This weekend across Dallas will start with a Christmas-themed event, but another holiday - Veterans Day - will be at the center of two other events on the list. Other choices include two new local theater productions, concerts in a variety of genres, comedy, magic, a long-awaited movie, and more.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, November 10
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents Holiday at the Arboretum
Holiday at the Arboretum returns with a garden transformed to get people into the holiday spirit with The Christmas Village, The 12 Days of Christmas, and the Dazzling Musical Tree. In the historic DeGolyer House, the Dallas Arboretum debuts The Artistry Faith & Culture, featuring the three world holidays celebrated during the season: Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa. The event, which has both daytime and nighttime hours, will go on through December 31. (Check this list for spectacular Christmas lights around DFW.)
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Verdi Requiem
Music Director Fabio Luisi has been eager to conduct Verdi’s Requiem since he began his tenure with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. With its white-hot moments of bravado alternating with some of the most serene moments of Verdi’s music, his Requiem is a monumental work. Soprano Adriana Gonzalez, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, tenor Piero Pretti, and bass Wenwei Zhang will join the Dallas Symphony Chorus and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. There will be three performances through Sunday at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
Undermain Theatre presents Feeding on Light
Nora is a curious writer who seeks to understand her friend and collaborator Katherine’s obsession with 20th-century French philosopher and activist Simone Weil. As their discussion deepens, Nora and Katherine embody scenes from Simone’s life in an attempt to communicate with her across time and space. Feeding on Light is based on playwright Lenora Champagne’s personal relationship and discussions with Undermain Theatre’s late Founding Artistic Director Katherine Owens, to whom the play is dedicated. The production runs through November 27.
Friday, November 11
Commemorative Air Force presents Wings Over Dallas World War II Airshow
Time to coincide with Veterans Day, the Wings Over Dallas World War II Airshow is an interactive event that features flying demonstrations, battle reenactments, veteran appearances, living history encampments, hands-on family and educational activities, aircraft rides, cockpit tours, and more. The event goes on through Sunday at Dallas Executive Airport.
The Colony presents American Heroes: A Tribute to Veterans & First Responders
The Colony will celebrate Veterans Day with their annual patriotic festival, American Heroes: A Salute to Veterans & First Responders. Musical performers will include Spin Doctors, Blue Water Highway, Rodney Atkins, Rick Trevino, and Mo Pitney. The festival, taking place on Friday and Saturday at The Colony Five Star Complex, also includes a carnival, car show, silent auction, kids activities, vendor expo, fireworks, and more. (For a list of Veterans Day deals and discounts, go here.)
Over the Bridge Arts presents Burning Woman
Over the Bridge Arts will present the fifth annual Burning Woman, two full evenings of empowering performances by 40 Dallas performing artists in dance, music, spoken word, performance art, drumming, and film. Each evening will feature a pre-performance reception with film and art installation, followed by live performances. The event takes place on Friday and Saturday at Oak Cliff Cultural Center.
Toadies in concert
It's always a good day when Fort Worth originals Toadies take the stage again. While the band has only had a minimal impact on the national music stage, they've been beloved locally ever since their 1994 debut album, Rubberneck. They've gone on to release six more albums in their career, most recently 2017's The Lower Side of Uptown. They'll play at House of Blues Dallas.
TITAS/Dance Unbound presents BodyTraffic
BodyTraffic returns to Dallas with an evening of compelling works that embody the company’s energy, sophistication, and sheer joy for dance. This program features a new work by the collaborative team of Baye & Asa, fusing intricate patterns of rhythm and form along with Alejandro Cerrudo’s PacoPepePluto, featuring three dancers who move to the classic voice of Dean Martin with utter abandon. The production will be at Winspear Opera House.
The Classics Theatre Project presents Dutchman
Dutchman is an explosive, allegorical, one-act drama that uses the device of an encounter between Clay, a young, middle-class, Black man, and Lula, a white woman, who approaches him on a subway car, to demonstrate the tensions present between Black and white Americans during the tumultuous 1960s, and to illustrate the political, societal, and psychological conflicts facing Black men in America. The production runs through November 26 at Margo Jones Theatre at Magnolia Lounge.
Demetri Martin: I Feel Funny Tour
Writer, director, and stand-up comedian Demetri Martin has released three stand-up comedy albums and four hour-long standup comedy specials, including his latest for Netflix, The Overthinker. He also created and starred in his own television series for Comedy Central, Important Things with Demetri Martin. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.
Saturday, November 12
Deadmau5 in concert
There have been an increasing number of successful electronic music producers/DJs in the 21st century, but Deadmau5 remains near the top of the list. Thanks in part to his signature enormous mouse mask, Deadmau5 has not only dominated dance music charts, but also placed a couple in the top 10 of the larger Billboard 200. He hasn't had an official release since 2019, but like any good electronic musician, he always has something new cooking. He'll perform at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.
Champions of Magic
The Champions Of Magic cast present interactive magic, a daring escape from Houdini’s water torture cell, a mind-blowing prediction that has to be seen to be believed, levitation high above the stage, and a finale beyond explanation. The show happens all around the theatre and features spectacular illusions that can’t be seen anywhere else. The performance will be at Majestic Theatre.
Sunday, November 13
Clerks III: The Convenience Tour
The movie landscape has changed a lot over the last few years, and filmmakers have started to be creative in how they showcase their movies. Writer/director Kevin Smith is taking the city-by-city approach, going on tour with Clerks III, the long-awaited third installment of a film franchise that started way back in 1994. Smith will be in attendance for a Q&A after the film, which will have two screenings at Texas Theatre.
Holiday at the Arboretum will be on display at the Dallas Arboretum through December 31.
