North Texas is a big place, with plenty to do, see, hear, and watch. We scour the internet every week to find events and activities for you. As always, things may change at any time, so be sure to check the official website or registration page for the latest details. For ongoing events, click here.
Don’t miss anything: Get Dallas Innovates Every Day. And, if you know of a great event, tell us about it. Event details courtesy of organizers.
Thursday, May 7
DFW Airport’s Cybersecurity Challenge
Hosted by the IoT Texas
Hybrid event; online and in-person at SpringHill Suites Richardson/Plano, 3251 E President George Bush Hwy., Richardson
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Cybersecurity is often framed as a technology issue, but at its core, it is a leadership issue. It is about trust, resilience, and protecting the systems people depend on every day.
At DFW, that mission carries enormous responsibility. Supporting 66,000 employees, 83 million annual passengers, and a broad network of partners and stakeholders requires cybersecurity to be more than a technical function. It must be part of how the airport operates, adapts, and prepares for the future.
Dan Bonkiewicz, Principal of Technology Services, Operation and Cyber Security for DFW Airport, brings a leadership perspective shaped by years of aligning cybersecurity with critical operations and business priorities.
These are hybrid and free events. For those that can attend in person, come network with other IoT and technology professionals, business execs, entrepreneurs, etc. Find resources and learn about new trends and tech in the industry.
Come early and stay late if you can (bar opens at 5 pm. – self paid. Leave whenever you like, or when the bar closes).
Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9
Nocturne 2026: Art Trail After Nightfall
Hosted by Play Frisco
Frisco Commons Park, 8000 McKinney Rd., Frisco
8:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Bringing together art, light, video, and sound, Nocturne—known as the “art walk after dark”—returns May 8–9 to Frisco Commons Park. The event’s host, Play Frisco, calls the event “two evenings of dreamlike encounters with art, nature, and the unseen.”
The outdoor gallery event features light, video, and sound installations nestled among the park’s winding trails. Created as a night-time art trail immersed in nature, the experience “invites reflection, play, and a heightened awareness of the world after dusk,” Play Frisco says. This year, Nocturne showcases 20 leading regional artists whose works can be explored on the park’s familiar paths.
Tuesday, May 12
Your Startup Pitch Competition
Hosted by The DEC Network
The DEC Network @Redbird’s Frost Event Center, 3560 W. Camp Wisdom Rd., Ste. #200, Dallas
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Join The DEC Network for its latest cohort to highlight their businesses in Your Startup Pitch Competition. Your Start Up is designed for equipping entrepreneurs with the resources, foundational tools, and best practices to take their business from a side hustle to a profitable future. This 13-week program focuses on for-profit businesses established for 1-3 years, generating revenue of less than $50,000 annually.
Thursday, May 14
Women United Luncheon: Investing in Impact
Hosted by United Way of Tarrant County
River Ranch Stockyards, 500 NE 23rd Street, Fort Worth
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join United Way of Tarrant County as they celebrate local Tarrant County women who have blazed their own paths through resilience, determination and leadership. During the luncheon, Women United will award $115,000 in grants to organizations helping women and girls access quality education, build job skills and create life-changing opportunities.
Tuesday, May 19
Batch 5 Expo: Sports and Entertainment Innovation
Hosted by Plug and Play McKinney
Stonebridge Ranch, The Dye Golf Club, 3441 PGA Pkwy., Frisco
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Plug and Play McKinney—in partnership with SEICon, a sports, entertainment, and innovation leader—presents an innovation expo at Stonebridge Ranch featuring startup demos, corporate panels, and university sessions focused on Enterprise AI, Travel, and Hospitality.
Tuesday, May 26 through Wednesday, May 27
Texas Venture Gala & Forum
Hosted by Texas Venture Alliance
J.W. Marriott, Austin
Agenda details coming soonnoon to 7 p.m. Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday
Join the statewide innovation ecosystem’s annual meeting at the Texas Venture Gala & Forum, reconvening Texans from across 20+ cities. Hosted at the Texas State Capitol & JW Marriott in one truly Texas-sized moment, these sister signature experiences host hundreds of speakers, guests, and recognized Texans including: venture capitalists, allocators, limited partners, emerging managers, incubators, accelerators, angel networks, universities, family offices, elected & appointed officials, successful & emerging startup CEOs, and industry partners.
Wednesday, June 3
Opportunity Summit: Powering prosperity through health
Hosted by The Dallas Regional Chamber
Women’s Museum at Fair Park, Dallas
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Dallas Regional Chamber’s 2026 Opportunity Summit, presented by EY, is a dynamic half-day program focused on the connection between health and economic mobility. Through keynote perspectives, interactive sessions, and cross-sector dialogue, leaders will explore how stronger health outcomes expand access to mobility and how strategic partnerships can drive lasting prosperity across the Dallas Region.
Sunday, June 28
NAWBO DFW 2026 Induction Gala
Hosted by the National Association of Women Business Owners DFW
Aloft, Downtown Dallas
5 p.m.
This signature event brings together women business owners, leaders, and changemakers from across the Dallas–Fort Worth area for a night centered on community, collaboration, and collective growth. As we honor the legacy that has brought us here, we will also set the tone for what’s ahead—creating space for connection, visibility, and opportunity.
Whether you’re looking to expand your network, elevate your brand, or simply be in the room with like-minded women who are building and leading, this event is designed to leave you inspired, connected, and ready for what’s next. Early bird tickets are available. Tickets are limited and sales end June 19.
Monday, September 28 through Friday, October 2
Texas Startup & Tech Week
Hosted by AURP
Coming to a Texas city near you
Save the date
Texas Startup & Tech Week begins September 28 and culminates on October 2 — the 191st anniversary of when the “COME AND TAKE IT” flag was raised sparking the Texas Revolution. That same spirit of independence and scrappiness, the courage to fight for a cause on your own terms, and the refusal to back down to a larger force, is the same energy that drives every innovator making a big bet no matter the odds. Texas Innovation Week gatherings are for those who plant the flag and get to work.
Tuesday, September 29 through Thursday, October 1
AURP International Conference
Hosted by AURP
Pegasus Park, Dallas
Save the date
AURP is proud to convene its 2026 International Conference at Pegasus Park—one of the nation’s most dynamic, mission-driven innovation districts and a powerful example of how place-based strategy accelerates impact.
Hosted in Dallas, Texas, this year’s conference will bring together AURP members and global innovation leaders for executive-level dialogue, high-value networking, and curated learning experiences. From strategic plenaries and collaborative working sessions to behind-the-scenes tours of Pegasus Park and engagement with the region’s thriving life sciences community, the program will highlight how intentional investment, cross-sector partnerships, and research park leadership drive sustainable growth and long-term competitiveness.
Pegasus Park stands at the forefront of advancing new industries—particularly in life sciences—while strengthening community outcomes. Together with AURP’s mission to foster innovation, commercialization, and vibrant knowledge communities, the 2026 conference will showcase Dallas as a model for forward-looking ecosystem development.
Thursday, October 1
Texas Venture Fest: North Texas 2025
Hosted by Texas Founders Arena
Arlington location TBD
Save the date
The Texas Venture Fest is a day of networking and programming highlighting the ecosystem of entrepreneur support. More than 15 cities simultaneously host this statewide phenomenon, across our small towns and the nation’s biggest metropoles, 3,000+ Texans gather to help innovation flourish! This event is part of the larger statewide innovation week (Texas Startup & Tech Week (9/28-10/2), see listing above).
Wednesday, October 21
Venture Dallas 2026
Hosted by Venture Dallas
Old Parkland, 3819 Maple Ave., Dallas
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Save the date
Venture Dallas 2026 is introducing a new setting and a refined format — complete with multiple stages and spaces, curated networking alongside elevated, immersive experiences, including start up pitches. Save the date. Look for more information and tickets soon.
Through May 2026
Frontiers of Flight: Bessie Coleman
Hosted by Frontiers of Flight Museum
6911 Lemmon Ave., Dallas
Tickets are timed entry.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum’s new exhibit is a high-flying tribute to aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman and her groundbreaking achievements. Guests can follow her journey through an immersive digital experience, see her beloved plane suspended from the museum’s hangar, and take home books, dolls, and other keepsakes to support scholarships for girls from South Dallas.
Through September 7, 2026
Soccer: More Than a Game
Exhibition at The Perot Museum of Nature and Science
2201 N. Field St.., Dallas
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed on Tuesday
Soccer: More Than a Game at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science boosts the cultural and educational impact of this summer’s World Cup by providing STEM education experiences for visitors, encouraging regional tourism, and offering a world-class attraction for visitors to enjoy while in North Texas.
Visitors receive an RFID (radio-frequency identification) bracelet that documents guests’ choices, creations, and progress throughout the exhibition. Guests can join a team; construct a stadium; design jerseys; create mascots; test their athletic skills; and participate in physical, mental, and digital challenges connecting soccer with science.
Twenty engagement zones and multiple photo opportunities allow visitors to step into the locker room, onto the pitch, and behind the scenes to explore everything from biomechanics and physics of the game to the data analytics and career pathways that power soccer on and off the field.
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R E A D N E X T
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The hybrid event in August will take place in person at SMU and virtually. The seventh annual Dallas Startup Week powered by Capital One is Dallas-Fort Worth's largest event focused on driving entrepreneurial success, economic impact, and innovation in the region.
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You'll find deadlines coming up for a new accelerator program; and many more opportunities.
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You’ve found Dallas Innovates’ archive of news briefs from July to September 2021.
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Nonprofit BUiLT is hosting the event to highlight the success and possibilities of Black tech talent in the region. “There is no talent pipeline problem,” says Peter Beasley, co-founder of the Blacks United in Leading Technology International. “Black tech talent is widely available, especially in North Texas.”
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With Dallas ranked as one of the top cities in America for tech pros, UT Dallas and Fullstack have launched four skills training bootcamps focused on coding, cybersecurity, data analytics, and DevOps. The online bootcamps begin in November with tuition at $11,995 each.
