Weekend Event Planner

These are the 10 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

The rain in Dallas-Fort Worth has been absolutely brutal, and like it or not, it'll continue to have an impact on events on Thursday and Friday. To stay on the safe side, we're recommending mostly indoor events, including a blast-from-the-past concert, a new opera production, a gathering of TV and movie stars, a museum anniversary celebration, great dancing, and more.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, October 18

2018 State Fair of Texas final days
Like any other outdoor activity the past couple of weeks, the State Fair of Texas has been hit hard by the rain, even closing early on a couple of days. The rain will continue on Thursday and Friday, but the final two days on Saturday and Sunday look perfect, meaning you'll still have a couple of chances to enjoy the fried food, midway games, rides, concerts, and more at Fair Park without worrying about getting wet. They're even extending hours for more finale-weekend fun. Find discounts here.

Dallas Jewish Bookfest presents Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom was a well-known sportswriter for many years until his book Tuesdays with Morrie set his career in totally different direction. Albom will appear at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center in support of his latest book, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, in which readers learn how the accident that took Eddie's life took something from Annie as well: her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached.

Ladies of the '80s: Debbie Gibson, Lisa Lisa, and Tiffany
100.3 JACK FM presents "Ladies of the '80s" with Debbie Gibson, Lisa Lisa, and Tiffany. It will be a totally awesome night of '80s hits at Allen Event Center, as the crowd will get to hear songs like Gibson's "Only in My Dreams," Lisa's "Head to Toe," and Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now."

Friday, October 19

Dallas Opera presents Carmen
The Dallas Opera's second production of the 2018-2019 season, Carmen is Bizet’s seductive masterpiece about an infamous gypsy who warns the men she attracts immediately: she is not a woman to be tamed. When she sets her sights on a trusting soldier, Don José, nobody is prepared for the events that follow. A simulcast at Klyde Warren Park, which was scheduled for Friday, has been moved to November 2 due to expected inclement weather. The opera will have six performances through November 4 at Winspear Opera House.

Dallas Fan Days
Dallas Fan Days is one of the best comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming events in Texas, filled with family-friendly activities, celebrity and comic guests, and more. Taking place at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas through Sunday, the event will feature appearances by Jennifer Morrison (Once Upon a Time), Karl Urban (Star Trek), Jaleel White (Family Matters), wrestling icon Bret Hart, and Corbin Bernsen (Psych).

Saturday, October 20

Nasher Sculpture Center 15th Anniversary Celebration
Nasher Sculpture Center has become such an integral part of the Dallas art scene that it's hard to believe it's only been around for 15 years. They'll celebrate their anniversary with free admission all day, cupcakes, a live DJ, birthday button-making, and music from members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Visitors can enjoy the Nasher's latest exhibit, "The Nature of Arp," on display through January 6.

National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony with Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons will headline a concert that will follow the National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. The rock band has released three albums in their career, including 2017's Evolve, which spawned hits like "Believer" and "Thunder." They'll be joined by opening act, The Revivalists. Inductees will include Brad Friedel, Cindy Parlow Cone, and Tiffeny Milbrett.

Neal Brennan in concert
You may not recognize Neal Brennan's name, but he's been responsible for some of the best comedy of the 21st century. He co-created Chappelle's Show with Dave Chappelle, co-writing and producing virtually every sketch on the show. He's also a writer and on-air correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He'll perform a set of stand-up comedy at House of Blues Dallas.

Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games
Even though Michael Flatley is no longer performing, Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games continues to thrill audiences around the globe with its intoxicating mix of dance and music. The show, taking place at Majestic Theatre, features cutting-edge technology including a giant Radiant flat screen that spans the width of the stage, special effects lighting, dancing robots, and world champion acrobats.

Sunday, October 21

Dallas Museum of Art presents Gunther Forg: "A Fragile Beauty" opening day
Gunther Forg: "A Fragile Beauty" will survey the prolific and provocative career of the late artist, who died in 2013. This exhibition, the first major museum presentation of his work in the United States since 1989, will bring renewed attention to Forg’s work by examining his legacy in relation to key issues of the 20th century, including postwar nostalgia and loss and the utopianism of high modernism. The exhibition will be on display through January 27.

Dallas Opera presents Carmen, playing six times between October 19 and November 4 at Winspear Opera House.

Photo courtesy of the Dallas Opera

Dallas Opera presents Carmen, playing six times between October 19 and November 4 at Winspear Opera House.

event-planner

Movies for Kids

Kid-themed film festival at Angelika Dallas will be free to all

Photo courtesy of Viva Kids

The 42nd annual KidFilm will feature screenings of The Pout-Pout Fish and other new animated films.

A family-friendly kid-themed festival is coming to Dallas that'll be free for all: The 42nd Annual KidFilm Family Festival, the oldest and largest children-themed film festival in the U.S., will take place on January 17 and 18, 2026 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas with film debuts, animated films, and an appearance by a renowned children's author.

KidFilm is an annual outreach program of the USA Film Festival/Dallas, a 56-year-old nonprofit dedicated to film and the arts.

The big highlight of this year's KidFilm is a salute to children’s book author Deborah Diesen, who will appear in conjunction with a screening of Viva Kids’ new animated feature film, The Pout-Pout Fish — based on Diesen's 2008 book, which started a series that has now reached 20 entries.

The film — about Mr. Fish, a pouty introvert, and Pip, an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish to grant their wish to save their homes — features a star-studded voice cast with familiar names like Nick Offerman, Miranda Otto, Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris.

Free copies of the new book, The Pout-Pout Fish Movie Storybook, will be distributed to families (while supplies last), and Diesen will sign books for the kids.

The festival will also include screenings of other new animated feature films:

Leon Joosen's The Land of Sometimes, a musical which follows twins Alfie and Elise who get more than they bargained for as they are whisked away to a magical world after summoning a mysterious Wish Collector.
Mark Risley’s Flower of the Dawn, a fairy tale that follows a princess who has been turned into a nightingale by a vain sorceress whose only hope is to attain an elusive, magical flower.
Reza Memari’s The Last Whale Singer, an adventure which features a self-doubting teenage humpback whale who must face his fears and embark on a perilous journey with his friends in order to discover his own song and save the ocean from a monstrous creature.
Caroline Origer’s Spiked, which follows a young, orphaned hedgehog and overextended rabbit father who experience the adventure of a lifetime.
Vincent Bal & Wip Vernooij's Miss Moxy, a comedy which features a domestic cat who gets lost during a vacation and must find her way back home through the South of Europe with the help of the most despicable creatures a cat can imagine: a comical dog and an old, wise bird.

Additionally, the festival will include several new live-action feature films:

Gregory Alan Williams’ Paw Paw & Dayja, which follows the adventures of a Bigfoot obsessed 10-year-old who, with the help of her grandfather, learns that each of us see the world a little differently but everyone’s view has value.
Neven Hitrec’s The Second Diary of Paulina P., which follows a fifth grader who uses her charm and imagination to navigate a strict teacher, her first bully, and the new dynamic with her grandmother who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Tord Danielsson’s The Crown Prince and the Return of the Tyrant, a fantasy film that follows a young Crown Prince who will soon become king, just as he has always dreamed, when his suspicious grandmother returns to the kingdom.

Finally, there will be 22 short film presentations featuring animated and live-action short films from around the world, including works from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and U.S. (including two films made by Texans).

The event is free thanks to support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the Festival’s Season Sponsors which include the Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Foundation, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Sidley Austin LLP, Headington Companies, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Mary Fox & Laura Fox, Moody Fund for the Arts, Dallas Film Commission, Angelika Film Center Dallas, Wildworks PR, DFW Child, and Spracklen Film and Video. The USA Film Festival is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The full schedule of KidFilm programs can be found at usafilmfestival.com. Tickets for all shows are free for both children and adults, but tickets are required for admission.

Advance tickets for most programs is available online through January 14 at eventbrite.com. Any unreserved tickets will be made available at the Angelika Theater box office on the day of show only.

movies kids families festivals film