The Best Things To Do in Dallas, Nov. 1–7

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Thomas Ospital at the Meyerson Symphony Center
Lots of people in Dallas have been to the Meyerson Symphony Center (2301 Flora St.), but not all those people have been able to hear the Meyerson’s stunning C. B. Fisk Opus 100, also known as the Lay Family Concert Organ. It’s one of the largest concert hall organs in the world, and with that kind of gravitas, it requires a gifted and confident musician to play it well. Enter Thomas Ospital, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Ospital is the titulaire of the grand organ at St. Eustache Church in Paris, so it’s a great opportunity to hear the pipes at their prime. Tickets start at $23, available online.

Thursday, Nov. 2

Día de los Muertos Celebrations at Various Locations
Halloween is over, and now we have the honor of celebrating our departed. Traditions say that over the course of Nov. 1 and 2, the living are reunited with the spirits of their relatives. The festivities include creating ofrendas (altars) with favorite foods, drinks, marigolds, candles and more, but there’s more to enjoy at the various Thursday events: Mexican Sugar (Uptown and Plano) hosts a Celebration of Life and Legacy from 7 to 9 p.m. with tastings, tattoos and live music. Vote for a favorite altar for a chance to win a prize starting at 6 p.m. at Taqueria La Ventana. Share memories of loved ones against a festive night with Mexico 2000 Ballet Folklorico, Mariachis Rosas Divinas, craft stations, vibrant food selections and more from 6 to 10 p.m. at Grandscape. Sip tequila flights or margaritas and paint ceramic skulls from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Miriam Cocina Latina.

Breaking the Code on PBS
Normally, these event suggestions are meant to get you up off the couch and out into the community, but in this case, if you’re not going out, at least flip the TV over to PBS and watch Breaking the Code at 10 p.m. Winner of Best Historical Film at this year’s Dallas International Film Festival (and accolades from other fests), the Prolepsis Pictures film delves into the life and legacy of Fort Worth’s own Vernon Fisher. His work is exhibited in almost 50 museum collections, and Fisher’s blackboard paintings are iconic, as is his influence on art students he instructed and mentored at University of North Texas. His death this April, just before DIFF, makes this screening all the more can’t-miss. (But if you do, there’s another on Nov. 4 at the same time.)

Friday, Nov. 3

Vignette Art Fair at Dallas Market Hall
Jessica Ingle founded the Vignette Art Fair in 2017 to showcase women artists because their work appears less often than that of men in museums and galleries. This year, the two-day fair presents almost 90 works by nearly 50 women from 23 Texas cities. See a mixed media showcase including fiber arts, sculpture, painting, drawing, photography and much more. There's a VIP sneak peek on Thursday, and the general fair hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Dallas Market Hall (2200 N. Stemmons Freeway). It’s free and open to the public. Find out more online.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Irving Arts Center
Mainstage Irving-Las Colinas is bringing a classic comedy to the stage. The 1988 Steve Martin-Michael Caine-Glenne Headly comedic masterpiece Dirty Rotten Scoundrels inspired this production, and we’re here for it. Give us Lawrence, Freddy (and Ruprecht, for that matter) and let us watch the scams come alive. The show opens Friday, Nov. 3, at Irving Arts Center’s Dupree Theatre (3333 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving) and runs through Nov. 18. Tickets are $25–$32, available online.

Saturday, Nov. 4

Tacolandia at Energy Square Plaza
Look, Taco Tuesday is great, but taco celebrations should not be limited to one day of the week. In fact, tacos should be thrown a freakin’ party. So once again, your own Dallas Observer presents the 9th annual Tacolandia at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. for VIP ticketholders) on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Energy Square Plaza (4925 Greenville Ave.). Sample unlimited tacos from traditional to unique, enjoy live music and partake at the cash bar if desired. Participating vendors include Casa Del Bro, Flora Cantina, Primo’s, Strouderosa BBQ and more. GA tickets are $40 in advance, VIP tickets are $75 and come with the additional benefit of early entry and access to the VIP lounge and restrooms. Grab them online.
Jazz Under the Stars event at Klyde Warren Park
You know what’s exciting? That we can do stuff outside again without melting! And Jazz Under the Stars is a perfect opportunity to relax and vibe with some seriously good music. From 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Klyde Warren Park, enjoy a fun food truck dinner while you listen to big band swing vocalist Carmen Bradford, jazz trumpeter Ephraim Owens and fusion jazz from John Mills TIMES TEN. The event is free. Find out more online.

Sunday, Nov. 5

Texas Bred Holiday Market in Bishop Arts District
It’s here. The time has come. Holiday markets are already starting, y’all. Fortunately, holiday shopping doesn’t always have to be under fluorescent lights or even a roof. Bishop Arts District will provide the walkable venue for AF’s Texas Bred Holiday Market this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sip and nosh while you shop vetted and respected brands, both emerging and heritage. We’re talking from Dad Grass to Heim Barbecue to Oris. Tickets are free, but be sure to secure them online.

Of Moth and Rust at the Nasher’s Public Gallery
Dallas-based artist Linnea Glatt has provided decades of mesmerizing sculpture in a variety of sizes. Her post-modern — but why do we need to define them at all? — works are the sort that inspire a stare, a lean, a few steps back and the desire for a movable bench so you can just be prone next to them for a long few. No different for Of Moth and Rust, the latest Nasher Public exhibition incorporating flat steel sheets, white cotton and a variety of chemicals and solutions to create dramatic and stunning deterioration. The installation is on view through Dec. 3 at the Nasher Sculpture Center (2001 Flora St.). Find out more on the Nasher website.

Elegant Dinner Party at The Cookery
There’s something really fabulous about taking a class called Elegant Dinner Party. Learn to prepare a sumptuous three-course dinner to delight and amaze your future guests, and enjoy yourself as you cook and sample your work at the Cookery Dallas (1130 Dragon St.). Meyer lemon goat cheese crostini, braised short ribs with port reduction, creamy herbed polenta and a divine chocolate dessert — and those are just a few of the dishes. A very limited amount of tickets remain and are available online at $125.

Monday, Nov. 6

Poetry Reading/Signing at Interabang Books
Interabang Books (5600 W. Lovers Lane) has been giving bookworms serious bangers on the in-person reading front lately. And we appreciate that they don’t just stick to novels, but deliver on culinary, memoir, political and other genres. This week, we’re getting a real treat by way of a poetry reading by two poets, Jehanne Dubrow and Corey Marks (another illustrious University of North Texas professor). Arrive at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 6, for readings of Dubrow’s Exhibitions: Essays on Art and Atrocity and Marks’ The Rock That Is Not a Rabbit. Find out more about the authors and their new releases on Interabang’s website.

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Teen 6-Week Series begin at Oil and Cotton
If only someone had enrolled us in a sewing class when we were teenagers. We’d have a way better eye for quality clothing and dramatically fewer Amazon boxes when it comes to Halloween costume supplies. For teens looking to find their personal Project Runway, Oil and Cotton (2313 Beatrice St.) is kicking off a 6-week Fall Semester Sewing Session on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The course requires certain supplies, but sewing machines are available for rental. Master seamstress Jesse Bartlett teaches basic skills, machine techniques and simple design. Few spots remain, so secure one for the crafty teen today, or check out the other fall semester courses Oil & Cotton is kicking off this week.