Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Music and comedy will be the highlights of the event taking place this weekend in and around Dallas. There will be five big concerts, including one by a country music legend; three comedians, including one of the best of all time; two new local theater productions, including one by Deaf actors; and a different kind of basketball.

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. Also, Fourth of July events start in earnest this weekend; check out the full list here.

Thursday, June 29

Turtle Creek Chorale presents What Happens in Vegas
Turtle Creek Chorale presents What Happens in Vegas, a colorful collection of arrangements of familiar music associated with "Sin City," including hits from Frank Sinatra, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Elton John, accompanied by costumes, dancing, and an Elvis impersonator. There will be performances on Thursday and Friday at Moody Performance Hall.

American Airlines Center presents Dave Chappelle Live
Dave Chappelle is recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and his work has earned him more than 30 nominations and awards in television and film for projects that include his groundbreaking sketch comedy television series Chappelle’s Show, comedy specials, and guest appearances on Saturday Night Live. He'll perform at American Airlines Center.

Matchbox Twenty in concert
It may or may not surprise you that rock band Matchbox Twenty has only released five albums in their career, or that - despite the bulk of their hits coming from their first three albums - their only No. 1 album was 2012's North. Since then, the band has focused almost exclusively on touring until this year, when they released their first new album in more than a decade, Where The Light Goes. They'll play at Dos Equis Pavilion.

Friday, June 30

Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson and Friends
The Outlaw Music Festival Tour continues the celebration of Willie Nelson’s legendary life and legacy in his milestone 90th birthday year. Performing at Dos Equis Pavilion will be Willie Nelson & Family, Whiskey Myers, Flatland Cavalry, and Particle Kid. Nelson is touring in support of his 99th album, I Don’t Know A Thing About Love.

TLC and Shaggy in concert
In the early-to-mid 1990s, R&B/hip hop trio TLC was at the top of their game thanks to hits like "Waterfalls" and "No Scrubs." Things went sideways in the late '90s, and then derailed almost completely when Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes died in a car crash in 2002. But T-Boz and Chilli have persevered, and they'll be at the top of the '90s/2000s-heavy "Hot Summer Nights" Tour, featuring co-headliner Shaggy, as well as special guests En Vogue and Sean Kingston. The concert is at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Improv Addison presents Ian Bagg
Ian Bagg started his comedy career in his native country, Canada. He proceeded to do all the show business things that every successful Canadian entertainer does. So what does a Canadian do when he has done it all? He boards a train to New York City, lives in a youth hostel and ends up on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Improv Addison.

North Texas Performing Arts Deaf Theatre presents Deaf Theatre Showcase: A Union of Hands and Voices
North Texas Performing Arts will present the inaugural production of its NTPA Deaf Theatre, a new and innovative troupe focused on making theatre accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing performers and audiences in Dallas-Fort Worth. The production combines a cast of 33 Deaf and hearing actors ages 8-adult on stage in a revue inspired by popular Broadway hits. The showcase highlights the diverse culture of the Deaf, styles of Deaf theater, and passion for this inclusive art form. Actors will share their life experiences following scenes using a variety of Deaf theater styles. There will be three performances through Sunday at the Willow Bend Center of the Arts in Plano.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents Captain Blood: A Pirate Melodrama
Welcome to the adventures of the most bumbling bunch of buccaneers that ever buckled a swash. Pocket Sandwich Theatre is going back further than ever before to capture a tale of bloodthirsty cutthroats versus proper scoundrels of her Majesty's navy. There's fighting, singing, laughs, love, betrayal, and tender moments that would melt even the darkest blaggard's heart. The production, which encourages audience members to throw popcorn, runs through August 12.

Hyena's presents Adam Ray
Adam Ray is known onstage for his stories about bumping into celebrities, life in Los Angeles, talking about his mom, and his single friends. Lately, he’s also been making waves as an actor: playing the role of Vince McMahon in Young Rock, Jay Leno in Pam & Tommy, and starring in The Bellmen. Meanwhile, Adam’s YouTube videos have over 50 million views and his popular podcast About Last Night features tons of celebrities. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub.

Saturday, July 1

BIG3: 3-on-3 Basketball League
Dallas will be one of eight cities to host games for the sixth season of the BIG3: 3-on-3 Basketball League. Created in part by rapper/actor Ice Cube, the BIG3 is the American 3-on-3 professional basketball league, which combines superstar players and fan interaction before and after the games to make for an exciting live experience. The games feature half-court play and rules designed for competition and intensity. The games will be at American Airlines Center.

Illenium in concert
Electronic music producer/DJ Illenium has been at or near the top of the Billboard Dance charts since his debut in 2016. His three most recent albums, including the new Illenium, have been especially successful, charting at No. 1 on the Dance charts and also high on the Billboard 200, which combines all genres together. He'll play all his hits, including his latest - "Eyes Wide Shut" with Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker - at this concert at Dos Equis Pavilion.

Photo by Shelley Neuman

The Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson and Friends will be at Dos Equis Pavilion on June 30.

music concerts comedy sports theater event-planner

Rivers wild

Ethan Hawke narrates new documentary that deep-dives into Texas rivers

Cropped still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The Rio Grande is one of the stunning subjects of Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers.

One Texas film icon passes the torch to another for a deep dive on Texas' river ecosystems in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers. Matthew McConaughey narrated the original 2022 film, Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story. Now Ethan Hawke narrates the follow-up, which will be in theaters September 25.

Deep in the Heart 2 is directed by Ben Masters, a nature-obsessed Texan who was born and raised in Amarillo and has followed wildlife around the state and beyond. Working with his crew at Fin & Fur Films, Masters explores the Rio Grande, the Sabine River, and the Neches River, a press release says, coming across otters, turkeys, alligator snapping turtles, and more.

This underwater shot was taken in San Marcos.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The original Deep in the Heart took a broad view of Texas — both its landscapes and their inhabitants — while the "sequel," as the release calls it, specifically highlights water. Conservation is an important angle, and viewers will get a chance to consider how they could connect with and protect the ecosystems on their screens.

"Most of my favorite memories are on Texas Rivers," said Masters in the release. "I grew up on the Canadian, fell in love on the Brazos, got married on the Guadalupe, found adventure on the Rio Grande, and am raising my kids on the Colorado."

The filmmaker says that spending three years filming his natural subjects gave him "a newfound appreciation" for rivers and how distinct they are from one another.

Amazing cinematography was a hallmark of the original film, and the sequel offers more beautiful shots.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

"We spent months filming mountain lions on the Pecos, snapping turtles on the Neches, otters on the Sabine, fatmuckets on the Llano, and whooping cranes in the Guadalupe's Estuary," Masters said. "Editing the majesty of Texas Rivers into 80 minutes was a huge challenge, and I'm just incredibly grateful to work with such a talented team of cinematographers, editors, producers, and musicians."

Hawke, born in Austin and raised in Fort Worth, is known for acting in the Dead Poets Society, Gattaca, the Richard Linklater films Boyhood and Blue Moon, and more. He has taken up causes in environmental advocacy for years and appeared in other ecology-focused films, including the intense fictional First Reformed (2018) and a goofy anti-littering PSA with TxDOT (2023).

Some unexpected guests in the Rio Grande.Still from Deep in the Heart 2: Texas Rivers

The film was made in association with H-E-B, a regular supporter of ecological documentaries and initiatives, and conservation organization Texan by Nature. Other collaborators include producer Josh Winkler, editor Sam Klatt, assistant editor Chet Stefan, and composer Noah Sorota. The musical score is performed by Dallas Chamber Symphony.

animals documentaries ecology ethan hawke film matthew mcconaughey movies nature texas wildlife