It's a big weekend in Dallas, and not just because the biggest event of the year is making its long-awaited return. There will be two different concerts from country music legends, the start of a LEGO exhibition, the kickoff to Halloween season, a visit from '60s pop stars, a variety of openings in the Dallas Arts District, and more.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend.
Thursday, September 23
Brooks & Dunn in concert with Travis Tritt and Tucker Beathard
There has been no more successful duo in the history of country music than Brooks & Dunn. Over the 18-year period between their debut in 1991 and retirement in 2009, they had five No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country charts and 20 No. 1 hits, not to mention the multitude of others that made the top 10. They'll play at Dos Equis Pavilion, with help from Travis Tritt and Tucker Beathard.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Luisi Conducts Aus Italien
The latest concert from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will include selections like Carl Maria von Weber's Overture to Oberon, Joan Tower's "Flute Concerto," and Richard Strauss' Aus Italien. The concert, which will feature flutist David Buck under the direction of Fabio Luisi, will be performed just twice at Meyerson Symphony Center, once on Thursday and once on Sunday.
Friday, September 24
Perot Museum of Nature and Science presents "Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO Bricks"
"Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO Bricks," the Perot Museum of Nature and Science's newest exhibition, features 20 iconic skyscrapers from across the globe constructed with more than half a million LEGO bricks. After interacting with the intricate structures, which include everything from the world’s tallest building to the Empire State Building, guests are encouraged to create their own "tower of tomorrow" in construction areas, which are equipped with more than 200,000 LEGO bricks. The exhibition will remain on display through April 24, 2022.
State Fair of Texas
It's been two years since people have been able to indulge in fried foods, stroll the Midway, ride the Texas Star, or see everything else that makes the State Fair of Texas the iconic event that it is, so you can expect visitors to be extra excited to visit Fair Park this year. The 24-day event, running through October 17, also features daily concerts, animal shows, butter sculptures, and much more, making it a festival for all the senses. For a list of all the admission discounts, go here.
Wynonna & Cactus: "Party of Two"
Country music legends Wynonna Judd & Cactus Moser make their Kessler Theater debut with this concert. Whether performing alongside her mother as one half of the legendary duo The Judds, or pushing the boundaries on her own solo path, Wynonna has an ability to reach the heart of the human spirit through her bold and unflinching honesty. The concert, which will have two performances, will include stripped-down songs and stories.
Halloween events
Even though Halloween is over a month away, now is the time when Halloween events get their start. Among the events available are Howell Farms' Pumpkin Nights in Arlington, a family-friendly option featuring over 5,000 hand-carved real and artificial pumpkins; and multiple haunted attractions, including Six Flags Over Texas' Fright Fest, Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, J&F House of Terror in Garland, and Reindeer Manor Halloween Park in Red Oak.
Improv Arlington presents Jay Pharoah
During his tenure on Saturday Night Live, Jay Pharoah proved himself to be one of the show's most talented and popular cast members, mostly thanks to his uncanny impressions of Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Stephen A. Smith, Kanye West, and Chris Tucker. Since his unceremonious firing from that show, he's stayed extremely busy, with parts in multiple movies and TV shows. He'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.
The Monkees in concert
Billed as “An Evening With The Monkees,” this concert will feature songs that span the band’s entire 50+ year career, from their 1966 self-titled debut to 2016’s Good Times. Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz released their first-ever live album, The Monkees - The Mike and Micky Show, in 2020. The concert will be at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.
Uptown Players presents A Very Sordid Wedding
It's 2015, 17 years after Peggy tripped over G.W.'s wooden legs and died in Sordid Lives, and life has moved into the present for the residents of Winters, Texas. Based on the 2017 hit film of the same name, A Very Sordid Wedding explores the questions, bigotry, and the fallout of what happens when gay marriage comes to communities and families that are not quite ready to accept it. Uptown Players will present the production at Kalita Humphreys Theater through October 3.
Saturday, September 25
Crow Museum of Asian Art presents Ho Tzu Nyen: "The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia" opening day
The Crow Museum of Asian Art of The University of Texas at Dallas will present the U.S. premiere of "The Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia" by internationally renowned artist Ho Tzu Nyen. At the heart of the exhibition is an always-changing video and LED light installation in which an algorithm weaves together a rich tapestry of texts, music, and found footage pertaining to an alphabetized list of concepts, generating different permutations with every loop. The exhibition will remain on display through January 30, 2022.
Nasher Sculpture Center opening and closing
It's moving weekend at Nasher Sculpture Center. Opening on Saturday is Betye Saar: "Call and Response," the first exhibition to examine the relationship between Saar’s sketchbooks, which she has kept since the late 1960s, and her finished works. The exhibition, on display through January 2, 2022, features approximately 40 objects and covers the span of the artist’s career. Closing on Sunday is "Nasher Mixtape," which offers a compilation of “tracks,” micro-exhibitions focused on the Nasher’s permanent collection.
Sunday, September 26
Dallas Museum of Art openings
The Dallas Museum of Art will open two new exhibitions on Sunday. Naudline Pierre: "What Could Be Has Not Yet Appeared" is the first solo museum exhibition of works by Pierre, whose vividly hued paintings portray opaque, otherworldly narratives through depictions of supernatural beings entangled in complex scenes of struggle and intimacy. It will be on display through May 15, 2022. "Point, Line, Plane: The William Jordan and Robert Brownlee Bequest" honors a gift from the estate of distinguished art historian William B. Jordan and his husband, Robert Dean Brownlee, highlighting a selection of nearly 70 works donated to the DMA by Jordan and Brownlee. It will be on display through January 9, 2022.
Reindeer Manor Halloween Park in Red Oak is one of a variety of Halloween events opening in the Dallas area this weekend.
