Anyone looking to get out of the house this weekend will find plenty to do in and around Dallas. Choices include some of the best pickleball players in the nation, a film festival, three different comedians, five separate theater productions, and a concert by two big Christian singers.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, July 24
Major League Pickleball Dallas Tour
Major League Pickleball returns to the Dallas-Fort Worth area with a stop on the 2025 tour, featuring four days of professional pickleball action in a climate-controlled, fan-first environment. The event is the penultimate event of the 2025 MLP regular season, hosted by the Dallas Flash, the reigning 2024 MLP Premier Level Champions. The event takes place through Sunday at Pickler Universe in Carrollton.
Asian Film Festival of Dallas
The 24th edition of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas will feature screenings of 18 feature films and nine short films over four days. Highlights include Opening Night film, Penalty Loop by Shinji Araki, Centerpiece film The Mother and the Bear by Johnny Ma, and Closing Night film Baby Assassins: Nice Days by Yugo Sakamoto. The special Saturday Women’s Showcase will spotlight female filmmakers will feature Mye Hoang’s latest feline-inspired documentary, 25 Cats From Qatar, and Dương Diệu Linh’s Vietnamese fantasy/drama, Don’t Cry, Butterfly. The festival takes place through Sunday at Angelika Film Center in Dallas.
Improv Addison presents Jordan Jensen
Jordan Jensen started comedy in Upstate New York before moving to Nashville, where she spent a year working for clubs and taking her comedy on the road in her pickup truck. In 2021, Jensen was named the first female comic to win “NY’s Funniest Stand Up” at the NY Comedy Festival. Her comedy consists of tales of her bizarre upbringing, highly unconventional family, and filterless confessions of her time on this filthy planet. She'll perform five times through Saturday at Improv Addison.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents Star Trip: A Tale of Two Captains
To boldly throw popcorn where no man has thrown before, Star Trip: A Tale of Two Captains is an affectionate satire of the sci-fi television shows of the past and present. Daring Captain Kurt and his friend, Smok, race across the galaxy to thwart the evil plans of Darkness. Cosmic romance, interstellar intrigue, and popcorn asteroids abound. The production, which opened on July 5, runs through August 23 at Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Carrollton.
Friday, July 25
Repertory Company Theatre presents Something Rotten!
Set in the 1590s, Something Rotten! is a Broadway smash hit that follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom as they try to step out of Shakespeare’s spotlight and create the world’s very first musical - with the help of a rather inaccurate soothsayer and a cast of over-the-top characters who dance, sing, and rhyme their way through Elizabethan England. The production, which opened on July 18, runs through August 3 at Repertory Company Theatre in Richardson.
Garland Summer Musicals presents Catch Me if You Can: The Musical
Catch Me if You Can: The Musical, based on the hit film and the incredible true story, is a high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught. The production stars Broadway actor Brian Gonzalez, last seen on Broadway in Mr. Saturday Night with Billy Crystal, along with with Gideon Ethridge as Frank. The production, which opened on July 18, will have three more performances through Sunday at Granville Arts Center in Garland.
Hyena's presents Tom Arnold
As a writer, producer, and actor, Tom Arnold has established himself to both television and film audiences worldwide. Never scripted, Arnold pokes fun at his Midwest past, marital follies, and absurd Hollywood stories. Just like his past film and television comedy work, he is a ball of chaos and charisma on stage. He'll perform twice on Friday at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub.
McKinney Repertory Theatre presents Barefoot in the Park
Paul and Corie Bratter are newlyweds in every sense of the word. After a six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie’s loopy mother and decide to play matchmaker during a dinner with their neighbor-in-the-attic, Velasco, where everything that can go wrong does. Paul just doesn’t understand Corie, as she sees it. He’s too staid, too boring, and she just wants him to be a little more spontaneous. Running “barefoot in the park” would be a start… The production runs through August 9 at McKinney Performing Arts Center.
The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players presents The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance features a band of swashbuckling buccaneers, bumbling British bobbies, frolicsome Victorian maidens, and the delightfully dotty "model of a modern Major-General" for a rollicking romp over the rocky coast of Cornwall. The plot centers on the dilemma of young Frederic who, as a child, was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. Since he was born on Leap Day, February 29, he is honor bound to remain a pirate until the distant date of 1940, despite his moral objection to piracy. The one-night-only performance takes place at Coppell Arts Center.
Saturday, July 26
Joe Pera's The Peras Tour: All Dried Up Summer Tour
Joe Pera is a standup comedian, writer, and filmmaker best known for his Adult Swim series, Joe Pera Talks With You. He has performed his subdued standup on Conan, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Comedy Central. He'll perform for one night only at Majestic Theater.
Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake in concert
Singers Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake come to Dallas as part of their collaborative Summer Worship Nights tour. Wickham is touring in support of his 2024 album, I Believe (Hometown Version). Lake has released four albums in his career, most recently Coat of Many Colors in 2023. They'll perform at American Airlines Center.
Photo courtesy of Major League Pickleball
