Event Planner

John Mayer headlines the best weekend events in Dallas

This weekend in Dallas is as eclectic as you get, with everything from tennis to heavy metal concerts to celebrating the French on the docket. You also might want to stock up on sunscreen, as many of the events will have you enduring triple-digit heat.

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, July 11

World Team Tennis: Texas Wild vs. Orange County Breakers
World Team Tennis, a coed league in which each set is played in a different single or doubles format, has existed in one form or another for 40 years. But this is the first time the league has had a team in the Dallas area, with the Texas Wild playing their inaugural season at the Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas. The team, led by doubles stars Bob and Mike Bryan, plays for the first time at home this week and end its very quick season on July 24.

Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody
There was no more talked-about book over the past couple of years than Fifty Shades of Grey, thanks to its not-so-subtle attempt at arousing mostly female readers. Not surprisingly, others have been quick to ride its coattails, including the makers of Spank!, which satirize the book in four shows at Majestic Theatre.

Friday, July 12

Megadeth in concert with Slash, Black Label Society, Device, HELLYEAH and Newsted
The concerts at Gexa Energy Pavilion so far in 2013 have been heavy on country and pop music, so it's about time those who prefer something a little harder get a chance to enjoy a show. They get a big opportunity here, as 97.1 The Eagle holds its annual BFD fest, headlined by Megadeth and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.

Summerland Tour 2013: Everclear, Live, Filter and Sponge
Fans going to this concert may find themselves a little confused at first, as the venue previously known as Palladium Ballroom is putting on its first concert since changing its name to South Side Ballroom, partly to honor the surrounding neighborhood. Whatever its name, it's still one of the better live music venues in the area, as visitors will see when it hosts this quartet of '90s bands.

Saturday, July 13

The Sixth Floor Museum 2013 Living History Series: Buell Wesley Frazier
The Sixth Floor Museum has been commemorating the upcoming 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy all year long, and the latest guest may be the most compelling yet. Buell Wesley Frazier worked with Lee Harvey Oswald at the Texas School Book Depository, drove him to work on that fateful day and witnessed the assassination. He discusses his role in this special event.

John Mayer in concert with Phillip Phillips
John Mayer has had a lot of recent drama in his life, whether it was trying to recover from career-threatening throat surgeries or his off-and-on relationship with Katy Perry. But he's finally getting back to what he does best, going out on tour in advance of his upcoming sixth album, Paradise Valley. He's joined at Gexa Energy Pavilion by American Idol winner Phillip Phillips.

Alamo Drafthouse presents outdoor screening of Dazed and Confused
The excitement over the upcoming opening of Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson gets ramped up with the first of four Rolling Roadshows to be held in the theater's parking lot. In addition to watching the classic movie under the stars, enjoy an outdoor pinball arcade, a muscle car show and a DJ playing the best in '70s rock.

Sunday, July 14

2013 Asian Film Festival of Dallas
Lovers of Asian film get their niche scratched at this eight-day festival at Angelika Film Center Dallas, with 55 screenings featuring films from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Asian-American filmmakers. The centerpiece film for the festival, which runs July 11-18, is Drug War, a Chinese thriller making its Southwest premiere on Sunday night.

2013 Bastille on Bishop
Celebrating Bastille Day, France's national holiday, may seem like a stretch for people in Dallas, Texas. But the Bishop Arts District has embraced the tradition the past few years, taking to the streets to eat mussels cooked by top area chefs, enjoy accordion music, ogle French cars and, of course, drink plenty of French wine.

Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson kicks off its summer Rolling Roadshow series with Dazed and Confused on July 13.

Photo courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse

Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson kicks off its summer Rolling Roadshow series with Dazed and Confused on July 13.

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Outside Ideas

New podcast series uncovers hidden gems found at Texas parks

Better Outside podcast host Morgan O’Hanlon

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Podcast host Morgan O’Hanlon captures ambient sound from a river.

Outdoorsy Texans have a new way to keep track of conservation initiatives within Texas' parks. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) launched a new podcast on May 21 called Better Outside, available on all major podcast platforms.

A press release promises that listeners will "travel the woods and waters of Texas through an array of awe-inspiring stories about conservation, recreation and the outdoors."

The podcast does mean "travel" in a literal sense, taking listeners out in the field to experience the environments firsthand. They'll have a knowledgeable guide in host Morgan O’Hanlon, who is a senior writer at Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, as well as TPWD executive director David Yoskowitz.

“People are at the core of conservation work in Texas,” said Yoskowitz in the release. “I’m excited for you to hear their voices straight from the field, so they can share why the work they do matters and the impact it makes.”

$David Yoskowitz and Morgan O\u2019Hanlon recording Better Outside podcast$ David Yoskowitz and Morgan O’Hanlon record in the studio as well as in the field.Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Some examples of the work featured include creating a new trail across the state, touring an existing park, and restoring bighorn sheep (which were on the brink of being wiped out by 1900) in West Texas. Another episode in the Hill Country follows feral hog bounty hunters. Although well-informed listeners may already know about some of these subjects, the podcast specifically hopes to focus on hidden gems and expanding horizons.

“I love adventure sports and am excited to inspire people to try new, and sometimes scary, things,” said O’Hanlon. “In our episode on the Devils River, I took my non-outdoorsy mom on one of the state’s most feared paddling trips. You’ll hear straight from her about the challenges I put her through — and why she would do it again.”

Better Outside isn't TPWD’s first podcast. It was Under the Texas Sky, which launched in 2019 and followed similar themes, with a notable focus on culture. Some episodes followed the Indigenous history of Texas parks, cowboy poets, and chefs who are involved in sustainable farming and cooking. Under the Texas Sky stopped being made when its host, longtime Passport to Texas radio host Cecilia Nasti, retired.

The new podcast is sponsored by the Austin-based Whole Earth Provision Co., which originally opened in 1970 as a real-life manifestation of the Whole Earth Catalog, and is now a cross between a camping, home goods, and outdoorsy gift store. It operates six locations in total in Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.

podcast parks state parks nature sustainability conservation