Weekend Event Planner

These are the 14 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

This weekend across Dallas will be one to celebrate Juneteenth, pride, top golfers, music, theater, and more. Choices include a major golf tournament, four concerts, three theater productions, a big block party, two comedians, a special drum performance, and the final days of a unique immersive audio experience.

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, June 19

Dallas Historical Society presents “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom” opening day
Leading off the many Juneteenth festivities around DFW is "Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom," which explores the historic origins of Juneteenth and its lasting impact. The exhibition features two components: the “Historical Track,” which includes firsthand accounts of emancipation shared by formerly enslaved individuals, and the “Celebration Track,” which invites visitors to recording their own stories and sentiments. Also on display is the Dallas Historical Society’s Juneteenth Order No. 3, the only remaining copy of those hand-delivered to Texas in 1865 to declare that enslaved people were free. The exhibition will remain on display through October 19 at the Hall of State in Fair Park.

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the most prestigious and second-oldest women’s Major Championship, will be the first in its over 70-year history to be played in Texas. The Championship showcases the best female players in the world, including 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Champion Amy Yang. The tournament takes place through Sunday at Fields Ranch in Frisco.

Bibi in concert
Unlike most music exports from South Korea in recent years, singer/rapper Bibi has never been part of a K-Pop group. Like most of them, though, she was part of a reality music competition, The Fan, on which she finished second in 2018. After a couple of EPs, she released her debut album in 2022, and she is now touring in support of her second album, the new Eve: Romance. She'll perform at The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Shakespeare Dallas presents Othello
In this Shakespearean tragedy, Othello is at the peak of his powers: not only Venice's greatest general but also husband to the noble and beautiful Desdemona. But he does not know that in passing over his servant Iago for promotion, he has created a deadly-but-brilliant enemy. This Shakespeare in the Park production from Shakespeare Dallas will get a modern twist, set in an alternate history version of the 1990s in which the Venetian empire is the predominant political, military, and economic power. It will run in repertory with The Importance of Being Earnest at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre through July 20.

Friday, June 20

Dallas Arts District Pride Block Party
To celebrate Pride Month, Dallas Arts District will partner with its three museums - Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Crow Museum of Asian Art - to present a Pride Block Party. There will be pride-themed tours, performances, films, artists, gourmet food trucks, makers, Dallas artists, informational tables, activities, and more.

Mo Amer: El Oso Palestino Tour
Mo Amer is a Palestinian-American stand-up comedian and actor who grew up in Houston. He is known for his Netflix comedy special Mo Amer: The Vagabond and as a member of the comedy trio Allah Made Me Funny. Amer also appeared in the Hulu sitcom Ramy for two seasons. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Luke Bryan in concert
UPDATE 6-20-2025: Due to illness, Luke Bryan has postponed his concert until September 12. "Please hold on to your tickets—they will be honored for the new dates," he told fans on social media Friday afternoon.
Country singer Luke Bryan has been one of the top artists in the genre since his debut in 2007, scoring nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Country charts, success that has allowed him to up his profile by appearing on The Voice and, since 2018, serving as a judge on American Idol. He'll play at Dos Equis Pavilion in support of 2024 album, Mind of a Country Boy.

The Hopeful Theatre Project presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid
In the beloved Disney classic The Little Mermaid, King Triton's youngest daughter Ariel wishes to pursue the human Prince Eric in the world above, bargaining with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But the bargain is not what it seems, and Ariel needs the help of her colorful friends, Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull, and Sebastian the crab to restore order under the sea. The production, running through Sunday at Kalita Humphreys Theater, will benefit Turtle Island Restoration Network.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents DRUMline Live
DRUMLine Live is an international tour based on the Historically Black College and University marching band tradition. The stage show, a synchronized musical showcase of the HBCU experience, features original compositions and soul-infused interpretations of top 40 hits. The performance takes place at Winspear Opera House.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Pride Night with DSO
Pride Night with DSO is an evening celebrating love, identity, and community. Conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez, the special performance will feature vocalists Christian Dante White, Maiya Sykes, and the Turtle Creek Chorale. The program will include Broadway hits, movie classics, and disco favorites. The concert takes place at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Saturday, June 21

Teatro Dallas presents Entre Páginas
Entre Páginas is a musical for children and teens, written by Jorge Cogollo, in which six actors on stage give life to the story of a girl who loses the final page of a story. In search of her happy ending, she embarks on a magical journey in the library trying to find a writer to help her complete the end of the story. The production, featuring four performances through June 29, is performed in Spanish with an English synopsis.

Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra in concert
Thee Phantom combines the energy and passion of hip-hop, with the beautiful, sweeping sounds of live orchestration featuring strings, horns, woodwinds, and a pianist. Add to that a soul songstress, a crowd controlling DJ and a fire breathing MC and that is still but a fraction of what you'll get when you catch Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra in action. They'll perform at Winspear Opera House.

Majestic Theatre presents Sheng Wang
Comedian, actor, and writer Sheng Wang, originally from Houston, has released one Netflix special, Sweet & Juicy, in September 2022. He was a featured stand-up comedian on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens special and also wrote for the ABC show Fresh Off the Boat. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Sunday, June 22

AT&T PAC & Realscape Productions present Darkfield: Séance, Flight, and Coma closing day
After three months, the immersive audio experience Darkfield - located at Sammons Park - will come to a close. It features three experiences: Séance, Flight, and Coma, each of which is staged within a custom-built shipping container. The pitch-black environments utilize 360-degree binaural sound and innovative sensory effects to create immersive worlds that challenge perceptions and evoke deep emotional responses.

Photo courtesy of DRUMline Live

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents DRUMline Live at Winspear Opera House on June 20.

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Movie Review

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

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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