Best Things To Do in Dallas June 30 - July 6

Wednesday, June 30

Shakespeare Dallas presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised]
The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] is sort of like a humorous Cliff Notes version of Shakespeare’s entire library of work. The performances, with three actors and taking place Thursdays through Sundays through July at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre (1500 Tenison Parkway), are a great way to enjoy classic theater without all the boring parts. This week’s shows start at 8:15 p.m., Wednesday, June 30, and run through Sunday, July 4, with an intermission for a fireworks display on Sunday. Visit shakespearedallas.org for more information.

Thursday, July 1

PhotoGraffiti
Deep Ellum Art Co. (3200 Commerce St.) hosts a photography exhibition curated by local photographer Andrew Sherman titled PhotoGraffiti. It consists of art derived from photographs including iconic Dallas landmarks, but with a fun twist. It also includes local concert photography and three-dimensional prints. Photographers in the show include Jay Simon, Sergio Zuniga, Jessica Waffles, Austin Marc Graf and Melissa Cunningham. Opening night kicks off at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 1, with music by DJ Jay Sustain with a suggested donation of $5. Visit deepellumart.co for more information.

Improv Arlington presents Mark Curry
You may remember comedian Mark Curry from his mid-’90s TV show Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, in which he starred as a former basketball player turned teacher. These days he’s a one-man show on his standup tour, and will be at Improv Arlington (309 Curtis Mathes Way ) for three nights: At 8 p.m., Thursday, July 1; 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., Friday, July 2; and 7 and 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 3. Tickets start at $60 at improvtx.com.

Friday, July 2

Four Day Weekend
Forget sitting idly by as someone cracks jokes from a stage and instead join in on a performance by award-winning Four Day Weekend, the improv comedy troupe that includes audience suggestions and participation. With performances in Fort Worth and Dallas every weekend through the rest of the year, Four Day Weekend has been in the comedy game for over two decades, earned critical acclaim and even performed for two U.S. presidents. Catch this week’s performances in Dallas at Four Day Weekend East (5601 Sears St.) starting at 8 p.m., Friday, July 2. For tickets and their full schedule of events, go to fourdayweekend.com.

Saturday, July 3

90’s Night
Joey Liechty, aka DJ Yeahdef, brings back his ’90s nights this week at Denton’s newest music venue, The Gold Room (1803 N. Elm St.) for an event called "90's Night." You’ll hear the known earworms of the decade, but Liechty’s exhaustive crate digging and dedication to curating the best lineup of songs means you’ll likely walk away with a few lesser-known tunes in your head — and you’ll thank him for it. Grab a drink at The Gold Room’s full bar and catch the music at 9 p.m., Saturday, July 3.

Chuck E. Cheese and Munch’s Make Believe Band
Long before Pizza Rat had its 15 minutes of fame back in 2015, there was the original pizza-loving varmint, Chuck E. Cheese — an animatronic rat that played music with other anthropomorphized animals called Munch’s Make Believe Band. Despite the now-terrifying footage from Chuck E. Cheese restaurants back in the 1970s and ’80s (just spend a few minutes on YouTube if you don’t believe us), kids ate it up. And, although Mr. Cheese has since been rebranded as a mouse, he’s back with his band (fortunately or unfortunately without the animatronics) and will be at Klyde Warren Park (2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway) as part of his first-ever summer concert tour. Bring the kids for all the free fun at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 3.

Stepping into the Beyond
The Bishop Arts District’s eclectic “goods, gallery and design” shop {neighborhood}, at 2532 Converse St., hosts a new gallery show, Stepping into the Beyond, featuring several Texas artists and styles ranging from abstract to portraiture and landscapes. The opening reception is free to attend and begins at 5 p.m., Saturday, July 3. For more information on artists and other products available at the shop, visit neighborhood-store.com.



Dallas by Chocolate Tour
Chocoholics can rejoice and get to know some of Dallas’ best dessert spots with the Dallas by Chocolate Tour on Saturday, July 3. Learn all about this sweetmeat through a lesson in its history and how it’s made while checking your knowledge with some trivia. This guided tour includes stops at several premier chocolate-making spots serving up truffles, pastries and more. It all starts at 1 p.m. at Dallas by Chocolate (4925 Greenville Ave.). The event returns on select Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 31. Tickets are $48-$53 at dallasbychocolate.com.

VISIBLE: Asian and AAPI Artists in America
In an effort to create awareness for anti-Asian bias and Asian hate, several artists, including some from North Texas, have contributed to an exhibition at Ro2 Art (110 N. Akard St.) titled Visible: Asian and AAPI Artists in America. According to a press release, in an open letter to the international art magazine Artforum, several Asian artists criticized the publication by saying: “[We] have been calling on the art media, as we carry on our long term anti-racism work, to amplify Asian voices and demands. ... These crucial forms of media coverage have been so far glaringly missing. We are, once again, invisible.” It’s in this spirit that Visible, which includes painting, printmaking, drawing, fiber, clay, bronze and steel, comes to fruition. Opening reception begins at 3 p.m., Saturday, July 3. Admission is free. Find more information on the exhibition at ro2art.com.

Sunday, July 4

Fireworks Celebrations
Fireworks on the Fourth of July are sewn into the thread of this country, as the first nationwide celebration of the country’s birthday happened one year after our independence was officially declared, in 1777. In Philadelphia, after some ships gave a 13-gun salute to honor the 13 original colonies, folks went nutso setting off rockets, playing live music and, we can only imagine, earning themselves a nasty hangover the next day. Not a lot has changed, really. And there are plenty of locations to set up chairs, blankets and coolers to watch this age-old American tradition throughout North Texas.

July 3:
5 p.m. at Addison Circle Park (4970 Addison Circle Drive)

July 4:
12 p.m. at Texas Ale Project (1001 N Riverfront Blvd.) Facebook

6 p.m. at Irving City Hall (825 W. Irving Blvd.)

6 p.m. at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve (2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway,Plano)

9:30 p.m. at Josey Ranch Lake (1700 Keller Springs Road, Carrollton)

9:30 p.m. at Oak Grove Park (2520 Oak Grove Loop S., Grapevine)

5 p.m., Lone Star Park (1000 Lone Star Parkway, Grand Prairie)



Dallas Heritage Fest
For a more traditional, and we mean really traditional, July 4 celebration, head to Dallas Heritage Village (1515 S. Harwood St.) for their Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration, including Smokey Ray’s Barbecue and Kona Ice food trucks. The family-friendly event will also include a participatory parade and a selected reading of Frederick Douglass’ Independence Day speech. It’s the place to be if you’d rather avoid loud fireworks and drunk flag-wavers. For more information, go to.

Monday, July 5

30 Americans
In a collection created from the 1970s to the present, 30 Americans showcases the work of three generations of emerging and established African American artists and their varying understandings of what it is to be American. The exhibition includes a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation with a focus on race, sexuality, gender and historical identity. The Arlington Museum of Art (201 W Main St.) presents 30 Americans now through Sept. 5. Ticket prices range from $5 to $15 and can be purchased at arlingtonmuseum.org.