Weekend Event Planner

Darius Rucker and Neon Trees headline best weekend events in Dallas-Fort Worth

Music, movies and the great outdoors take center stage this weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth, sometimes at the same time. Among the worthy events include a block party in downtown Dallas, a country music extravaganza and a celebration of one of Hollywood's greatest living composers.

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, June 18

Ben Folds in concert
You can barely go six months without Ben Folds making another appearance in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and so it is that five months after playing with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, he's back in town to play at the House of Blues Dallas. This time he's coming to town in support of his forthcoming new album, So There, done in collaboration with the classical music sextet yMusic.

Neon Trees in concert with Alex Winston and Yes You Are
If you're not already on the Neon Trees bandwagon, this is the perfect time to start. The band behind hits like "Animal" and "Everybody Talks" has yet to truly make the jump to the big time, which is why you can still see them play at a venue like the Granada Theater. They play songs from their latest album, Pop Psychology, with support from opening acts Alex Winston and Yes You Are.

Friday, June 19

Dallas Arts District Summer Block Party
As they do at the start of each new season, the three art museums in the Dallas Arts District — Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center and Crow Collection of Asian Art — team up for a summer block party. Each venue throws open its doors to host special concerts, film screenings and more, and Flora and Harwood streets are lined with food trucks and other activities.

Darius Rucker in concert with Brett Eldredge, Brothers Osborne and A Thousand Horses
This concert at Gexa Energy Pavilion is a step up for Darius Rucker, who last played in the area at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie in 2013. Rucker, who comes to town in support of his latest album, Southern Style, is now getting close to the heights he reached with Hootie and the Blowfish, which is quite the second act. He's joined by opening acts Brett Eldredge, Brothers Osborne and A Thousand Horses.

Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy
A hit on Broadway, Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is inspired by nature’s unpredictable creations that are brought to life by a cast that includes soaring aerialists, spine-bending contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians. You're also bound to be impressed by the production's lavish costumes and special effects. It runs through Sunday at Winspear Opera House.

2015 Shakespeare in the Park: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised]
The annual tradition of Shakespeare in the Park, staged by Shakespeare Dallas, kicks off with this rendition of a play that tries to encapsulate almost every single work from the Bard. If you haven't been able to make it to the staged readings of the complete works the company has been doing for the past few years, this might be the next best thing. It plays at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre through July 24.

Saturday, June 20

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents The Music of John Williams and Hollywood's Great Composers
It's practically impossible to laud the career of composer John Williams enough. He's made some of the most famous movie music of all time, including Jaws (which celebrates its 40th anniversary on June 20), Star Wars, Indiana Jones and many more. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra pays tribute to his music and other great Hollywood compositions with this concert at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Uptown Players presents The Nance
For fans of its unique theatrical offerings, it's been a long wait to officially start Uptown Players' 2015 season. The time has finally arrived in the form of The Nance, a Tony Award-winning play that re-creates the naughty, raucous world of burlesque's heyday while telling the backstage story of Chauncey Miles and his fellow performers. It runs at Kalita Humphreys Theater through July 5.

Sunday, June 21

First Baptist Church Dallas presents Gretchen Carlson
Although only one side of the political aisle agrees with what Gretchen Carlson and her Fox News cohorts report on a daily basis, it's hard to deny that Carlson has had an enviable career, rising from Miss America in 1989 to the current host of her own show. Carlson talks and signs copies of her book, Getting Real, following services at First Baptist Church in Dallas.

ATTPAC Sunset Screenings: His Girl Friday
As part of its Sunset Screenings series, the AT&T Performing Arts Center presents the screwball comedy classic His Girl Friday. In it, Cary Grant, playing a newspaper editor, tries every trick he can think of to steal the affections of a reporter played by Rosalind Russell. The free screening plays at Annette Strauss Square.

Darius Rucker plays at Gexa Energy Pavilion on June 19.

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Big Tex Wrap-Up

State Fair of Texas bounces back with 2.1 million attendees in 2026

Crowds around Big Tex at 2026 State Fair of Texas

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Almost 2.1 people attended the 2026 State Fair of Texas, up from 2025.

After experiencing its lowest total attendance numbers in seven years in 2025, the State Fair of Texas bounced back in 2026, welcoming nearly 2.1 million visitors, according to an official release.

That represents a slight bump up from the 2,020,064 that came through the gates in 2025. Both numbers are still down significantly from the highs of 2019 and 2022, when more than 2.5 million people attended the State Fair.

The uptick in attendance could be attributed to the concerted effort to make the Fair more affordable this year, including lowering ticket prices, making games and rides cheaper, expanding days for free student tickets, and offering a free day of parking.

As usual, the busiest day of the State Fair was Saturday, October 10, the date of the annual Texas-Oklahoma football game, with more than 203,000 fairgoers in attendance, including the 92,100 fans in the Cotton Bowl.

The average attendance for the other 23 days of the fair was around 82,500.

“We are grateful to every fairgoer who joined us this year, as well as the team members, vendors, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this season possible," said State Fair of Texas President Mitchell Glieber in a statement. "As a nonprofit organization, a successful Fair helps fuel our work throughout the year, and we are proud of the impact we continue to make through agriculture, education, and community.”

Other notable numbers from the 2026 State Fair of Texas include:

An all-new look for Big Tex, standing 55 feet tall, sporting a 95-gallon Resistol cowboy hat, a Cavender’s shirt measuring 245 by 192 inches, Levi’s 501 jeans measuring 380 inches wide by 290 inches long, size 96 Lucchese boots, and a Shiner belt buckle.
The unveiling of an official State of Texas Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission for Big Tex, honoring his enduring legacy as a beloved Texas icon and symbol of State Fair tradition.
An estimated 110,655 pounds of food were collected and donated to the North Texas Food Bank.
More than 28,600 members of the military and their families visited the Fair over 24 days, utilizing the special discount offer in gratitude for their service.
Approximately 500,000 prizes, valued at an estimated $1.8 million, were won at the State Fair Midway, enough stuffed animals and prizes to fill approximately 90 semi-trucks.
Approximately 450,000 Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs were enjoyed by fairgoers.
The State Fair of Texas is estimated to generate more than $600 million in economic activity each year, serving as one of the most impactful annual events in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

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