Every weekend in May around Dallas seems to be bigger than the last, with this one featuring multiple big events taking place at the same time. They include CultureMap's annual Tastemaker Awards, a big country music awards show, three festivals, two well-known comedians, four local theater productions, a symphony concert, a horror movie convention with famous celebrities, a dance production, a big rodeo, and a concert from a huge Latin music singer.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, May 16
59th Academy of Country Music Awards
The 59th Academy of Country Music Awards will again give fans in Texas and around the world an exclusive invitation to Country music’s Party of the Year with the biggest stars and live performances. Joining host Reba McEntire on stage will be performers like Chris Stapleton, Post Malone, Cody Johnson, Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani, and more. The awards take place at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco.
CultureMap Tastemaker Awards
The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards are the celebration of Dallas' top restaurant and bar talent, as selected by their peers. The mission is to shine a spotlight on the people making the local restaurant scene special and honor their innovation, energy, and creativity. CultureMap's signature tasting event and awards ceremony will celebrate all of the nominees and unveil the winners, and guests will sample bites and sip specialty drinks along the way. It takes place at Fashion Industry Gallery.
Elm Street Music and Tattoo Festival
The Elm Street Music and Tattoo Festival will feature live music, comedy and art shows, brunch deals, and custom motorcycles on display. After kicking off on Thursday with a burlesque show and art exhibition, the centerpiece of the festival will be the tattoo convention, taking place Friday through Sunday at Trees. Other events will take place at Elm Street Tattoo, Brick & Bones, and CheapSteaks.
Michelle Wolf: It’s Great to Be Here Tour
Michelle Wolf has become one of the most influential voices in the comedy landscape. Her most recent Netflix special, Michelle Wolf: Joke Show received high praise, and her first hour-long stand-up special, Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady, which premiered on HBO in 2017, earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special. She'll perform at House of Blues Dallas.
The Firehouse Theatre presents Footloose
The stage musical Footloose features dynamic new songs augmenting the powerhouse hits from the movie's Oscar-nominated score. The production celebrates the exhilaration of youth, the wisdom of listening to one another, and the power of forgiveness. It will run through June 2 at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini"
Featuring conductor Daniele Rustioni and pianist Behzod Abduraimov, "Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" will include selections like Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and Casella's Symphony No. 2. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will perform the concert four times through Sunday at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
Friday, May 17
40th Annual Main Street Fest: A Craft Brew Experience
The 40th Annual Main Street Fest: A Craft Brew Experience will transform the heart of Grapevine into a family-friendly celebration showcasing a unique blend of craft brews, live entertainment, and community spirit. The weekend festivities include a Carnival Midway, KidZone, and food and shopping vendors, along with Historic Main Street shops, cafes, and winery tasting rooms. It takes place in Historic Downtown Grapevine through Sunday.
Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival
The annual Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival will include live performances by headliners like Randy Rogers Band, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Sister Sledge, GROUPLOVE, and AWOLNATION. It also includes the Singer Songwriter contest, the family friendly WF! Kids, the WF! Eats, the WF! Marketplace and Performers Row, a Battle of the Bands contest, the Budding Talent Competition, and the Art Guitar Auction. The festival takes place through Sunday at Galatyn Park in Richardson.
Texas Frightmare Weekend
The annual Texas Frightmare Weekend celebrates all aspects of genre films, featuring celebrity appearances, autograph signings, screenings, exclusive parties and horror memorabilia vendors. Among the celebrities on hand will be Scream franchise stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, Dermot Mulroney, Jamie Kennedy, Marley Shelton, Lee Waddell, and Roger L. Jackson (aka voice of Ghostface); Joe Dante, Kane Hodder, Juliette Lewis, Michael Ironside, Jason Patric, Eli Roth, Tom Savini, Dee Wallace, and more. It takes place through Sunday at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas.
Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents Four Weddings and an Elvis
Sandy, the four-times-married-three-times-divorced owner of a wedding chapel in Las Vegas, has certainly seen her fair share of matrimonies. The hilarious Four Weddings and an Elvis features four of her funniest: Bev and Stan, who are getting married - by the King himself - as revenge on their exes; Vanessa and Bryce, two arrogant aging stars who are tying the knot as a publicity ploy, and are vexed by an aging Elvis who doesn’t know who they are; and Martin and Fiona, a gentle postal-worker and a tough ex-con trying to get married before the police arrive. The final wedding is the funniest all: Sandy’s fifth and final wedding which reveals a hilarious twist. It runs through June 22 at Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Carrollton.
Nimesh Patel: Fast & Loose Tour
Comedian/writer Nimesh Patel is an entertainment entrepreneur who has built his booming comedy career from the ground up entirely on his own. In November 2023, his Netflix standup set premiered on the streamer’s new series Verified Standup. Also in 2023, Nimesh was included in Variety’s prestigious “10 Comics To Watch” list as well as Vulture’s list of “Comedians You Should and Will Know. He'll perform at Majestic Theatre.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Spring Celebration
Dallas Black Dance Theatre's 47th season draws to a close with Spring Celebration. Their multi-faceted artists will be joined by special guests, The DASH Ensemble, as they embrace a spirit of joy and revelry in a showcase of their passion and finesse. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Wyly Theatre.
Rodeo weekend in Arlington
The big rodeo weekend in Arlington kicks off with Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo, a reimagined rodeo in which six teams will compete head-to-head in bracket-style competition for a $1 million purse, followed by a performance by Kid Rock. It will be followed on Saturday and Sunday by PBR World Finals: Unleash the Beast, bull riding’s most prestigious event that crowns the PBR's next champion rider and bull, featuring 10 rounds of action in a playoff-type format. Both events take place at AT&T Stadium.
Teatro Dallas presents Cloud Tectonics
In the midst of a storm, a lone motorist encounters a pregnant hitchhiker, setting the stage for a mesmerizing tale of love and mystery. As the motorist offers shelter, he unwittingly invites the hitchhiker into his home, where her presence captivates him and his brother, who is home unexpectedly from military duty. Cloud Tectonics explores themes of fate and connection amidst apocalyptic times, weaving realism into a narrative that challenges perceptions of time. The production runs through June 1 at Latino Cultural Center.
Richardson Theatre Centre presents Lost in Yonkers
Lost in Yonkers, a coming-of-age story, centers around two brothers, Arty and Jay, who live with their grandmother and their mentally challenged Aunt Bella, while their father travels, desperately trying to scrape enough money together while working as a salesman to pay off his debts to a loan shark, and their mother has died of cancer. Over the course of the play, the young boys learn lessons about love, responsibility, and the importance of family that will carry them into adulthood. The production runs through June 2 at Richardson Theatre Centre.
Saturday, May 18
Pepe Aguilar in concert
Pepe Aguilar comes to Dallas alongside his family for the Jaripeo Hasta Los Huesos Tour 2024, a show rooted in Mexican tradition, music, and culture. Jaripeo Hasta Los Huesos will take the audience on a visual and musical journey that goes back to the origin of the Aguilar Dynasty through classic and favorite songs spanning several generations, including hits by Antonio Aguilar, up to the latest hits and timeless classics by Pepe Aguilar, the music of Leonardo and Ángela, as well as Antonio Aguilar Jr. The concert will be at American Airlines Center.
The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch presents Footloose through June 2.
The Callback Bar.Photo by Anna Dolmany
