Abram Street / Authentically Arlington / Cultural Arts / Downtown Outdoors / Entertainment

May 5, 2022

Know Before You Go: How to Have a Blast at the Levitt!

by Letatia Teykl, Executive Director, Levitt Pavilion

Levitt Pavilion Arlington is back for another season of free live music, and everyone is invited to join us for weekend concerts under the stars in the heart of Downtown Arlington!

As guardians for one of Arlington’s most treasured community resources, we want everyone who visits us to fall in love BIG with our beautiful venue and come back again and again. To help make that happen, we’ve put together this list of tips for a great experience at the Levitt Pavilion. But before we talk tips, let’s take a quick look at what the 2022 Levitt season has to offer.

The 2022 Levitt season runs early May through mid-July, then resumes Labor Day weekend and runs through October.

Concerts, more concerts, and so many genres…

Taking the Levitt stage this season are up-and-coming artists, longtime fan favorites, Grammy winners, and legends in the genres of Texas country, classic rock, Tejano, folk music, and much more. Because we have so many great shows planned, it’s hard to spotlight any one in particular. Having said that, a few concerts you WON’T want to miss include: our Memorial weekend concert lineup featuring Cody Canada & The Departed (alt country) and Little Joe Y L Familia (Tejano); the Juneteenth Celebration weekend featuring Ron Artis II and the Black Opry revue; and the June 25 ticketed fundraiser concert headlined by Tommy DeCarlo, singer of Boston, and American Idol’s Rudy Cardenas performing the hits of Journey. You can find out more on our website.

Sign up for e-blasts to find out when your favorite performers and genres are on stage at the Levitt.

Special events…

The Levitt is not just a concert venue, it’s also a destination where you’ll find community celebrations and special events sponsored or hosted by the Levitt and organizations across DFW. Be sure to mark your calendar for:

West Main Arts Festival, May 14
This annual festival takes place just two blocks from the Levitt, and it's a great opportunity to shop local from more than 90 artists and makers and explore nearby bars and restaurants. As you stroll, you'll also enjoy live music from three festival stages. As the Festival wraps up, head over to our lawn and enjoy our free concerts featuring Indie-folk band Seryn and the Latin Rock of Carlos Ramos.

Asian Heritage Celebration, May 15
Designed to showcase culture, food, music and traditional dancing, this inaugural cultural event hosted at the Levitt Pavilion highlights traditional and modern Asian cultures that have enriched daily lives around the world for generations. Experience the Dragon Dance, the Chinese Ribbon Dance, Tai-chi teaching, fine art demonstrations by local Asian artists, and more!

Arlington Juneteenth Celebration, June 18
In addition to the Celebration at the Levitt Pavilion, you won't want to miss the host of other programs taking place from June 17-19, including screenings of the new Echos from the Hill documentary, a five-part series sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee.

Hispanic Heritage Celebration at the Levitt, Sept. 17
More information coming soon!

North Texas Giving Day Celebration, Sept. 22
Together with the Communities Foundation of Texas, the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation hosts Arlington's NTX Giving Day Celebration at the Levitt as a part of the largest community-wide giving event in the nation.

For more great event ideas, visit the Downtown Arlington events calendar!

More tips? You bet...

Get a parking plan (it’s easy—parking is plentiful and free).

You can park on all sides of the Levitt lawn in lots and street parking around Downtown Arlington, including City Hall, the Pinnacle Corp. parking lot (on Abram just past Center), First Baptist Church Arlington (Wade Building), and UTA College Park. Handicap parking and wheelchair access is available via the City Hall parking lot. Be aware of a few private parking lots in Downtown that do not permit Levitt visitors. If you see signs that say “no event parking” or “towing enforced,” you’re probably not in the right spot. Here’s more about parking.

Bring your lawn chair.

The Levitt’s free concert series is a no-ticket-required, pick-a-spot-on-the-lawn kind of experience. Some Levitt guests like to sit along the low wall that borders the south side of the lawn, and you’re always welcome to stand or sit on the grass. However, most of our guests choose to bring their favorite lawn chair or picnic blanket, or both. Pro tip: If you’re coming in one car, consider dividing and conquering by dropping off a designated chair-carrier(s) curbside so that person/those people can claim a spot while someone else is parking.

Coolers are welcome.

...but don’t stress if you don’t have time to pack anything. The Levitt has DELICIOUS food trucks on site selling all kinds of good stuff to eat, as well as bottled water and alcoholic beverages. Pro tip: New to the Levitt food truck family this year is the Flying Pig; try their brisket grilled cheese or the “Stupid Good,” a chimichanga-sopapilla-cheesecake rolled in cinnamon sugar and topped with honey. By the way, you can BYO alcohol to the Levitt, but not in glass containers.

Arrive early.

Most Levitt shows begin at 7:30 p.m. If you’re picky about where you sit, early arrival is a good idea, especially for shows featuring well-established artists with large followings. Get there early, claim your spot, get a bite from a food truck or unpack your cooler, then sit back and soak up the downtown atmosphere.

Speaking of downtown atmosphere: Consider pairing your Levitt experiences with pre- and/or post-concert outings to one of Downtown Arlington’s fabulous bars or restaurants, which you can learn about here.

Having suggested early arrival: If you get a last minute whim to join the fun or you’re working in multiple social outings, feel free to come late. You may not get your preferred seat, but you won’t get a bad seat…because there’s no such thing at the Levitt!

See you on the lawn!

About Letatia

Letatia Teykl has been the executive director of Levitt Pavilion Arlington since 2019. To find out more about the Levitt, follow on @levittpavillionarlington (Facebook) or @levittarlington (Instagram) or sign up for e-blasts at levittpavilionarlington.org.