If you thought last weekend in and around Dallas was jam-packed with events, just wait until you see the massive number on deck this weekend. There is a little bit of almost anything you can imagine. Choices include five festivals, five concerts, the start of two Halloween events, four theater productions, two dance productions, a new art exhibition, and a celebrity tennis competition.
Plano Balloon Festival Facebook
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out our calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, September 17
40th Annual GrapeFest
GrapeFest is the largest wine festival in the Southwest, showcasing wine encounters and other festivities. Visitors can enjoy The People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, the International Wine Experience, the famous GrapeStomp, and the Champagne Cork Shoot-Off. The event, taking place through Sunday in Historic Downtown Grapevine, will also feature live music, local chefs and vendors, kid-friendly rides, games, and more.
Addison Oktoberfest
At Addison Oktoberfest, visitors can enjoy a taste of the original Bavarian celebration with a purely Texan twist. The event features four days of revelry in German culture, food, music, and bier. There will be performances by polka bands and other traditional entertainers on multiple stages, special games, and more. The event takes place at Addison Circle Park through Sunday.
HEB | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival
The annual Plano Balloon Festival is a multi-day event that features balloon glows, a parachute team exhibition, hot air balloons, concerts, fireworks, a kids fun zone, merchandise vendors, corporate exhibitors, and variety of food. The event takes place through Sunday at Red Tail Pavilion in Plano.
Tame Impala in concert
The psychedelic rock band Tame Impala is proof that one person with a dream can accomplish a lot. The "band" is really just Australian singer/multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker, who records and produces every part of every song by himself. His music has proven very popular, with each of his last three albums, including Deadbeat in 2025, finishing in the top four on the Billboard 200. He and his touring band will play to a huge crowd at American Airlines Center.
Howell Farms presents Pumpkin Nights
Another September weekend brings more Halloween season events. At Pumpkin Nights, guests can venture along a half-mile walking path, where they’ll discover areas like the The Great Hall, The Enchanted Forest, Maravilla Lane, and more built using over 5,000 hand-carved real and artificial pumpkins. The celebration continues with entertainment and games in festival area The Village. Pumpkin Nights will be open through October 31 at Howell Farms in Arlington.
Undermain Theatre presents Evening at the Talk House
On the 10-year anniversary of the opening of his play Midnight in a Clearing with Moon and Stars, Ted reunites with the play’s various participants at The Talk House. As they catch up, we catch a glimpse of their lives now under an American Authoritarian regime where criticism and dissonance is suppressed, the murder of those perceived as potential threats has become popular entertainment, and theater has all but ceased to exist. The production runs through October 4 at Undermain Theatre.
Second Thought Theatre presents Dance Nation
Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, they’ll claw their way to the top at Nationals in Tampa Bay. Dance Nation is a play about ambition, growing up, and how to find our souls in the heat of it all. The co-production with UT Arlington's Department of Theatre and Dance runs through October at Second Thought Theatre.
World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music
World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music features a full symphonic orchestra, choir, and iconic in-game visuals that take audiences on a two-hour journey through the video game World of Warcraft, letting them experience Azeroth through its powerful, cinematic, and unforgettable music. The concert takes place at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.
Shakespeare Dallas presents Titus Andronicus
In Titus Andronicus, the intense William Shakespeare tragedy is reimagined as glamorous “Club Titus.” Roman general Titus Andronicus returns from war with four prisoners who vow to take revenge against him, starting a bloody, vengeful rivalry. The production runs through October 18 at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre.
Friday, September 18
Art Centre Theatre presents Proof
Catherine has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, Robert. When he dies she has more than grief to deal with: There’s her estranged sister, Claire, and Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that Robert left behind. And a further problem: How much of her father’s madness — or genius — will Catherine inherit? The production runs through September 27 at Art Centre Theatre in Plano.
Billy Idol in concert
English rock singer Billy Idol was at his peak in the 1980s thanks to hits like "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell," "Eyes Without a Face," "To Be a Lover," and "Mony Mony." 2026 marks the 45th anniversary of the release of Idol's first single, "Dancing with Myself," and he's sure to play all the hits and more at this concert at Dos Equis Pavilion, which is also in support of his 2025 album, Dream Into It.
Thomas Rhett in concert
Country singer Thomas Rhett has been immensely popular almost from the start of his career, getting his first No. 1 song — "It Goes Like This" — in 2013, and going on to hit the top spot 20 more times, most recently with "After All the Bars are Closed" off of his 2024 album, About a Woman. He'll play at American Airlines Center as part of his The Soundtrack to Life tour.
Texas Ballet Theater presents Casanova
Casanova strips away the legend to reveal a man driven as much by longing as by lust. Set against the opulence of 18th-century Venice, the visually stunning ballet blends Baroque grandeur with bold, cinematic movement. What emerges is not just a tale of seduction, but a portrait of a soul caught between indulgence and introspection. The production will have four performances through Sunday at Winspear Opera House.
TITAS / Dance Unbound presents Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen
Dance Me is an exclusive creation inspired by the rich and profound work of Montreal-based poet, artist, and songwriter Leonard Cohen, performed by Ballets Jazz Montréal. The homage to the famed artist evokes the grand cycles of existence in five seasons, combining scenic, visual, musical, dramaturgical, and choreographic writing to pay tribute to Montreal’s greatest ambassador. There will be three performances through Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.
Saturday, September 19
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents Autumn at the Arboretum
At the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden's annual Autumn at the Arboretum, the Pumpkin Village transforms with Harvest Hues, a reimagining inspired by modern and contemporary artists, featuring more than 100,000 pumpkins, gourds, and squash and six larger-than-life Pumpkin Houses honoring the works of Basquiat, Rothko, Bourgeois, Mondrian, M.C. Escher, and Pollock. The festival, which includes multiple other daily and weekly activities, runs through November 1.
Nasher Sculpture Center presents Bruce Nauman: "Identical" opening day
Nasher Sculpture Center will open Bruce Nauman's "Identical," an exhibition of recent sculptures and drawings depicting animal forms that build upon the artist’s long-term investigation of his own role as an artist and his daily practice in the studio. The exhibition features a group of polyurethane, silicone rubber, and plaster-cast animal forms fabricated from elements the artist had in his New Mexico studio, as well as a selection of related silverpoint and goldpoint still life drawings. It will remain on display through March 21, 2027.
Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic
The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation will present their 8th Annual Tennis Classic, an exhibition-style tournament bringing together celebrities and athletes for a day of fun, philanthropy, and friendly competition. Celebrity players will include Nowitizki, Steve Nash, John Isner, DeMarcus Ware, Peja Stojakovic, Mark Knowles, Michael Bennett, and more. The event takes place at Banner House at T Bar M.
Texas Mead & Music Festival
The Texas Mead & Music Festival is a full-day experience featuring handcrafted meads from 13 award-winning Texas meaderies, live music on five stages, artisan vendors, and opportunities to learn directly from meadmakers and beekeepers. The festival takes place at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival grounds in Waxahachie.
J. Cole in concert
Rapper J. Cole is one of the most popular artists in his genre, as each of his seven albums — starting with Cole World: The Sideline Story in 2011 all the way through his new album, The Fall-Off — have gone to No. 1 on the overall Billboard 200 chart. That feat puts him on the same level as Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Eminem, and others. He'll prove his lasting appeal in concerts on both Saturday and Sunday at American Airlines Center.
Dark Hour Haunted House
Dark Hour Haunted House is the first of the old-school haunted attractions to open its doors in 2026. One of the Dallas-Fort Worth’s most immersive haunted attractions, it features elaborate theatrical sets, terrifying creatures, state-of-the-art effects, and unexpected scares are around every corner. The 2026 season will feature more animatronics than ever before, the all-new Medusa’s Lair and Strega Chamber, and an ever-growing goblin horde taking over the labyrinth. It will be open on select days through November 13.
