Weekend Event Planner

These are the 10 best things to do in Dallas this 4th of July weekend

With the Fourth of July falling on a Saturday, there are not many new events happening in and around Dallas, but it will still be a big holiday weekend full of festivities. Choices include the World Cup (both in-person and watch parties at the official festival), two comedians, a new local theater production, two new exhibitions, a festival-style concert with some big-name musicians, and plenty of 4th of July celebrations.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out our calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

For our complete list of spectacular 4th of July festivities happening in and around Dallas, go here. And for restaurant specials celebrating America's 250th birthday, visit this guide.

Thursday, July 2

FIFA Fan Festival Dallas
With the FIFA World Cup having entered the knockout stages, the excitement level has ramped for fans of the remaining teams. With three matches scheduled for both Thursday and Friday, and two matches each on Saturday and Sunday, there will be plenty of soccer action to watch at this event at Fair Park. There will also be fireworks following the final match on Friday, and a concert by Turnpike Troubadours on Saturday.

Improv Addison presents Finesse Mitchell
Finesse Mitchell is a multi-faceted actor, author, and stand-up comedian who entered the comedy scene with appearances on BET’s Comic View and Comedy Central. In 2003, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, where he stayed for three seasons. Mitchell has multiple comedy specials under his belt, most recently Slightly Offensive in 2024. He'll perform at Improv Addison four times through Sunday.

Improv Arlington presents Benji Brown
Benji Brown began his career in radio while honing his skills as a stand-up comedian with a unique voice and hilarious characters. He became a key fixture on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, and went on to work with such A-list headliners as Smiley, Chris Rock, Steve Harvey, and Monique. He's also appeared in a number of TV specials and commercials. He'll perform at Improv Arlington five times through Sunday.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents King Arthur & Merlin: A Tale of Sword & Sorcery
King Arthur & Merlin: A Tale of Sword & Sorcery makes its world premiere with a royally ridiculous twist on the legendary tale of Camelot. The magic-fueled comedy follows bumbling Uther, wise-but-weary Merlin, vengeful Morgana, and the once-and-future himbo, King Arthur, as they fight, flirt, and fumble their way through destiny. The production runs through August 22 at Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Carrollton.

Friday, July 3

Independence Day Eve events
As is tradition, many cities start celebrating the day before the 4th of July. You can find big holiday events happening in Addison, Garland, Cypress Waters, Wylie, and Carrollton.

FIFA World Cup: Australia vs. Egypt
Friday will mark the end of the Round of 32 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Dallas Stadium will host one of the final three matches. Australia made it to this round after coming in second to the United States in Group D, while Egypt came in just behind Group G winner Belgium. The winner of the match will go on to play either Argentina or Cabo Verde.

Outlaw Music Festival
The Fourth of July weekend brings with it the start of the 2026 Outlaw Music Festival, a relatively short tour that is headlined by 93-year-old country music legend Willie Nelson. This concert at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, which kicks off the 12-date tour, will feature performances by Willie Nelson & Family, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, Lukas Nelson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Margo Price, and Lily Meola.

Frontiers of Flight Museum presents "Hindenburg: The Flying Hotel" opening day
Frontiers of Flight Museum will debut a global-first exhibition that takes a new look at the Hindenburg, focusing on its status as a luxurious passenger experience and the lasting impact of its design and innovation. “Hindenburg: The Flying Hotel” explores the history, pop culture, luxury, and engineering marvel of one of the most iconic airships of the 20th century. The immersive exhibition features around 90 rare artifacts and firsthand historical materials. The exhibition will remain on display through June 2027.

Artstillery presents "Dichotomy of Compassion"
Artstillery's "Dichotomy of Compassion" is a new immersive multimedia installation exploring the fractures of the American Dream. The interdisciplinary experience confronts the fractured promises of American democracy through a fusion of visual art, soundscape, community narratives, and audience participation. At its core, the work examines how systems of inequality and inherited prejudice distort people's ability to recognize themselves in one another. The exhibition will be open on limited dates through July 11.

Saturday, July 4

4th of July events
The Metroplex will offer myriad options to celebrate America's 250th birthday on Saturday, with Independence Day events happening all over the place, starting with morning parades and culminating in evening fireworks. Top area celebrations include Klyde Warren Park, Irving, Arlington, McKinney, The Colony, Grand Prairie, Little Elm, Denton, Frisco, Plano, and Grapevine.

Photo courtesy of City of Little Elm

Little Elm presents Red, White & Beach on July 4.

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Reduce, Reuse, Relisten

McKinney record store joins creative effort to give old vinyl a new life

Photo by Eric Krull on Unsplash

A new program is trying to keep old vinyl out of landfills.

North Texas vinyl collectors going through the disappointment of discovering a damaged record in their collection can at least avoid sending it to the landfill. A new initiative is turning 11 independent record stores across the United States, including Red Zeppelin Records in McKinney, into vinyl take-back points for potential recycling.

The pilot is a collaboration among the record stores, Warner Music Group (WMG), and Virterras Materials, a recycling technology business that specializes in "challenging" materials like plastics and rubber. It will run from "the end of June through September," a press release says.

All customers have to do is drop off damaged records — any kind or condition is accepted.

The program is still in an exploratory phase; the partners don't know the best way to organize the collection yet, and they are vague about what the records might become. The release says the goal is "to better understand how damaged or unwanted records can be collected, consolidated, and directed toward potential material recovery pathways."

Funding comes from a grant from the Vinyl Institute.

The partners will gather information about participation rates, material quality, the work it takes to move and process the records, and the different possible outputs after recycling. The release notes that vinyl records have become more popular over the past decade, but that industry-wide information about disposal is lagging.

This May, WMG, GZ Media, and Abbey Road Studios completed a manufacturing study that confirmed that it is possible to turn unsold and obsolete records into new pressings with audio quality that is high enough for commercial sale. The take-back pilot continues pulling that thread.

Launching the pilot at different stores around the U.S. — those in "major music markets," the release says — serves to diversify the communities getting involved, whether it's locals with specific preferences or fans of different kinds of music.

Two other stores in Texas are participating: County Line Records in Keller and Antone's Record Shop in Austin.

Red Zeppelin Records is a locally owned record store located at 206 E. Louisiana St. in McKinney. It's open 11 am-6 pm Monday-Thursday, 10 am-8 pm Friday-Saturday, and 12-5 pm Sunday.

"Independent record stores have long served as gathering places for music fans and stewards of music culture," said Warner Music Group senior director of ESG Madeleine Smith in the release. "The pilot brings together retailers, recovery partners, and music fans to explore an important question: what would it take to create practical pathways for recovering unplayable or damaged vinyl records? It’s a vital first step in understanding what’s possible."

Participating stores include:

County Line Records (Keller, TX)
Red Zeppelin Records (McKinney, TX)
Antone’s Record Shop (Austin, TX)
Amoeba Hollywood (Los Angeles, CA)
Criminal Records (Atlanta, GA)
Easy Street Records (Seattle, WA)
Home Rule Records (Washington D.C.)
Rough Trade NYC (New York City, NY)
Spin Me Round (Easton, PA)
Reckless Records (Chicago, IL)
Sweat Records (Miami, FL)

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