Labor Day weekend can sometimes be light on events as people take one last opportunity for summer vacation, but this weekend across Dallas features a nice slate. There will be five big concerts, a trio of new local theater productions, a music festival featuring a Dallas favorite, and the end of an exhibition celebrating a renowned animal conservationist.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, September 1
Theatre Three presents Big Scary Animals
In Big Scary Animals, an older white couple from the country moves to the city to be closer to their granddaughter and unknowingly settles in the gay neighborhood. What begins as polite dinner conversation with their gay, multi-ethnic neighbors careens out of control. The play is a hilarious collision of race, sex, guns, and sports that examines shifting generational beliefs and just how hard it is to raise a child regardless of who you are and where you live. The production will run through September 25 at Theatre Three.
Undermain Theatre presents Lonesome Blues
Lonesome Blues is the true story of the legendary bluesman Blind Lemon Jefferson: born blind, but ultimately able to express his deepest emotions through music. Discovered on a street corner in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas in 1925, Jefferson made more than 80 records over the next four years, becoming one the most prolific and influential performers of his generation and propelling the growth of rhythm and blues, soul, doo-wop, rap, and hip-hop. The production will run through September 17 at Undermain Theatre.
Friday, September 2
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters presents Riverfront Jazz Festival
The 5th annual Riverfront Jazz Festival will feature three days of performances from over 30 different artists, including Erykah Badu, Cameo, Dianne Reeves, Boney James, Eric Benet, Avery Sunshine, Hiroshima, Robert Glasper, and more. The festival runs through Sunday at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
In This Moment in concert
Hard rock band In This Moment is known as much for their stagecraft as they are for their music. Even a small look at the live performances they've put on in their nearly 20-year career shows a penchant for religious iconography, makeup, and dark clothing, the better to get their fans in the mood for their music. They'll play at South Side Ballroom in support of their new EP, Blood 1983, which commemorates the 10-year anniversary of their 2012 album, Blood.
The Core Theatre presents The Debt That Led to Home
The Debt That Led to Home is a poignant look into the humanity and dignity that can be found in the hardest places. It follows a freshly graduated writer looking for a story who interviews a duo of homeless men. On the way to discovering herself as a writer, they all discover the meaning of home. The production will run through September 25 at The Core Theatre in Richardson.
Saturday, September 3
Peter Hook & The Light in concert
It's hard to beat the track record of Peter Hook, who helped form two highly-celebrated British bands — Joy Division and New Order — back-to-back in the late 1970s/early 1980s. At this concert, his latest band, Peter Hook & The Light, will present Joy Division: A Celebration, in which the group will perform Joy Division’s seminal two albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, in their entirety, with additional Joy Division rarities and an opening set of New Order material. The concert will be at House of Blues Dallas.
Imagine Dragons in concert
Anyone who claims that rock is dead hasn't paid attention to the success of Imagine Dragons. Since they released their debut album 10 years ago, they've been at the top of the Billboard charts with all six of their albums, including the recently-released Mercury - Act 2, and songs, including mega-hits like "Radioactive," "Believer," "Thunder," and "Enemy." They'll play at Dos Equis Pavilion.
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss in concert
Music can sometimes make for some odd pairings, and the connection between former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and bluegrass artist Alison Krauss doesn't seem like a natural one. But in 2007 they collaborated on the Grammy-winning album Raising Sand, and 14 years they revisited the fruitful partnership with 2021's Raise the Roof. They'll play at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie.
Sunday, September 4
Lauv in concert
Electropop singer Lauv hasn't had a long career, releasing How I'm Feeling in 2020 and All 4 Nothing last month, but he's worked with some heavy hitters. He's collaborated with the likes of Julia Michaels, Troye Sivan, Conan Gray, and BTS, and written songs for Charli XCX, Backstreet Boys, and Celine Dion. He'll perform at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.
Monday, September 5
Perot Museum of Nature and Science presents “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall” closing day
You can take advantage of the long Labor Day weekend to check out “Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall” before it comes to an end at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. The special exhibition celebrates the world-renowned conservationist and ethologist, exploring her life from her early years as an intrepid young woman with a dream to learn about animals in Africa, to establishing herself as a renowned scientist in Gombe, Tanzania, to her present role as an activist and mentor for creating a better world for life on Earth.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will play at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie on September 3.
Polish gingerbread at Gourmet European Market.Photo courtesy of GEM 