There is sure to be a lot of scary fun on Halloween this year, but the thrills won't be contained to just that day. The day before Halloween brings three big-name concerts, and those events are complemented by an array of interesting and cultural activities spread around the Dallas area.
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, October 29
Off Broadway on Flora Series: A Divine Evening with Charles Busch
Charles Busch, a cross-dressing cabaret star responsible for movies and plays like Psycho Beach Party, Die Mommie Die, and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, will bring A Divine Evening with Charles Busch to Wyly Theatre. The performance, playing four times through Saturday, features unforgettable characters like the sort-of actress Miriam Passman recounting her brushes with stardom, mixed with Busch’s own memoirs.
TITAS presents Kyle Abraham: Abraham.In.Motion
TITAS presents the world premiere and Dallas debut of New York’s Kyle Abraham: Abraham.In.Motion. Developed by MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient Abraham, the company mixes together urban funk with modern dance for a thoroughly unique experience. They'll put on performances on Thursday and Friday night.
Friday, October 30
KEGL Freaker's Ball featuring Marilyn Manson, The Cult, Theory Of A Deadman, Pop Evil, and Aranda
There's nothing like the Halloween season to get you in the mood for something called the Freaker's Ball. The annual event, put on by KEGL 97.1 FM at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, will feature holiday appropriate bands like Marilyn Manson, The Cult, Theory Of A Deadman, Pop Evil, and Aranda.
Ludacris in concert
The evolution of the rap/hip hop genre is so fast and furious that it's easy to get left behind. Such is the case for Ludacris, who, after a nonstop beginning to his career in the early 2000s, began to focus movies as much as music. He's back with his first album in five years, Ludaversal, which he'll showcase in a concert at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco.
Salt-N-Pepa in concert
Even though they haven't put out a new album since 1997, the name of rap trio Salt-N-Pepa still resonates, especially locally because DJ Spinderella now calls Dallas home. The group will play a special Halloween eve concert at The Rustic, and the audience is encouraged to come decked out in their best costumes.
Dallas Opera presents Great Scott
The season-opening production from the Dallas Opera is a world premiere that gets a little meta. Opera star Arden Scott returns to her hometown to save the struggling company that launched her career, but the opening night performance of the long-lost opera she discovered falls on the same night as the championship game of the local football team. The production will play five times through November 15 at Winspear Opera House.
Saturday, October 31
Perot Museum of Nature and Science presents Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science will be all aglow when its latest traveling exhibition, Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence, opens. The exhibit features organisms that produce light, from flickering fireflies to the glowing deep-sea fish and other fantastic creatures that illuminate the perpetually dark depths of the oceans. The exhibit will on display through February 21, 2016.
Sunday, November 1
Shortcuts Film Festival
Outside of film festivals, short films don't often get a lot of love. Helmed by Dallas Morning News film critic Chris Vognar and film producer Doug LeClaire, this screening will feature 10 films that the two organizers believe deserve to be noticed. The event at Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson will also include a cocktail reception following the screening.
Marilyn Manson headlines KEGL's annual Freaker's Ball, taking place at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie on October 30.
Donde Los Tacos is now open in Oak Cliff. Photo courtesy of Donde Los Tacos