If you haven't made it out to the State Fair of Texas yet this year, you have four more chances, as it closes on Sunday. But this weekend in and around Dallas has plenty else to do as well, including significant symphony concerts, five local theater productions, a video game come to life, a favorite animated film in concert, three big comedy events, an opera, two huge concerts, a pop culture festival, and a visit from two down-to-earth celebrities.
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, October 17
Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Ring Cycle"
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will wrap up its string of performances of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (the Ring cycle) with the final two segments. Siegfried, taking place on Thursday, answers the question: What has become of Brünnhilde these 20-or-so years since Die Walküre? In the conclusion, Götterdämmerung, taking place on Sunday, the golden ring is finally restored to its rightful owners. Both concerts will be at Meyerson Symphony Center.
Second Thought Theatre presents hang
A crime has been committed. The victim has a choice to make. The criminal is waiting. Hang is a shattering new play about one woman’s unspeakable decision. It asks viewers to take a cold hard look at injustice and forgiveness. It asks them to consider a legacy of pain, and how systems are complicit. But it also asks them to consider individuals as complicated and nuanced. The production runs through November 2 at Second Thought Theatre.
Friday, October 18
Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue
To celebrate Minecraft’s 15th anniversary, Experience MOD and Mojang Studios will present Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue. Making its debut in Dallas, the event gives longtime Minecrafters, players and non-players alike, their first chance to be heroes in a real-life, in-person Minecraft quest. Guest will take part in an epic rescue mission and story-based experience where iconic places and creatures from the game are brought to life before their eyes. The event takes place through January 5 in the former Buy Buy Baby location at 2712 N. Central Expressway in Plano.
The Firehouse Theatre presents A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
When the low-born Monty Navarro finds out that he’s eighth in line for an earldom in the lofty D’Ysquith family, he figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight and sets off down a far more ghoulish path. Can he knock off his unsuspecting relatives without being caught and become the ninth Earl of Highhurst? And what of love? Because murder isn’t the only thing on Monty’s mind. The production runs through November 3 at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch.
NTPA Repertory Theatre presents The Rocky Horror Show
In the cult classic The Rocky Horror Show, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. There they meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rock-n-roll biker and a creepy butler, who are celebrating Dr. Frank-N-Furter's newest creation. The production runs through October 27 at North Texas Performing Arts in Plano.
AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Coco Live-To-Film Concert Tour
Disney Pixar’s Coco Live-To-Film Concert Tour features a screening of the complete film, with composer Michael Giacchino’s musical score performed by the 20-member Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México. The performance takes place at Majestic Theatre.
Kevin Hart: Acting My Age Tour
Even as Kevin Hart was growing into a major movie star, opening 11 films at No. 1 at the box office and grossing more than $4 billion in global revenue, he continued to keep up the work as a stand-up comedian, ensuring that he would remain true to his roots. Hart will perform on both Friday and Saturday at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie as part of his Acting My Age tour.
The Dallas Opera presents La traviata
The deck is stacked against Violetta, the ill-fated heroine of this well-loved tragedy - a courtesan trying to turn her life around, she falls for the romantic Alfredo, but illness and family meddling thwart her one chance at happiness. The buoyant music dances through party scenes and tenderly carries the heartbroken lovers through longing and despair. The production will have five performances through October 27 at Winspear Opera House.
Lewisville Playhouse presents Puffs (or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic)
For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of Wayne Hopkins. Upon arrival at a certain school of magic, he’s placed into the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders. Over the next seven years, he’ll try to learn magic, try not to have his life ruined by his four-eyed nemesis, and try to not to get hurt in what is actually a very dangerous place for unsupervised children. The production, which started on October 4, runs through Sunday at Lewisville Playhouse in Lewisville.
Bishop Arts Theatre Center presents Patches: A Black Gay Man’s Journey To The Moon
Patches: A Black Gay Man’s Journey to the Moon is a theatrical experience that blends poetry, music, performance, and storytelling. This show takes audiences through a day-long date between two black men, exploring deep and heartfelt conversations about race, identity, sexual orientation, love and intimacy. The production runs through October 27 at Bishop Arts Theatre Center.
The Second City 65th Anniversary Show
The Second City, the legendary improv comedy troupe based out of Chicago, is celebrating 65 years of legendary laughs. At this anniversary celebration, they will showcase some of their favorite songs, sketches, and characters written by their illustrious alumni. The performance will take place at Longhorn Ballroom.
Hyena's presents David Koechner
Speaking of The Second City, that troupe just happens to be where David Koechner got his start. From there, he would go on to be a cast member on Saturday Night Live and then appear in more than 120 films and television shows, including The Office and the Anchorman series. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub. In addition to the stand-up performances, Koechner will host an Office trivia show on October 20.
Jeff Lynne’s ELO in concert
The Electric Light Orchestra - aka ELO - was formed in 1970 by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan, but only Lynne has remained a part of the group for its entire lifespan. The band had a string of hit albums from the mid-'70s to the mid-'80s thanks to songs like "Livin' Thing," "Mr. Blue Sky," and "Don't Bring Me Down." After a 50+ year career, Lynne is calling it quits with “The Over and Out Tour.” They'll play at American Airlines Center.
Saturday, October 19
Dallas Fan Festival
Dallas Fan Festival offers the ultimate playground for fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming. Highlights include celebrity photo ops and meet-and-greets, opportunities to interact with legendary comic book creators, a shopping experience, and cosplay fun. Celebrity guests scheduled to appear include three Supermen - Brandon Routh, Tyler Hoechlin, and Dean Cain - as well as Manny Jacinto, Grant Gustin, Willa Holland, Tom Cavanagh, and more. The festival takes place at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas on Saturday and Sunday.
The Eisemann Center presents A Conversation with Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody
He’s a star of TV, stage, and film. She’s an award-winning actress and writer. Together on social media, Mandy Patinkin & Kathryn Grody shared hilarious nuggets of their "uninterrupted togetherness," thoughts on more than 40 years of marriage, and hundreds of other topics, entertaining millions during the COVID shutdown. They'll come to Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson to give a live version of those conversations, with their son, Gideon Grody-Patinkin, as moderator.
Sunday, October 20
The Dallas Fan Festival takes place at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas on October 19 and 20.
Maxwell in concert
R&B singer Maxwell has released relatively few albums in his career - only five since his debut in 1996 - but he's still unquestionably one of most prominent members of the genre in the past 30 years. The scarcity of his albums makes each new release an event, and his past three albums, most recently blackSUMMERS'night in 2016, have each come in at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. He'll perform at American Airlines Center as part of The Serenade Tour, joined by Jazmine Sullivan and October London.
Amber Barth of Skate VIDA performs after the tree is lit.Photo by Ashley Gongora
The rink will be open through January 5, 2026.Photo by Ashley Gongora
