5 Things to Do, June 27-July 1: Finally Get Prom Right and Learn a Little About Urban Planning

You’re gonna want to coast through this week as quickly as possible. Pack your nights with fun diversions and interesting conversations so that the days go by fast and that three-day weekend gets here before you know it. Dallas has plenty of spark and sizzle in the nights leading up to your Independence Day celebrations — check out just some of the events that will get you through the next five days with a bang.

Back to the '80s Prom
 10 p.m. Monday, June 29
Alamo Drafthouse Dallas
1005 S. Lamar St.
$25

Alamo Drafthouse gives us good reason to dwell in the past with this '80s-themed throwdown in their Vetted Well space. Spray on a can of Aqua Net and square up to some shoulder pads in an effort to hightail it back to that era of Brat Packers and saxophones with a live DJ and dance party, plus karaoke, photo booths and spiked prom punch. Relive a prom-gone-wrong, recreate your parents’ special moments in more breathable fabric, or just pretend that your biggest problems boil down to the choice between Ducky and Blaine; it’s all possible. Admission is 21 and up.

Joe Milazzo: The Habiliments
 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 28
The Wild Detectives
314 W. 8th St.
Free

There’s nothing wrong with a good beach read, but you don’t want to miss out on thought-provoking and beautifully structured sentences or verses; especially when you can get your fill of the literary arts during this presentation from Joe Milazzo, poet and author of Crepuscule W/ Nellie. Milazzo’s writing floats between speculative, dreamy and experimental; all of which are pretty ideal characteristics for any summer reading list. Find a space among the books, sit down with an iced coffee or cocktail, and latch onto the words, readings and conversation from Milazzo, plus local poet Paul Koniecki.

Bar Politics: WTF Is a Better Block?
7 p.m. Wednesday, June 29
700 W. Davis St.
Free

Are you in the camp that believes Dallas can do more to encourage sustainable neighborhoods; safe, functional spaces; and urban planning that better connects our community and its people? You’re not alone, but these concepts are so often talked about in nebulous terms with no action plans. The Better Block Foundation works around the globe using open-source tools and harnessing local resources to put big ideas into practice. In this edition of Bar Politics, Josh Kumler and crew take a look at the organization in the context of local city planning, taking on hot topics like infrastructure planning in Oak Cliff and the CityMAP vision from TxDOT. Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and dialogue about the future of our fair city.

365 Modern Living Cocktail Reception Series: CCR1 Lake House Residence
4:30-9 p.m. Thursday, June 30
$90 to $110

The Dallas Architecture Forum wraps up its 365 Modern Living Cocktail Reception Series with this off-the-beaten-path foray into modern architecture at a home on Cedar Creek Lake. The serene retreat incorporates mid-century elements with sleek concrete aesthetics, warm teak ceiling panels and an embrace of the natural setting that surrounds the home. Landscapes are integral to the overall design, creating a symbiosis with nature that’ll drop your jaw. And despite the adult sensibilities of the architecture and interiors, there’s something major in store for the young-at-heart: a “treehouse” space for kids, linked to the main building by a glass hallway straight out of a Roald Dahl book. Tickets for this structural sensation are $90 to $110 and must be purchased in advance here.

Buñuel Descending
8:15 p.m. Friday, July 1
Ochre House Theater
825 Exposition Ave.
$25

Local playwright and director Matthew Posey takes a trip into the surreal with his Buñuel Descending, an Ochre House original resurrected for another run of fantastical puppetry, dance, song and music in collaboration with the 2016 Dallas Flamenco Festival. Posey’s vivid retelling of the artistic meeting of the minds between Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel Portolés, his wife Jeanne Buñuel, painter Salvador Dali and poet Federico Garcia Lorca is a who’s who of some of the great creators of the past century. The play seamlessly marries art forms for fervent and fevered sensory delights. Performances continue through Saturday, July 2, at 8:15 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Matinees are at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets may be purchased at ochrehousetheater.com.