Weekend Event Planner

These are the 12 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

This weekend, you'll find events spanning the spectrum of entertainment, including two unique movie events, a concert featuring a live performance by a famous film composer, three interesting and varied theater productions, a gathering of global soccer fans, a visit from one of the biggest rappers on the planet, and much more.

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

Thursday, July 13

2017 Asian Film Festival of Dallas
The 2017 edition of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, taking place through July 20 at Angelika Film Center Dallas, will feature its first showcase of films directed and produced by women. It will also have more films than any other year, with 70 films screening throughout the week, including five short blocks and 35 feature films. Fans can expect films in multiple genres from the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Indian, Japan, Korea, and Tibet.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Finding Neverland
Finding Neverland tells the incredible story behind one of the world's most beloved characters: Peter Pan. Playwright J.M. Barrie struggles to find inspiration until he meets four young brothers and their beautiful widowed mother. Spellbound by the boys’ enchanting make-believe adventures, he sets out to write a play that will astound London theatergoers. The musical will run through July 23 at Winspear Opera House.

Hans Zimmer: Live on Tour
Composer Hans Zimmer is responsible for some of the most memorable film scores of all time and has won multiple Grammys, Golden Globes, and Academy Awards. This concert at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie will be a multi-layered experience for concert-goers, featuring music from Zimmer's multi-decade career, including pieces from Gladiator, The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight trilogy, and Inception.

Friday, July 14

2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Frisco is one of nine cities hosting early-round games of the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, pitting national soccer teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean against each other. While the U.S. and Mexican teams will be playing elsewhere, local soccer fans will still get to see Costa Rica face off against French Guiana and Canada play Honduras at this doubleheader event at Toyota Stadium.

Bastille on Bishop
Bishop Arts District will present the 8th annual Bastille on Bishop celebration, an evening full of entertainment, food, wine, petanque, and wonderful people to celebrate the beautiful country of France and their traditions. Oak Cliff was the original settlement of the French colony called La Reunion, and the neighborhood has picked up the mantle with great pride and love for the French culture. Make sure to buy your tickets in advance, as glasses used to consume drinks outside are not sold at the event.

Kendrick Lamar in concert with Travis Scott and D.R.A.M.
Kendrick Lamar is considered by many to be the best rapper in the world right now, with both of his past two albums — 2015's To Pimp a Butterfly and 2017's DAMN — hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Fans at this concert at American Airlines Center will get to see exactly why, as well as experience the talents of opening acts Travis Scott and D.R.A.M.

2017 Festival of Independent Theatres
The Festival of Independent Theatres, playing at Bath House Cultural Center through August 5, pairs together independent theater companies for a different experience almost every night. The festival will feature productions from WingSpan Theatre, Echo Theatre, Audacity Theatre Lab, Fun House Theatre and Film, L.I.P. Service Productions, and Dustin Curry and Company.

Uptown Players presents La Cage Aux Folles
After 20 years of un-wedded bliss, Georges and Albin, two men partnered for better-or-worse, get a bit of both when Georges' son (fathered during a one-night fling) announces his impending marriage to the daughter of a bigoted, right-wing politician. Georges reluctantly agrees to masquerade as 'normal' when he meets the family of the bride-to-be. But Albin has other plans, with hilarious results. The production will run through July 30 at Kalita Humphreys Theater.

Saturday, July 15

Dallas Gallery Day
Dallas Gallery Day returns for its sixth installment, featuring over 20 participating spaces. Newcomers to the event include Ginger Fox Gallery and Jen Mauldin Gallery in Bishop Arts, along with Bivins Gallery in Uptown and the Goss-Michael Foundation, which returns to the mix for the first time in its new space on Monitor. The first 15 people arriving at any of the participating spaces will receive the highly coveted Gallery Day T-shirt. There will also be an after-party at SITE 131 from 6-8 pm.

Trees' 9th Anniversary Show with The Polyphonic Spree
The history of the iconic Deep Ellum Club Trees Dallas is close to legendary. The original incarnation, which was open from 1990-2005, hosted such notable bands as Nirvana and Radiohead. The club re-opened in 2009 under new ownership, and they'll celebrate what they're saying is their 9th nnniversary, but which is actually the 8th, with a concert featuring The Polyphonic Spree, Sealion, and Cure for Paranoia.

Sunday, July 16

Dallas Film Society presents Movie Madness Marathon
The Dallas Film Society is presenting its inaugural Movie Madness Marathon. All you have to do is watch four of the biggest movies of the summer — Despicable Me 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, and Baby Driver — over the course of a day and ask your friends for pledges of any amount to help raise a minimum of $500 to support the cause. The event at Studio Movie Grill Spring Valley will include giveaways after every completed film, prizes for those raising the most funds, and more.

Granada Theater presents Free Week Dallas
For the second year in a row, the Granada Theater is opening its doors for a week-long celebration of free music as a way of saying "thank you" to the fans. Free tickets will be available each day at the door. If you want to guarantee entry, $5 will get you in, and your first beer or cocktail is on the house. Bands performing through July 23 include Valise, Micky + The Motorcars, Quaker City Night Hawks, and Night Drive.

Finding Neverland plays at Winspear Opera House through July 23.

Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Finding Neverland plays at Winspear Opera House through July 23.

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park news

Dallas-area parks top the list for best Texas parks in 2025

Play Frisco - Parks & Recreation/Facebook

Frisco made its debut in the 2025 Parkscore Index report.

More bragging rights for Plano as a desirable place to live: The city has the No. 1 best park system in Texas this year, a new report says. Dallas and Frisco aren't far behind.

So says the Trust for Public Land's 2025 ParkScore report, which annually rates park systems in 100 of the largest American cities based on accessibility, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.

Plano has maintained its place atop the rankings in Texas for several years. The city ranked 17th nationally after ranking 16th for the last two years, and earning No. 15 in 2021 and 2022.

Most Plano residents (81 percent) live within a 10-minute walk of a park in the city, which is more than the national median (76 percent). Within the city limits, 10.4 percent of the area is dedicated to parkland. The city spends $198 per resident on its acclaimed park system, compared to the national median $133 per resident.

Dallas' parks moved up four spots from last year to claim No. 34 nationally and No. 2 statewide. The report says this marks five years of improvement for Dallas, in part thanks to community efforts and organizations.

"Dallas’ recent rise in park access is due largely to initiatives like the Cool School Community Parks program, which opens school playgrounds and other school-based facilities to community use after school hours, and programs like the Dallas Greening Initiative to transform vacant lots into neighborhood greenspaces across the city," the report said.

The upcoming opening of the Judge Charles R. Rose Park on June 7 will also increase accessibility for other Dallas residents.

The Judge Charles R. Rose Community Park will span 40 acres of land.Photo courtesy of Trust For Public Land

Frisco makes its Parkscore Index debut this year, coming in at No. 3 in Texas and No. 37 nationwide. A majority (70 percent) of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park in the city, the report says. About five percent of the entire Frisco area is reserved for parkland, and the city spends $258 per resident to maintain its park system.

"We’re seeing inspiring momentum across the Dallas metroplex, and it reflects what we at Trust for Public Land believe at our core: everyone deserves access to the healing, unifying power of the outdoors," said Molly Morgan, Texas State Director of the Trust for Public Land. "When we invest in parks — especially in neighborhoods that have long gone without — we’re investing in healthier families, stronger communities, and a deeper sense of belonging."

Elsewhere across the Metroplex, Fort Worth rose through the ranks to claim No. 72 nationally this year, previously landing in the No. 91 spot in 2024. The city has put a big focus on park investment, increasing funding by nearly 50 percent over the last five years, and the report says there are over 80 ongoing park construction projects.

Arlington moved up one spot as No. 46 nationwide, and Garland moved up seven spots as No. 67. Irving maintained its rank as No. 99 for the second year in a row.

Here's how other Texas parks ranked nationally in 2025 in comparison to 2024:

No. 54 – Austin, down from No. 44 last year
No. 57 – San Antonio, down from No. 53 last year
No. 66 – Houston, up from No. 68 last year

dallas frisco parks parkscore report plano bests lists