Event Planner

Kathy Griffin headlines the best weekend events in Dallas

As residents of Dallas-Fort Worth, we are fortunate to have a number of high-profile musicians and other celebrities regularly coming through town to entertain us. This just happens to be one of those weeks when big names are in short supply.

When that happens, you turn local. This week we're featuring an equal mixture of semi-recognizable names and events unique to our fair city. 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, August 8

Upstart Productions presents The Aliens
Even though we're not hurting when it comes to quality local theater, more companies are always welcome. That's why it's great that Upstart Productions, after taking a hiatus in 2012, is making a comeback with The Aliens, an Obie Award-winning play about two wanna-be musicians. It will run at Magnolia Lounge through August 31.

Crystal Bowersox in concert with Liz Longley
American Idol has had a spotty track record at turning out successful musicians, but that doesn't mean the show has been short on talent. A perfect example of that is Crystal Bowersox, who has yet to turn her second-place finish in 2010 into a mainstream career, despite two well-received albums. She'll play at The Kessler with Liz Longley as opening act.

Friday, August 9

The Polyphonic Spree in concert with Telegraph Canyon and Harper Simon
Everyone's favorite colorful, massive pop rock band, The Polyphonic Spree, just released their fifth album, Yes, It's True, and they're treating this show at the Granada Theater as their album release party. They'll be playing selections from the Kickstarter-funded album and more, with Telegraph Canyon and Harper Simon as opening acts.

Kathy Griffin in concert
It's kind of funny when Kathy Griffin is arguably the biggest name to come to Dallas this weekend, since she's made a career out of being D-list celebrity. But the comedian has become a ubiquitous presence in recent years, including serving as co-host for CNN's New Year's Eve coverage. She'll bring her self-deprecating sense of humor to Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Saturday, August 10

Sausage Fest 2013
105.3 The Fan will take over Main Street Garden in Downtown Dallas to celebrate that barbecue staple, the sausage. There will be sausage races, bobbing for sausage and plenty of sausage to actually eat. This 21-and-over event will also feature a bikini contest and music from the likes of Seattle, A.Dd+ and The Mullet Boyz.

Casa Manana presents Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a classic musical from the same people who wrote Les Miserables. Anyone who's seen it on the stage in London or New York can testify to its power, especially involving a key moment when a helicopter descends on the stage. It'll be interesting to see whether Casa Mañ ana can replicate that moment, but the musical is worth seeing regardless. It'll play at Casa Manana Theatre through August 18.

Sunday, August 11

Mindless Behavior in concert with OMG Girlz and Young Marqus
If the boy band Mindless Behavior doesn't ring a bell, that's probably because you're not a teenage girl. But the hip hop/R&B group has gained legions of fans with songs like "My Girl" and "Mrs. Right." Prepare for a scream-a-thon at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, with OMG Girlz and Young Marqus as opening acts.

Breaking Bad Season Premiere Watch Party
Despite the Netflix-ification of television viewing that allows people to binge-watch almost any show they'd like, there's still something about watching a classic show while it's actually on the air. The Granada gets that, which is why it's hosting a free watch party for the season premiere of the final season of Breaking Bad, which will go down as one of the top 5 TV shows of all time.

Boy band Mindless Behavior will play at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie with OMG Girlz and Young Marqus on August 11.

Mindless Behavior/Facebook

Boy band Mindless Behavior will play at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie with OMG Girlz and Young Marqus on August 11.

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Racket sports

Trendy Austin padel club Padel39 lobs first DFW location into Carrollton

Photo by Juan J Valdes

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A popular padel club from Austin is serving up its first location in Dallas-Fort Worth: Padel39 has purchased and taken over the existing Dallas Padel Club, at 3000 Belmeade Dr.

According to a release, multimillion-dollar renovations are underway and are expected to be complete by summer 2026. The revamp includes:

Seven new outdoor courts are being added to the current three indoor courts (with completion expected by March 2026).
Full food and beverage capabilities for a premium sports bar that is open to the public.
A fitness area for members that is affiliated with HYROX, recovery areas, wellness facilities (sauna, cold plunge, etc.), upscale locker rooms.
Upscale lounging and coworking space.

For those not up on their racket sports, padel is a cousin of pickleball, tennis, and racquetball. The sport has been wildly popular in Spain and Latin America for decades and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. Like pickleball, it's a doubles game played on a small court, and players hit off glass walls.

Padel was invented in Acapulco, Mexico, by Enrique Corcuera; Padel39 bears the first two numbers of all Acapulco ZIP Codes.

Padel39 co-founders Will and Naomi Boyce.Photo by Juan J Valdes

The company was founded in 2024 by husband-and-wife William Boyce and Naomi Boyce; William played tennis for the University of Texas at Austin.

Padel39 currently has two locations in Austin, with a third opening in March. They say they aim to open 12 to 15 Padel39 clubs in Austin, Dallas, and Houston by 2028. After Carrollton, a location will open in central Dallas in late 2026/early 2027, they say.

“We currently introduce 200+ new players to the sport each month, while maintaining a core group of repeat clients who return for the fitness, competition and vibrant community,” William Boyce says in the release. “Each new location fulfills our vision to put Padel39 and Texas at the epicenter of the padel community.”

In addition to offering courts to play on, Padel39 features on-court programming, tournaments, social events, and physical wellness opportunities such as courtside Pilates and morning yoga.

Padel39 Padel39 courts and lounge areas at a location in Austin. Photo by Josh Graziadei

While Padel39 offers memberships, all guests are welcome to play, they say. According to the website, each club is priced differently. At the flagship location in Austin, Padel39 memberships start at $89 per month or $890 per year, but players can also rent courts as needed for 90 minutes at $30.

“We set out to create a modern take on a country club; a place where members and guests could ‘play and stay,’” Boyce says. “We’ve built that and more. We work to improve the experience for our guests each day.”

Outdoor construction on the Carrollton club is expected to be completed by March. Indoor food and beverage, fitness and lounging renovations will be finished by summer, they say. The club will remain open during renovations.

padel pickleball sports