Cooler Temperatures and the Hottest Concerts

One of Fort Worth’s most beloved traditions is the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s Concerts in the Garden. Families and friends look forward to the amazing shows in the beautiful Fort Worth Botanic Garden each year. This year, there are a few changes, so we reached out to the FWSO team to learn more.

Tanglewood Moms: What do you want people to know most about this year’s Concerts in the Garden?

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Team: One of the exciting changes to Concerts in the Garden in 2023 is the change of dates to place the festival earlier! We made this change to try to prevent heat-related illnesses and delayed start times due to the extreme temperatures our musicians have to contend with on stage. We opted for cooler temperatures and the hottest programs.

TWM: What is a drone fireworks show?

FWSO Team: The drone show is a safe alternative to the traditional fireworks displays that will appeal to what lies deep in the heart of every Texan who joins us at the Botanic Garden. This decision was made due to the City of Fort Worth’s ban on fireworks displays after the rampant fires surrounding the Independence Day festivities last year put undue stress on the fire department.

TWM: How did you decide on the concert themes this year?

FWSO Team: We reviewed our most popular programs from previous festivals and kept the fan favorites while adding in new themes including our finale performance headliner, Texas’ own singer/songwriter Pat Green!

TWM: With Pat Green will be performing, will there be an area for dancing for the die-hard fans?

FWSO Team: As always, patrons are invited to dance the night away on Rock Springs Road!

Here are all the details of the 11 outdoor concerts at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden May 26 – June 11 with a drone show in place of the traditional fireworks presentation.

THE DETAILS

Location: Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107

Times: Parking lot, box office, and venue gates open at 6:30 PM and concerts begin at 8:30 PM

Tickets: Lawn tickets are $28. Children ages 10 and under are admitted free on the lawn with a ticket if accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating at round tables of 4 is $40–$79 with a 20% discount for children 10 and under in price levels B and C. Purchase tickets online at www.fwsymphony.org or by calling the FWSO Box Office at 817-655-6000.

Parking: Parking options include the following:

• Valet Parking $37* (Limited quantities available)
• North/South Self-Park $22 in advance/$25 at the gate
• Dickies Yellow Lot Prices vary and are available at the gate.

Shuttle service from the South Lot drops off at the South Entrance. A second CITG shuttle stop is also located in the middle of the Dickies Arena Yellow Lot. All shuttle services begin at 6:30 p.m. and run continuously until 30 minutes after the concert ends. ADA-accessible shuttles are available from the South Lot only. A convenient designated Uber/Lyft Drop-Off is also available in the South Lot.

Parking may be purchased in advance at www.fwsymphony.org or by calling the FWSO Box Office at 817-665-6000.

—FULL CONCERT SCHEDULE—

Friday, May 26 | Windborne’s The Music of Queen

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Brent Havens, conductor
MiG Ayesa, vocalist

Performed by the FWSO and amplified with a full rock band and vocals, conductor/arranger Brent Havens will capture Queen’s distinct sound while presenting some familiar and lots many new musical colors.

Saturday, May 27 | Patriotic Pops

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Taichi Fukumura, conductor
Michael Adams, baritone

In this all-American Memorial Day celebration at Concerts in the Garden, hear your favorite patriotic songs and marches in our exhilarating, first-ever, Memorial Day celebration, which offers brand new “drone” fireworks display in the area. A celebration not to be missed!

Sunday, May 28 | The Music of Harry Potter

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Taichi Fukumura, conductor

Hear the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conjure your favorite tunes from the films that took young witches and wizards to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Thursday, June 1 | Preservation Hall Jazz Band*

*This concert will be performed without orchestra

This year, the world-famous ensemble is touring to celebrate 60 years of making great music in the Crescent City and around the world. The band’s singular style is filled with unmistakable harmonies, melodies, and rhythms that are the lifeblood of saloons, riverboats, street parades, and festivals that make New Orleans a musical mecca.

Friday, June 2 | Radio Highway Performs The Music of The Eagles*

*This concert will be performed without orchestra

Radio Highway returns to the Concerts In The Garden series to perform The Music of The Eagles featuring vocalists Glenn DeLaune, H.L. Wilson, Danny Miranda, and Eldon Sully. This rock ensemble captures The Eagles’ amazing vocal harmonies in a concert rich with melodies as you’ve never heard before!

Saturday, June 3 | Chicago Nights starring Jason Scheff

Jason Scheff, vocalist/bassist for CHICAGO
Martin Herman, conductor

A tribute to this worldwide phenomenon by CHICAGO Nights starring Jason Scheff, long-time Lead Vocalist for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted band CHICAGO—“The Voice of CHICAGO across four decades.”

Sunday, June 4 | Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles*

*This concert will be performed without orchestra

The four musicians in Classical Mystery Tour look and sound just like The Beatles, but Classical Mystery Tour is more than just a rock concert. The show presents more than two dozen Beatles tunes transcribed note-for-note and performed exactly as they were originally recorded. Hear “A Hard Day’s Night” live, experience the beauty of “Yesterday” with an acoustic guitar and string quartet, and sway the night away with “Hey Jude.”

Thursday, June 8 | The Music of Led Zeppelin

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Taichi Fukumura, conductor

The Music of Led Zeppelin lets audiences experience the music of one of the greatest rock bands of all time, Led Zeppelin, like never before—with a full symphony orchestra. With a full band and orchestra playing Led Zeppelin’s hits such as “Immigrant Song,” “Kashmir” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and more!

Friday, June 9 | REWIND: The Music of the 80s

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Alex Amsel, conductor

This concert will feature the greatest 80s songs with a set list including George Michael, Mister Mister, Kool & The Gang, Joan Jett, The Cure, and more!

Saturday, June 10 | Star Wars

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
Taichi Fukumura, conductor

Hear selections from several of the Star Wars films that will take you to a galaxy far, far away.

Sunday, June 11 | Pat Green*

*This concert will be performed without orchestra

Credited as one of Texas country’s modern era’s founding fathers, Green has traveled many roads in the 25 years since his debut album, Dancehall Dreamer. A Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter with a restless creative spirit, his career has gone beyond the bounds of a “country star” to include the work of a painter, sculptor, philanthropist, family man and more. But one constant has remained – his vision.