Weekend Event Planner

Weird Al Yankovic and a giant waterslide top weekend events in Dallas

Aside from a couple of fun local events, it's all music, all the time this weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth. In fact, you could park yourself solely at Gexa Energy Pavilion and be totally satisfied with the string of entertainment that's coming to the venue.

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, August 20

Incubus and Deftones in concert with Death from Above 1979
To start off its extremely busy weekend, Gexa Energy Pavilion will host this co-headlining concert featuring Incubus and Deftones. Incubus will appear in support of two new EPs, while Deftones will be playing in advance of their forthcoming album, to be released in the fall. They'll be joined by opening act Death from Above 1979.

Friday, August 21

Def Leppard in concert with Styx and Tesla
Concert No. 2 at Gexa Energy Pavilion is a throwback of epic proportions. Headlining is Def Leppard, who are still going strong despite not having released any new music since 2008. They'll be joined by Styx, which also toured with Def Leppard back in 2007, and Tesla, the only band still currently making music, with Simplicity having been released in 2014.

Weird Al Yankovic in concert
Weird Al Yankovic is much more than just a parody artist, as he's one of only three people to have had top 40 singles in each of the past four decades. He'll play at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie in support of his 2014 album, Mandatory Fun, which debuted at No. 1, making it the first No. 1 album of his career and the first comedy album to go to No. 1 in over 50 years.

Saturday, August 22

Slide the City Dallas
The idea of a 1,000-foot water slide in the middle of a city street certainly sounds like fun, although reports from the same event in Fort Worth in June were far from glowing. Let's hope organizers have gotten the glitches worked out, as the event, taking place on Hampton Road in West Dallas, has the potential to be one heck of an end to summer for kids and adults alike.

NorthPark Center’s 50th Anniversary
While many malls are either failing or well on their way, NorthPark Center continues to be a hot attraction for both retailers and shoppers 50 years after it first opened. The mall will celebrate its half-century with a variety of activities, including several fashion displays, music and dance from area arts groups and, naturally, free birthday cake.

Lone Star Beer Texas Heritage Festival
Another weekend, another festival highlighting both music and beer. The difference this time is that this one at Gilley's Dallas is only about one beer — Texas favorite Lone Star — and it's completely free on a first-come, first-served basis. Performing will be a variety of other Texas favorites like Old 97's, The Black Angels, Grupo Fantasma and Dale Watson.

Florida Georgia Line in concert with Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard
Country duo Florida Georgia Line has already had a big year in North Texas, winning two trophies at the 50th annual ACM Awards at AT&T Stadium. They come back to the area to play at Gexa Energy Pavilion in support of their 2014 album, Anything Goes. They'll be joined by opening acts Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard.

Sunday, August 23

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band in concert
Carrying on a decade-long tradition, Texas singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett returns to Bass Performance Hall for one night only. Lovett will bring along his dusty odes to Texas and stories about the left-of-center characters who populate it, along with his long-running backup band, His Large Band, and, of course, his wry and dry sense of humor.

J. Cole in concert with Big Sean, Jeremih and YG
To wrap up the heavy weekend at Gexa Energy Pavilion, Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling rapper J. Cole will bring his Forest Hills Drive Tour to Dallas. J. Cole has been one of the hottest rappers around since his 2011 debut, with each of his first three albums going straight to No. 1. This concert will also feature Big Sean with special guests YG and Jeremih.

Slide the City Dallas will take place on Hampton Road in West Dallas on August 22.

Slide the City/Facebook

Slide the City Dallas will take place on Hampton Road in West Dallas on August 22.

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Rivers wild

Ethan Hawke narrates new documentary that deep-dives into Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Texas film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born in Austin and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

animals documentaries ecology ethan hawke film matthew mcconaughey movies nature texas wildlife