Awesome Things to Do in Dallas This Weekend, July 16 -19: Wine Walk, a Film Festival and Museum Late Nights

Thursday, July 16
Othello
They say love is a powerful thing, but I think fear is even more powerful. While love does have the ability to ruin lives, fear, jealousy and hatred can ruin love and life. It’s always been this way. We’d rather watch a dramatic fight than a happy couple. Don’t believe me? Check out the daytime ratings for Jerry Springer! Or better yet, go see some Shakespearean Springer with Second Thought Theatre’s presentation of Othello at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Second Thought is back with their creative blocking and intimate spacing to bring this tragedy to Kalita Humphreys Theatre (3636 Turtle Creek Blvd.). Tickets start at $15. Go to secondthoughttheatre.com for more info. - Lucas Buckels

International Wine Walk
It’s been years since you renewed your passport, and your vacation leave is a little anemic, but that’s no reason not to escape this summer. In fact, the Deep Ellum Wine Walk has lined up the perfect little getaway, right here at home, during their International Wine Walk from 5 until 8 p.m. Thursday. Channel quaint European villas as you stroll through the streets of Deep Ellum, popping into shops like Life of Riley, Lula B’s, Mid-to-Mod, The Upper Paw, The Vineyard and more. At each stop, you can sample wine from around the globe in a commemorative glass that celebrates the charms of London, Paris and Rome. Get stamps from five participating shops on your wine-themed passport during the evening, and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a gift certificate. Kick off your journey at Kettle Art Gallery, 2650-B Main St., where you’ll check in and pay $10 for a wine glass and passport. - Jennifer Davis-Lamm

Asian Film Festival of Dallas
Another film festival is coming at ya. Thursday, the 14th Asian Film Festival of Dallas kicks off for eight days of some of the best Asian cinema you will not see at a theater near you. This is one of those festivals where you get to see films that may never release in the U.S. but are hits overseas. In other words, you will get to brag about seeing a film that your pal will have to fork over a lot of money for, just to get the expensive Blu-ray import. The festival opener, Seoul Searching, plays at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Angelika (5321 E. Mockingbird Lane). Purchase a badge or individual passes at asianfilmdallas.com. - Chase Whale

Friday, July 17

Summer Mockbusters: Twister
We probably shouldn’t mock the weather in these parts — it’s been pretty serious business this past year. Between the endless winter storms and the rains that saw some parts of Dallas stockpiling sandbags late this spring, we should probably engage in some quiet reverence and hope that we aren’t tortured with zillion-degree temps over the next two months. But then again, making light of the weather does make your newly acquired flood insurance expense a little easier to swallow … so why not? The Dallas Observer and The Dallas Comedy House present Twister as the latest installment in their Summer Mockbuster Series at the Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Basically, you’ll sit back, order some brews and defy the gods by tweeting snide comments about the windswept Jan de Bont disaster flick. All tweets will pop up on a designated snark wall, where everyone can appreciate your take on flying cows and Helen Hunt’s remarkably kempt hair. At just $3 to get in (with $3 drink specials to boot), this is a forecast to get on board with. Visit granadatheater.com. - JDL

Late Night at the Museums
If you’ve been procrastinating on seeing the enormous, immersive exhibition by British sculptor Phyllida Barlow that has taken over the Nasher Sculpture Center (2001 Flora St.), stop wasting time. Pry your eyeballs away from your Netflix from 6 p.m.-midnight Friday night and head down to the Arts District for Late Nights at the DMA and ’Til Midnight at the Nasher. You can hang out in front of, behind, underneath and above art to your heart’s delight at the Nasher, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Crow Collection. Orange is the New Black isn’t going anywhere, but in a few weeks the Chosil Kil exhibit filled with balloons, loose change and puppy statues will be gone. You’re also running out of time to see the mysterious, ominous Michaël Borremans exhibition at the DMA. Stop missing out on life! Late nights at the museums are free. More at nashersculpturecenter.org or dma.org.- LS

Mad Max: Fury Road & Behind the Screen
The Behind the Screen series strikes back, pairing Mad Max: Fury Road with appropriately apocalyptic bands. Attendees are encouraged to dress like psychopaths prepared for battle in an apocalyptic desert. The fourth installment of the Mad Max franchise has certainly lived up to the 30-year hype and satisfied even the most hardcore fans; by most accounts it’s one of the best action films ever made. The movie starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd. After the film, the music begins in a performance space behind the movie screen, hence the title of this series. The film is $10, the show is $8 — or save yourself $2 and buy the bundle for $16. PVC Street Gang complement the film perfectly, and they’re always a rowdy and reliably good time. With their leather jackets and high-energy rock ’n’ roll, Missile are also a good fit. Slimy Member, a great punk band, round out the bill, and it would be a revelation if the film’s score was muted and they were allowed to provide the soundtrack. -Jeremy Hallock

Saturday, July 18
Kixpo
The shoe’s the thing at Kixpo 2015, a massive footwear bonanza that stuffs all the Nikes, Adidas and other brand name athletic shoes into the Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., for a full day of sneaker-centric fun from 2 until 7 p.m. Saturday. Attendees will not only be treated to row after row of kicks for sale or trade, they’ll also be surrounded by the latest street wear in pop-up shops and boutiques and get to check out custom sneakers from vendors like Kicks0l0gy, Franalations, Jake88, Dank Customs, SneakerKraft and SneakerHeadInTheBay. Live entertainment will keep feet moving, including sets from DJ Love, DJ Rocit, DJ Swavor and DJ Greg Street. Tickets to the event are $15 to $50 at ticketfly.com. - Jennifer Davis-Lamm

Moon Day 2015
With a name like “Moon Day 2015,” you’re probably expecting a bunch of women heading into the woods, lighting incense, wearing gauzy nightshirts and howling at the stars. This isn’t that at all. Moon Day 2015 is actually some heavy science-y shit starring none other than the space program. This year is the 46th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the motherfreaking moon, so if ever there were a reason to give the greater universe a head nod, this is it. All the events are family friendly, and joint hosts the Frontiers of Flight Museum and the National Space Society of North Texas will provide lots of activities. Among them, you can participate in over 22 classes, lectures or teacher workshops at Moon Academy or Lunar University, talk LIVE with a member of the Expedition 43 Crew on the International Space Station, meet a space traveler, build and launch your own rocket or create your own space art. The fun starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at Frontiers of Flight, 6911 Lemmon Ave. Free with paid museum admission ($10 for adults, $7 for kids 3 and up). -Nikki Lott

Carmen Esposito
When two titans of any industry start ribbing you in front of a crowd of people, the only thing to do is swat that rib right back in their fat, stupid faces. In 2013, comedian Cameron Esposito did just that — in front of millions of viewers, no less — when she made her late-night debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Ferguson had former Tonight Show host Jay Leno as a guest the very same night, and Esposito was ready with a joke about how she and her future wife would wear denim dresses to their wedding, just like Leno would if he were female. Leno, Ferguson and Esposito roasted each other throughout the show, creating the kind of rare, sharp, unscripted comedy that most late-night shows now forgo for games with celebrities. Esposito will bring her sharp and self-effacing wit to the Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., at 8 p.m. Saturday. This time we’ll have the chance to hear her unchallenged, so shut your damn mouth. Tickets are $20-$24 and available at granadatheater.com. - Danny Gallagher

Nature in Our Backyard & Vida Cubana 
Currently on display at Sun to Moon Gallery (1515 Levee St.) is a photographic exploration of the Trinity River and the Great Trinity Forest called Nature in Our Backyard. One of the only galleries in Dallas to specialize in photography, specifically that of the great outdoors, Sun to Moon consistently reminds visitors of the beauty surrounding them. In Vida Cubana, a concurrent exhibition opening at 5 p.m. Saturday, R.P. Washburne takes us on a timely, visual trip to Cuba. As he puts it, “everywhere you turn in Cuba there’s another goldmine for the eyes.” See the two exhibitions and marvel at the wonderful world we inhabit. Admission is free. More at suntomoon.com. -LS

Summer 2015 at Erin Cluley Gallery
In her first year, Erin Cluley has racked up a pretty stellar lineup of artists, both Dallas-based and beyond. Let’s review a few of them: Cassandra Emswiler Burd and her lovely tile tables and reliefs; Kevin Todara and his painterly photographs; Zeke Williams and his vivid color play; and let’s not forget Chivas Clem and his glittery paintings and VHS sculptures. At 6 p.m. Saturday, Erin Cluley Gallery (414 Fabrication St.) opens a group exhibition featuring these artists and more. The art is endless. More at erincluley.com. -LS

Judy Clark: Remember Me
Judy Clark uses collages to explore the ideas of traditional portraiture. She builds layered collages into abstract figurative pieces that she describes as being "composed from instinct, dreams and memories." Her work will be on display at the Ant Colony (421 N. Tyler St.) in an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Saturday. 

Deep Ellum [In]door Market
It's a bit too hot for the beloved neighborhood market to be outdoors, so this summer market will be indoors at 2816 Main St. Hang out with a broad swath of local vendors from 4-8 p.m. Saturday. 

Circuit 12 Summer Show
This weekend, Circuit 12 Contemporary opens its gorgeous new space with a group exhibition, alongside the launch of its new in-gallery store, Primer. The show will feature an array of artists both Dallas-based — including Jeff Gibbons & Gregory Ruppe, Lucas Martell and Arthur Peña (who happens to be my boyfriend) — and from beyond our fair city, such as Andrew Schoultz, POSE and (*cough* the only woman *cough*) Cecelia Salama. See the show and check out the new digs from 6 -10 p.m. Saturday. More at circuit12.com.

Sunday, July 19
Basically Beethoven Festival
Sometimes touring bands will perform three dates in each city, simultaneously exciting fans and making them worry over which show to choose, since each night they’re playing a different favorite album. It’s an “emo” move, but it’s often awesome, except for fans with thin wallets. In this case, the Fine Arts Chamber Players don’t make you pick between nights in a row: The Basically Beethoven Festival at the cush Dallas City Performance Hall (2520 Flora St.) spans the Sunday afternoons in July, so you can get your emo composer fix, plus a few extras, without standing next to a loudspeaker all night. And the FACP do classical right. Not only do they present a variety of pieces by Beethoven and other composers — some works are favorites, others soon to be — but they also include a range of performers, keeping things fresh and exciting. Each concert begins at 2:30 p.m. with a Rising Star Recital (upcoming award-winners), followed by a feature performance at 3 p.m. Sunday’s feature is “Music for Two Pianos” performed by the Long Duo (sisters Christina and Beatrice Long) and showcasing works of five composers — Ludwig included — as well as a rarely performed Schumann, "Andante and Variations." No tickets or reservations are required, but visit fineartschamberplayers.org for info on dates to come, or to make a donation. -Merritt Martin

Sketch 'n Sip
If you've been looking for some cool people to drink and make art with, then look no further. From 3-6 p.m. Sunday head to Ro2 Art to booze up while you throw down in the sketch book. Artists from the show Yeah, It's Salon Style will be there to discuss their work and maybe give you a few pointers for your own art.