Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. | Photo by Texas Parks & Wildlife

For the first time in 25 years, a new state park is set to open in North Texas. The Palo Pinto Mountains State Park — located about 75 miles west of Fort Worth — will open at the end of the year in coordination with the centennial celebration of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

As part of the 100th anniversary, the TPWD is hosting a series of events including ranger-guided walks and hikes across 89 state parks.

We thought we’d take part in our own celebration by highlighting the state parks around North Texas, starting with the newest addition in Palo Pinto.

Palo Pinto Mountains State Park 🍃

Known as the “hill country of the north,” the park will sit on 5,000 acres of land with several 1,400-ft peaks, the 90-acre Tucker Lake, and two creeks. There will also be 18 miles of hiking, biking, and horse riding trails, along with four campgrounds.

Bennett Partners will work on design elements for the visitor center, playscape, equestrian campground, and camping loop. According to TPWD, the buildings will be light on the land and blend in with the pristine forests of live oaks, post oaks, and pecan trees.

Private funds raised by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation and Field & Future by H-E-B will be leveraged with $21 million in public funds to construct the roads, utilities, buildings, and other facilities necessary to open the park.

Fundraising is still underway, and officials are hoping for a soft opening by late 2023.

POLL

What North Texas park do you want to learn more about?

Think: Camping and hiking guides, fun facts, and other need-to-know info.

VIEW THE LIST + VOTE

EVENTS

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Wednesday, Feb. 8

Vivanterre Wine Tasting | Wednesday, Feb. 8 | 6-8 p.m. | Winehaus, 1628 Park Place Ave., Fort Worth | Cost of purchase | Learn about the process of making natural wine using organic and biodynamically-farmed grapes.

Thursday, Feb. 9

Landscape Basics Design Seminar | Thursday, Feb. 9 | 6-8 p.m. | BRIT, 1700 University Dr., Fort Worth | Free | Tune in online or in-person to learn how to pick the right place for your garden and how to reduce maintenance needs and water use.

Friday, Feb. 10

Valentine’s Day Bubbles & Bows | Friday, Feb. 10 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Kimpton Harper, 714 Main St., Fort Worth | $100 | Celebrate Valentine’s with your best gal pal and learn how to wrap a bottle of champagne while sipping and tasting bubbles at Refinery 714.

Saturday, Feb. 11

Yoga and Cocktails | Saturday, Feb. 11 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | TX Whiskey Ranch, 2601 Whiskey Ranch Rd., Fort Worth | $15 | Instructor Angela Hall will lead the group through a yoga flow followed by a complimentary cocktail in The Tavern.

Sunday, Feb. 12

Big Game Ride | Sunday, Feb. 12 | 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Trek Bicycle Arlington South, 5739 Southwest Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington | Free | Join hundreds of cyclists for a 60-mile bike ride to and from Klyde Warren Park in Dallas — food trucks will be on-site as well as a Trek hospitality tent with water and snacks.

Tuesday, March 28

“Annie” | Tuesday, March 28-Sunday, April 2 | 7:30-10 p.m. | Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth | $44-$126 | Little Orphan Annie has reminded generations of theater-goers that sunshine is always right around the corner — revisit it for yourself in this upcoming production.*

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

FINANCE

This billion-dollar startup wants to help you retire

Portrait of businesswoman standing against a wooden wall in office.

SmartAsset’s no-cost tool makes it easy to find vetted financial advisors who serve your area. | Photo by Dean Mitchell

This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161 million to help people plan for retirement. 👀

If you’re one of the whopping 110 million Americans over age 50 — or a wise Millennial looking to get ahead — SmartAsset’s no-cost tool makes it easy to find vetted financial advisors serving our local area.

In just a few minutes, you can get matched with up to three financial advisors, each legally bound to work in your best interest. Now that’s service.*

TAKE THE FREE QUIZ

NEWS NOTES

Weather

52º | Rain | 90% chance of rain

Jobs

Disabled American Veterans and Recruit Military are hosting a Veterans Job Fair at AT&T Stadium on Thursday, Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees should create a profile and upload a resume before the event. Use this map for parking and entry details. 💼

Plan Ahead

Oscar’s Pub 2nd Annual Chili Cook Off is back on Saturday, March 11 with celebrity judges, craft beer, and adoptable pets from Saving Hope. Tickets are available for $20 and interested chefs can sign up for $60. Proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth. 🥣

Eat

Taqueria Acapulco on North Main Street is moving west to Willow Park. The taqueria will share a space and a menu with Hot Chicks Chicken while highlighting specialty items like Hot Chick’s classic Nashville-style hot chicken and Acapulco’s traditional Mexican tacos. It’s expected to open Monday, March 20. 🌮 (CultureMap Fort Worth)

Announced

The lineup is officially set for the first-ever Fort Worth Music Festival & Conference. The four-day festival will span Wednesday, March 1-Saturday, March 4 with 30+ artists set to perform. Grab your tickets now. 🎸

Drink

Let them eat (king) cake — or, shall we say beer? Martin House Brewing Company released a new brew this week called King of King’s Cake in celebration of Mardi Gras. The imperial blonde has notes of buttercream and frosting with 10% ABV. Find the brew near you. 🍺

Ranked

Fort Worth apparently has the dough — a survey by LawnStarter ranked Cowtown No. 23 for best pizza in the US. The poll took into account access, quality, accolades, popularity, and affordability. What local pizza joint do you think serves up the best slice? Share the sauce with us. 🍕

Wellness

Not feeling like yourself lately? Talkspace makes getting help easy and convenient. With live chat, video, and audio sessions, starting at $69/week, it’s affordable for everyone to fit therapy into their lifestyle, with or without insurance. Start feeling better today with Talkspace.*

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Food

Here crumb the Girl Scouts 🍪

Maple Branch Craft Brewery held a Girl Scout cookie pariring over the weekend. | Photo by @maplebranchbrew

We asked our readers where to snag Girl Scout cookies in Fort Worth this season and you delivered, Thin Mints and all.

Cookie season runs now until March 5, so meet the flavors and run to these nine locations to get your fix. Bonus: you’ll support the Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains.

🍪 Tom Thumb, 2400 W. 7th St.
Monday, Feb. 6-Sunday, Feb. 12 | 5-8 p.m.

🍪 Sid Richardson Center at TXWES, 1175 Collard St.
Thursday, Feb. 9, 6-8:30 p.m. + Saturday, Feb. 11, 4-6 p.m.

🍪 Chuy’s, 2401 W. 7th St.
Every Friday and Saturday through March 4 | 5-9 p.m.

🍪 Lowe’s, 600 State Hwy. 183
Every Friday and Saturday through March 4 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

🍪 Russell’s Feed Store, 5810 Jacksboro Hwy.
Every Sunday through Feb. 26 | 12-5 p.m.

4 MORE COOKIE BOOTHS

THE WRAP

The Girl Scouts cookie map by state. | Photo by LA Times

Today’s issue was written by Rebecca.

Editor’s pick: During my Girl Scout cookie research, I went down a rabbit hole trying to figure out why Girl Scout cookies have different names and appearances based on the region.

Turns out, there are two different cookie recipes circulating right here in DFW. According to a LA Times report, most of North Texas sources from Little Brownie Bakers and Fort Worth sources from ABC Bakers.

The most notable difference? Lemonades vs. Savannah Smiles. The Savannah’s feature a shortbread base with lemon icing while Lemonades are smaller, crisper, and dusted with powdered sugar.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? The Stock Show and Rodeo saw record-breaking sales over the weekend.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Rebecca McRobbie, Kate Mazade, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Camille McLeod | Advertise with us.

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