The Best Things To Do in Dallas, Aug. 16–22

Wednesday, Aug. 16

Elisabeth Wykert at Plano House of Comedy
As if anyone needed to question going to a comedy show that’s part of something called a "Fupa on Fleek Tour." Viral sensation Elisabeth Wykert is bringing her musical comedy — and fupa, presumably — to The Plano House of Comedy (7301 Lone Star Drive, Plano) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Known as the Golden Unicorn after her performances during the pandemic, Wykert apeared on America’s Got Talent, but you get her latest jokes, music and dancing right here in an awesome, intimate setting. Tickets are $15, available online.

Arts & Letters Live: Alice Hoffman at the DMA
Novelist Alice Hoffman has been a force behind page-turning best-sellers for decades. Even if you’ve never read her books, you’ve read works inspired by her … and you’ve definitely seen her covers adorn many shelves. But she’s far from resting on the laurels of hits such as Here on Earth, The World That We Knew and her Practical Magic series. Hoffman’s latest mystical foray, The Invisible Journey, offers a world of love and discovery for leading character Mia, as well as the perfect starting point for an Arts & Letters Live conversation with Texas author Kathleen Kent at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16, at the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 N. Harwood St.). Tickets are $35, available online. Note: For the author’s safety, masks are required for those who participate in the book-signing to follow.

Thursday, Aug. 17

Thursday Night at Dallas Comedy Club
If Thursday is date night and drinks and dinner seem bor-or-or-ing, let the Dallas Comedy Club (3036 Elm St.) do the planning. The Thursday night calendar here is completely packed with fun options. Need a date to start with? DCC Speed Dating ($25) starts at 7 p.m. Or bring the babe (or friends or parents or cousins — it’s your Thursday) to the Short Form Improv Jam (free) at 7:30, The Brown Out: Stand-up Show ($15) at 8:30 p.m. and Karaoke (free) at 9 p.m. Oh! And there’s an open mic presented by Swimming with Sharks Entertainment (free) at 10 p.m. All the tickets are available online — even the free ones.

Lakiesha Carr and An Autobiography of Skin at Interabang Books
Despite the book's title, journalist, writer and East Texan Lakiesha Carr’s An Autobiography of Skin is a novel — one that offers up mesmerizing profiles of Black women of various generations, stations in life and mindsets. It’s both an internal examination and an exploratory journey, so to speak, for some of the characters and, well, the reader. Lori Feathers welcomes Carr to Interabang Books (5600 W. Lovers Lane) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17, for a discussion about her new novel, as well as a signing. Carr is an alum of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has support from literary forces like BreadLoaf, Callaloo and Kimbilio, so many of us book nerds are giddy with anticipation. Secure your copy or find out more online.

Friday, Aug. 18

‘Til Midnight at Nasher Sculpture Center
Bring a blanket and chill out on the lawn at the Nasher Sculpture Center (2001 Flora St.) from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Aug. 18. Free to enjoy, ‘Til Midnight at the Nasher offers up live performances from Texas singer-songwriter Frankie Leonie, Americana band West Texas Exiles and bluesy Dallasite Sam Johnston, before a 9:30 p.m. screening of 2022’s ELVIS. Hip-shaking is not required but is encouraged as the mood moves. Wolfgang Puck Catering offers drinks and food for purchase, so be cool and don’t bring outside food. Find out more about the musical acts on the Nasher website.
Renner Frankford Library Friends Book Sale
This week has a lot of literary events. No apologies. August is giving good book. Friday and Saturday are no exception — especially at the Renner Frankford Branch Library (6400 Frankford Road). From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, catch the Renner Frankford Library Friends Book Sale. Browse new fiction, nonfiction (paper and hard) and other media like DVDs and CDs for astounding prices like $1 and $2 per. Early bookbirds get the best bookworms? You get it. More Dallas Public Library events online.

Saturday, Aug. 19

The Homecoming at Bath House Cultural Center
Comedy is great, but there’s just something so alluring about going to the theater for a comedy that is dark and edgy. If the cherry on top is that the play is by Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter, well, then, sounds like Saturday night is a winner. Auriga Productions presents The Homecoming at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 26 (so hurry!) at Bath House Cultural Center (521 E. Lawther Drive). Set in a living room, the play centers around a dysfunctional family of men when a new wife enters the picture. It’s intense, lasting and relevant … and a bargain at $20 a ticket, available online.
Pints & Pups at Addison Circle Park
Addison After Dark’s August event is all about treating our best friends to a night out. As in, “man’s best friend.” Pints & Pups runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, in Addison Circle Park (4970 Addison Circle, Addison) and offers doggie-friendly activities from dog parks to puparazzi booths to a cool-down splash area for the pawed. Humans can enjoy live music, beer tasting and a Puppies & Prosecco booth. Admission is free; tastings and other items are available for purchase. Find out more online.

Sunday, Aug. 20

All I Wanna Do brunch at Alamo Drafthouse Las Colinas
It’s time for brunch at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday at the Alamo Drafthouse Las Colinas! This screening offers not only some seriously decadent food choices (Blueberry Donut French Toast Bake, anyone?) but also a 1998 film that wasn’t given its due. And, yeah, we can blame notorious cinematic shitbag Harvey Weinstein, since filmmaker Sarah Kernochan claimed he buried All I Wanna Do from full distribution. She spent her savings to advertise and give it a one-week run in a New York theater. Catch Kirsten Dunst, Gaby Hoffmann, Rachael Leigh Cook, Merritt Wever (no relation) and so many others acting their way through women’s lib, education, protest and more. The film was also called Strike! and The Hairy Bird in other iterations. Hurry and snag tickets online.

Closing Party at the Grapevine Bar
It’s time to say goodbye – at least to the current location of the Grapevine Bar (3902 Maple Ave.). Proud to be “a good place to make bad decisions since 1996,” the home bar for many an Oak Lawn resident, medical worker, fellow server, retail warrior or 9-to-5er, the loungey spot has long been a place of solace and solid cocktail offerings. And it has been especially reliable for amazing people-watching and outdoor drunk sports. If you know … Anyway, get there starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, for a farewell that will include DJs, a garage sale of commemorative items, a photo booth, food truck and so much more. The bar closes on Aug. 23. Follow Grapevine news on Insta. Read more from Lauren Drewes Daniels.

Tuesday, Aug. 22

Building An Acting Career in Texas Without Relocating to L.A. or New York at Texas Theatre
Condundrum: You want to be an actor, but you don’t want to live in Los Angeles or New York City. Guess what? It can happen. And actor Julio Cedillo knows from experience. He’s local, and while you’ll know him from titles such as The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Narcos: Mexico, Sicario and more, he’s also got eight movies out this year. Seems like the perfect artist to help the Dallas Film Commission present “Building An Acting Career in Texas Without Relocating to L.A. or New York” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Texas Theatre (231 W. Jefferson Blvd.). Find out more about the workshop and tickets online.

Cast Iron Cooking: Hatch Favorites at Central Market
It’s hatch season, green chile freaks! Central Market (5750 E. Lovers Lane) is ready to guide the class through a series of hands-on exercises from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, blistering, roasting and charring to bring out the flavor of the precious pepper. Participants will create a series of dishes starring hatch from appetizer to dessert. Hatch tartar sauce? Absolutely. Charred corn and hatch chile cornbread? Bring it. Tickets are $75, available online.