This weekend in Dallas events is packed to the gills, offering big names in concert, a chance to be entertained by some reality TV dancers and more movie events than you can shake a stick at, including a couple that offer more than just sitting in a theater.
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, November 7
2013 Lone Star Film Festival
The annual Lone Star Film Festival kicks off Thursday at the AMC Palace 9 in downtown Fort Worth, featuring almost 40 different films and short film programs through Sunday. Among the offerings that should be high on any movie lover's list are advanced screenings of August: Osage County, Philomena and Nebraska.
USA Film Festival presents Bottle Rocket screening and Kumar Pallana tribute
Of the dozens of films that have been shot in the Dallas area, Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket is among the most beloved as it launched the careers of Anderson, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson. The USA Film Festival will show both the original short film and the feature film at Texas Theatre, as well as pay tribute to the recently deceased Kumar Pallana, who appeared in four of Anderson's films, including Bottle Rocket.
John Legend in concert with Tamar Braxton
It may or may not surprise you that John Legend is not the soul/R&B singer's real name. But he probably couldn't have picked a more apt moniker, as he one of the more popular singers in his genre nowadays and he was able to marry a supermodel, Chrissy Teigen. Legend was originally scheduled to stop by Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie a year ago, but for his fans, it will have been worth the wait.
Friday, November 8
Dallas Contemporary presents Alive for 35
Dallas Contemporary is pulling out all the stops to celebrate its 35th anniversary, showcasing the work of 35 different artists in a massive event lasting 35 straight hours from 1 pm on Friday to midnight on Saturday. There will also be a bunch of other activities, including, one hopes, a coffee station.
Dallas Film Society presents The Art of Film: Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels is one of the more provocative filmmakers working today, having made films like Monster's Ball, Precious and 2013's The Butler. Dallas Film Society's annual Art of Film event at the Hall of State at Fair Park will allow fans to get an insight into Daniels' mindset when he's interviewed by film critic Elvis Mitchell.
Dallas Pops presents The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in concert
Purists may argue, but the art of classical music continues to live on thanks to the magnificent work being done by film composers, including Howard Shore, who scored all of the Lord of Rings films. Shore's score for The Fellowship of the Rings will be brought to life by the Dallas Pops in three separate concerts at the Music Hall at Fair Park through Sunday, accompanied by scenes from the classic film.
Saturday, November 9
Undermain Theatre presents The New Frontier: Landmark Speeches of John F. Kennedy
As we countdown to the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK, the latest tie-in event is a multimedia presentation by Undermain Theatre at Dallas Museum of Art honoring some of the late president's greatest speeches. The theater will play original recordings of some speeches and have actors perform others, including one JFK was set to deliver before he was assassinated.
So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2013
So You Think You Can Dance is a rarity in the world of reality TV as it doesn't traffic in negativity. The summer TV staple recently finished its 10th season, with many proclaiming it to be the show's best ever, as it finished with the ultra-adorable Fik-Shun and Amy as its two winners. That duo and the rest of the top 10 will strut their stuff at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.
Sunday, November 10
2013 Spirit Fest DFW
Last week had a Festival of Church Music at Meyerson Symphony Center, and this week's chance to get your religion on outside of the church setting is Spirit Fest DFW at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Some of the biggest names in Christian music will be performing, including Third Day, Switchfoot, Israel Houghton and The Royal Royal.
Drake in concert with Miguel and Future
Those in charge of event management at American Airlines Center are getting ready to gird their loins, as Drake's concert represents the first of five concerts at the venue over the ensuing seven days, and is one of eight different events it'll host over nine days. The rapper will get things started by giving his fans a taste of his latest, Nothing Was the Same.
Filmmaker Lee Daniels will be the headline guest at Dallas Film Society's The Art of Film at the Hall of State at Fair Park on November 8.
