The last weekend in April is short on outdoor events but long on variety, as you can choose from movies, concerts, food trucks, theater and art, among many others. 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, April 25
2013 USA Film Festival
Since the Dallas International Film Festival came on the scene, the USA Film Festival has been diminished a bit. But it's made a comeback this year by featuring such films as The Way, Way Back from Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, Much Ado About Nothing from Joss Whedon, and other great options. The festival runs through Sunday at Angelika Film Center Dallas.
The Black Crowes in concert
One of the pleasures of being a fan of a longtime band — unless it's a mega-act like U2 or Madonna — is that their popularity eventually wanes, and they return to the smaller venues where they played when they first started. The Black Crowes aren't what they once were, but they can still rock, as they demonstrate at House of Blues Dallas.
The Lumineers in concert with Sam Doores, Riley Downing and The Tumbleweeds
The Lumineers have come a long way in just one year. The band released its debut album in April 2012 and subsequently played in small clubs like the Prophet Bar. But the success of the single "Ho Hey" and comparisons to another big folk rock group, Mumford & Sons, made them stars. Now they're back to play at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.
Friday, April 26
2013 Texas Food Truckin' Fest
The Dallas-Fort Worth food truck craze has ebbed and flowed during the last few years, but if this event is any indication, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. More than 30 food trucks park outside Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to fill your belly. Also enjoy live entertainment, TVs showing Rangers games and more. The festival takes place all day Saturday as well.
Dallas Theater Center presents Fly By Night
The latest from Dallas Theater Center is a relatively new musical that might have you straining your eyes and opening your heart. That's because the production, playing at Kalita Humphreys Theater through May 26, is about three people looking for love amid an epic blackout in New York City in the '60s. Part of the music is played by local Max Brown.
Saturday, April 27
Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts presents Ed Asner in FDR
Last week saw a well-known actor tackling a famous figure in a one-man play, and this one brings another, as Ed Asner shows off his impersonation of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in this one-night-only production at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson. The 83-year-old recently had to stop one show after feeling ill, so let's hope nothing like that occurs here.
Queensryche in concert with The Voodoos
Those who haven't kept up with Queensryche in the last few years may be surprised to hear that the band is now technically two bands. Most of the band members went one way, while original lead singer Geoff Tate went another. It's Tate's version that playS at the Granada Theater in support of the forthcoming album Frequency Unknown.
Sunday, April 28
Nasher Sculpture Center presents The Great Create
Nasher Sculpture Center has long been a proponent of getting kids involved in art, and this event is a way to give them an outlet and provide for future opportunities. Local and national artists lead kids 12 and under in a variety of activities, and proceeds from the event benefit Nasher youth programs.
Texans for West Benefit Concert
The town of West, Texas, is well-known to anybody who travels north or south on I-35, so it's no surprise that the fertilizer plant explosion there last week was heart-rending for many. If you haven't already helped in some way, you can do just by attending this concert, which features Toadies lead singer Vaden Todd Lewis, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, Somebody's Darling and The O's.
Os Mutantes in concert with Capsula
If you're looking for a unique music group, look no further than Os Mutantes. The psychedelic rock group has been around since the 1960s, but they took a nearly 30-year break until the mid-2000s. The one constant has been singer/guitarist Sergio Dias, who has stuck with the band through its many incarnations. They put a period on the weekend at The Kessler.
Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights is one of several bands playing the Texans for West benefit concert at Annette Strauss Square April 28.
Dallas suburb sets new record for best parks in the U.S. Plano Parks and Recreation/Facebook