Weekend Event Planner

Myriad music festivals headline best weekend events in Dallas

In case you were wondering when prime festival season is for Dallas-Fort Worth, it is apparently mid-May. This weekend will see no fewer than four major festivals, five if you include the goings-on inside the Dallas Convention Center.

Below are your 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, May 15

LuminArte Gallery presents The Prince of Texas reception
Texas Rangers first baseman Prince Fielder was one of the team's biggest acquisitions in recent years, a fact that inspired artist Bruce Sulzberg to create the new piece he calls The Prince of Texas. Both Fielder and Sulzberg will be on hand for a special reception at LuminArte Gallery to unveil the piece, at which copies of the 3-D serigraph will be for sale.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Beethoven Festival: Beethoven's Fifth
No retrospective of the works of Ludwig van Beethoven is complete without a concert featuring his iconic Fifth Symphony, something the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will do this weekend as part of their Beethoven Festival. Playing four times Thursday through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center, the concert will also include the composer's Triple Concerto and Egmont Overture.

Friday, May 16

Main Street Days
The annual Main Street Days are Grapevine's time to shine, as the city lines Main Street with shopping opportunities, kids activities, stages for performances, food, drink and more. Grapevine is, of course, known for wine, but this year's event will also put the focus on craft beer, as there will be a special area where those of drinking age can taste more than 30 craft beers. The festival runs through Sunday.

Dallas Comic Con
If you're even somewhat into science fiction, fantasy, comic books or the like, Dallas Convention Center is where you'll want to be this weekend for the annual Dallas Comic Con. Running through Sunday, you'll be able to geek out over appearances by celebrities like William Shatner, Nathan Fillion, Stan Lee, Michael Rooker, Robert Englund, Christopher Lloyd and Adam Baldwin.

Fort Worth Music Fest
It seems like every recent outdoor festival has to multitask, offering a little bit of everything. But the Fort Worth Music Fest will be all music, all the time, with 20 bands performing on two stages at Panther Island Pavilion on Friday and Saturday. Headliners will be acts like Lucinda Williams, Jimmy Eat World and Jackopierce, with early time slots going to a bevy of local bands.

Wildflower Arts and Music Festival
Richardson also gets into the festival act this weekend, offering a variety activities and entertainment for both kids and adults at Galatyn Park, just outside of Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts. Arts may come first in the title, but it's music that's mainly showcased here, with headliners including Lonestar, The Wallflowers, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick, among others.

Saturday, May 17

Trinity River Wind Festival
Dallas may suffer from a lack of rain, but if there's one thing we have in abundance, it's wind. The Trinity River Wind Festival uses that to its advantage, taking to the wide open spaces around the Commerce Street Viaduct to showcase the flying of kites by professionals and amateurs alike. The free festival will also have a special kids area with face painting and bounce houses.

Dave Matthews Band in concert
The latest appearance in Dallas by the Dave Matthews Band will be a bit different than others in recent years. The performance at Gexa Energy Pavilion will feature two separate sets by the band, one acoustic and one electric, with the band alternating from a full lineup for some songs to just a couple of musicians for others. Fans are also encouraged to bring non-perishable food donation items for the BamaGreen Food Drive - anyone who donates will be entered to win prizes.

Sunday, May 18

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Pixar in concert
Film scores are many kids' first exposure to the magic that instruments used by orchestras can accomplish. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the works of composers like Michael Giacchino, Randy Newman and Thomas Newman, who have helped Pixar's animated films like Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles come alive. The concert will be presented three times Friday through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Lone Star Film Society presents ArthouseFW: Wings
The latest presentation from the Lone Star Film Society will be a screening of 1927's Wings, the first film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. The silent film was shot in Texas and features some truly awe-inspiring aerial sequences done at a time when special effects hardly existed. The screening will take place at the Kimbell Art Museum.

Wildflower Arts and Music Festival in Richardson is one of several festivals taking over Dallas-Fort Worth this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Wildflower Festival

Wildflower Arts and Music Festival in Richardson is one of several festivals taking over Dallas-Fort Worth this weekend.

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State Fair Discounts

State Fair of Texas drops prices on rides and games for 2026

State Fair of Texas mascot on the Midway at Fair Park

Photo by Kevin Brown

Visitors to the State Fair of Texas will find cheaper prices on most rides on the Midway in 2026.

The State Fair of Texas, which recently announced it is lowering ticket prices for the 2026 event, is going even further to make things more affordable for visitors by reducing the price of games and rides at the Midway, and more.

Through a new program called Every Day Values, the Fair is spotlighting what they call "value-priced options" to help guests make the most of their visit.

According to a release, fairgoers will see, on average, a 17 percent reduction in prices on most rides and games on the State Fair Midway this year. In addition, the fair is bringing back Thrilling Tuesdays, on which most rides are available for four coupons, and select kiddie rides available for three coupons. (The Thrillway and Texas Star Ferris Wheel are excluded, they note.)

The Everyday Values program will provide discounts on a variety of items, including but not limited to the following:

One-coupon bottled water at select locations
Six-coupon cotton candy
Kids’ refillable drinkware for 10 coupons, with five-coupon refills
A commemorative State Fair refillable cup for 13 coupons, with four-coupon refills
Free chocolate milk in the GO TEXAN® Pavilion
An eight-coupon Fletcher’s Original Corny Dog
Six-coupon rides on the historic Midway Dentzel Carousel
Select Midway games where every kid is a winner

In addition to the items listed above, the State Fair has over 200 food and beverage items available for $10 or less (including the Big Tex Choice Award-winning Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog), along with value combo meals offered throughout the Fairgrounds. The complete list of items can be found at BigTex.com/Value.

“Value means something different to every Fairgoer,” said Mitchell Glieber, State Fair of Texas President, in a statement. “With Every Day Values, we want to make it easier for our guests to find accessible options throughout the Fairgrounds and create a day filled with fun, memories, and value.”

These savings are on top of the various ticket discounts available to the public through multiple options:

Opening Day Peanut Butter Drive: On Opening day, Friday, September 25, visitors can enjoy the Fair while also helping the North Texas Food Bank by bringing two jars of peanut butter to donate to receive $10 admission at the gate.
Feed the Need Wednesdays: Every Wednesday, fairgoers can receive $7 admission by bringing five canned food items to benefit the North Texas Food Bank.
Dr Pepper Value Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday of the State Fair, Big Tex Insiders can purchase online admission for $12 with a promotional code. Guests can sign up for the Big Tex Insider program at BigTex.com/Insider.
Senior Day: Every Thursday, guests ages 60 and older can receive admission for $7 at the gate.
Military Appreciation Day Presented by Chevrolet: Active-duty military, retired military, and veterans can save $5 off admission any day with valid military identification.
First Responder Discounts: The State Fair honors active and retired law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency services personnel with $5 off admission any day with valid department or organization identification.
McDonald's Discounts: Participating McDonald's locations throughout North Texas will offer State Fair admission discounts through coupons available on tray liners and inside select meal bags. Adults can save $5 on admission any day with a valid coupon. Only one discount may be applied per guest, and discounts cannot be combined, stacked, or used in conjunction with any other offer.
Free Admission for Select Texas Students and Teachers: Students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade at participating school districts receive free admission tickets, and teachers and school faculty for grades 9-12 receive free admission through our voucher program. Teachers must visit the admission ticket sales window, provide a teacher voucher, and show their valid school-issued photo ID to receive an admission ticket to the Fair.

The 2026 State Fair of Texas runs September 25 through October 18 at Fair Park in Dallas.

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