Weekend Event Planner

These are the 16 best things to do in Dallas this Halloween weekend

With the fall weather finally settling in this Halloween weekend, you would hope for a bunch of outdoor events to take advantage of the coolness. Alas, the top events in and around Dallas this weekend all take place indoors, including two theater productions, five concerts, a well-known comedian, three dance productions, the opening of a new art exhibition, a Halloween/fall-themed festival, a Disney film in concert, and a live version of a favorite game show.

Photo courtesy of World Ballet Company

World Ballet Company presents Cinderella at Majestic Theatre on November 1.

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, October 30

L.I.P. Service and Auriga Productions presents Richard III
This staging of Richard III reimagines one of Shakespeare’s most notorious villains through a contemporary lens - one that celebrates diversity, provokes dialogue, and refuses to shy away from controversy. In this interpretation, Richard III becomes more than a tale of ambition and deceit; it becomes a mirror reflecting today’s debates about power and representation. The production runs through November 16 at Bath House Cultural Center.

NBA YoungBoy in concert
The rapper NBA YoungBoy returns to Dallas for the second time in two months. He has become as well known for his music as he has his brushes with the law. His top-selling albums, including the new MASA, have had to compete with headlines about federal drug and gun charges, for which he was recently pardoned by President Donald Trump. He'll perform at American Airlines Center, joined by Offset, NoCap, DeeBaby, Mellow Rackz, and Baby Mel.

Friday, October 31

Halloween happenings
For some people, Halloween is the best holiday of the year. Dallas restaurants are ready to serve with spooky events, sweet treats, and special themed dinners. For a list of haunted houses, click here, and for thrills on stage, go here. Ahead of the holiday, be sure to read up on some of Dallas' most famous ghosts here.

Broadway Dallas presents Maria Callas in Concert: The Hologram Tour
State-of-the-art holographic technology will bring world-renowned opera star Maria Callas to life on stage. The concert will feature the legendary soprano’s digitally remastered recordings, and include arias from Bellini, Bizet, Verdi, Puccini, Gounod, and more, with live accompaniment from The Dallas Opera Orchestra. The concert takes place at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Dallas Comedy Club presents Jerrod Carmichael
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael has had a pretty good last few years after paying his dues for the first 15 years of his career. He directed his first movie, On the Count of Three, in 2021; released the acclaimed Rothaniel special in 2022; got nominated for an Emmy for hosting Saturday Night Live in 2022; hosted the Golden Globe Awards in 2023; and appeared in the Oscar-winning Poor Things in 2023. He'll do what he does best - comedy - in two shows on Friday at Dallas Comedy Club.

TITAS/Dance Unbound presents Ballet Preljocaj
TITAS will welcome back France’s Ballet Preljocaj with their work, GRAVITÉ, an exploration of gravity. One of France’s most celebrated contemporary dance companies, the troupe is known for its bold, dramatic choreography, brought to life by skilled dancers and music. They will put on performances on Friday and Saturday at Moody Performance Hall.

Theatre Denton presents Dial M for Murder
This fresh version of the thrilling murder mystery Dial M for Murder, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, depicts where one man’s jealousy results in a web of deception and danger. The production runs through November 9 at Theatre Denton.

Saturday, November 1

World Ballet Company presents Cinderella
World Ballet Company’s production of Cinderella is performed live by a multinational cast of 40 professional ballet dancers, featuring over 150 hand-sewn costumes, handcrafted sets, and choreography by Marina Kesler. It's an enchanting story for all ages with a dose of humor, majesty of classical ballet, and the promise of "happily ever after." The performance takes place at Majestic Theatre.

Ballet Ensemble of Texas presents Dracula: Ballet with a Bite!
The annual production of DRACULA: Ballet with a Bite has become a tradition for the Ballet Ensemble of Texas, featuring unique twists to the traditional story. In addition to the performances, guests can participate in “The Vein Drain” (a blood drive in collaboration with the Carter Blood Center), “Drinks with Dracula” prior to the performance, and a “Fiendish Frock Fashion Fantasy,” a costume parade for the audience at the performance. The event takes place at Coppell Arts Center.

Dom Dolla in concert
Grammy-nominated Australian music producer Dom Dolla emerged with a string of critically acclaimed club hits, including "Define," "You," "Be Randy," "Take It," "San Frandisco," 'Pump The Breaks," "Moving Blind," and "Strangers" ft. Mansionair. His latest song, "No Room for a Saint" (with Nathan Nicholson) appears on the soundtrack for F1 the Movie. He'll perform at Dos Equis Pavilion.

Patty Griffin in concert with Rickie Lee Jones
Singer Patty Griffin has had a long and successful career as a folk musician. Even though her career dates back to 1996, she had her best run in the 2010s, in which she won two Grammy Awards and scored a No. 1 album with 2010's Downtown Church. A prolific songwriter, her songs have been recorded by Linda Ronstadt, The Chicks, Bette Midler, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, and more. She'll perform at Longhorn Ballroom, joined by Rickie Lee Jones.

Maná in concert
Mexican pop rock band Maná is one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time, having sold over 45 million records worldwide. Initially recording under the name of Sombrero Verde for their first two albums, they have released 11 albums in their career, most recently Cama Incendiada in 2015. Each of their last five albums went to No. 1 on the Billboard Latin chart, also landing high on the overall Billboard 200. They'll play on both Saturday and Sunday at American Airlines Center.

Sunday, November 2

Dallas Museum of Art presents "International Surrealism" opening day
Dallas Museum of Art will present "International Surrealism," featuring over 100 works by an international array of artists, all drawn from the impressive collection of Tate in London. The exhibition highlights the wide range of practices, techniques and perspectives from across the globe that came to define the movement, emphasizing the endless reach of the surrealist mindset through a rich display of works by celebrated artists and writers, including André Breton, Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dalí, and René Magritte, as well as their peers. The exhibition will remain on display through March 22, 2026.

Globe Life Field presents Fall Festival
Globe Life Field's second annual Fall Festival will feature a wide array of fall-themed activities directly on the field at the home of the Texas Rangers. Guests are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and bring their own trick-or-treat containers. Events will include trick or treat stations, hourly costume parades around the bases, carnival games, run the bases, wiffle ball, free play on the field, pitch in the bullpen, face painting, yard games, photo ops in the dugouts, and more.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Disney's Moana Live-to-Film Concert
Disney’s Moana Live-To-Film Concert features a full-length screening of the beloved movie accompanied by live performances of a unique on-stage musical ensemble of top Hollywood studio musicians, Polynesian rhythm masters, and vocalists. The event, taking place at Majestic Theatre, celebrates the music and songs from the award-winning Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film.

Wheel of Fortune Live
Hosted by a celebrity guest host, Wheel of Fortune LIVE! brings the excitement of the favorite TV game show to life, giving fans the chance to solve puzzles, win prizes and possibly become a Wheel of Fortune TV contestant. Audience members will be randomly selected to come up on stage to spin the famous Wheel and show their skill to win prizes. They will also be able to audition on-site for the chance to appear as a contestant on a future episode of the TV show. It takes place at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.

theater music concerts comedy dance exhibitions-visual-arts festivals kids families movies event-planner

Movie Review

Rose Byrne fights for her life and car in new movie 'Tow'

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Rose Byrne in Tow.

Actor Rose Byrne had a banner year in 2025, getting her first Oscar nomination for her starring role in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You. Although she came up short in that race, she’s getting another chance to prove her acting bona fides in the new film, Tow.

In the “inspired by a true story” movie, Byrne plays Amanda, a down-on-her-luck woman who lives in her car and can’t find a job. Living in Seattle, she tries to stay in touch with her daughter, Avery (Elsie Fisher), who lives with her dad in another city, but circumstances sometimes limit their communications, especially when her car is stolen.

The good news is that her car is found relatively quickly. The bad news is that the tow company is charging her to get her car back, money she can’t afford. Now truly homeless, she does everything in her power to right the wrong, even taking the company to court. Without much luck, she has to start staying in a women’s shelter run by Barbara (Octavia Spencer), where she makes friends with Nova (Demi Lovato) and Denise (Ariana DeBose), among others.

Directed by Stephanie Laing and written by Jonathan Keasey and Brent Boivin, the film has relatively low stakes going for it and never really tries to make the story feel deeper than it is. The situation Amanda finds herself in is clearly a tough one, and any empathetic person would feel for her and want her to overcome her plight. But the filmmakers keep things light and never try to up the drama in any significant way.

The issue Amanda is dealing with, being price gouged by a predatory towing company, is one with which many people can relate. But aside from helpfully underscoring Amanda’s frustration by showing the increasing number of days she is without a car, they never establish why they felt this particular story was one worth telling. Her personal issues, including a growing estrangement with her daughter, fail to conjure any big emotions.

The filmmakers are very loose with their storytelling, especially when it comes to side characters. The presence of the women she meets at the shelter, and Kevin (Dominic Sessa), the young lawyer who offers to help her, never makes full sense other than a need for her to have other people with whom to interact. A tighter focus on what Amanda was going through would’ve helped both her and people around her feel more important.

Byrne is a dynamic performer who’s shown great skill at both drama and comedy, but there’s nothing special about her performance here. Hampered a bit by a blonde wig and false teeth, she feels out of sorts for much of the film. The unusually high-powered supporting cast - both Spencer and DeBose are Oscar winners - makes things interesting on first blush, but none of them outside of Sessa is given much to do, so they’re mostly wasted.

Tow will be a disappointment for anyone hoping to see more great stuff from Byrne. While she remains a fine actor, her performance and the story as a whole are nowhere near the level shown in her previous film. The real life predicament shown in the film also never rises to the level of being of something worth showing to the masses.

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Tow is now showing in theaters.

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