Oak Cliff Mardi Gras Parade. (Photo by Elliott Muñoz)
Feb. 2
‘The Tuskegee Airmen’
The first Tuesday social justice film celebrates African American History Month with the story of the first black U.S. fighter groups in World War II, “The Tuskegee Airmen,” starring Laurence Fishbourne. The film starts at 7 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest,
214.337.2429 firsttuesdayfilms.org, free
Feb. 6
Masquerade ball
This night of dancing and partying at the Kessler Theater calls for tuxes, evening gowns and glamorous Mardi Gras masks. Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres. Club Wood and Ice House perform. VIP tickets include a table for two upstairs ($150) or a table for four near the dance floor ($300).
The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis,
214.272.8346, thekessler.org, $60-$300
Feb. 6
Dash for the Beads
The sixth annual Good Space Dash for the Beads 5k race and 1-mile fun run starts at 9:30 a.m. at Kidd Springs Park and follows a route through Kessler Park. Last year’s event drew 2,500 participants and raised more than $22,000 for neighborhood schools.
Kidd Springs Park, 711 W. Canty,
dashforthebeads.org, $20-$45
Feb. 14
A love story about art
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with “Herb and Dorothy,” the 2008 documentary about unassuming art buyers Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a U.S. Postal Service worker and librarian, respectively. The couple amassed one of the most important post-1960s art collections in existence.
The Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson, 214.948.1546
Feb. 7
Mardi Gras parade
Legendary bluesman and Oak Cliff son Jimmie Vaughan is grand marshal of the big Oak Cliff Mardi Gras parade, which starts at 2 p.m. The parade got its start in 2008 with a few floats and a few hundred people in Bishop Arts. And now it’s one of the biggest celebrations of the year. The parade travels from Davis at Windomere to the Bishop Arts District and features fantastic floats, marching bands and tons of beads and candy. Neighbors should walk or ride bikes when possible because this little shindig now draws thousands of people from all over the Dallas area.
300-1400 blocks of West Davis,
gooakcliff.com, free
Denver-based comedian/musician Shayna Ferm and her sidekick, MC Doula (a.k.a. Tracey Tee).
Feb. 17
Pump and dump
Get a sitter and laugh so you won’t cry at “The Pump and Dump: A Parentally Incorrect Comedy Show and Night Out, For Once.” It’s a night of comedy and music from Denver-based comedian/musician Shayna Ferm and her sidekick, MC Doula (a.k.a. Tracey Tee).
The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis,
thekessler.org, $20-$30
Feb. 25-March 6
One-act play festival
Only about 22 percent of all plays produced in the United States are written by women, according to a 2015 Dramatist Guild/Lilly Awards survey. When Theresa Coleman Wash of TeCo Theatrical Productions saw that, she decided to produce “Down for the Count,” a one-act play festival featuring six plays by female writers.
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, 215 S. Tyler,
214.948.0716, tecotheater.org, $18-$25
Feb. 27
Flaco Jimenez
Max Baca and Los Texmaniacs return to the Kessler this month, and they’re bringing along a Texas treasure, Flaco Jimenez.
The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis, thekessler.org, $28-$42
