Things To Do in Dallas - August 3-9

1. Stadium Sweat at The Cotton Bowl

Aug 9 | Cotton Bowl Stadium | Free

Fitness Ambassadors, Fair Park, and Corporate Athlete team up for a one-of-a-kind outdoor fitness experience on the legendary Cotton Bowl football field — the inaugural event in Fitness Ambassadors' new Stadium Sweat Series, marking the group's 10th anniversary. Check-in opens at 9 a.m., followed by a 50-minute HIIT and strength workout led by Jackie Brown at 9:30. Afterward, stick around for a social hour and mini vendor village with local wellness brands and complimentary goodies. Come for the workout, stay for the chance to sweat where legends have played.

2. Stranger Things Fan Celebration Weekend

Aug. 6-9 | Netflix House, Galleria Dallas | Free entry, event tickets vary

Code Red — the clock is ticking on Stranger Things: Face the Dark before it leaves Dallas. Kick things off August 6 with the Sounds Like Netflix: Stranger Things concert, an '80s-inspired setlist inside Netflix Bites, then throw on your best '80s look for the free fan celebration running Friday through Sunday. Expect photo ops, Hawkins-themed bites, giveaways, character encounters, and plenty of rad surprises throughout the weekend, all inside Netflix House's free-to-enter space.

3. SPARK! After Dark

Aug. 7 | SPARK! Dallas | $40, 21+, 7–10 p.m.

SPARK!'s monthly adults-only night gives grown-ups after-hours access to SPARK! City, the immersive exhibition transforming the space into five distinct Dallas neighborhoods. Tickets include one drink ticket for beer, wine, or soda, plus creative activities and social programming designed for a laid-back night of art and connection, all supporting SPARK!'s youth creativity mission.

4. Eataly After Hours

Aug. 7 | Eataly Dallas, NorthPark Center | From $85, 21+, 8 p.m.–midnight

Eataly's late-night summer party turns the Italian marketplace into a dance floor with hand-crafted cocktails, multiple DJ sets, a game lounge, late-night karaoke, and chef-crafted Italian bites into the early hours. It's the market's way of saying ciao to a Texas summer — early bird tickets are limited, and rideshare is recommended.

5. Mi Cocina Mambo Miles 5K

Aug. 8 | Klyde Warren Park | From $55

The 6th annual Mambo Miles turns a 5K run/walk through downtown into a full-blown fiesta, finishing with a lawn party at Klyde Warren Park complete with a tequila garden, food trucks, and the signature color-changing finisher medal. Registration includes a commemorative shirt and a legendary Mambo Taxi margarita at the finish line, with proceeds benefiting the Familia Fund. Spots are capped at 3,500 and tend to sell out, so sign up early.

6. Piano in the Park

Aug. 9 | Klyde Warren Park | Free

Take a seat at the park's green piano and show off your talents, no invitation needed. It's free, open to the public, and first-come-first-served — a low-key way to spend a Sunday morning downtown, whether you're the one playing or just listening in from a nearby bench.

7. Hotel Pool Days

Ongoing | Various Dallas hotels | Day passes from $10–$35+

Dallas's hotel pools turn into some of the best warm-weather hangouts in the city, from The Adolphus's downtown rooftop scene (ResortPass from $35, cabanas from $150) to the Hilton Anatole's JadeWaters waterpark with its lazy river and water slides, to neighborhood spots like the historic Texas Pool ($10 entry). Most are bookable by the day through ResortPass even if you're not a hotel guest, making them an easy way to cool off without leaving town.

8. Sound Bath Meditation

Aug. 5 | Dallas Farmers Market, The Shed | Free, donation-based

Heal, Love, & Grow hosts a sound bath meditation in The Shed at the Dallas Farmers Market, using therapeutic sound to calm the mind, heal the body, and uplift the spirit. Class is donation-based, making it an accessible way to slow down midweek.

August Movie Nights: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

Aug. 3 | Plaza of the Americas | Free, doors at 6:30 p.m.

Downtown Dallas, Inc. kicks off an indoor movie series spanning two of the best spy franchises ever made — Mission: Impossible and James Bond — with five Monday nights at Plaza of the Americas. First up: 2011's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (PG-13, 2h 13m), in which Ethan Hunt and the entire IMF agency are disavowed after being blamed for a terrorist attack on the Kremlin. Left off the grid without resources or backup, Hunt has to clear the agency's name and stop another attack, teaming up with a group of fellow IMF fugitives whose motives are anyone's guess. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the movie starting at 7:30.

10. Boot-Scoot-Boogie Line Dance Lessons

Aug. 9 | Halperin Park | Free

The Round-Up Saloon brings its beloved free line dance lessons outdoors to Halperin Park, teaching classics like the Electric Slide and the Boot Scootin' Boogie to lively country tunes. No partner or experience necessary — just bring comfortable shoes and a good attitude, and the instructors will help you find your footing (and a partner, if you need one).

Check back next week for more of the best things to do in Dallas, because there's always something new to discover in Dallas.