Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

The first weekend in November — yes, November is here already — is the unofficial start to the holiday season, a fact that's being celebrated by two separate events. You can also enjoy two fun concerts, comedy from two of the best in the business, a food and music festival, and a whale of a good time at the opera.

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, November 3

Dallas Market Center presents Market Halliday Sale
The Market Halliday Sale, formerly Sample Sale, is Dallas Market Center’s only consumer event, giving you an opportunity to get a jump-start on your holiday shopping. Visitors to the four-day event can shop for gifts, apparel, jewelry, toys, children’s clothing, home accessories, furniture, and manufacturer samples from a wide variety of vendors. Thursday's preview event is $15; admission Friday-Sunday is free.

Mary Chapin Carpenter in concert with Rose Cousins
Like many other country musicians, Mary Chapin Carpenter hit her peak in the 1990s with hits like "Passionate Kisses," "He Thinks He'll Keep Her," "I Take My Chances," and "Shut Up and Kiss Me." But these songs are more than enough to keep her relevant 20 years later. Carpenter plays at Majestic Theatre in support of her 2016 album, The Things That We Are Made Of, with help from opening act Rose Cousins.

Friday, November 4

Dallas Opera presents Moby-Dick
Six-and-a-half years after making its world premiere in Dallas, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's Moby-Dick returns to Winspear Opera House for a special six-performance encore. Based on Herman Melville’s epic tale of Captain Ahab’s obsession with the great white whale, it is opera on a grand scale. Even better, you don't need a ticket to enjoy it, as the Dallas Opera is putting on a simulcast at Klyde Warren Park, with special activities for both kids and adults.

The Adam Carolla Show Live Podcast
Comedian Adam Carolla has dipped his toes in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry, co-hosting the Loveline radio show with Dr. Drew Pinsky, co-hosting The Man Show with Jimmy Kimmel, appearing on reality shows like Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Apprentice, writing books, and even appearing in a few movies. He's best known these days for his hilarious podcast, a live version of which is being held at the Majestic Theatre.

Saturday, November 5

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox in concert
Created by Scott Bradlee, the rotating collective of Postmodern Jukebox has spent the past few years amassing more than 450 million YouTube views. The performers, which include some notable names, like former American Idol standout Haley Reinhart, alongside phenomenal "undiscovered" talent, are taking their talents off the computer and onto the stage at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Maria Bamford in concert
Comedian Maria Bamford was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 50 Funniest People and won the 2014 American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic. But she didn't truly break out until her Netflix sitcom, Lady Dynamite, premiered in early 2016. She's performing a stand-up comedy set at Majestic Theatre.

Sunday, November 6

Dallas Arboretum presents Holiday at the Arboretum
Holiday at the Arboretum includes the return of the 12 Days of Christmas outdoor exhibit, which features 12 elaborate 25-foot-tall Victorian gazebos with charming costumed characters, whimsical animals, and winter scenes made famous by The Christmas Carol. New this year, the garden is open for evening hours for The 12 Days at Night exhibit, which is on display every weekend through December 30.

Granada Theater presents Texas Chili Festival
The inaugural Texas Chili Festival at Granada Theater features select North Texas chefs, including Graham Dodds, Oliver Sitrin, Troy Gardner, Jason West, and Patton Robertson, cooking their unique version of what Texas chili means to them. The event also has music performances from Charlie Robison, Slobberbone, Mike McClure, Phil Pritchett, The Vandoliers, and The Roomsounds.

Adam Carolla presents a live version of his podcast at Majestic Theatre on November 4.

Adam Carolla/Facebook

Adam Carolla presents a live version of his podcast at Majestic Theatre on November 4.

comedy concerts opera event-planner shopping music nature

Movie Review

Eye-popping I Love Boosters takes aim at fashion and social issues

Photo courtesy of Neon

Naomi Ackie, Keke Palmer, Poppy Liu, and Taylour Paige in I Love Boosters.

Boots Riley’s first feature film, 2018’s Sorry to Bother You, was an auspicious and audacious debut that challenged viewers both with its subject matter and the visuals it contained. Even though it took eight years for him to put out his second film, Riley hasn’t lost his knack for outrageousness in the almost inexplicable I Love Boosters.

At its core, the movie is about three women - Corvette (Keke Palmer), Mariah (Taylour Paige), and Sade (Naomi Ackie) - who survive in the world by boosting (aka stealing) high-end fashion and reselling it for more affordable prices. In the surreal world in which the film takes place, their primary target is Metro Designers, a shop that deals in monochromatic clothes and is led by the eccentric CEO Christie Smith (Demi Moore).

The women’s felonious-but-low-stakes mission is up-ended by the appearance of Jianhu (Poppy Liu), who possesses a machine that shoplifts much better than they ever could. The only difference is that Jianhu is looking to expose the shoddy working conditions in the Chinese factories where Metro Designers’ clothes are made. Inspired, the women join forces on a quest that is as bizarre as it is righteous.

Riley, who both wrote and directed the film, loves his over-the-top visuals. There are eye-popping elements in almost every scene of the film, from the clothes in the Metro Designers stores to the oddly-slanted floors of Smith’s office to the bold masks worn by the group during one heist. Every weird thing on screen serves a purpose, though, even the transformation of Pinky Ring Guy (LaKeith Stanfield) from an object of Corvette’s desire into a soul-sucker with an unusual method.

While not quite as pointed as Sorry to Bother You, which had Black characters affecting “white” voices to be more appealing to the general public, the film does take aim at a variety of different social issues. The idea of wealth inequality is front-and-center, with Corvette and her friends forced to squat in an abandoned restaurant. The treatment of Chinese factory workers, fashion industry practices and excesses, and more crop up over the course of the film.

The latter half of the film gets crazier, if that’s even possible. Jianhu’s machine introduces sci-fi elements into the story, with the same circular contraption able to transport, disintegrate, and transform objects or people. Combined with the visuals and storyline, the film becomes something that is both wildly entertaining and also somewhat incomprehensible.

While the movie has a large cast, Palmer is inarguably the star. With her effervescent acting style and an overall inviting demeanor, she sells every bonkers turn the film takes. Each of the supporting actors gets a moment to shine, but Paige, Ackie, and Moore have the most impact. Stanfield is memorable in a creepy kind of way, but he’s been better in other films.

I Love Boosters is one of the more outlandish and interesting films to come out in 2026, a long-awaited return from Riley that demonstrates his strong storytelling and filmmaking voice. Even if it’s not clear exactly what’s happening at every turn, the acting and the audacity of the visuals keeps the film extremely watchable.

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I Love Boosters is now playing in theaters.

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