Today’s Forecast

55º | Mostly cloudy | 10% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:32 a.m. | Sunset 5:36 p.m.

🎬 Starstruck

Fort Worth is one of the best cities for moviemakers

FTW-Behind the scenes of the 1883 filming-JAN

Behind the scenes of the filming of “1883.” | Photo by @filmfortworth via @texasfilmcomm

It should come as no surprise that Fort Worth was named one of the “Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker” in MovieMaker Magazine. The magazine lauded our film culture (think: the Lone Star Film Festival) and how easy it is to snag a filming permit.

What can we say? The camera loves Fort Worth’s big blue sky.

No wonder so many films and television shows have been shot here, including:

“1883" | The prequel to “Yellowstone” stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and a number of Fort Worth locations.
“Logan’s Run” | This sci-fi flick used Fort Worth Water Gardens’ active pool for scenes.
“Bottle Rocket” | Wes Anderson’s first feature film was shot entirely in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Hillsboro.

Creator of “Yellowstone” and Fort Worthian, Taylor Sheridan is also filming a show about Bass Reeves here. Catch it on Paramount+ when it premieres (hopefully by the end of 2023). Don’t want to fork over the $4.99 per month? We challenge you to binge all five seasons of “Yellowstone” using the free 30-day trial.

Tell us your favorite FTW film

Events

Monday, May 8

Knit and Crochet Circle | Monday, May 8 | 6-8 p.m. | Grapevine Public Library, 1201 Municipal Way, Grapevine | Free | Teens and adults are invited to learn how to knit and crochet — supplies will be provided.

Tuesday, May 9

“Tootsie” | Tuesday, May 9-Sunday, May 14 | Times vary | Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth | $44-$126 | The Broadway musical is a laugh-out-loud love letter to the theater — catch it at Bass Hall for one week only.

Wednesday, May 10

Mother’s Day Celebration | Wednesday, May 10 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Andrew Doc Session Community Center, 201 S. Sylvania Ave., Fort Worth | Free | Celebrate Mom with an afternoon filled with friends, a photo booth, and roses.
Lunchtime Music Series | Wednesday, May 10 | 12-1 p.m. | Burnett Park, 501 W. 7th St., Fort Worth | Free | Grab your lunch and enjoy the spring weather paired with your favorite local artists.

Thursday, May 11

Ice Cream Social | Thursday, May 11 | 6 p.m. | WestBend, 1701 River Run, Fort Worth | Free | Bring your friends for a community bike ride with Fort Worth Bike Sharing followed by dessert from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.

Friday, May 12

The Cowgirl Gathering | Friday, May 12-Saturday, May 13 | 8 a.m.-10 p.m. | Fort Worth Stockyards, 131 E. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth | This weekend takeover in the Stockyards highlights cowgirls’ skills in breakaway roping, team roping, and barrel racing.

Saturday, May 12

Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo | Saturday, May 13 | 1:30 p.m. + 7:30 p.m. | Cowtown Coliseum, 121 E. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth | $15-$60 | Celebrate and honor Black cowboys, cowgirls, and their contributions to building the West.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Open

Dreamboat Donuts & Scoops soft-opened in the Near Southside’s PS1200 mixed-use space. Currently, the donut shop is open from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., or until sellout. Guests can expect plant-based sweets like donuts, croissants, and apple fritters.

Ranked

TCU is one of five local universities deemed the best in Texas for grad school by US News and World Report. TCU ranked No. 6 in the state and No. 50 nationally for its graduate business school. UTA earned the No. 4 spot in Texas and No. 69 nationally for its graduate engineering programs.

Biz

Mercado Juarez Cafe on East Northside Drive was sold by owner Dave Cox to local restaurateur Marcus Paslay. Dave said he was ready to retire and that Marcus, along with Scratch Hospitality, would love and respect the 30-year-old institution. Marcus also oversees Clay Pigeon and Provender Hall. (CultureMap Fort Worth)

Number

$5,000. That’s how much the Northside Community Center received in grants from the Blue Zones Project. The funds will be used to support the new community garden including its cultivation, maintenance, and garden education programs. The project is set to begin in June.

Coming Soon

A new dog grooming spa will open in Alliance Town Center next month. PetBar offers self- and full-service washing, grooming, and a pet taxi service to and from the business. The spa has another location in Waterside at 5925 Convair Dr.

Outdoors

The Forth Worth Zoo released 55 endangered snakes into the wild at Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana last week. The release of the Louisiana pine snakes was the largest in zoo history. The Fort Worth Zoo is only one of four breeding centers for snakes in the US.

Closing

Natural Grocers is closing its north Fort Worth location at 230 N. Tarrant Parkway. The Colorado health food chain will begin store-wide closing with 25% off everything on Monday, May 15. Another store is closing in Coppell at 120 S. Denton Tap Rd.

Eat

Haven’t been to brunch at Fat Daddy’s in Mansfield yet? Time to change that — they just launched a brand-new, mouth-watering brunch menu available from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.*

Finance

The free Upside app gets you cash back on everyday purchases at 50,000+ locations nationwide, from gas stations to restaurants and grocery stores. Frequent users earn ~$340 per year. Bonus: Use code FTW25 for an extra 25 cents per gallon cash back on your first tank of gas.*

Shop

She doesn’t need another bouquet of flowers — give mom the gift of learning a new language instead. Bonus: Get 55% off.*
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and we’re helping you choose the perfect gift for your favorite educators. Show them love with Marble and Steel Craft Chocolates or a handwritten note using a Joy Paper Co. card.

City

🎓 Hats off to these photo-worthy destinations

Best spots to take photos in Fort Worth, TX

It’s graduation season in Fort Worth | Photo by @mellowyellowpay

Graduation season is right around the corner and you know what that means — a lot of caps and gowns are floating around town for photo ops.

To celebrate that special moment we’ve highlighted nine of the best spots for graduation photos around the city — no matter where you’re graduating from.

Botanic Garden

With 23 specialty gardens, your graduation photos are bound to look enchanting — especially with the spring flowers in bloom.

Sundance Square

Take a photo in front of the massive Chisholm Trail mural or step into the plaza to see the larger-than-life disco cowboy hat.

Fort Worth Stockyards

Take in the historic feel of the cobblestone streets + vintage wooden stables for a Western look.

Foundry District

Tucked away behind Doc’s Records & Vintage you’ll find Inspiration Alley — an area filled with graffiti artwork highlighting local artists.

5 more stunning backdrops

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Rebecca

From the editor

In honor of graduation season — I’m throwing it back to 2020 when I received my master’s degree from Dallas Baptist University. Peep the photo icon above.

Although COVID-19 interrupted a majority of my studies, I’d do the entire experience over again in a heartbeat. Shoutout to Dr. Morgan, Professor Palmer, Raegan Ratcliff, and the rest of the DBU staff for a memorable experience.

If you’re headed to a graduation ceremony this month, send us a picture of the celebrations for a chance to be featured in a future newsletter or on Instagram.

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