Amphibian Stage Reveals SparkFest'26 Lineup, Highlighting Latine Community

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Events will take place of the course of June 5-13th.

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Amphibian Stage has announced the full lineup for SparkFest'26, its annual celebration of live entertainment in Fort Worth's Near Southside. This year, SparkFest proudly shines a spotlight on the Latine community, offering a vibrant array of events including theatre, live music, stand-up comedy, storytelling, poetry, and a free outdoor vendor market.

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Running from June 5 to June 13, 2026, the festival promises unforgettable experiences for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Friday, June 5 | 6:30PM

6:30PM — Lobby Opens | Venezuelan Cuisine Catered by Big Yummy 7:30PM — Mural Reveal by Mariel Guzman | Welcome Remarks by Nydia Cardenas 8:00PM — Preview Set by Comedian Martin Urbano | Concert by OKAN SparkFest kicks off with a night that has something for everyone. Doors open at 6:30pm with free food in the lobby. Before the music starts, we unveil the official SparkFest’26 mural by Fort Worth visual artist Mariel Guzman, and hear welcome remarks from Nydia Cardenas, candidate for Tarrant County Precinct 4 Commissioner. Comedian Martin Urbano, who will headline the following night, delivers a preview set before Grammy and Latin

Grammy-nominated duo OKAN takes the stage, bringing Afro-Cuban jazz woven from violin, batá drums, and voices singing in Spanish, Yoruba, and Spanglish. Come hungry. Come ready. Come together.

by Beth Murray & Irania Macias based on Mamá Goose:a Latino Nursery Treasury by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 | 10:00AM

Presented with UTA Department of Theatre Arts & Dance A joyful trilingual children's musical — performed in Spanish, English, and ASL — loosely based on the beloved children’s story Mamá Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury / Un Tesoro de rimas infantiles. Four actors sing, play, and go on a wild adventure centered around one very extraordinary egg. When each child wants to keep it for themselves, their Abuela steps in with a lesson that sticks: Compartimos. We share. It's ours. Es nuestro. Perfect for little ones ages 3-7, plus the grown ups who love them!

Saturday, June 6 | 6:00PM A lecture by Alex Montalvo Free Admission

Alex Montalvo has spent years showing up at City Hall, in Northside neighborhoods, and wherever Fort Worth's Latine community needs a voice. As the founder of The Catalyst Project, he works at the intersection of economic development and community impact, helping communities recognize and activate the power they already have. In this lecture, he turns that lens on the Latine community specifically: who we are, what we have built, and where we go from here.

Saturday, June 6 | 8:00PM

Rio Grande Valley native Martin Urbano has been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Comedy Central, Howie Mandel 's Comedy Gala on The CW, and as a writer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon . This UNT alum returns to DFW for one night only! The night opens with sets from local comic talent before Urbano takes the stage.

Sunday, June 7 | 10AM-3PM Free Admission In partnership with Cultura Markets, our Latine Vendor Market fills SOMA Micro Park (right across South Main Street from Amphibian Stage) with the work of talented Latine artisans and makers from across DFW. Browse handmade goods, original art, and one-of-a-kind finds, knowing that every dollar you spend goes directly to the seller. Also in the parking lot, don't miss out on some stunning lowriders from Duke's Car Club, in collaboration with Sarah Ayala from Cars & Culture show. And keep an eye out for performances by Ballet Folklorico de Fort Worth! Drop in between other SparkFest events, grab a wine slushie from the lobby, and keep the festival going! Free and open to everyone.

Sunday, June 7 | 2:00PM Led by Dr. Marta M. Torres Some of the most powerful performances come straight from the heart. This Is My Story is a beloved SparkFest tradition-an evening where Latine community members step into the spotlight to share personal stories of identity, perseverance, and what it means to belong. This year's storytellers are Roger Calderon , Ale Checka, Josselin Garibo Pendleton, and Daismar Santos.

Tuesday, June 9 | 7:00PM Hosted by Tammy Gomez

Tammy Gomez doesn't write poetry to be polite. The Fort Worth-raised, award-winning spoken-word poet (a fixture in Texas literary life for over thirty years) has assembled a company of Latine women to take the stage together for an evening of bold truth. Her work has taken her from Fort Worth to Nepal, from the Texas Book Festival to PBS documentaries. Tonight, she brings it home.

SparkFest'26 presents three new plays in development, each by a Latine playwright. These readings are your first look at works that may go on to stages across the country and your response as an audience is part of what shapes them.

By Lori Felipe-Barkin | Directed by Laurie Woolery Wednesday, June 10 | 8:00PM Saturday, June 13 | 3:00PM Ama is thirty-five. She lives in Hialeah. She wants a baby, and she is running out of time. Guided by the Orishas of Santería (Oyá, goddess of storms; Yemayá, goddess of the sea; Ochún, goddess of love) Ama. Egg. Oyá. unfolds like a sacred fable as Ama moves through fertility treatments, spiritual consultations, and the grief of wanting something your body won't give you. It is raw, funny, earthy, and messy.

By Benjamin Benne | Directed by Cat Rodriguez Thursday, June 11 | 8:00PM Saturday, June 13 | 11:00AM Two Latina mothers share a kitchen in Los Angeles. One owns the house. One works in it. Irene is an OB-GYN with a baby on the way. Emilia is her new live-in nanny, navigating her own immigration situation with Irene's help. As their lives intertwine under one roof, Los Feliz asks whether two women who genuinely like each other can transcend the divergent realities they were born into and now face. Funny, warm, and honest.

By Franky D. Gonzalez | Directed by Rebecca Aparicio Friday, June 12 | 8:00PM Sunday, June 14 | 2:00PM Somewhere along the Magdalena River, a hippo descended from Pablo Escobar's private zoo arrives in a Colombian town, and nobody has any idea what to do about it. Told in the style of a David Attenborough nature documentary with a twist, Escobar's Hippo follows a hapless playwright, his long-suffering Best Friend , and a waitress who is frankly the only competent person in the story, as the town dissolves into civic chaos, political debate, and something terribly strange. Wildly funny and surprisingly sharp.

The 4th Annual SparkFest Acting Competition celebrates Latine artists from across the country. Ten actors, selected through a nationwide search, compete across three rounds for cash prizes and your cheers!

Thursday, June 11 | 5:30PM Ten actors take the stage to deliver monologues before a panel of esteemed judges. Come cheer them on and experience an evening of bold performances from rising talent. Come back for Round 2!

Friday, June 12 | 5:30PM The stakes go up. This time, actors face a brand-new challenge: cold reads (meaning they'll see the script for the very first time when they step onstage). Instincts and spontaneity are on full display here!

Saturday, June 13 | 8:00PM - Free food! It all comes down to this. The finalists return to the stage one last time, performing their monologues from Round 1 and scenes from Round 2, this time with the benefit of judge feedback and everything on the line. The judges deliberate. The audience votes. Then the prizes are awarded and the party begins! Free food catered by Leo’s Churros!

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/dallas/article/SPARKFEST26-Hosted-By-Amphibian-Stage-Announces-Programming-20260531)._