Courtesy of John Mulaney
Audio By Carbonatix
In a city this big, there’s something to do every single day of the week. How could there not be? Dallas is a destination for festivals, traveling art exhibitions, stand-up comedy circuits and literally everything in between. This list is by no means exhaustively comprehensive, but it is a stacked, weekly guide of top picks you don’t want to miss. And the ways to fill your schedule don’t stop here – check out our full events calendar for even more ways to get through the week in North Texas.
Monday, Nov. 3
La La Land at Rooftop Cinema Club
Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning love letter to Hollywood/ode to “the fools who dream” will be lighting up the Rooftop Cinema Club (235 Throckmorton St., Fort Worth) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The film stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as aspiring creatives who fall in love, try to cut it in their respective fields and do quite a bit of tap dancing in between it all. John Legend co-stars as Gosling’s sell-out friend who just doesn’t get jazz like he does, but also gets to sing the best song in the movie. Tickets start at $19.
Tuesday, Nov. 4
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The Outsiders at The Music Hall at Fair Park
The Tony-winning musical based on S.E Hinton’s novel (and Francis Ford Coppola’s film) will run at The Music Hall at Fair Park (909 1st Ave.) from Tuesday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 16. Like its source material, the musical takes place in Tulsa in 1967 and follows two rival gangs of teenagers, the working class Greasers and the affluent Socs. The story contains mature themes like suicide, domestic abuse and violence and is recommended for audiences aged 13 and up. Tickets start at $37. An ASL version of the show will be performed on Nov. 15 at 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 5
Gilmore Girls Takeover at Grandscape
This Wednesday, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., the main stage and lawn at Grandscape (5752 Grandscape Blvd., The Colony) will be transformed into the fictional, picturesque town of Stars Hollow for a free event honoring everyone’s fast-talking, coffee-inhaling mother-daughter duo. There will be an outdoor screening of three fan-favorite Gilmore Girls episodes, as well as a photo-op and, of course, sweets and coffee. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and their favorite love interest to snuggle with. Just don’t talk through the entire thing like Lorelei and Rory would.
Thursday, Nov. 6
John Mulaney: Mister Whatever at Texas Trust CU Theatre
John Mulaney is an Emmy-winning comedian, actor, and writer who is best known for his blockbuster Netflix comedy specials, his voice work in franchises like Big Mouth and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and his starring role in countless memes. He’ll be bringing this legacy to Texas Trust CU Theatre (1001 Texas Trust Way, Grand Prairie) on Nov. 6 and 7. The Friday night date is sold out, but tickets for Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. show start at $70.
Friday, Nov. 7
Panda Fest
One of the biggest outdoor Asian food festivals is making its Dallas debut on Nov. 7 through 9 at Carpenter Park (2201 Pacific Ave.). There will be over 60 Asian food vendors, 150 street food stands and 15 merch vendors, as well as cultural performances. Like the name promises, there will be plenty of pandas as well, including panda merch, inflatables and a free panda pin with every ticket. Tickets start at $14.
Shrek Rave at House of Blues
Don’t put those costumes away just yet. Everyone’s favorite absurdly niche dance party is returning to House of Blues (2200 N. Lamar St.) this Friday at 7 p.m. Themed after the Shrek movies, this rave features remixes of Shrek soundtracks and quotes, Shrek costumes, Shrek-green lighting and the occasional fight between Shrek characters. To quote the event’s advertising, “Cool is dead! Who cares?” This event is 18+ and tickets start at $21.
Saturday, Nov. 8
Caroline Macon Fleischer at Deep Vellum
Dallas-raised author Caroline Macon Fleischer will be at Deep Vellum (3000 Commerce St.) at 7 p.m. for a Q&A to discuss her new novel, A Play About a Curse. The book is a literary horror-thriller set in Dallas and Chicago that tells the story of, “a young playwright who conjures up a true tragedy through a Machiavellian curse when spurned by her mentor.” It’s also just fun to say “a book about a play about a curse.”
8 ½ on 35mm at Texas Theatre
The new 35mm print of Federico Fellini’s classic film, which was struck from the original 1963 negative, will screen at Texas Theatre (231 W. Jefferson Blvd.) on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9. This masterpiece of Italian cinema is considered one of the best films about filmmaking ever made and follows its protagonist on a surreal journey through overcoming creative exhaustion and tumultuous relationships with the women in his life. Tickets start at $15.
Sunday, Nov. 9
Zine Workshop with Chelsea Akpan at Dallas Contemporary
Dallas Contemporary (161 Glass St.) is partnering with cartoonist Chelsea Akpan on a beginner-friendly workshop on the art of creating zines on Sunday at 5 p.m. Akpan will teach the basics of zine making and lead the class in creating their own zines using a single piece of paper. According to the museum, “this workshop is perfect for artists of all skill levels who have an interest in zines, paper goods and sequential storytelling.” Admission is free for DC members and $15 for non-members.
Continuing Events
Roaming Mexico: Laura Wilson at Meadows Museum, through Jan. 11
Now, if you’re thinking, “Wait, I thought that was going to be a book of Laura Wilson’s photographs,” you’re not wrong. The Roaming Mexico title inspiring artist/author events at the likes of Interabang Books in October, is published to accompany the major exhibition of the Meadows Museum opening Sunday, Sept. 14. The show features nearly 90 of Wilson’s photographs documenting more than three decades of the artist’s travels and studies across the country. It shows incredible range of Wilson’s talents, of course, but also of the people and culture of Mexico. Subjects sometimes provide a vibrant harmony and other times, offer a distinct dissonance when put in juxtaposition. Don’t miss Wilson’s love letter from the lens, hanging through Jan. 11. Find more online.
Return to Infinity: Yayoi Kusama at the Dallas Museum of Art, through Jan. 18
“All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins,” one of Yayoi Kusama’s iconic “infinity room” installations, will be displayed at the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 N. Harwood St.) for the first time since 2018. The immersive exhibition at the DMA envelopes the viewer in a trippy, tangible display of art history. Kusama hails from the mythic ’60s art scene. “Pumpkins,” created in 1991, incorporates many themes characteristic of the legendary artist’s work: infinity, the sublime, and obsessive repetition. And, of course, pumpkins – so many pumpkins. To book your appointment to honor these pumpkins, visit the DMA’s website.
International Surrealism at the Dallas Museum of Art, through March 22, 2026
The DMA (1717 N. Harwood St.) will be showing its latest exhibition, International Surrealism, from now through March 22, 2026. Featuring Surrealist icons like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Leonora Carrington, this showcase aims to “[plunge] audiences into the mind-bending dreamscapes of the Surrealist movement” and “[highlight] the wide range of practices and techniques from around the globe that define Surrealism.” Public tickets cost $20 and DMA members get in for free. International Surrealism will be included in the DMA’s Free First Sundays for every month of its run.
Groundbreakers: Post-War Japan and Korea from the DMA Collection at The Crow Museum of Asian Art at UT Dallas, through July 26, 2026
If you missed it at the Dallas Arts District location of The Crow, now’s your chance to see Groundbreakers: Post-War Japan and Korea from the DMA Collection… and consider that second degree. The Crow Museum of Asian Art at UT Dallas offers up the fantastic exhibition that includes pieces created in fascinating ways: with feet, with a mouth, by pouring paint onto a canvas, and other methods that channeled convention after the considerably conventional 1950s. Don’t miss it. Find out more online.
