This weekend in Dallas will feature a nice mix of locally sourced events and national acts. Among the choices will be two new exhibits, two local theater productions, an Irish festival for a little early St. Patrick's Day fun, the reigning Album of the Year Grammy winner, a music icon making his final visit, and cute cats.
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, March 7
George W. Bush Presidential Center presents "Away from the White House: Presidential Retreats"
"Away from the White House: Presidential Retreats" will showcase presidential retreats as unique places of work and attempts at relaxation. Four featured retreats – Camp David in Frederick County, Maryland; Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas; LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas; and Walker’s Point in Kennebunkport, Maine – will be highlighted in depth, revealing how U.S. presidents have used these special places for work, rejuvenation, and rest. The exhibit will be on display at the George W. Bush Presidential Center through October 6.
Dallas Theater Center presents The Wolves
The Wolves is about an elite squad of nine teenage girls who meet every Saturday to stretch before their games, where high school gossip rapidly evolves into mature meditations on the girls’ understanding of themselves and their place in the world. A 2017 Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Wolves is a fierce and unexpected play where girls are portrayed as athletes above all else. It will play at Wyly Theatre through April 14.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Pines of Rome
Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present Respighi’s Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome, Mendelssohn’s romantic Violin Concerto, and the grand Don Juan by Richard Strauss. The concert will be under the direction of Juraj Valčuha, with a special performance by violinist Stefan Jackiw. There will be four performances through Sunday at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
The Classics Theatre Project presents Fool for Love
Fool for Love by Sam Shepard focuses on May and Eddie, former lovers who have met again in a motel in the desert. How can love feel so right when you know it's so wrong? A surrealist, romantic, darkly comic, full-length one-act, the play was the winner of the 1983 Pulitzer and Obie Awards. It will play at Margo Jones Theatre at Magnolia Lounge through March 30.
Friday, March 8
Southwest Celtic Music Association Inc. presents North Texas Irish Festival
One of the largest Irish festivals in the U.S., this family-friendly event features live music, dancing, storytelling, chef demonstrations, and more on 13 stages throughout Fair Park. New for this year is the first-ever North Texas Irish Festival Fun Run, taking place on Saturday morning. Attendees will also enjoy horse shows, sheepherding demonstrations, beer and whiskey tasting, genealogy research opportunities, shopping, animal rescue groups, child-friendly entertainment, and free arts and crafts for the kids. The festival takes place through Sunday.
Kacey Musgraves in concert
After upping her Grammy Award total to six this year, including a win for Album of the Year, it's a bit crazy that country singer Kacey Musgraves is still playing at small venues like the Bomb Factory. Enjoy it while you can, because Musgraves is about to go into superstardom that mandates nothing less than big venues from here on out. She's touring in support of that Grammy-winning album, Golden Hour.
Hyena's Comedy Nightclub presents Jen Kirkman
Comedian Jen Kirkman has appeared on Chelsea Lately, @Midnight, Conan, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She also has two critically acclaimed Netflix specials, I’m Gonna Die Alone and Just Keep Livin’?, and is a writer on the Amazon show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She'll perform four times through Saturday at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub in Dallas.
Saturday, March 9
Crow Museum of Asian Art presents "Hands and Earth: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics" opening day
The Crow Museum of Asian Art and The University of Texas at Dallas will present the exhibition "Hands and Earth: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics," featuring works by the country’s greatest ceramicists, including seven artists deemed “Living National Treasures” by the Japanese government. Visitors will enjoy a rare opportunity to see significant examples of avant-garde approaches to clay in a range of shapes and glazes. The exhibition will be on display through January 5, 2020.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band in concert
After a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band will come to the Dallas area one last time as part of their final tour. Inducted to both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Seger has released such landmark albums as Night Moves, Stranger In Town, Against The Wind, Live Bullet, and Nine Tonight. Seger will play at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco.
Sunday, March 10
Cat Video Fest
Cat Video Fest is a compilation reel of the latest, best cat videos culled from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and, of course, classic internet powerhouses. Cat Video Fest is a joyous communal experience that raises money for cats in need through partnerships with local cat charities, animal welfare organizations, and shelters to best serve cats in the area. The screening will take place at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Highlands.
Kacey Musgraves will play at the Bomb Factory on March 8.
The expansion of Klyde Warren Park will include the new Jacobs Lawn. Image courtesy of Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation 
The Jacobs Lawn portion of the expansion of Klyde Warren Park will include The Overlook where visitors can watch traffic pass by. Image courtesy of Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation 
A new glass-and-steel pavilion at Klyde Warren Park will include an open-air rooftop pavilion. Image courtesy of Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation 