Harry Potter Mania, Video Game Expo and Powder-Puff Football — the 10 Best Things to do in Dallas This Weekend

Dallas weekends are packed full of events, but how many of them are truly worthy of your time? PaperCity‘s new events calendar offers a curated look at all of the best things to do in North Texas. But everyone can still use an expert.

PaperCity‘s Weekend Expert Megan Ziots culls our calendar for your must dos in this regular weekly series. You have a busy weekend ahead being a wizard, doing yoga with kittens, or taking a meditative walk through an urban oasis. Get planning.

Embrace Your Inner Wizard

LeakyCon is welcoming witches, wizards, and even muggles to Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center this weekend. Harry Potter fans will unite to celebrate “The Boy Who Lived” with panels, programs, performances and a special guest appearance by the one and only Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton).

Dress up as your favorite character or show some House pride with your respective colors. The General Pass includes access to all three days of events (Friday through Sunday) for $149. Or if you want to meet Tom Felton on Sunday, buy The Draco Pass for $325, which includes an autograph, photo, and T-shirt. Separate autograph or photo sessions are available on Saturday or Sunday for $100-125.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing. 

Explore 29 Rooms

An immersive art installation from Refinery29, the much-anticipated 29Rooms opens this Friday, August 9. As its first Texas stop, the exhibit will feature two Dallas-based artists, Dan Lam and Alicia Eggert.

For $34, you’ll be able to explore 29,000 square feet of rooms with collaborations ranging from art and entertainment to politics and style.. The installation will only be at Gilley’s Southside Ballroom through August 18 so don’t miss your chance to check it out. It’ll go on to Atlanta next.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Fiddler on the Roof

As part of Dallas Summer Musicals, Fiddler on the Roof, is coming to the Music Hall at Fair Park starting this Wednesday, August 7. Performing hits like ‘Tradition,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” and “If I Were A Rich Man,” the show tells the heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and is all about live, love and laughter.

Shows will take place through August 18 and tickets start at $30.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing. 

Dierks Bentley

Country star Dierks Bentley is stopping in Dallas on his Burning Man 2019 tour this Saturday, August 10 at Dos Equis Pavilion. Known for hits “Drunk on a Plane” and “What Was I Thinking,” Bentley will be joined by Jon Pardi, Tenille Townes and Hot Country Knights.

The show it’ll start at 7 pm and tickets start at $36.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Let’s Play Gaming Expo

A retro gaming tournament and expo, the Let’s Play Gaming Expo takes place Friday through Sunday at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The three-day expo includes arcades, console games, tournaments, vendors, tabletop games, indie games, cosplay, and more. Creator of Rampage, Brian Colin, will be there, as well as actors, voice actors and YouTubers.

A weekend pass costs $35 and day passes start at $20.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Watch Football for a Cause

The 12th Annual BvB Dallas Powder-Puff Football Game is at the Cotton Bowl this Saturday from 7 pm to 10 pm. Founded by sisters whose father was afflicted by Alzheimer’s, BvB is a young professional organization that raises money for Alzheimer’s research and awareness. Kickoff is at 7:30 pm.

A $25 donation or more gains you entrance into the game and an after-party following.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

North Texas Margarita Festival

This Saturday from noon to 6 pm, Lava Cantina The Colony is hosting the North Texas Margarita Festival. The music venue and restaurant will have a live DJ, more than 15 margarita booths, street tacos, frozen drinks and a Mexico trip giveaway.

Regular sampling admission costs $30 and allows you to sample all of the margs, vote for a winner, and have one entry into the raffle for the Mexico trip. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Alexiam Foundation benefiting Dallas CASA.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Kitten Yoga!

This Sunday, get in zen mode with some kitten yoga at Flea Style in Deep Ellum. There will be two classes, one from 1 pm to 1:45 pm and the other from 2:15 to 3 pm. Operation Kindness and the vintage store have teamed up to make your yoga class cuddly and then let you play with kittens and shop afterwards.

You’ll have to bring your own mat and it’s adults only. Tickets are $35. Proceeds will benefit Operation Kindness.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

NorthPark AutoShow

Starting this Saturday, the annual NorthPark AutoShow welcomes more than 40 top of the line vehicles for the third year in a row. Gawk over Aston Martin’s and Alfa Romeo’s inside of the shopping center through August 26.

It’s free to peruse 2018 and 2019 models brands from Bentley, Audi, Jaguar, Tesla, Rolls-Royce and more.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.

Take a Meditation Walk

This Sunday, August 11, MindTravel is hosting a SilentWalk through the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden. From 3 pm to 5 pm, practice a walking meditation through serene gardens while guided by music delivered through headphones.

The experience is led by Murray Hidary, creator and composer of MindTravel. The event is free, but admission to the garden costs $2. Wireless headphones will be provided.

Go to the full PaperCity events calendar listing.