Plus, check Thanksgiving holiday closures and garbage collection changes.
 
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Sunrise 7:05 a.m. | Sunset 5:25 p.m.
 

‘No faint hearts’

JFK’s last day in Fort Worth
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President John F. Kennedy greets the crowd outside Hotel Texas on November 22, 1963. | Photo courtesy of UTA Libraries
On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy addressed Fort Worth the morning of his assassination. Let’s look back at how he spent his last day in Cowtown.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, JFK and Jackie Kennedy touched down at Carswell Air Force Base late in the evening, greeting the 6,000 people gathered to welcome them. The president headed to Hotel Texas — now the Hilton Fort Worth — for his last night in Suite 850.

On Friday, Nov. 22 at 9 a.m., JFK stepped up on a temporary stage in the parking lot across from the hotel — where the JFK Tribute now stands — for an impromptu rally.

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and Texas Governor John Connally joined him for the rainy remarks, the last time the president addressed the public. During his speech, JFK lauded locals, saying “There are no faint hearts in Fort Worth...”

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John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

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Photo courtesy of UTA Libraries

The president then returned to the hotel for a breakfast speech for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where Mrs. Kennedy debuted her iconic pink ensemble with her pillbox hat.

Afterwards, the president’s motorcade paraded through downtown, headed back to Carswell and Air Force One took off for Dallas Love Field at 11:25 a.m.

The following hours have been told and retold for 60 years, but Fort Worth will never forget the city’s role in the 35th US president’s last day.

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JFK signed autographs at Carswell Air Force Base before he headed to Dallas Love Field.

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Photo courtesy of UTA Libraries

Remember JFK with a stop at the downtown memorial or check out these other goings-on in Dallas:
 
Events
Wednesday, Nov. 22
  • NCHA Metallic World Championship Futurity | Wednesday, Nov. 22 | 10 a.m. + 2:30 p.m. | Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth | Free | Watch skilled riders in the Open Finals of this cutting horse competition.
Thursday, Nov. 23
  • Santa’s Wonderland | Thursday, Nov. 23-Sunday, Dec. 24 | 10:15-11:45 a.m. | Cabela’s, 12901 Cabelas Dr., Fort Worth | Free | Make a reservation for a photo with Santa.
Friday, Nov. 24
  • 8th Annual Funkytown Gitdown | Friday, Nov. 24 | 7 p.m. | Tulips Fort Worth, 112 St. Louis Ave., Fort Worth | $15 | Jam out to Don Louis, Dustin Massey, Songbird Jones, and Legacy 4 + shop the art gallery and silent auction in support of Fort Worth Abroad.
  • Kirk Franklin | Friday, Nov. 24 | 8 p.m. | Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth | $124-$350 | Don’t miss the performance by the 16-time Grammy Award-winning artist and Fort Worthian.
  • Randy Rogers Band | Friday, Nov. 24-Saturday, Nov. 25 | 10 p.m.-12 a.m. | Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth | $30-$75 | The country band from San Marcos is playing the world’s biggest honky-tonk.
Events calendar here
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Community

How 90 minutes can change a child’s life
a student and a volunteer mentor laugh while sitting at a table
An Academy 4 mentor and a mentee during mentoring time. | Photo courtesy of Academy 4
Looking for a way to give back this holiday season? Donate your time to Academy 4, a mentoring program that helps fourth graders in economically disadvantaged schools.

Sessions take place for 90 minutes, one Friday a month. It’s an easy way to connect, engage, and make a difference in your community. As a mentor, you provide your fourth grade-mentee with one-on-one undivided attention, making them feel special, seen, and heard. It’s not too late to get involved.
Sign up to mentor
News Notes
Civic
  • Most municipal buildings will be closed Thursday, Nov. 23 + Friday, Nov. 24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Garbage pickup will be pushed to Friday and Saturday + residents are allowed two extra bags of garbage next to their trash can. See other civic closures.
Development
  • City Council authorized a five-year tax abatement agreement with Cultivated Holdings and Cultivated Builders for three single-family dwellings. While three homes aren’t necessarily newsworthy, the properties are in Neighborhood Empowerment Zones, which provide builders and homeowners incentive packages to promote affordable housing.
Arts
  • The Van Cliburn Foundation unveiled the artwork for the 2025 International Piano Competition + it features an iconic Fort Worth mural. Commissioned as the Cliburn’s first-ever mural in 2022 and painted by artist DAAS, “Chromesthesia” features a colorful piano on South Main Street. Applications are open for the competition through October 16, 2024.
Ranked
  • Fort Worth is the fourth most “house rich” city — which means relatively affordable compared to the local median income — in the US according to a new report by All Star Homes. The home services provider evaluated the home value-to-income ratio for the 25 most populous American cities and found Cowtown’s homeownership rate at 44.8%.
Biz
  • Real estate executive Kevin Kessinger was named the president and COO of Trademark Property Company. The Fort Worth-based enterprise is responsible for 17 properties and more than 8.2 million sqft of mixed-use space, including WestBend and Galleria Dallas. Kessinger was previously the executive vice president of asset management at ShopCore Properties. (Fort Worth Business Press)
Number
  • 48,542. That’s how many new residents moved to Fort Worth from January 2020 to January 2023 — more than any other Texas city. New population data from the Texas Demographic Center shows that 1.6 million people moved to or were born in the Lone Star State during that time.
Shop
  • Have an active loved one on your shopping list? Upway delivers rigorously inspected, certified, and 99% pre-assembled ebikes from top brands (think: Specialized, Aventon, and Super73) directly to your doorstep. Get up to $1,200 off for Black Friday, and score free express shipping with code TREE.*
 
Try This

🌎 Explore the world — digitally

Try This: Explore the world with Google Arts & Culture
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Explore the art and history of our town online. | Images courtesy of Google Arts & Culture
Whether you’re eager to learn more about different cultures across the globe without stepping foot in an airport, or you want to spend your lunch break doing something other than scrolling social media — we’ve got a pretty neat activity for you to try.

Google Arts & Culture, a digital initiative to make the world’s art and culture more accessible, has partnered with 2,000+ cultural institutions and artists to create a free online platform with high-resolution images and videos of art and artifacts.

There’s no place like Fort Worth:

Digitally discover Cowtown through collections from the Kimbell Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Don’t forget to check out other local museums in person.

Or take a virtual road trip to Austin + immerse yourself in the history of this vibrant tech hub. See 1,600 historic photos and digital collections like the Blanton Museum of Art and the South Austin Popular Culture Center.
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    The Buy

    The Buy 11.22.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
    A bundle we’ll be snacking on all season, especially since it will be on sale this Saturday.
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    The Wrap
     
    Kate Mazade

    Today’s edition by:
    Kate
    From the editor
    If you manage to eat all of your Thanksgiving dinner this year and not have any leftovers, then we’ve got a treat for you. Social House is hosting a Post Thanksgiving Brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24. Make a reservation to fuel up during your Black Friday shopping.
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