Dickies Arena will be the place to be this weekend in Fort Worth, as it will host a big concert from different artists on three consecutive nights. Other choices include a Halloween-themed event, three other concerts, screenings of a new film, a symphony concert, a local theater production, and a community cleanup.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city’s best events.

Thursday, September 18

Howell Farms presents Pumpkin Nights
At Pumpkin Nights, guests can venture along a half-mile walking path, where they’ll discover the Forbidden City, a Pirate’s Cove, and more fantastical lands built using over 5,000 hand-carved real and artificial pumpkins. The celebration continues with entertainment and games in The Village, the festival area. The event takes place through October 31 at Howell Family Farms in Arlington.

Laufey in concert
Icelandic singer Laufey shares a home country with fellow artist Björk, but their musical styles are as different as you can get. Laufey is a jazz-inspired pop artist who first got notice on Iceland’s versions of America’s Got Talent and The Voice as a teenager, finally releasing her debut album in 2022. Her second album got her notice in other countries, and now she’s a bonafide star with her new album, A Matter of Time. She’ll play at Dickies Arena, joined by Suki Waterhouse.

Samantha Fish in concert
Singer/guitarist Samantha Fish has been playing her style of blues rock for over 15 years, releasing her debut album, 2009’s Live Bait, at the tender age of 20. She’s gone on to release 10 more solo and collaborative albums, including the new Paper Doll. She’ll play at Billy Bob’s Texas.

Friday, September 19

Magnolia at the Modern: The History of Sound
Lionel (Paul Mescal), a young scholarship student at the New England Conservatory in Boston, meets David (Josh O’Connor), who is playing piano in a local bar. It is 1917, and the two bond over their shared love of folk music. Separated by the First World War, the pair reconnect a few years later, embarking on a song collecting trip in the backwaters of Maine. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Lainey Wilson in concert
Country star Lainey Wilson has been all over the place in the past year or so. In 2024 alone, she won Best Country Album at the Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, co-hosted the 58th CMA Awards (where she also won two awards), starred on Yellowstone, and performed during the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Halftime Show. To say it’s been a whirlwind is putting in mildly, which may be why Whirlwind is the title of her latest album. She’ll play at Dickies Arena.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents “Symphonic Stories: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
British composer Joby Talbot has composed music for the stage and screen alike, with films like Sing, Sing 2, and Wonka under his belt. Ballet dancers from Bruce Wood Dance will join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra to bring Talbot’s celebrated musical interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to life. The orchestra opens the concert with Mozart’s famous “Prague” Symphony. There will be three performances through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Stolen Shakespeare Guild presents A Murder is Announced
An announcement in the local paper sets the stage for a murder in Miss Blacklock’s Victorian house. With unexpected twists and concealed identities, Miss Marple steps in to unravel the mystery. The production runs through September 28 at Stolen Shakespeare Guild.

Old 97’s in concert
Old 97’s are a Dallas original that just celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Hitchhike to Rhome. Although their national profile never got bigger than their highest-charting album, 2014’s Most Messed Up (which came in at No. 30 on the Billboard 200), they remain beloved locally. They’ll play at Billy Bob’s Texas in support of their 2024 album, American Primitive.

Saturday, September 20

Photo by Eric Ryan Anderson

Lainey Wilson will play at Dickies Arena on September 19.

Tarrant Regional Water District presents Fall Trash Bash
The Tarrant Regional Water District’s Fall Trash Bash features thousands of volunteers removing litter throughout the community and its local waterways. Participants can choose from one of 10 locations to clean up along the Trinity River. After they’re done with the cleanup, participants can celebrate their hard work at the after party at The Shack at Panther Island Pavilion.

Benson Boone in concert
Singer Benson Boone may not have won Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards (the stacked category went to Chappell Roan), but when he performed his now-signature flip in a skintight jumpsuit while singing his hit song “Beautiful Things,” he made as big of an impression as anybody at the ceremony. He’ll perform at Dickies Arena in support of his second album, American Heart, which features the hit song “Mystical Magical.”

Charles Wesley Godwin in concert
Country-folk singer Charles Wesley Godwin is a rising star in the genre. Hailing from West Virginia, he released his debut album, Seneca, in 2019 and has slowly but surely been gaining notice ever since. He collaborated with Zach Bryan on the song “Jamie” in 2022, contributed “Winter’s Come and Gone” to the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: The Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes, and released his third album, Family Ties, in 2023. He’ll play at Billy Bob’s Texas.