The Ultimate Guide to Your Weekend, May 13-15

Do This!
Isolated thunderstorms are forecast for Saturday, but if the weather cooperates long enough, you should venture to the Asian Festival at Fair Park (1121 1st Ave) between 11 a.m.-6 p.m. May is Asian Heritage Month, and for the last 26 years the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce has put on this free celebration of Asian culture that includes tons of food vendors, a "world market," activities for kids, a costume booth, dance performances and more.

Indoor activities may be better advised, however, so consider the Queen's Show Burlesque Revue at The Kessler Theater (1230 W. Davis St.) for your calendar at 9 p.m. Saturday. Many of the ladies who will be performing have been recognized nationally and internationally for their tassel-twirling talents, including Donna Hood, who toured with Dita Von Teese. Tickets for the sexy show at one of Dallas' best venues are $25-$180 at the kessler.org.

For a few years, a collective of artists has been running a project space in Exposition Park called Beefhaus (833 Exposition Ave.) If you haven't checked it out, this weekend is a good opportunity, with the opening of a solo show by Houston-based artist Emily Peacock at 7 p.m. Saturday. Peacock's videos, photographs and installations explore themes of family and adolescence and User's Guide to Family Business continues to probe these subjects, often with a sense of humor. The event is free to attend.
Eat This!
Tell swimsuit season you're the boss by eating at Hall’s Chicken Shack (2327 S. Buckner Blvd.) this weekend. In his rundown of some of the most popular fried chicken joints in Dallas, Jeremy Hallock said the bird at Hall's is the spiciest in town. To us, that sounds like a challenge.

The clock is ticking on your chance to eat at the sixth installment of Kitchen LTO (3011 Gulden Lane, No. 108). Chef Nick Amoriello's "modern Texas cuisine" concept will only be around for four more months before it makes way for a new pop-up in the space. In his review, Brian Reinhart said it's one of the best places in town to try exotic meats. Go for the roasted rabbit, in particular, "a succulent feast of juicy, smoky meat that's well seasoned with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper" ($26 for a half portion; $42 for full).

Crawfish season won't last much longer, so take advantage of two festivals this weekend where you can feast on the mudbugs. At Crawfish and Brews, from noon-8 p.m. Saturday at Community Beer Co. (1530 Inspiration Drive), $35 will get you two pounds of crawfish, three Community beers and a souvenir glass. Or from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday at The Foundry Bar (2303 Pittman St.) you can join in the 3rd Annual King Creole Crawfish Festival featuring 2,000 pounds of crawfish and live zydeco music. Your $20 ticket includes admission and food; drinks are available for purchase at the bar.
Drink This!
Do not be deceived by its small serving size; the Kyoto cold brew at Ascension Coffee is arguably the most energizing drink in Dallas. Stop by their new location inside Uptown's Crescent Court (200 Crescent Court, No. 40) for an early morning or mid-afternoon pick-me-up this weekend. It's spacious and warm just like the original location on Oak Lawn Avenue, and it has the feel of a European cafe.

Ivy Kitchen (5409 Belt Line Road) is a great place to have drinks or dinner before heading to a movie at neighbor Look Cinemas, but you don't have to leave home to taste their new cocktail, The Ivy Thyme. Susie Oszustowicz has the recipe for the "refreshing, citrusy, herbaceous and perniciously potent" drink, made with Bulleit Burbon, Lillet, simple syrup, lemon and thyme. 

If you're so thirsty you can't decide what to drink first, drink some water. Then head to Brew Riot in Oak Cliff's Bishop Art's District from 4-8 p.m. Sunday. Fifty homebrewers will descend on the intersection of West Davis Street and North Bishop Avenue to provide samples of their concoctions, and for a $25 membership to the Texas Homebrew Society, you can sample to your liver's content. To buy your membership in advance, click here.
Hear This
Rihanna, Hall and Oates and The Cure are here this weekend, but there are other options if you're looking for musical entertainment on a smaller, more local scale. Check out some of Dallas' hottest rappers at a 2 year-anniversary party for Deep Ellum boutique Epocha at Club Dada (2720 Elm St.) on Friday. Beginning at 9 p.m., -topic, KoolQuise, Lord Byron and Tony Williams will take the stage. Bemyfriend and PICNICTYME will perform DJ sets. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

Homegrown Music and Arts Festival kicks off in Main Street Garden Park (1902 Main St.) at 11 a.m. Saturday with a lineup of exclusively Texas-grown artists including rapper Bobby Sessions, indie pop group Wild Child, dancey duo Ghostland Observatory and electro act Neon Indian. There will also be plenty of vendors and art demonstrations onsite to ensure you're satiated and entertained all day long. Tickets are $35-$100.

If you're in an experimental mood, head to The Crown & Harp (1914 Greenville Ave.) at 10 p.m. Saturday to see Sarah Ruth, a vocalist and pianist who draws on classical arrangements for her haunting compositions; Aerial Ruin, the psychedelic folk project of Erik Moggridge; and Lily Taylor, who the Observer's Eva Raggio once described as having a voice that unfolds "like a simple poem of somber emotions." What's more, the show is free.

See This!
Friday the 13th comes but rarely, so revel in the superstitions by attending a screening of Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives at Texas Theatre (231 W. Jefferson Blvd.) at 10 p.m. Friday. There will be a giveaway and Q&A with director Tom McLoughlin after the screening. Tickets are $12.

Theater collective The Tribe won an Observer Mastermind Award this year, so clearly we think highly of them. Their latest effort is the world premiere of Ophelia Underwater, the first play written by Tribe member Janielle Kastner. The modern one-woman show, which explores the life and tragic end of the leading lady in Shakespeare's Hamlet, opens at 8 p.m. Friday at the Margo Jones Theatre in Fair Park (1121 First Ave.), with additional performances 7 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10-$25.
 
Speaking of Shakespeare, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — Shakespeare Dallas' 5-year project to perform readings of every single one of The Bard's works — continues with a staged reading of Measure for Measure at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Winspear Opera House (2403 Flora St.). In the dark comedy an aspiring nun is forced to ponder society's hypocrisy when her brother is condemned to death for impregnating his girlfriend out of wedlock. Pretty saucy for the 16th century. Tickets are $10.