DFW Week Ahead, Nov. 9–15: Oak Cliff Barbecue, a Fort Worth Film Festival, Monster Trucks — and the First Holiday Lights
Saturday brings a barbecue showdown in Oak Cliff and the Lone Star Film Festival's final days in Fort Worth. Wednesday the Arboretum switches on a holiday tradition in its gazebos' final season, and Friday the Zoo lights up and the monster trucks roll.
Monday is for planning. The week of Nov. 9–15 in Dallas–Fort Worth runs from barbecue smoke to Christmas lights, and the five events worth circling — as checked Monday by B96 Dallas/Fort Worth, whose guide carries the standing caution that schedules, prices and availability may change — start in Oak Cliff. Blues, Bandits, and BBQ returns to Kidd Springs Park, 1003 Cedar Hill Avenue, on Saturday, Nov. 14, from noon to 4 p.m.: neighborhood barbecue teams competing for bragging rights, live music, and a family- and pet-friendly afternoon — bring a blanket or a chair and check the ticket options before you buy.
Fort Worth holds the week's culture slot. The Lone Star Film Festival continues through Nov. 13 in the Cultural District, with venues including the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth — independent features, documentaries and shorts, with filmmakers on hand; the Nov. 13 gala is a separate fundraising event, and each screening's location and ticket requirements are worth confirming. The same Friday night, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: Glow-N-Fire rolls into Ariat Arena with freestyle motocross and a new rhino-themed truck, Rhinomite — performances Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
And then the holidays switch on. Holiday at the Arboretum opens Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Dallas Arboretum on Garland Road and runs through Jan. 3 — the Christmas Village, the decorated DeGolyer House and the 12 Days of Christmas gazebos, which are in their final season in 2026; Holiday at Night runs 5–10 p.m., with daytime and nighttime admission ticketed separately. Dallas Zoo Lights opens Friday, Nov. 13, at the Dallas Zoo on South R.L. Thornton Freeway — more than two million lights on select nights through Jan. 3, 5:30–9 p.m., tickets from $19 with $15 nonmember parking; it is a lights experience, and most animals are behind the scenes for the evening. Pick a plan, verify it before you go, and the week is handled.
