If you’re still on the hunt for Valentine’s Day ideas, check out this week’s Eats & Drinks article, “Food Actually,” but besides a couple of Galentine’s Day events, like Sip & Sing on Saturday at The Poop Deck (3505 Blue Bonnet Cir, Fort Worth, 817-921-4861) and the sweet, sweet deal at Maple Branch Craft Brewery (2628 Whitmore St, Fort Worth, 817-862-7007) on BOGO pizzas for Valentine’s Day, I’m actually ready for the next big thing(s), including the return of the traveling monks. And their dog.
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Yes, indeed, the boys are back in town. A group of Buddhist monks has been on a 15-week Walk for Peace from their home in Fort Worth to Washington, D.C. Along with their famous rescue dog mascot, they will return home today. They were already wildly popular, but little Aloka needed veterinary surgery along the way due to a leg injury. Images of him being carried and riding in a cart during recovery made the group a viral sensation and symbol of compassion. The stinking-cute heart-shaped mark on his head probably didn’t hurt either.
The bus bringing them home from D.C. is expected to arrive in downtown Fort Worth around 8am. From there, the community is invited to join them for a six-mile Homecoming Walk back to the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center (4717 E Rosedale St, Fort Worth, 817-531-0888). Upon arrival, everyone is welcome to join a peace gathering to celebrate the completion of this journey. The exact starting location and route details will be shared soon at Facebook.com/MonkShen.
Sunday, February 15, 2026
The Potter’s House (1270 Woodhaven Blvd, Fort Worth), a nondenominational, multicultural campus of T.D. Jakes Ministries, invites the community to come “experience a faith that led to freedom” at its Black History Month Celebration at 9am. Attendees are encouraged to wear African attire to celebrate and honor African-American culture. The free service will focus on unifying the community and celebrating ancestors who paved the way. (For more BHM events, see this column in next week’s Black History Month issue.)
Monday, February 16, 2026
The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating their 100th anniversary with a new tour. Don’t let the timeline fool you. The team welcomed 10 newcomers to the roster this past fall. The old timers and these whippersnappers will be in town today literally for your entertainment at 2pm at Dickies Arena (1911 Montgomery St, Fort Worth, 817-402-9000). Tickets start at $30 at Ticketmaster.com.
Courtesy Harlem Globetrotters
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
American Celtic punk rockers the Dropkick Murphys are always popular in early spring, given their annual St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans in their hometown of Boston. They’ve also always been a bit political, but lately they’ve been on the radar for involvement in current events. In late January, Michael Fanone, the former D.C. Metropolitan Police officer who defended the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, was spotted wearing a Dropkick Murphys “Fighting Nazis Since 1996” T-shirt at the House Judiciary Committee hearing with former special counsel Jack Smith.
Then just this week, the Murphys announced their departure from Wasserman Music after agency CEO Casey Wasserman was linked to Jeffery Epstein. The band cited this connection as the reason for leaving: “The namesake of the agency is in the Epstein files so … we GONE.” Several other marquee artists, including Chappell Roan, have also left the agency.
After the hearing but before the Wasserman revelation, the band released a new protest song. “Citizen I.C.E.” (featuring Haywire) targets unruly agents and dives into the recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis. A reimagining of the band’s 2005 track “Citizen C.I.A.,” the new anthem will appear on their upcoming New England Forever split LP.
I say all that to say this: The Dropkick Murphys are in town. Well, not our town but up the road a piece. The band’s For the People in the Pit St. Patrick’s Day 2026 Tour hits the House of Blues (2200 N Lamar St, Dallas, 214-978-2583) at 7pm with The Aggrolites, Haywire, and Slugger. Tickets start at $65 at Ticketmaster.com.
Courtesy Facebook
