February 9, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

70º | Scattered thunderstorms | 20% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:32 a.m. | Sunset 5:36 p.m.

🏆 Because everything is bigger in Texas

FTW-Slip-and-slide Guinness World Record

The 1,710 ft slip ’n’ slide was located on Panther Island as part of Pantherfest. | Photo by Guinness World Record

Does anyone else remember flipping through Guinness World Record books when you were a kid and thinking how cool it would be to set one yourself? We did a little research and found that several Fort Worthians have achieved the record-setting goal.

From the “World’s Tallest Dog” to the “Longest BBQ Marathon,” here are just a few of the most impressive titles claimed right here in Cowtown.

Trinity River Vision Authority
In 2015, during PantherFest, the Trinity River Vision Authority broke the world record for the longest distance traveled on a slip ’n’ slide in one hour. Hundreds of people threw themselves down the plastic slide and traveled a collective distance of 2,541,060 ft in just 60 minutes.

Panther City BBQ
In 2022, the local barbecue hotspot set a Guinness World Record for the Longest BBQ Marathon Team. The pitmasters slow-cooked meats continuously for 40 hours, 49 minutes, and 17 seconds. The best part — all the food went to local frontline workers.

Sky Elements Drones
The Fort Worth-based drone company broke the Guinness World Record for the Largest Aerial Image formed by drones during a holiday show in North Richland Hills in December 2023. The company used 1,499 drones to create an image of a Christmas tree during a sold-out show.

FTW-Arlington ISD Mum — In 2021, Arlington ISD set the Guinness World Record for the largest homecoming mum. | Photo by Arlington ISD

Arlington ISD
The local school district set a Guinness World Record for the largest homecoming mum. The district’s special education department achieved the feat in October 2021 while raising awareness for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The mum measured just over 11 square meters, beating the previous world record of 6.5 square meters.

Dr. H. Howard Hughes
The English professor at Texas Wesleyan University (1935-1968) set the Guinness record for the Most Ardent Theatergoer by attending 6,136 shows from 1957 to 1987.

3 more record-setting feats

Events

Friday, Feb. 9

“Seussical TYA” | Friday, Feb. 9-Sunday, Feb. 18 | Times vary | Casa Mañana, 3103 W. Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth | $27-$57 | Enjoy a fantastical musical extravaganza featuring Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, and more of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters — today’s show includes an ASL-interpreted performance.

Saturday, Feb. 10

Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors | Sunday, Feb. 11 | 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth | $0-$12 | Travel back in time to when dinosaurs walked the earth with an outdoor exhibit of animatronic reptiles.

Sunday, Feb. 11

Exotics and Expresso | Sunday, Feb. 11 | 8-10 a.m. | J’adore Rose, 405 S. FM 1187, Ste. 500, Aledo | Free | Start your morning with a cup of coffee and a tour of exotic cars at this monthly show.
Fort Worth Bridal Show | Sunday, Feb. 11 | 12-5 p.m. | Fort Worth Convention Center, 1201 Houston St., Fort Worth | $5-$12 | This upscale bridal show will feature professional wedding businesses, a fashion show, and door prizes and giveaways.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Coming Soon

Broadway 10 Bar & Chophouse (B|10) is slated to open in late 2024 inside downtown’s newest luxury high-rise apartments, Deco 969. B|10 is a modern chophouse owned by Oklahoma-based Provision Concepts and will feature menu items like hand-cut steaks, sushi, wine, and cocktails. (CultureMap Fort Worth)

Award

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose is one of 20 nominees for USA Today’s list of best safari and wildlife parks. Currently, in fourth place on the leaderboard, readers have until Monday, March 4 at 11 a.m. to vote. The winners will be announced on Friday, March 15.

Closed

Calisience — a local food truck-turned-restaurant — closed its Race Street location earlier this week. In an online post, owner Jacqueline Anaya said she’s thankful for the community’s support over the last year and for welcoming the concept with open arms.

Show

Comedian Tom Robinson and his popular Netflix show “I Think You Should Leave” will stop by Will Rogers Auditorium on Saturday, April 20. The show will also feature several surprise guests. Tickets for the live show go on sale today.

Travel

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines teased a new look for its aircraft cabin interiors. The updated interiors will begin rolling out next year and include personal electronic device holders, bigger overhead bins, and new seats with a backrest for lumbar support.

Film

Actress Demi Moore joined the cast of Talyor Sheridan’s upcoming Paramount+ series “Landman.” The series is “set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas and the world of oil rigs.” The show is expected to film scenes on the TCU campus next week. (The Dallas Morning News)

Concert

Grapevine native Post Malone will take one of the biggest stages in America this weekend. The singer will perform “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. The performance will take place before the national anthem. Tune in on CBS at 5:30 p.m.

Trending

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parson will play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game next week. Hosted in Indianapolis, Parson will be on NFL legend Shannon Sharpe’s team coached by Peyton Manning and rapper 50 Cent. The game will air on Friday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

Development

Hiley Acura plans to begin building a new $13 million dealership on the West Loop in April. According to a state filing, the dealership will include a showroom, offices, a service shop, car wash, and customer parking. Construction is expected to be completed by October 2025.

Eat

Girl Scout Cookies make the perfect Super Bowl snack. Support your local Girl Scout troops this season as they work towards unboxing a more equitable, barrier-breaking, fun future through their Cookie Business. Find a cookie booth now through March 3.*

Drink

Gals this one’s for you. Thompson’s Bookstore is hosting Galentine’s Delight, on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 4-7 p.m. Sip on exquisite drinks, revel in the company of your besties, and even learn how to create a specialty cocktail from one of their mixologists.*

Sports

Planning to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday? Stream it with a Paramount+ with Showtime subscription — get 30 days free with code GOAT.*

Announced

We’re excited to share that 6AM City, our parent company, closed its Series A funding round led by the media company, TEGNA. This partnership means continuing to deliver the same hyper-local news and events while expanding our reach to new readers and communities. Learn more.

The Buy

Your must-have from Six & Main’s winter skin edit, featuring face wash, lip balm, and serums to keep your skin hydrated and radiant during the cooler months. Did we mention all products are from small businesses, too?

Answered

What local restaurants and chefs do you think were snubbed by the James Beard Awards?

Chef Arnulfo Sánchez III was nominated for Best Chef: Texas for his dishes at Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q in Grapevine. | Photo by @vaquerostxbbq

On January 24, the semifinalists were announced for the 2024 James Beard Awards — one of the culinary world’s most prestigious prizes.

Eight North Texas chefs and restaurants received nominations — including Richardson’s La Casita Baskeshop for Outstanding Bakery and Grapevine chef Arnulfo Sánchez III with Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q.

This year, no Cowtown eateries made the list — but we think there are certainly some award-winning dishes out there.

We wanted to share the love and find out which local restaurants and chefs our readers think were snubbed. Here’s who y’all nominated:

The Fitzgerald | Gulf Coast-inspired seafood concept led by chef Ben Merritt
Paris 7th Restaurant Français | Fine dining restaurant with dishes like caviar and foie gras from chef Chris Salvador
Don Artemio | Northeast Mexico-inspired cuisine run by chef Juan Ramón Cárdenas

See all the nominees

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Rebecca

From the editor

We heard Sunday, Feb. 11 is National Latte Day, and what better way to celebrate the brew-ti-ful holiday than with a cuppa joe? Check out these 35 local coffee shops to get your caffeine fix before the Big Game.

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