The 21 Best Things to Do in Dallas This Week

Twenty-one things to do in Dallas from Thursday, June 15, through Wednesday, June 21:

Thursday

Do you wish you could do something to shake up your existence and out of your state of natural complacency, but you don’t know anyone who sells angel dust? There’s a better and much safer way of weirding up your world. The Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff hosts a semiregular movie and music series called Cursed Days, in which it pairs a strange film screening with an equally strange musical act for an evening of interesting weirdness. The Texas Theatre’s Cursed Days 6 will feature a screening of Paul W.S. Anderson’s beloved sci-fi horror film, Event Horizon, starring Laurence Fishburne and Sam Neill as a space crew trapped on a ship with a horrific monster that’s been brought on board by a rip in the space-time continuum. The event will also feature live performances by some of Dallas’ most unusual musical acts, including Razorbumps, the New Science Projects, Seres and the Thyroids. Cursed Days 6 starts with the Event Horizon screening at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the film screening, $6 for the rock show and $14 for both and can be purchased at the box office or online at prekindle.com. Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., 8 p.m., $6-$14, prekindle.com. — Danny Gallagher

Have you ever heard of the term “comic’s comic?” Well, Demetri Martin is “comedy’s comic.” He’s made a name for himself by taking on the role of a comedian who plays with comedy’s conventions in ways that break down jokes to their most essential elements and spit them back at an audience as highly conceptual morsels of linear thought and logical fallacies. This award-winning comedian, who wrote for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, is also a New York Times bestselling author and star of Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock and his self-written and self-directed dramatic comedy, Dean. He’s on his Let’s Get Awkward Tour that visits Dallas at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 15. for a show at the Majestic Theatre. Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., 8 p.m., $35-$65, axs.com. — Danny Gallagher

It’s a new trend garnering attention from ABC News, Reuters and even Money: It’s goat yoga, and it’s here in Dallas, too. Unlike a polarizing and possibly risky cat yoga session, goat yoga involves more-than-willing participants — pygmy goats that like to hop to, jump up on and nuzzle up against humans. From Thursday through Saturday, East Bound and Down Icehouse, 3826 Ross Ave., presents two sessions a night (7 and 8 p.m.) with Deep Ellum Yoga, Shannon Josephson and about 20 baby pygmy goats. All levels are welcome to the interactive flow class featuring Texas country tunes and an attitude that is all about charitable fun. When the class description says “attendees may be subject to being climbed upon and pranced around by joyful baby goats,” there’s nothing to take super seriously. Except maybe the good: A percentage of proceeds benefits the North Texas Food Bank. East Bound and Down Ice house, 3826 Ross Ave., 7 and 8 p.m., $30, eventbrite.com. — Merritt Martin

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra doesn’t believe in making you wait until July to hear some epic Americana under the great wide open. And it doesn’t hold off on musical fireworks either. The DSO Parks Concerts bring fun, classical music to venues across Dallas with lively performances perfect for the whole family. The roster of works includes increasingly familiar tunes starting with Bernstein’s Candide Overture and Still’s Afro-American Symphony: 3rd Movement (Animato). Film favorite John Williams can be heard via his music from The Cowboys, Star Wars and Superman, and no concert in the park would be complete without some John Philip Sousa (“Washington Post March” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” naturally). Admission is free, and concerts start at 8:15 p.m. The last show is Thursday, June 15, at Paul Quinn College. Paul Quinn College, 3837 Simpson Stuart Road, 8:15 p.m., free, mydso.com. — Merritt Martin

The businesses located on Main Street in Deep Ellum open their doors every third Thursday evening for Wine Walk. It’s the perfect event for the art lover whose resveratrol levels could use a little pick-me-up. For $5 you get a specially designed wine glass which will be topped off as you meander through the neighborhood’s stores and galleries. Make Kettle Art Gallery (2650-B Main St.) your first stop at 5 p.m. Thursday. For more information and a list of participating shops, visit Deep Ellum’s Facebook page. Kettle Art Gallery, 2650-B Main St., 5 p.m., $5, see Facebook. — Kathryn DeBruler

The Lev Aronson Legacy Festival celebrates one of the greatest cello teachers ever. Aronson overcame physical and emotional tragedy during the Holocaust, and his story is one ultimately defined by triumph, talent and an immense passion for music education. This year’s fifth annual festival welcomes artists, listeners, teachers and skilled instrumentalists from all over the country to share in a week of multimedia performances, film screenings, concerts and cello-teaching seminars. Aronson’s 19-year stint with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and his renowned teaching career at Southern Methodist University make the festival’s location — SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, 1601 Bishop Blvd. — both poignant and appropriate. The festival takes place Saturday, June 10, through Saturday, June 17. Concert events are $35; festival master classes are free and open to the public. Find the festival schedule and more info at levaronsonlegacy.com. Meadows School of the Arts, 1601 Bishop Blvd., through June 17, free-$35, visit levaronsonlegacy.com. — Jonathan Patrick

Friday

During his time working for The Dallas Morning News from 1907-57, John Knott created many cartoons and characters, many of which were reprinted across America. But his “Old Man Texas” character was meant to represent rural property owners who desired low taxes along with honest politicians. Spend Friday night at the Hall of State in Fair Park, 3939 Grand Ave., with the Dallas Historical Society and its series installment “An Evening With! John Knott’s Cartoons with Ed Owens”, starting at 6:30 p.m. The DHS has about a third of the 15,000 pieces from Knott’s lifetime of work, and the lecture will examine many of those pieces and the importance of Knott’s contributions to social and political commentary. Hall of State in Fair Park, 3939 Grand Ave., 6:30 p.m., $10, call 214-421-4500 or visit eventbrite.com. — Merritt Martin

In the '80s and early '90s, Metallica almost singlehandedly brought thrash metal to pop-level relevancy. Its decline since, however, has been steep and consistent. That is until recently, when the band’s latest full-length, Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct, reestablished Metallica as a force to be reckoned with. Not since 1991 has Metallica moved with such purpose, motivation and … well, fun. Diehard fans are enjoying a remarkable 2017, as this return to form coincides with the band’s first North American tour since 2009, the WorldWired Tour. Backed by heavy-metallers Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica — armed with its patented heavy riffs and hook-laden explosiveness — seek to reminds America how it changed the course of music forever, and why, several generations later, the metal world is still feeding off the table scraps it left behind some 35 years ago. AT&T Stadium, 1 AT&T Way, Arlington, 6 p.m., Sold Out, 817-892-4000 or attstadium.com. — Jonathan Patrick

Bruce Wood Dance Project is known for bringing new and exciting works to the stage on a regular basis, whether they’re new in terms of age or new to our neck of the woods. With this season’s offering, Journeys, at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 16-17, at Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., BWDP offers two Dallas premieres. The first is “Schmetterling” (2004), which features a score of classical heavyweights, Mozart and Beethoven, and “Zero Hour” (1999) dances to Astor Piazzolla and Lalo Schifrin melodies. But “Chasing Home,” choreographed by BWDP’s Albert Drake III with Joseph Thalken, will be performed with a live score by the Dallas Chamber Symphony. Tickets are $25 to $100, but combos are available for as low as $42 for a showing of Journeys and a performance of BWDP’s “Chasing Home” in the fall. Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., 8 p.m., $25-$100, brucewooddance.org. — Merritt Martin

Alert: Flora Street, the vital artery of the Dallas Arts District from One Arts Plaza to the Dallas Museum of Art, will be shut down. No need to bring signs and protests; bring your lawn blankets and comfy shoes. It’s the annual Summer Block Party. From 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, June 16, the free celebration joins together the big hitters of the DAD, including the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center and Klyde Warren Park, for a celebration of the arts and the walkable area in which to enjoy them. The Crow offers up the last couple of weeks of Landscape Relativities: The Collaborative Works of Arnold Chang and Michael Cherney, an exhibition that appeals to both photography buffs and fans of Chinese ink painting. For more information on the block party, visit dallasartsdistrict.org, and for more on the exhibition, visit crowcollection.org. Dallas Arts District, Flora Street, 6 p.m.-midnight, free, dallasartsdistrict.org. — Merritt Martin

So you’ve finally got that fancy new camera you’ve always wanted that isn’t a cellphone. The problem is you’ve got no idea what you should take a picture of. You’d take a photo of something in your house or apartment, but you can look at that stuff with your own two eyes, and social media is already filled with useless images of people’s children and meals. There’s a special event just for you. The Late Night Photo Walk takes aspiring photographers around the city’s Arts District to show them some of the unique sights they can capture with their cameras in the outdoor hustle and bustle of the Dallas nightlife and at exhibits at the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center. The walk starts at 6:30 p.m. at Klyde Warren Park. Klyde Warren Park, 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, 6:30 p.m., free. — Danny Gallagher

Saturday

You'll be hard pressed to find a band that's gone through as many lineup changes as LA Guns, which hails from LA's Sunset Strip. The hair metal band even recruited the then-future Guns N' Roses' frontman Axl Rose in 1984, before he and Guns founder Tracii Guns went on to form Hollywood Rose, a precursor to Guns 'N Roses, before Guns was swiftly replaced by Slash. These days, the band lacks any original member, but its live shows are still just as energetic and full of familiar hits as they were back in the '80s and early '90s. Curtain Club, 2800 Main St., 8 p.m., $22-$30, 214-342-2030 or curtainclub.com. — Diamond Victoria

Everyone likes chips, and almost everyone likes beer. However, there’s a secret relationship between these two carb-laden treats that only a few people know: They go great together. They complement each other so well that they would get married if they could. That’s why the Noble Rey Brewing Co. in Dallas will host The Beer and Chips Art Festival, a unique festival that puts these two treats from the culinary deities together the way they were always meant to be. This roaming art festival features exciting new works of art from 50 artists from around the country that are free for viewing; all you have to cover is the check for the beer and chips. Noble Rey Brewing Co., 2636 Farrington St., 12-7 p.m., free, noblereybrewing.com. — Danny Gallagher

Bodies are strange things, and in the digital age, they’re only becoming stranger. This is the subject of UT Dallas artist and Master of Fine Arts candidate Jessie Budd’s work. Identity politics and the exploration of the human body’s malleability in the 21st century are at the heart of Budd’s fascinating art. Through self-portraits, fragmentation and several mediums, including illustration, sculpture, video and photography, Budd seeks to better understand the way we interact with modernity and how that affects the unusual relationship among mind, body and the external world. In her highly personal artworks, forms are stretched, deconstructed and  transformed into entirely new and radical entities as Budd works through the fundamental questions of what it means to be a living thing trapped in a one-by-one box of flesh and bone. UT Dallas invites you to explore Budd’s art at the opening night of the artist’s exhibition at CentralTrak’s Artists Residency location, 800 Exposition Ave. The show begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 17. Refreshments will be provided. Admission is free. CentralTrak, 800 Exposition Ave., 8 p.m., free. – Jonathan Patrick

The philanthropic festival Tour de Fat, presented by Fat Tire, brings its unique blend of music, beer, bikes and fun to Dallas with headliner Jamestown Revival. Spanning 33 cities this year, the festival's mission is to raise money for partnering nonprofits and will benefit Bike DFW, an organization which, according to its website, aims "to educate and advocate for changes in attitude and public policy that will improve and promote the safety, convenience and acceptance of bicycling in North Central Texas." The festival kicks off at 4 p.m. at The Bomb Factory, with an open-to-all fashion show at 4:30 p.m., a bicycle race at 6:30 p.m. and dance contest at 7 p.m. Stick around to hear folk rock duo Jamestown Revival at 7:30 p.m. The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., 4 p.m., $20/$25, 214-932-6501 or thebombfactory.com. — Diamond Victoria

As part of the 2017 Dallas Flamenco Festival, Ochre House Theater offers a world premiere: Picasso: Matador De Málaga. Through a multimedia deluge of sights, sounds and performances, the show seeks to capture the splintered passions and dynamism of the artist’s controversial life and work. World-class flamenco dancers, carefully curated design and some of our city’s finest actors conspire to bring patrons what will surely be one of the year's most memorable productions. Picasso’s insatiable desire and fiercely radical vision set him apart from both his peers and history. Ochre House’s reputation for emotional fireworks and left-of-center displays makes it an ideal candidate to tell his story. The event is for people 18 and older, and as with every Ochre House performance, do not arrive late. The house opens at 7:45 p.m. for evening performances and 2 p.m. for Saturday matinees. Performances start at 8:15 p.m. and run Wednesday through Saturday from June 21 through July 1 at Ochre House Theater, 825 Exposition Ave.; Saturday matinees begin at 2:30 pm. Tickets start at $25 ($20 for seniors and students). Ochre House Theater, 825 Exposition Ave., 2:30 and 8:30 p.m., $25 and up, ochrehousetheater.org. — Jonathan Patrick

Sunday

Everyone wants to go Hawaii. It’s the default view of heaven on Earth. Unfortunately, the only thing that’s not heavenly about the place is the price it costs to go there. That’s why the Dallas chapter of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild hosts a special week dedicated to America’s tropical getaway. Dallas Tiki Week turns some of the city’s most beloved, popular bars and eateries into tropical getaways with special events from Sunday, June 18, through Thursday, June 22. It begins at the Pilikia tiki bar, 3113 Ross Ave., with an opening registration from 3 to 9 p.m. and a special luau kickoff party. The party continues all week with celebrations at places like Rapscallion, Shoals in Deep Ellum and Glencoe Park and includes an Uptown tiki pub crawl. Tickets are $20 for individual days and $50 for a weeklong pass and are available at eventbrite.com. Pilikia, 3113 Ross Ave., 3 p.m. Sunday, $20-$50, eventbrite.com. — Danny Gallagher

Monday

Mondays are no longer for complaining about Mondays, thanks in part to the aptly named “Mondays Don’t Suck” hosted monthly by Action Park Grand Prairie, 1002 Lone Star Parkway. If you’ve ever watched any of the Fast and the Furious films and thought, “That’s for me,” then this is for you. Along with oohing and aahing at some of the area’s coolest and sleekest sets of wheels, which are all automatically entered for awards, this month’s “Mondays Don’t Suck,” which runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday, June 19, also includes sets from two local bands and a chance to see skate and BMX demonstrations from professionals. This all-ages event and overflow parking are free, but bring some cash for food, drinks and registered parking ($10). For more information and to register a car, visit the event’s Facebook page. Action Park Grand Prairie, 1002 Lone Star Parkway, 6-10 p.m., $10, see Facebook. — Diamond Victoria

Tuesday

Paul Mejia leads the Mejia Ballet International in a one-night-only event that showcases a wide spectrum of ballet performance and beautiful music. “Album For the Young” (music by legend Lowell Liebermann), Stravinsky’s “Serenade in A” and “For Five,” and “Saraste” with music by Pablo de Sarasate will be performed. A world premier, “Masquerade Variations,” complete with music by Aram Khachaturian and choreography by Iain Archer, should make the evening more exciting. Acclaimed New York violinist Eric Grossman and pianist William Hobbs will play throughout the event. Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., 8 p.m., $20, mejiaballet.com. — Jonathan Patrick

We’ve all seen Glee and La La Land. But what about the musicals that first saw a little love from Mr. Oscar himself? The golden age of musical film ranged from 1952-69 when it saw six out of 18 Academy Awards Best Picture nods. Gene Kelly no doubt gave us two of the most memorable: Singing in the Rain and An American in Paris. If you haven’t experienced the latter, you have your chance to at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, at Magnolia Theatre, 3699 McKinney Ave., as part of its The Big Movie weekly series. What is it about postwar Paris that offers up so much romantic intrigue? Add a love triangle, some song and dance and a starry-eyed artist, and it's nearly impossible to resist the 1951 film, also starring Leslie Caron. The film follows a soldier who visits Paris and decides to stay and make art after meeting a French ballerina. He's later joined by two other veterans looking to brighten their futures, but one of these new friendships ultimately proves a bump in the road in his quest to be with his lady love. An American in Paris is also a tribute to iconic American composer George Gershwin, whose early 20th century work is interpreted throughout, including the 17-minute finale to the tune of his 1927 jazz-influenced symphonic poem — you guessed it — “An American in Paris.” Magnolia Theatre, 3699 McKinney Ave., 7:30 p.m., $11, landmarktheatres.com. — Jonathan Patrick

Wednesday

With the amount of paint available in craft stores and the many episodes of The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross available on Netflix, taking up a new hobby is easier than ever. But what about a hobby that gets your heart pumping and your feet moving? Mixing fun with exercise never hurt anyone. (Plus, those Bob Ross paintings usually end up looking like a 12-year-old’s art project, and the cleanup is enough to have you say “never again.”) Sons of Hermann Hall, 3414 Elm St., helps everyone in need of a good time with its weekly Sing and Swing nights. Learn the basics of swing dancing or show off your Lindy Hop skills from 8 p.m. to midnight Wednesday, June 21. Beginners should arrive an hour early to learn some essential steps in the venue’s upstairs ballroom before the real fun begins. Dress up or down, but prepare your feet with some comfortable shoes. Karaoke also takes place from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. downstairs in the bar. Tickets are $8 for the night and can be purchased at the door. Sons of Hermann Hall, 3414 Elm St., 8:30-11:30 p.m., $8, sonofhermann.com. — Diamond Victoria