Looking for things to do in the Dallas area this weekend and throughout the next week? Start here. Here’s a curated guide to what’s going on in North Texas for Jan. 10 through Jan. 16. The list includes free things to do around D-FW.
For more activities, concerts, community gatherings, and events for kids and families, check out the Go See DFW calendar.
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FREE The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center is celebrating the civil rights icon with a series of events over nine days. And MLK Fest is one of the biggest, with live music, food, a resource fair and guest speakers. Guests can show their civic pride by participating in a community clean-up event. A mural will also be painted, inspired by the late Dallas civil rights advocate and City Council member Juanita Craft. Check the community center’s website for a full list of events during MLK Celebration Week.
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Jan. 11 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Dallas. Free admission.
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FREE The Oak Cliff Cultural Center will pay tribute to the influential Black author and anthropologist with this day of art, storytelling, poetry, live music performances and more. A leading voice from the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston is known for her works about the American South. The one-day festival will include talks by experts, a workshop on printmaking (registration required), and book and merchandise vendors. Refreshments will be served.
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Jan. 11 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center in Dallas. Free admission.
D.L. HUGHLEY
D.L. Hughley has been making us laugh for more than three decades. The actor, comedian and radio personality got his start as the original host of BET’s ComicView in the early 1990s before starring in the ABC and UPN sitcom The Hughleys from 1998 to 2002. He was one of the featured comedians in Spike Lee’s 2000 film The Original Kings of Comedy and has appeared in films including The Brothers, Scary Movie 3, Soul Plane and Spy School. He has also written a number of books. Hughley will be in Arlington for a three-day run of 18-and-up standup comedy sets.
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Jan. 10 at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m., Jan. 11 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. and Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Improv in Arlington. Tickets start at $45.
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THREE KINGS DAY CELEBRATION
The Latino Cultural Center and Casa de España will host a festival for Celebración del Día de Los Reyes Magos, honoring the three wise men of the Bible who, according to the Gospel of Matthew, paid homage to Jesus of Nazareth with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Chocolate and roscón, or Three Kings Cake, will be available to eat, and Christmas carols will be sung. Guests can bring a gift for the wise men to give to their children.
Jan. 11 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas. Admission is $5-$10, and free for children 4 or younger.
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LIVE BAND KARAOKE
This isn’t your typical karaoke night with an electronic system and tinny-sounding tunes. Here’s your chance to live out your rock-star dreams by fronting a live band. The event takes place every Thursday with a different theme; this one is “Retro ‘70s Groove.” While you’re there, check out Harvest Hall’s food hall with seven different chef-driven kitchens.
Jan. 16 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Third Rail, inside Harvest Hall in Grapevine. Free general admission (no guaranteed seating), $30.87 for reserved seating.
ADAM CONOVER
Adam Conover is the kind of comedian who wants to make you think as well as laugh. Conover created and hosted the truTV educational comedy series Adam Ruins Everything from 2015-19 before bringing The G Word with Adam Conover to Netflix in 2022. (The G-word is government, and each episode examines a different aspect of it.) The New York native describes himself as the only person in his family without a Ph.D., but he clearly puts some brain power into his projects, including his long-running podcast, Factually! With Adam Conover. Get a dose of Conover’s thoughtful humor during his three-day run of 18-and-up shows in Addison.
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Jan. 10 at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m., Jan. 11 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. and Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Addison Improv in Addison. Tickets start at $22.
For two decades, this touring show has sought to re-create the experience of seeing the King of Pop live in concert. Founding member Taalib York has been singing and dancing since age 7, mimicking the voice and moves of his lifelong idol, Michael Jackson. York is joined by a team of fellow singers and musicians in the show’s 20th anniversary tour, which will be packed with dancing and familiar tunes.
Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. at Echo Lounge and Music Hall in Dallas. Tickets start at $19 (or $9.50 with a special two-for-one online offer).
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HOTCAKE HUSTLE
Kick off the 2025 racing season with this family-friendly event through the trails of Plano’s Oak Point Nature Preserve. Runners can sign up for 10K and 5K races, a fun run or a virtual run. After the run, enjoy hotcakes, hot chocolate, coffee, beer and more at the after-party. A beer garden will open at 8:45 a.m., and a pancake-eating contest will take place at 9:45 a.m. The fun run begins at 8 a.m., and the 5K and 10K runs start at 8:30 a.m.
Jan. 11 starting at 6:30 a.m. (packet pickup and registration) at Oak Point Nature Preserve in Plano. Race-day pricing is $79 for the 10K, $64 for the 5K, $45 for the fun run and $49 for the virtual run, with discounts available for registering early for most events.
Perhaps best known as a cast member of MTV’s Wild ‘n Out, Maddy Smith has been a popular presence on the stand-up circuit in recent years. Known for her quick wit and ability to roast others, she’s racked up millions of views on YouTube and has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. Catch Smith, a regular at New York City’s Comedy Cellar, during her two-day run of 18-and-up shows in Fort Worth.
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Jan. 10 at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. and Jan. 11 at 7 and 9:30 p.m. at Hyena’s Comedy Night Club in Fort Worth. $25.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES SHOWING AND CONCERT
What do you get when you mix a cult classic film with a rock concert? This mutant mashup at the Texas Theatre, of course. The 1990 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will start things off at 8 p.m., followed at around 9:30 p.m. by a behind-the-screen concert featuring Denton indie pop band Fishboy and local musician/comedian the Bret Crow Show. With this being a TMNT-related event, pizza will, of course, be served. You must be at least 18 to attend.
Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff. $12-$20.
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The Go See DFW calendar is a partnership between KERA and The Dallas Morning News.
Arts Access is an arts journalism collaboration powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
This community-funded journalism initiative is funded by the Better Together Fund, Carol & Don Glendenning, City of Dallas OAC, The University of Texas at Dallas, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Eugene McDermott Foundation, James & Gayle Halperin Foundation, Jennifer & Peter Altabef and The Meadows Foundation. The News and KERA retain full editorial control of Arts Access’ journalism.