The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Company of Rowlett Performers presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” the Tony-winning musical comedy about six quirky young spellers competing for a county championship. The show mixes fast-paced humor, touching backstories and audience interaction as one speller tries to survive the dreaded ding of the bell.
When: Friday–Saturday, May 29–30, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 31, 2 p.m. (runs through June 7)
Where: Plaza Theatre, Garland
Cost: $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $15 for students
Alex Warren: Finding Family on the Road
Alex Warren brings his arena tour to Fort Worth for a Friday night pop show at Dickies Arena. The concert is part of his 2026 run across North America, and one dollar from every ticket sold supports Camp Kesem, which provides free camps and programs for kids whose parents are fighting cancer.
When: Friday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth
Cost: $57 and up
WaterTower Theatre closes its run of “Always…Patsy Cline,” a country-music favorite built around the true story of Patsy Cline’s friendship with Texas fan Louise Seger. The show features classic songs including “Crazy,” “I Fall to Pieces,” “Sweet Dreams” and “Walking After Midnight.”
When: Through Sunday, May 31
Where: Addison Performing Arts Centre, Addison
Cost: Tickets start around $49
Billy Bob's Concerts (Thursday: Cole Phillips / Friday: Dylan Scott / Saturday: William Clark Green)
When: Thursday at 9 p.m. / Friday at 10 p.m. / Saturday at 10 p.m.
Where: Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth
Cost: $15 - $45
Bubble Planet has arrived at Grapevine Mills, bringing a walk-through, multi-sensory exhibit designed to be explored at your own pace. The experience features 12 interactive rooms — including highlights like the Hanging Balloons Room and the Kaleidoscope Room — blending infinity spaces, LED-lit undersea scenes, bubble-filled environments, and virtual reality elements. Most visitors spend about 60 to 90 minutes moving through the installation, which is designed to be engaging for all ages.
When: Daily through June 29, 2026
Where: Grapevine Mills - 3000 Grapevine Mills Pkwy, Grapevine
Cost: $18-$34
Carín León: De Sonora Para El Mundo Tour
Mexican music star Carín León brings his “De Sonora Para El Mundo” tour to American Airlines Center for one of the weekend’s biggest concerts. The Saturday night show is expected to draw fans of regional Mexican music, norteño, banda and country-influenced Latin sounds.
When: Saturday, May 30, 8 p.m.; doors at 6:30 p.m.
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
Cost: $70 and up
Carne Asada Fest celebrates Dallas’ Latin culture with food, music, vendors and a backyard-cookout feel at Lofty Spaces. The all-ages event is built around community, creativity and the shared tradition of gathering around the grill. Kids 12 and under get in free.
When: Saturday, May 30, noon–11 p.m.
Where: Lofty Spaces, Dallas
Cost: $16 and up
Casa Mañana brings “Come From Away” to Fort Worth, telling the true story of the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, which welcomed thousands of airline passengers after flights were diverted on 9/11. The musical pairs a folk-inspired score with a moving story about kindness, connection and people showing up for strangers in a time of crisis.
When: Friday, May 29, 7 p.m.; Saturday, May 30, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 31, 2 p.m. (also daily through June 7)
Where: Casa Mañana Theatre, Fort Worth
Cost: Friday preview tickets are $25. Regular performance tickets start at $49
The PGA TOUR returns to Fort Worth for the Charles Schwab Challenge at historic Colonial Country Club. The tournament celebrates its 80th championship this year, continuing one of golf’s great traditions at “Hogan’s Alley.” Fans can follow the field around the course Thursday through Sunday as players compete for the Leonard Trophy and the tournament’s signature tartan jacket. The field includes names such as Ludvig Åberg, Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Akshay Bhatia, Robert MacIntyre, Russell Henley and defending champion Ben Griffin.
When: Thursday–Sunday, May 28–31
Where: Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth
Cost: Grounds tickets start at $50. Premium on-course village tickets start at $350.
Choctaw Cover-to-Cover Music Festival
Klyde Warren Park kicks off summer with a free tribute-band festival, food trucks, vendors and park-wide fun. The lineup includes Beatles tribute band Hard Night’s Day, ’90s country-rock act The Meat Sweats and The Central Standard Band. Bring a blanket and come early for lawn space.
When: Saturday, May 30, 6–10 p.m.
Where: Klyde Warren Park, Dallas
Cost: Free
Countdown to the Cup 5K Fun Run
North Texas continues the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a family-friendly 5K at The Sound at Cypress Waters. Runners and walkers can take part in the live 5K, celebrate the road to the World Cup and receive a limited-edition medal and shirt. A virtual 5K option is also available.
When: Saturday, May 30, 8:30 a.m.
Where: The Sound at Cypress Waters, Coppell
Cost: $60 for the 5K; $30 for ages 12 and younger
Dallas Arboretum: Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies
Hunt Slonem: Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies turns the Dallas Arboretum into an open-air art exhibition from April 20 through September 30, featuring 28 large-scale installations and more than 100 works by the internationally recognized neo-expressionist artist. Known for his bold color, layered texture, and recurring images from the natural world, Slonem places monumental sculptures of rabbits, birds, and butterflies throughout the garden, with additional pieces displayed inside the Historic Camp House. The exhibition is included with regular garden admission or membership, and select evenings from May 1 through September 27 will also feature Twilight Nights, offering a different view of the artwork as the garden shifts into dusk.
When: April 20 – September 30
Where: Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Dallas
Cost: Garden admission (around $26)
Dallas CASA Parade of Playhouses
NorthPark Center becomes a showcase of imaginative custom-built children’s playhouses, all supporting Dallas CASA and its work with abused and neglected children.
When: Opens Friday, May 22, and continues through June 7
Where: NorthPark Center, Dallas
Cost: Free to view; raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20.
Dallas Comedy Club hosts a four-day celebration of sketch comedy with more than 80 performers from across the country. The festival includes live sketch shows, comedy groups, workshops and a weekend full of quick-hit laughs in Deep Ellum.
When: Thursday–Sunday, May 28–31
Where: Dallas Comedy Club, Dallas
Cost: Tickets range from $35–$300
Dallas Soccer Kick-Off Fest 2026
Dallas starts getting ready for the World Cup with a free two-day soccer celebration at the Ronald Kirk Bridge and Felix Lozada Gateway. The festival features youth soccer clinics, futsal, live DJs, dance pop-ups, food, family activities and local soccer activations.
When: Saturday, May 30, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday, May 31, noon–6 p.m.
Where: Ronald Kirk Bridge and Felix Lozada Gateway, Dallas
Cost: Free
Dallas Theater Center: Malcolm X & Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem
Dallas Theater Center presents a world premiere inspired by a true story from the summer of 1943. The play imagines the unlikely bond between two young men — Little and Foxy — before they became Malcolm X and Redd Foxx, as friendship, ambition and history collide inside a Harlem chicken shack.
When: Friday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 30, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 31, 2 and 7:30 p.m. (Continues through June 7)
Where: Wyly Studio Theatre, Dallas
Cost: $46 and up
Illuminature transforms the zoo into a nighttime display of oversized lanterns, glowing sculptures, and nature-inspired installations created by Tianyu. The event is designed primarily as a walk-through experience, with immersive displays, hands-on activities, photo opportunities, a soccer-themed fan zone, and a full lineup of live entertainment at the Wonders of the Wild stage in ZooNorth. Throughout the night, visitors can catch performances including Sichuan Opera face-changing, contortion acrobatics, head balancing, and artistic hula hoop, all set against a backdrop of bright visuals, music, and shifting light effects while most of the animals are off habitat.
When: April 30 - June 28 (Thursday - Sunday nights)
Where: Dallas Zoo, Dallas
Cost: $16 - $24
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra closes its classical season with Dvořák and Korngold at the Meyerson. The program features Korngold’s “Straussiana,” Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, with Maria Dueñas on violin and Sebastian Weigle conducting.
When: Friday–Saturday, May 29–30, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas
Cost: Tickets start at $33
Grand Prairie’s FlowaPalooza turns EpicCentral into a free two-day family festival with live music, circus performances, carnival rides, a vendor village, food trucks and FlowRider action. The event is built for families who want a full afternoon of entertainment without an admission charge.
When: Saturday–Sunday, May 30–31, starting at noon both days
Where: Epic Waters GrandLawn at EpicCentral, Grand Prairie
Cost: Free admission and free parking
Fort Worth Botanic Garden: Sean Kenney’s Nature POP!
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden opens Sean Kenney’s Nature POP!, featuring more than 40 bright, oversized nature-inspired sculptures made with LEGO bricks.
When: Opens Friday, May 22; continues daily through Sept. 7
Where: Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Cost: Included with garden admission; admission is $12 adults, $6 children, and free for children under 2.
Freedom to Play Installation at Galleria Dallas
Galleria Dallas continues its “Freedom to Play” installation, featuring hundreds of large origami stars and soccer-themed shapes suspended over the ice rink. The display is presented with Paper for Water and is designed to raise awareness of the global water crisis.
When: On view through September 1
Where: Galleria Dallas, Center Court
Cost: Free to view
The Holy Sepulcher: Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum, Jerusalem
This extraordinary exhibition showcases more than sixty objects in silver, gold, enamel, and precious jewels, given by European monarchs and rulers to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, a site of Christian devotion and pilgrimage, where they have been used in religious ceremonies for centuries. Including dazzling reliquaries, crosses, candlesticks, chalices, and vestments representing the height of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century craftsmanship, many of these objects have no equivalent anywhere else in the world. Traveling to only two venues in North America, the exhibition represents the first—and possibly only—time these treasures will be seen in the US.
When: Through June 28
Where: Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth
Cost: $14-$18 general exhibition admission
The Kid LAROI: A Perfect World Tour
The Kid LAROI brings his “A Perfect World Tour” to Irving for a Friday night show at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory. The Australian artist’s tour stop gives pop and hip-hop fans one of the weekend’s bigger concert options.
When: Friday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving
Cost: Tickets start around $68
Lowrider culture takes over Dallas Market Hall with custom cars, show builds and automotive style. The one-day event is a showcase for fans of lowriders, custom paint, hydraulics, car-club culture and the creativity behind the builds.
When: Saturday, May 30, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Where: Dallas Market Hall
Cost: General admission is $40; a family four-pack is $140
The McKinney Public Library System, in partnership with the McKinney Public Library Foundation, invites the community to the 2026 McKinney Literary Fest on Saturday, May 30, for a full day celebrating books, storytelling, and local literary talent. The event features over 30 North Texas authors, keynote presentations from Kayla Olson and Claire St. Amant, readings, and book signings.
When: Saturday, May 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: McKinney City Hall, 401 E. Virginia St.
Cost: Free to attend; registration available online
Turtle Creek Chorale celebrates Pride Month with a Texas-sized concert at Temple Emanu-El. The program highlights music and creativity from artists connected to Texas, including works associated with Willie Nelson, Kacey Musgraves and Beyoncé, along with choral works by Marques L. A. Garrett, Victor C. Johnson and others.
When: Sunday, May 31, 4–6 p.m. (Monday, June 1, 2026 @ 7:30 PM | Meyerson Symphony Center)
Where: Temple Emanu-El, Dallas
Cost: $50
Real American Freestyle brings a big wrestling card to Arlington with Olympians, NCAA champions and MMA names in the mix. The event is headlined by Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson against Alexandr Romanov, with Colby Covington and Chris Weidman also listed on the card.
When: Saturday, May 30, 7 p.m.
Where: College Park Center, Arlington
Cost: $55 and up
Rockwall’s Concert by the Lake series continues at The Harbor with a free Thursday night show from 90s country tribute band Straight Tequila Night. Bring a chair or blanket, grab dinner nearby and enjoy live music by the water.
When: Thursday, May 28, 7–9 p.m.
Where: The Harbor, Rockwall
Cost: Free
Rockwall San Jacinto Music Series
Downtown Rockwall’s San Jacinto Music Series offers free live music in a walkable plaza surrounded by restaurants and shops. Singer-songwriter Scott Sean White is scheduled for Friday night and Ty Smith plays on Saturday night.
When: Friday–Saturday, May 29–30, 7–9:30 p.m.
Where: San Jacinto Plaza, Rockwall
Cost: Free
Rodeo Celina brings three days of PRCA and WPRA professional rodeo action to Myers Park & Event Center. The weekend includes rodeo competition, family activities, vendors and a strong Western-community feel, with special themes supporting cancer patients, veterans, first responders and youth agriculture.
When: Friday–Sunday, May 29–31
Where: Myers Park & Event Center, McKinney
Cost: General admission is $25 for adults and $15 for youth ages 2–12, plus fees; children 2 and under are free
The Firehouse Theatre closes its run of “Sister Act,” the feel-good musical comedy about Deloris Van Cartier, a disco singer who witnesses a crime and is hidden away in a convent. Her big personality shakes up the choir, the church and the community in a show filled with music, comedy and plenty of heart.
When: Thursday–Friday, May 28–29, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 30, 2:30 p.m.; additional performances continue through May 31
Where: The Firehouse Theatre, Farmers Branch
Cost: $35–$38
Soccer: More Than a Game at the Perot Museum
The Perot Museum’s interactive soccer exhibit explores the science, culture and global reach of the world’s most popular sport. With the World Cup coming to North Texas, the exhibit gives families a timely way to connect soccer with physics, technology and international culture.
When: Through September 7
Where: Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas
Cost: Exhibit tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for youth ages 2–12, in addition to general museum admission
Stifel Stars on Ice brings elite figure skating to Allen for two nights at Credit Union of Texas Event Center. The tour features top American skaters, including Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito, Jason Brown and more, giving fans a chance to see Olympic- and world-level skating in person.
When: Friday–Saturday, May 29–30, 7 p.m.
Where: Credit Union of Texas Event Center, Allen
Cost: Tickets start around $133
Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals
The Rangers are home all weekend for a series against the Kansas City Royals. With games Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, fans have multiple chances to catch Major League Baseball at Globe Life Field.
When: Friday, May 29, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, May 30, 3:05 p.m.; Sunday, May 31, 1:35 p.m.
Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington
Cost: Tickets start around $25
The Walt Disney Studios and World War II Exhibition
The Walt Disney Studios and World War II explores how the famous animation studio shifted into wartime service after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The exhibition features more than 500 artifacts, film clips, and historical materials showing how Disney artists created training films, public information shorts, and military insignia while also producing artwork used in wartime campaigns at home. It also highlights the role Walt Disney and his staff played in supporting the Allied effort, using familiar characters and animation to inform the public, boost troop morale, and promote initiatives like rationing, recycling, and war bond drives.
When: March 13 - September 10
Where: Dallas Holocaust and Human Right Museum, Dallas
Cost: $12 and up (free for students)
Carrollton launches Trinity Nights, a new night market at Trinity Mills Station. The evening event includes live music from The Redwine Band, entertainment, food trucks, shopping and local vendors, creating a walkable Friday-night gathering spot in Carrollton.
When: Friday, May 29, 6–10 p.m.
Where: Trinity Mills Station Esplanade, Carrollton
Cost: Free
The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary offers a guided wetland canoe experience in McKinney. The program includes a safety and canoeing introduction, a guided paddle through wetland habitat and time to explore on the water.
When: Saturday, May 30, 9 a.m.–noon
Where: Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, McKinney
Cost: $42 for nonmembers and $32 for Heard members
Whiskey Riot brings more than 200 whiskeys to sample in Fort Worth. The 21-and-up tasting festival is designed for whiskey fans who want to try a wide range of pours, talk with brand representatives and discover new favorites in one place.
When: Saturday, May 30, 3–7 p.m.
Where: The Social Space, Fort Worth
Cost: $90 and up
WhoaZone at Grapevine offers a floating obstacle-course water park on Lake Grapevine, with climbing, sliding, jumping and splashing for active families. Meadowmere Park also has beach and lake access, so non-participants can still come along and enjoy the park.
When: Daily through September 7 / Mon - Fri: 12pm - 7pm / Sat & Sun: 11am - 7pm
Where: Meadowmere Park, Grapevine
Cost: $23 and up; Meadowmere Park entry is $10 per car, with higher holiday rates.
Wicked retells the story of Oz from the perspective of the two witches long before Dorothy arrives. At the center are Elphaba, a brilliant and misunderstood young woman with green skin, and Glinda, a charming and widely admired blonde whose early rivalry with Elphaba slowly grows into an unlikely friendship. As their lives move in different directions, the world around them begins to sort one into the role of “good” and the other into “wicked.” Featuring songs like “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” and “For Good,” the musical reimagines familiar Oz mythology through friendship, conflict, and the forces that shape a person’s reputation.
When: May 7 - June 14 (no shows on Mondays)
Where: Music Hall at Fair Park, Dallas
Cost: $56 and up
ZestFest heats up Fort Worth with a full weekend of spicy food, barbecue, vendors, cooking products and fiery flavor. The festival is marking its 25th anniversary and gives food lovers a chance to sample, shop and explore everything from hot sauces to smoky barbecue.
When: Friday, May 29, 1–6 p.m.; Saturday, May 30, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday, May 31, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Where: Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall / Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth
Cost: $24 and up daily / Weekend for $54 and up
50+ things to do in North Texas this weekend
50+ things to do in North Texas this weekend
