November in Fort Worth is packed tighter than a honky-tonk on a Saturday night — and just as lively. From Sam Elliott’s star-studded salute at the Lone Star Film Festival to knife fights on the Casa Mañana stage in “West Side Story,” the city is serving up culture with a side of Texas swagger. Throw in Grammy-nominated violinists, indie rock revelry, and cutting-horse showdowns, and you’ve got a month that proves Cowtown knows how to do it all.
Oct. 30 – Nov. 5
Lone Star Film Festival
Emerson Miller AP
TV-Sam Elliott
This image released by Paramount+ shows Sam Elliott in a scene from "1883." (Emerson Miller/Paramount+ via AP)
As always, the annual festival will showcase an incredible string of films from local, national, and even international talent. Capping off the fest will be a gala honoring Western icon Sam Elliot and local musician — and recent Oscar nominee — Abraham Alexander.
The Modern and Bowie House
Nov. 1–9
‘West Side Story’
The Jets and the Sharks make their way to Casa Mañana with a production of one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, which features the best choreographed knife fights you will ever see.
Casa Mañana
Nov. 4
Black Violin
Rachel Bennett Photography
Though representing only one-quarter of a string quartet, this pair of Grammy-nominated violinists — Wil B. and Kev Marcus — go well outside the bounds of a classical repertoire as they fuse hip-hop with symphonic music.
Bass Performance Hall
Nov. 7
The Polyphonic Spree
Dallas-based indie chamber rock outfit celebrates 21 years since the band’s breakthrough album, Together We’re Heavy. We suspect they’ll be performing the album in its entirety, which we’re not mad about.
Tulips
Nov. 9 – Dec. 6
NCHA Futurity and World Finals
With a pair of key events, there’s no month like November in the world of cutting. The NCHA Futurity represents the first event of the Triple Crown for 3-year-old cutting horses, and the World Finals will feature the sport’s best horses and horsemen regardless of age.
Will Rogers Coliseum
Nov. 12 – 16
‘& Juliet’
Matthew Murphy
The premise: What if Juliet decided not to stab herself after finding her beloved Romeo dead? This coming-of-age, “what if?” musical features a veritable best-of collection of teenybopper faves from the ’90s onward.
Bass Performance Hall
Nov. 13
Ben Rector
The popular singer-songwriter, whose tunes “Brand New,” “Love Like This,” and “Drive,” have earned him substantial airplay, visits Dickies Arena in support of his tenth studio album, Richest Man in the World.
Dickies Arena
Nov. 23
Parade of Lights
The annual downtown parade, which officially kicks off the holiday season, features over 100 floats. For those who don’t plan on attending, whatever you do, don’t drive downtown on this date — unless you’re a glutton for traffic.
Downtown Fort Worth
Nov. 28
Drake Milligan
Robby Klein
One of Fort Worth’s own, this local singer was once a professional Elvis impersonator before landing the role of the King on CMT’s “Sun Records” in 2017. This marks the fourth year in a row Milligan drops by the World’s Largest Honky Tonk.
Billy Bob’s Texas
Nov. 28 – 29
Home for the Holidays
A Fort Worth holiday tradition, this year’s “Home for the Holidays” brings back former Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, who will lead the orchestra in holiday classics sung by Shayna Steele and the I.M. Terrell Academy Choir.
Bass Performance Hall
