED screen at Halperin Park

Photo by Kathy Tran

Halperin Park in Dallas will show all U.S. and Mexico World Cup Group stage games on a large LED screen.

Dallas' newest park is joining the lineup of FIFA World Cup watch party sites: Halperin Park will host free public viewing events for six matches featuring the U.S. Men's National Team and Mexico's national team.

Starting with the very first match of the tournament, Mexico vs. South Africa on June 11 at 2 pm, the new bridge park will show the teams' games on their 300-square-foot LED wall, as well as several other large-scale LED screens throughout the park.

Fans will be able to watch the live broadcasts from under the bandshell or the Great Lawn in the park.

Kids playing soccer at Halperin Park in Dallas The Great Lawn at Halperin Park will be a prime viewing spot for the World Cup Watch Parties. Photo by Kathy Tran

The United States opens their World Cup play on June 12 at 8 pm with a game against Paraguay.

The two teams will play on back-to-back days for the remainder of the Group stage:

Mexico vs. South Korea - June 18 at 8 pm
USA vs. Australia - June 19 at 2 pm
Mexico vs. Czechia - June 24 at 8 pm
USA vs. Türkiye - June 25 at 9 pm

Each watch party will feature local DJs and other cultural showcases, an assortment of food trucks, and access to the park’s signature amenities such as the Great Lawn, children’s playground, and interactive water features.

In addition, the park will offer special football-themed versions of its programming all month long, including story time, craft zone, face painting, and more.

"We wanted to create a safe, welcoming and high-energy environment where families can experience the magic of the World Cup right in their own backyard,” said April Allen, President and CEO of Halperin Park and the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation, in a statement. “Whether you are wearing green, white and red for El Tri or red, white and blue for the USMNT, we are turning Dallas’s newest public green space into an outdoor living room where fans can connect, cheer, and make unforgettable memories.”

A giant soccer ball sculpture at Halperin Park will be a great selfie opportunity during their World Cup Watch Parties. Photo courtesy of Halperin Park

The events will also feature activations from World Cup sponsors and local partners. Highlights include a life-size replica of Adidas' official World Cup match ball, a McDonald's photo bus and children's activities, Michelob ULTRA fan viewing areas, and complimentary sunscreen provided by UT Southwestern Medical Center.

There is no word if the park will continue to host watch parties should either team advance past the Group stage.

Self-parking is available at the Dallas Zoo surface lot and parking garage, with convenient crosswalk access to the park from Ewing Avenue. Fans are encouraged to take DART, which has a stop at the Dallas Zoo, or rideshare services when possible.

Halperin Park opened in spring 2026 as a five-acre deck park spanning Interstate 35E between Ewing and Marsalis avenues near the Dallas Zoo. Built over the highway, the park was designed to reconnect neighborhoods in southern Dallas that were divided when I-35E was constructed in the 1950s.

The watch parties are part of a big slate World Cup festivities planned across North Texas. Arlington's AT&T Stadium, dubbed "Dallas Stadium" for the tournament, will host nine World Cup matches, while a FIFA Fan Fest will take place at Dallas' Fair Park and watch parties will take place in bars, parks, and other venues across Dallas-Fort Worth.

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