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Fort Worthian 101: Our guide to becoming a Fort Worth resident

Soon, seeing this skyline will mean “I’m home.” | Photo by Joseph Haubert

Picture this: You just moved to Fort Worth, TX and you need some help with the practicalities of life (we can’t just sit back and watch the cattle drive all day, unfortunately). That’s where we come in. Keep reading for Fort Worthian 101, our guide to all things Fort Worth citizenship.

The essentials

Voter registration
Make sure you’re eligible and registered to vote, find your polling location, and preview upcoming elections and sample ballots here.

Driver’s licenses
New residents in need of a Texas driver license will need to provide proof of US citizenship, a Social Security number, two documents confirming your residential address, and proof of Texas Vehicle Registration and insurance if you have a car.

You will also be required to complete the application, pay an application fee, and pass an eye exam. Make an appointment at the Department of Public Safety to obtain a Texas driver license.

Photo of the Tarrant County Courthouse. — Help build the future of Fort Worth by voting in local elections. | Photo by @dallasfortworthphotography

Vehicle registration
To register your car in Texas, you’ll need to bring proof of car insurance, a car title, proof of inspection from a certified Vehicle Inspection station, and a Vehicle Identification Number to the Tarrant County Tax Office (located at 100 E. Weatherford St.) to get your Texas plates.

Initial registrations may be subject to a $52+ fee. You can make an appointment at any of Tarrant County’s Motor Vehicle Divisions to register your vehicle.

FTW-woman-on-a-longhorn — You gotta have your obligatory longhorn photo.
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Photo by FTWtoday

The ultimate Fort Worthian initiation

Having a Texas driver license and an 817 area code may qualify you on paper, but you’re not officially a Fort Worthian until you’ve taken part in some local fun that is only found in Cowtown.

Take a tour
Get to know your new city with five tours around Funkytown that hit the local historic and contemporary highlights. Or you could go on a self-guided tour around the city’s historic landmarks or explore the local mural scene.

9 more ways to become a local

Quiz

Approximately what percentage of people fail their drivers’ exam on the first attempt?

A. 16%
B. 32%
C. 44%
D. 52%

Take a guess

Events

Tuesday, April 18

City Council Public Comment Meeting | Tuesday, Apr. 18 | 6 p.m. | City Hall, 200 Texas St., Fort Worth | Free | Register at least two hours before the meeting to share your opinion on agenda items.

Wednesday, April 19

Big D Charity Horse Show | Wednesday, Apr. 19-Saturday, Apr. 22 | Times vary | Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth | Free | Watch four full days of premiere equestrian competition that supports Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
District 9 Candidate Forum | Wednesday, Apr. 19 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Center for Transforming Lives - Early Education, 512 W. 4th St., Fort Worth | Free | RSVP in advance and send in questions for the municipal government candidates to discuss.

Thursday, April 20

Acro-Cats | Thursday, Apr. 20 | 7-9 p.m. | The Stage West Theatre, 821 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth | $35-$55 | Tickets are selling fast for theone-of-a-kind purr-formance by the troupe of trained cats, as seen in Netflix’s “Cat People.”
Lukas Nelson & POTR | Thursday, Apr. 20 | 9 p.m. | Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth | $25-$65 | The American rock band will perform with Drayton Farley at the world’s largest honky-tonk.

Friday, April 21

Panther City Lacrosse | Friday, Apr. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth | $21-$79 | The Panthers will take on the Calgary Roughnecks on their home turf.

Saturday, April 22

Spring Japanese Festival | Saturday, Apr. 22-Sunday, Apr. 23 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth | $0-$15 | Enjoy Taiko drumming groups, traditional dances, karate experts, and swordsmanship performances, as well as vendors, arts + crafts.

Click here to have your event featured.

Arts

🎥 Got an aspiring teenage filmmaker at home? Check out this summer camp.

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Both camps will take place on the campus of TCU at the Bob Schieffer College of Communication. | Photo by Lone Star Film Society

Lights, camera, action. In July, the Lone Star Film Festival Summer Film Camp will return to Fort Worth with two summer camp sessions for aspiring high school-age filmmakers.

Each two-week session (starting Monday, July 10 and Monday, July 24) will run weekdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and cover all aspects of the filmmaking process from script to screen. Best of all? Attendees will make their very own short film, which will screen at the 17th annual Lone Star Film Festival in November.

Pro tip: Register before Thursday, June 1 to save $50.

News Notes

Closed

Another local restaurant has shut its doors. La Onda closed its Race Street location yesterday. In a post on Instagram, the owners commended and thanked their staff, while teasing a new future for the Latin-inspired seafood restaurant. Stay tuned for what’s next.

Open

Over the weekend, Smokestack 1948 reopened under its new brand, Rusty Nickel IceHouse. Drop by the Stanley Avenue business for an ice-cold drink on the patio and live music.

Development

Walsh Ranch is expanding again. The community west of Fort Worth is adding 138 homes in a neighborhood called The Village. Constructed by David Weekly, Highland, High Street, and Village Homes, the houses will be priced starting in the mid-$400,000 range. This is the second Walsh expansion this year, after Brook Hollow. (Dallas Morning News)

Civic

The city is working to reduce air traffic noise from Alliance Airport for far north residents. Fort Worth has applied for $15 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to add sound insulation to 150 more homes in River Edge, working toward the 264-home goal. The funding decision will take place in August.

Biz

Eight entrepreneurs have made it to the final round of the Fort Worth Business Plan Competition. The businesses will pitch their new plans at The Modern on Thursday, May 11 at 5:30 p.m. Reserve your free ticket + check out the finalists.

Traffic

Interested in keeping tabs on the University Drive construction project? Check out Citibot, an SMS text message service that the city’s Transportation and Public Works Department is using to communicate updates. Just scan the QR code to sign up.

Eat

Calling restaurant owners — the Omni Fort Worth Hotel is looking for tenants to be part of its new $217 million expansion. Last week, Omni executive Bob Rowling said the hotel is talking to restauranteurs about relocating to the new 400-room tower planned for the south side of downtown. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Trending

The world’s earliest, most-complete Hebrew bible is currently on display at SMU’s Bridwell Library (~45 minutes east of downtown). Visit the 1,100-year-old bible until Thursday, April 20. Next month, it will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s in New York for an estimated $30-$50 million.

Fort Worthian

Congratulations to rising journalist Tanya Velázquez, who was awarded the 2023 West Vernon Broadcast Scholarship from the National Press Club. The Fort Worth native is studying journalism and Latin American studies at UT Austin and working towards her goal of becoming a bilingual reporter.

Finance

Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

Travel

What trip would be worth leaving Fort Worth? For City Editor Kate, it’s Peru — to hike Machu Picchu. Sign up for Going to get notified when flight prices drop, like a $138 flight to Lima (a real mistake fare booked by a member). Join for free.

Shop

This wedding season make sure to shower the happy couple with the perfect gift. Our online store (Six & Main) features presents such as dinner napkins by Willow Ship and celebratory cards by Joy Paper Co. Start shopping.

Seasonal

🌎 Go planet, it’s (almost) your Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day in Fort Worth

EarthDay.org also has resources for how to celebrate Earth Day year-round. | Photo by @katebranning

Shoutout to planet Earth for keeping us all grounded. Let’s celebrate.

Saturday, April 22 marks Earth Day — an annual holiday that is celebrated by more than a billion people across 193 countries. This year’s campaign is “Invest In Our Planet,” and to help you do so, EarthDay.org has a plethora of resources that can help you get involved on local, national, and global levels. A few of our favorites include:

The 2023 Earth Day Action Toolkit — your resource for all things Earth Day and environmental advocacy.
The Earth Day event finder — search for local events taking place near you.
The Climate Literacy Communications Toolkit — learn about the key messaging and research behind climate literacy.

Interested in volunteering with a local environmental org in honor of Earth Day? Look no further than Keep Fort Worth Beautiful and Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club.

Earth Day facts

Answered

How did you get your start with FTWtoday?

FTW-podcast-recording — Thanks for having us out, Lance.
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Photo by FTWtoday

Oh how the tables have turned — we’re used to asking the questions, but recently we traded our interview roles and sat down with Lance Perry — or ask you might know him, @that_ldp.

On the latest episode of his podcast “It’s Probably U,” we chatted all about FTWtoday, our pathways to media, and how we communicate with each other and all of you.

Give it a listen

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Kate

From the editor

It’s baseball season in Texas. The Rangers unveiled their new Nike City Connect gear yesterday — and they’re looking mighty fine if we do say so ourselves.

The design draws on DFW baseball history, combining former rivals the Fort Worth Panthers and the Dallas Eagles into a mythical creature called the “Peagle.”

Grab a ticket to the game on Friday, April 21 — an important day in state and sport history — to see the team strut their new look.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Treat yourself to a staycation at one of these five local luxuries.

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