These are the 11 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend
July 25,2019
See full CultureMap article by Alex Bentley here.
It's a pretty big weekend for events in and around Fort Worth. There will be two new local theater productions in addition to a big Broadway national tour. Films old and new will be showcased indoors and outdoors, including at a multi-day festival. Finally, you can spend some time tubing on the Trinity or revel in the music of a movie star.
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, July 25
Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase
The Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase seeks to promote collaboration and cooperation among indie filmmakers. They want to help place focus on the quality work produced within the independent film movement. The 2019 edition, taking place at Hilton Garden Inn Fort Worth Medical Center through Saturday, will feature 26 feature films, over 100 short films, microshorts, and screenplay readings.
Stage West Theatre presents Lungs
The world is getting hotter, there’s unrest overseas — actually, the seas themselves aren’t very calm either — and in an IKEA, a man suggests to his partner that they should have a child. What if it grows up to solve the world’s problems? What if it becomes a mass murderer? What about its carbon footprint? They leave with nothing they went in for, but come out with a full set of self-assembly dilemmas that they spend a life cycle trying to construct. Lungs, making its regional premiere at Stage West Theatre, will run through August 18.
Broadway at the Bass: A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale takes audiences to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s, where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he’d love to be. Bursting with high-energy dance numbers and original doo-wop tunes from the songwriter of Beauty and the Beast, A Bronx Tale is an unforgettable story of loyalty and family. The production will run at Bass Performance Hall through Sunday.
Sundance Square presents Movie Nights: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
The final Movie Night of the season at Sundance Square Plaza will feature the 2018 film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. The film goes back in time to explore the life of a young Donna (Lily James) while juxtaposing it with the present-day life of her daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). All of it is once again set to the inimitable music of the Swedish pop group, ABBA.
Friday, July 26
Magnolia at the Modern: Wild Rose
Fresh out of prison, a Scottish woman juggles her job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star. She soon gets her chance when she travels to Nashville, Tennessee, on a life-changing journey to discover her true voice. Wild Rose will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Jubilee Theatre presents Sistas The Musical
After a matriarch’s death, the women in the family clean Grandma’s attic and find love and old memories packed away. In the process, they hit tunes that trace the history of black women, from the trials of the 1930s through the Girl Groups of the '60s to the empowerment of the '90s. Songs in Sistas The Musical, playing through August 25, include “Oh, Happy Day,” “Mama Said,” “I Will Survive,” “Tyrone,” “I am Not My Hair,” and “A Woman’s Worth.”
Saturday, July 27
Panther Island Pavilion presents Rockin’ the River
Rockin’ the River features five different bands playing back-to-back sets throughout the day on the Coors Light Waterfront Stage at Panther Island Pavilion, finishing with a final band on the after-party stage before a fireworks display. There will also be food and beverages available for purchase, as well as tube and watersport rentals. Zane Williams will headline the band lineup this week.
Champions of Magic
The five world-class illusionists that make up the Champions of Magic present daring grand illusions, stunning close-up magic, and incredible mind reading. The audience will witness the impossible, including disappearances, levitation, teleportation, and a heart-stopping finale — all presented with lighting and special effects to rival the biggest theatrical spectacles. The show will take place at Arlington Music Hall.
Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters in concert
If you only know Billy Bob Thornton from his acting career, you're missing half the picture. Sure, the Oscar winner continues to churn out quality work on both the big and small screens, but he's equally passionate about his music career with his band, The Boxmasters. They'll play at Billy Bob's Texas in support of their new album, Speck.
Sunday, July 28
Panther Island Pavilion presents Sunday Funday
Sunday Funday at Panther Island Pavilion is a day of relaxation and fun in the sun. Tubes and pedal boats are available to rent along with kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and canoes from Backwoods Paddlesports. Visitors can enjoy cold beer, music, friends, food trucks, and floating on the Trinity River.
Lone Star Film Festival presents Sunday Cinema Series: Lone Star
Lone Star Film Festival's Sunday Cinema Series continues with a quintessential Texas film, Lone Star. Written and directed by John Sayles and starring Chris Cooper, Matthew McConaughey, and Kris Kristofferson, it's a mystery about long-buried secrets in a Texas border town that might have been better left buried. The film will screen at Four Day Weekend Theater.
Locations Mentioned: Bass Performance Hall, Four Day Weekend, Jubilee Theatre, Panther Island Pavilion, Sundance Square Plaza