The Best Things To Do In Dallas, September 14–20

Wednesday, September 14

Lance Letscher and J.C. Fontanive at Conduit Gallery
Through Oct. 15, Conduit Gallery (1626-C Hi Line Drive) is spotlighting two artists who, while they have totally different styles, are both builders. Austin-based Lance Letscher creates his collages from aged, illustration-based 1950s and 1960s ephemera, the type found in antique stores or vintage magazines. Brooklyn’s J.C. Fontanive offers a span of works inspired by the man-made versus the natural. From kinetic machine to carved reliefs, the show is a bit like a collection of puzzles. For more information, hop on Conduit’s website.

Thursday, September 15

Addison Oktoberfest at Addison Circle Park
It’s the 35th Addison Oktoberfest, which means it’s time to get your bier on. This annual (pandemic notwithstanding) event puts a Lone Star accent on traditional celebrations. There’s plenty of German food, beer and music (get ready for that rocking polka in all forms, y’all) as well as family activities like dachshund races (no, really) and kids' crafts. It all starts Thursday and lasts through Sunday at Addison Circle Park (4970 Addison Circle). Single day passes are $10, and you can get there by car or by DART. So, check out the site for the full schedule of events, parking info and ticket purchase options.

Fall Reading Challenge at Dallas Public Libraries
Got library fees in Dallas? Well, it’s time for the Big Read Down. Dallas Public Library kicks off the Fall Reading Challenge Thursday through Oct. 15. Card holders, get ready to log those minutes with the page. Every minute you log can go toward forgiving fees for lost or damaged books. And if you don’t have any fees? Well, help someone else with theirs. Your logged minutes will be thrown in a pool with other readers’ extra minutes and can translate to credits for a member who hasn’t been able to pay off their library fees. Sign up today online. Or if you’re a Dallas resident without a library account, sign up for one for free.

Friday, September 16

Cirque du Ballet at Winspear Opera House
Leave it to Texas Ballet Theater’s Ben Stevenson, OBE, to continuously strive to honor the craft and art of ballet while making it more accessible to audiences of all ages and with various levels of exposure to dance. The artistic director laureate has done it yet again with TBT’s season opener Cirque du Ballet, which brings together beloved characters (and their choreo) from well-known ballets as performers in a circus, complete with ringmaster, enthusiastic introductions and captivating costumes. Keep an eye out for Cinderella, Dracula, Esmeralda, a certain swan and others. See it at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday or 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Winspear (2403 Flora St.). Tickets are available online.

GrapeFest in Grapevine
Before we get into the basics of Grapevine’s hallmark event, GrapeFest, any of you who are Jack Ingram or Taylor Dayne fans should just plan on going because they’re playing. Or, if you love Fleetwood Mac, Bon Jovi, Led Zeppelin and Hall & Oates and plan on drinking enough wine that you won’t realize you’re watching cover bands, well, this is a good opportunity as well. GrapeFest is a fantastic chance to sample many of the 400 wineries of Texas, participate in cool wine-adjacent events like a Champagne cork-off (you need to be there), check out a charcuterie workshop, have fun at the family-friendly carnival and midway and a lot more. The festival is Thursday to Sunday and takes place at various spots along Grapevine’s Main Street (there’s a map!). Tickets are $10 for a single day, $20 for a weekend pass, and various other prices for certain experiences. Purchase tickets, find the full schedule and all the details online.

Saturday, September 17

Trinity River Book Festival at Trinity River Pavilion
Celebrate National Literacy Month with the Trinity River Book Festival at Trinity River Pavilion 1 (2300 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth) starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17. (You can start an hour earlier with the Run-to-Read 5K/1K Run/Walk if that’s your thing.) There will be activities for the kids, poetry in the park, a market and, of course, author panels and presentations including Shauntra Maddison (Is Dinner Ready?), Courtney Kelly (Celeste Saves The City), Monique R. Johnson (Relentlessly Resilient), Nancy Churnin (Dear Mr. Dickens), Rob Welsh and Jonathan R. Scott (The Winning Playbook) and many others. Admission is free, but register and find out more on Eventbrite.

Latinidad Festival at Strauss Square
The AT&T Performing Arts Center is ready to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this Saturday, Sept. 17, starting at 5 p.m. in Strauss Square (2389 Flora St.). Attendees can experience Latin American culture and support Latin artists in many ways. Hecho Con Amor curates a pop-up market full of Latin-owned businesses and creatives. Enjoy cuisine from local restaurants while taking in painting and screen printing workshops and demos, plus dance performances by Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico and Sabor Puro Cumbia. It’s a full-throttle celebration all evening, perfect for the whole family — and it’s free. For the full schedule, get online.

Sunrise and Sunset Yoga at W Dallas
Salutations to World Wellness Weekend! Well, literally. Away Spa at W Dallas (2440 Victory Park Lane) welcomes Dallasites to practice on the Wet Deck (the infinitely cool panoramic infinity pool deck on the 16th floor) or Altitude (the event space on the 33rd floor) for two yoga sessions Saturday, Sept. 17, with instructor Vanna Collins. Choose between a free sunrise (7 a.m.) or sunset (7 p.m.) practice, and you’ll be provided a mat, water and nosh during your session. Reservations are free but required, so make them quickly online.

Sunday, September 18

Makers Market at Thunderbird Station
Everybody loves brunch, right? OK, so even better when it comes with a great soundtrack. DJ Bunny and DJ Cha Cha return to Thunderbird Station (3400 Commerce St.) with their monthly soul/funk/jazz/Afro-beat playlist from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18. But wait, that’s not all. They’ll also be bringing the tunes for the new Makers Market featuring local art, handmade and upcycled goods and super cool shit all around. Support local makers and get a belly full of brunch — maybe a cocktail, your call — courtesy of the fine menu at Thunderbird. Basically, this has the makings of a very appealing Sunday in more ways than one.

Movement: The Legacy of Kineticism at Dallas Museum of Art
We love new exhibition days at the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 N. Harwood St.). Sunday, Sept. 18, the DMA opens Movement: The Legacy of Kineticism, and it's an engaging treat. Drawn from the collection, Movement plays with the viewer. Whether it’s by using physical parts or a cool optical illusion, the artists featured are playing with perception and one’s intake of their art. See avant-garde, Op art and Neoconcretism all made familiar to one another. Movement makes art we may have seen before even more personal and engaging by compounding the artist-viewer interaction through sheer volume. Tickets for non-members are as low as $10. Purchase and more online.

Monday, September 19

86 Cancer at the Adolphus
One of the best experiences a young student can have in any industry is to shadow someone or stage in a mentor’s space. In the culinary world, it’s standard practice before being hired outright. When it comes to the 86 Cancer event, it’s a little more intense. Like, Chopped intense. Local chefs (Ben Smallman, Rachel Cannon, Nick Walker, Nikky Phinyawantana and others) are paired with culinary students from El Centro in an exciting competition to raise funds, create deliciousness and end cancer (in partnership with RTRX and Pelotonia). Each team is given three secret ingredients, a protein and a food pantry…oh, and a clock to race against. They’ll be judged by the likes of Texas Restaurant Association’s Corey Mobley, Chef Sharon Van Meter, former Dallas Morning News food critic Leslie Brenner and El Centro’s Brad Williams. It all goes down starting 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, at the Adolphus (1321 Commerce St.). Tickets are $85 for general admission and $140 for VIP, available online.