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Weekend Event Planner

These are the 17 best things to do in Dallas this Valentine's weekend

Alex Bentley
Feb 12, 2026 | 6:00 am

If you're a theater lover, or know someone who is, Valentine's Day weekend will bring plenty of opportunities in and around Dallas, with no fewer than nine separate local productions starting their runs. Other choices include a symphony concert, two comedians, three dance productions, monster trucks, and the return of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Pompeii!
Photo by Jordan Fraker

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Pompeii! through March 8.

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. We also have lists for creative Valentine's options and best places to eat (if you can still get a reservation).

Thursday, February 12

Cara Mía Theatre presents Medea/Liturgia
Cara Mía Theatre will present the world premiere of Medea/Liturgia, a contemporary, multimedia adaptation of the Greek tragedy Medea. The production reimagines Medea through a modern lens that confronts imperialism, immigration, and rebellion. The bilingual production, which contains brief non-sexual nudity and adult themes, runs through February 22 at Latino Cultural Center.

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Pompeii!
Under the shadow of a volcano, the citizens of Pompeii sing, dance, and tell jokes in the zany vaudeville show, Pompeii!. It's togas and tap shoes, centurions and sing-alongs in the timely satire of nationalistic hubris and narcissistic excess. Opening their brand-new home in the Design District, Kitchen Dog Theater Co-Artistic Directors Christopher Carlos and Tina Parker will direct the company's first-ever company-created musical. The production runs through March 8.

Soul Rep Theatre Company presents Gem of the Ocean
Through the mystical presence of Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old spiritual guide, playwright August Wilson weaves a powerful meditation on memory, responsibility, and Black survival. The story follows Citizen Barlow, a young man burdened by guilt and searching for redemption, as he embarks on a transformative ancestral journey aboard the mythical ship Gem of the Ocean - a voyage that bridges African ancestral memory with the lived Black experience of the 20th century. The production runs through February 22 at Kalita Humphreys Theater.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Tchaikovsky & Rachmaninoff"
The latest concert by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will feature the impassioned music of Tchaikovsky’s timeless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, while conductor Tabita Berglund returns to lead the kaleidoscopic Symphonic Dances by the last of the Russian Romantics, Rachmaninoff. Sphinx alumna and violinist Melissa White is in the solo spotlight for the world premiere of Composer-in-Residence Sophia Jani’s Violin Concerto. There will be four performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Friday, February 13

Majestic Theatre presents George Lopez
Comedian George Lopez’s career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night television. He has broken ground for Latino comics by embracing his ethnicity, confronting racial stereotypes, and fighting for his community on and off the stage. He recently starred on NBC's Lopez vs Lopez, featuring his real-life daughter, Mayan Lopez, which ran for three seasons. He'll perform for one-night-only at Majestic Theatre.

Theatre Arlington presents Damn Yankees
In the 1950s, super baseball fan Joe makes a deal with the devil so his Washington Senators (later to become the Texas Rangers) will beat those damn Yankees for the pennant. Devilishly clever, Damn Yankees is a home-run hit, with great songs, music, and a lot of heart. The production runs through March 8 at Theatre Arlington.

Art Centre Theatre presents Suite Surrender
It's 1942, and two of Hollywood's biggest divas have descended upon the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel - assistants, luggage, and legendary feud with one another in tow. Everything seems to be in order for their wartime performance ... that is, until they are somehow assigned to the same suite. Mistaken identities, overblown egos, double entendres, and a lap dog named Mr. Boodles round out this hilarious riot of a love note to the classic farces of the '30s and '40s. The production runs through March 1 at Art Centre Theatre in Plano.

Company of Rowlett Performers presents The Musical of Musicals (The Musical)
In this hilarious satire of musical theatre, one story becomes five delightful musicals, each written in the distinctive style of a different master of the form, from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim. The production runs through February 22 at Plaza Theater in Garland.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Cultural Awareness: Kaleidoscope
Colors shift and patterns emerge in Dallas Black Dance Theatre's 2026 Cultural Awareness series, Kaleidoscope. The performance will feature the artistry and music of Dianne McIntyre’s Nina Simone Project alongside the resilience of Bodies as Sites of Faith and Protest by Tommie-Waheed Evans. There will be three performances through Sunday at Wyly Theatre.

Repertory Company Theatre presents The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Repertory Company Theatre will present The Hunchback of Notre Dame as part of its Courtyard Theater Series. Inspired by Victor Hugo's novel, the musical is a dramatic retelling of the famous love story on a grand scale, with a lush, emotionally rich score. It features a book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The production will have three performances through Sunday at Courtyard Theater in Plano.

Hyena's presents Christopher Titus
Christopher Titus is a prolific stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is currently performing his ninth 90-minute special "Stories I Shouldn't Tell, while his most recent hit special “Amerigeddon,” is available on Amazon. Additionally, Titus has a podcast called The Armageddon Update/Titus Podcast. In 2019, he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the feature Special Unit, about a team of special needs people who form an undercover police unit. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub.

Saturday, February 14

Avant Chamber Ballet presents Peter and the Wolf
In the family-friendly tale Peter and the Wolf, Peter meets a collection of cheeky animal characters, including a rascally wolf, an unlucky duck, a clever cat, and a delicate bluebird. Throughout the imaginative retelling, each musical instrument represents a character, with Peter represented by the strings family, the stealthy wolf portrayed by the French horns, and more. The performance takes place at Moody Performance Hall.

Teatro Dallas presents 22nd International Theatre Festival
Teatro Dallas is in the middle of presenting their 22nd International Theatre Festival, taking place over three weeks and featuring three separate productions. The second production will be the Valentine's-appropriate Strategic Love Play, which dives headfirst into the messy, awkward, and painfully honest landscape of modern romance. The sharp and provocative play strips away the digital gloss to reveal what we’re truly searching for - connection, validation, and something real in an era that promises infinite options. The performance will be at Latino Cultural Center.

Monster Jam
What better entertainment for Valentine's Day could there be than rampaging monster trucks? Monster Jam returns to AT&T Stadium in Arlington to showcase massive Monster Jam trucks and world champion drivers as they perform high-flying action and jaw-dropping stunts. Trucks scheduled to perform include Grave Digger, El Toro Loco, Megalodon, Sparkle Smash, and more.

Undermain Theatre presents The Skin of Our Teeth
The Skin of Our Teeth, Thornton Wilder’s classic three-part allegory about the resilience of mankind, centers on the Antrobus family of the fictional town of Excelsior, New Jersey. The epic comedy-drama follows the family through an impending Ice Age, a world war, and a devastating flood, all of which they survive by the skin of their teeth. The play explores the cyclical nature of time, the capacity of both creation and destruction within humanity, and the enduring human spirit. The production runs through March 8 at Undermain Theatre.

Avant Chamber Ballet presents Rhythm and Romance
Avant Chamber Ballet will celebrate live music and dance with Rhythm and Romance, featuring three inspiring ballets, including Valse Fantaisie, choreographed by George Balanchine, Paul Mejia's Cafe Victoria, and Katie Puder’s Sisterhood. The production will have performances on Saturday and Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Sunday, February 15

The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour
The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters come to Dallas as part of the team’s 100 Year Tour, celebrating 100 years of jaw-dropping “No Way!” moves, 100 years of “Wow!” moments, and 100 years of basketball thrills. From gravity-defying dunks to game-changing tricks, fans will feel the history, the joy, and the fun that only the Globetrotters can deliver. The Globetrotters will play against their long-time foes the Washington Generals at American Airlines Center.

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Alex Bentley
Aug 21, 2026 | 11:44 am
Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree
Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment
Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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