THURSDAY 6/16
Welcome to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee! “An eclectic group of six mid-pubescents vies for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing ‘ding’ of the bell that signals a spelling mistake.” This award-winning musical runs thru the weekend at Theatre Arlington (305 W Main St, 817-275-7661) with performances at 7:30pm Thu-Sat and 2pm Sun. Tickets are $32 at TheatreArlington.org.
Courtesy Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
FRIDAY 6/17
This week heralds the return of Concerts in the Garden presented by Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, 817-463-4160) at 8:15pm Thu-Sun. Shows include Asleep at the Wheel Thu, Jackopierce tonight, Radio Highway performing the music of The Eagles Sat, and Sarah Jaffe Sun. Tickets start at $25 at FWSymphony.org/CITG.
SATURDAY 6/18
In celebration of Juneteenth, join Dr. Opal Lee at 10am at 1050 Evans Av for Opal’s Walk for Freedom 2022. Then at 4pm, head to Panther Island Pavilion (395 Purcey St, 817-698-0700) for the I Am Juneteenth Festival, featuring live acts, food, a kids’ zone, and fireworks. The walk is free, and the festival admission starts at $20. To register for the walk or to buy tickets, visit JuneteenthFTW.com.
Arlington also has a Juneteenth Celebration 4pm-10pm at The Levitt Pavilion (100 W Abram St, 817-543-4308). This free family event features performances by jazz/R&B artist Ron Artis II & The Truth with local opening acts Jazz Super Friends and Tyra & Tiara. There will be food trucks and vendors for on-site concession purchases, but you are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs, snacks, and coolers with drinks, including beer and wine (but no glass containers). For more info, visit ArlingtonJuneteenthCelebration.com.
SUNDAY 6/19
If you’re looking for dining ideas for Father’s Day, check out ATE DAY8 a Week from our last issue at FWWeekly.com. For a unique experience for Dad, how about Fathers in Fandom at the Dallas Fan Expo at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (650 S Griffin St, Dallas, 214-939-2750) this weekend? “From Darth Vader to Uncle Ben, pop culture is full of father figures. Whether your dad is a Homer Simpson or more of a Mr. Miyagi, we’ll have activities, crafts, and panels for you.” Join in on the father-centric fun 4pm-9pm Fri, 10am-10pm Sat, and 10am-5pm today. Single-day tickets are $32, and three-day passes are $105 at FanExpoHQ.com.
MONDAY 6/20
Apparently, it’s game night in Denton. Jack Tyler Trivia hosts free Monday Night Trivia 7pm-9pm weekly at Herf’s Denton County Tap House (2655 W University Dr, Ste 1031, 214-578-3578), and Free Play Arcade Community Group meets at Free Play Denton (101 W Hickory St, 682-263-1980) 7pm-11pm for its monthly Denton Pinball Tournament Night. The FP entry fee usually is $11.04 with all machines set to free play, but the cost is waived most Mondays. Then head to Riprock’s Bar & Grill (1211 W Hickory St, 940-808-1686) for Ping-Pong Tournament Mondays. Sign-up is at 9pm, games start at 9:30pm, and there is no cover. First and second place winners receive bar cash.
TUESDAY 6/21
Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry on over to Bass Performance Hall (525 Commerce St, 817-212-4280) for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at 7:30pm today thru Fri, Jun 24; 1:30pm and 7:30pm Sat, Jun 25; and 1:30pm and 6:30pm Sun, Jun 26. Just know that seeing this revival will not be your typical Oklahoma! experience. “Stripped down to reveal the darker psychological truths at its core, Daniel Fish’s production tells a story of a community circling its wagons against an outsider and the frontier life that shaped America. Upending the sunny romance of a farmer and a cowpoke, this Oklahoma! allows the classic musical — and our country — to be seen in a whole new light.” Tickets start at $55 at BassHall.com/Oklahoma.
WEDNESDAY 6/22
From 7pm to 10pm, see The Thing 40th Anniversary at the Movie Tavern (4920 S Hulen St, 817-546-7090). “Director John Carpenter teams Kurt Russell’s outstanding performance with incredible visual effects to create a chilling version of the classic The Thing. Set in the winter of 1982 at a research station in Antarctica, a 12-man research team finds an alien being that has fallen from the sky and has remained buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Soon it is unfrozen and unleashed, creating havoc and terror as it changes forms and becomes one of them.” This special screening also features the Terror Takes Shape documentary. Tickets are $13.37 at bit.ly/3PCFZxv.
