Weekend Event Planner

These are the 13 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It will be quite the varied weekend in and around Dallas, with a couple of genuine superstars in concert, a national tour of a Broadway musical, celebrities in town for a horror convention, and more. On the local side will be a chance to enjoy the NFL draft with fellow Cowboys fans, a special block party, new local theater, a mini film festival, and more.

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

Thursday, April 28

Dallas Cowboys presents Cowboys Draft Party
The Dallas Cowboys' Draft Day Party will give football fans the opportunity to see previous and current Dallas Cowboys players, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and mascot Rowdy, enjoy games and entertainment, and cheer for whoever the Cowboys pick in the NFL Draft. Thursday will feature a variety of activities on the Tostitos Championship Plaza, including coverage of the first round of the draft; Friday will feature a free youth camp and Draft weekend specialty menus at participating restaurants; and Saturday will feature the Draft Day 5K followed by The Star Draft Fest. All events take place in and around Ford Center at the Star in Frisco.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Mozart & Prokofiev"
The latest concert from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will be "Mozart & Prokofiev," featuring conductor Leonidas Kavakos, violinist Alexander Kerr, and violist Meredith Kufchak. Selections for the concert, which will have three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center, will include Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, K. 364 and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 6.

Bon Jovi in concert
Over an illustrious career spanning more than three decades, Bon Jovi has earned their place among global rock royalty. They have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, sold over 130 million albums sold worldwide, and have an extensive catalog of hit anthems. They'll play at American Airlines Center in support of their latest album, 2020's 2020.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
In Summer, three actresses play the role of musical icon Donna Summer at different points in her life — “Diva Donna,” “Disco Donna,” and “Duckling Donna” — while an inexhaustible ensemble of almost entirely women tear up the stage. The musical takes audiences through her tumultuous life and tempestuous loves, and includes a mega-watt dream list of musical hits, including “Bad Girls,” “MacArthur Park,” “She Works Hard for the Money,” and “Last Dance.” The production will play at Winspear Opera House through Sunday.

Friday, April 29

Texas Frightmare Weekend
The annual Texas Frightmare Weekend features celebrity appearances, autograph signings, screenings, exclusive parties, and horror memorabilia vendors from all over the country. Celebrity guests at the event, taking place at Hyatt Regency DFW Airport through Sunday, will include Scream stars Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, and Jamie Kennedy; Robert Englund, Brooke Bundy, and other stars of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3; Carl Weathers; Lance Henriksen; and many more.

Dallas Arts District presents Changing Perspectives Block Party
Dallas Arts District will present the annual Changing Perspectives Block Party: A Cultural Festival, featuring the Brooklyn Jumbies, Afro-Caribbean stilts dancers with Dallas’ Bandan Koro African Drum and Dance Ensemble. Their focal piece, Intervention Ocean Blues, is a work inspired by all forms of life that make the ocean their home. The event, taking place in Sammons Park, will also feature family-friendly activities including bubble sculptures, a photo booth, a community art project, and more.

Dallas International Film Festival presents Spring Preview Weekend
The Dallas International Film Festival will return with a full event in the fall, but they're offering this Spring Preview as a way to feature film premieres, film festival favorites, and upcoming new releases from around the world. Headlining the preview is opening night film Cha Cha Real Smooth, written and directed by Dallas native Cooper Raiff, and starring Dakota Johnson, Raiff, Leslie Mann, and Brad Garrett. Five other films will be screened through Sunday at Alamo Drafthouse Cedars.

Avant Chamber Ballet presents "Legacy of Diaghiley"
To finish their season, Avant Chamber Ballet presents an evening of world premieres and commissions with live music. The program is an homage to Serge Diaghilev and his company, the Ballet Russes, which changed ballet forever with groundbreaking commissions of music, score, and design in the early 1900s. Featuring the premiere of Fernanda Oliveira's Jeux and Katie Puder’s new production of Igor Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale, the production will have performances at Sammons Center for the Arts on both Friday and Saturday.

Garland Civic Theatre presents Wait Until Dark
In 1944, Susan Hendrix, a blind Greenwich Village housewife, is imperiled by a trio of men in her own apartment. As the suspense builds, Susan discovers that her blindness just might be the key to her escape, but she and her tormentors must wait until dark to play out this classic thriller's chilling conclusion. Garland Civic Theatre will present the production at Granville Arts Center through May 15.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats in concert
Nathaniel Rateliff was mostly a locally-known musician in Denver until he formed the band The Night Sweats, with which he released a self-titled album in 2015. Two singles off that album, "I Need Not Ever Get Old" and "S.O.B.," garnered them national attention, and they've maintained that popularity through their most recent album, 2021's The Future. They'll play at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory.

Saturday, April 30

Celtic Woman: Postcards from Ireland
Celtic Woman will celebrate 15 years of music-making with this special concert at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie, bringing together their favorite songs from the journey so far, including "Orinoco Flow," "Teir Abhaile Riuf," "You Raise Me Up," and "Danny Boy." The tour, featuring Celtic Woman soloists Mairéad Carlin, Éabha McMahon, Megan Walsh, and Tara McNeill, is in support of their latest album, Postcards from Ireland.

Henry Rollins in concert
Henry Rollins spent a good portion of his life as a musician, either as a solo artist or with bands like Black Flag and Rollins Band. But he hasn't put out any new music since 2002, instead devoting much of his time to spoken word material. At this event at The Kessler, Rollins will faithfully recount the events of his life in the brief pre-COVID period since his last tour and when things got even stranger over the last several months.

Sunday, May 1

Justin Bieber in concert
It's been a long journey getting pop superstar Justin Bieber back to Dallas. The last time the Beebs was in town was 2016, but that's only because he canceled a 2017 date that was at the tail end of a long tour, and had his 2020 date at AT&T Stadium postponed twice due to the COVID pandemic. This date at American Airlines Center is technically a rescheduling of that 2020 concert, although he now has a new album to promote, 2021's Justice.

Justin Bieber will play at American Airlines Center on May 1.

Photo courtesy of Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber will play at American Airlines Center on May 1.

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Racket sports

Trendy Austin padel club Padel39 lobs first DFW location into Carrollton

Photo by Juan J Valdes

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A popular padel club from Austin is serving up its first location in Dallas-Fort Worth: Padel39 has purchased and taken over the existing Dallas Padel Club, at 3000 Belmeade Dr.

According to a release, multimillion-dollar renovations are underway and are expected to be complete by summer 2026. The revamp includes:

Seven new outdoor courts are being added to the current three indoor courts (with completion expected by March 2026).
Full food and beverage capabilities for a premium sports bar that is open to the public.
A fitness area for members that is affiliated with HYROX, recovery areas, wellness facilities (sauna, cold plunge, etc.), upscale locker rooms.
Upscale lounging and coworking space.

For those not up on their racket sports, padel is a cousin of pickleball, tennis, and racquetball. The sport has been wildly popular in Spain and Latin America for decades and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. Like pickleball, it's a doubles game played on a small court, and players hit off glass walls.

Padel was invented in Acapulco, Mexico, by Enrique Corcuera; Padel39 bears the first two numbers of all Acapulco ZIP Codes.

Padel39 co-founders Will and Naomi Boyce.Photo by Juan J Valdes

The company was founded in 2024 by husband-and-wife William Boyce and Naomi Boyce; William played tennis for the University of Texas at Austin.

Padel39 currently has two locations in Austin, with a third opening in March. They say they aim to open 12 to 15 Padel39 clubs in Austin, Dallas, and Houston by 2028. After Carrollton, a location will open in central Dallas in late 2026/early 2027, they say.

“We currently introduce 200+ new players to the sport each month, while maintaining a core group of repeat clients who return for the fitness, competition and vibrant community,” William Boyce says in the release. “Each new location fulfills our vision to put Padel39 and Texas at the epicenter of the padel community.”

In addition to offering courts to play on, Padel39 features on-court programming, tournaments, social events, and physical wellness opportunities such as courtside Pilates and morning yoga.

Padel39 Padel39 courts and lounge areas at a location in Austin. Photo by Josh Graziadei

While Padel39 offers memberships, all guests are welcome to play, they say. According to the website, each club is priced differently. At the flagship location in Austin, Padel39 memberships start at $89 per month or $890 per year, but players can also rent courts as needed for 90 minutes at $30.

“We set out to create a modern take on a country club; a place where members and guests could ‘play and stay,’” Boyce says. “We’ve built that and more. We work to improve the experience for our guests each day.”

Outdoor construction on the Carrollton club is expected to be completed by March. Indoor food and beverage, fitness and lounging renovations will be finished by summer, they say. The club will remain open during renovations.

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