All will be merry and bright in Sundance Square. | Photo by @jrh79_
Get your fuzzy socks and hot cocoa ready. From light displays to holiday performances and festive parties, this is by far the coziest season in Cowtown.
Stockyards Rodeo Rink, Livestock Exchange Building Tickets start at $20 to skate around the ice rink from Monday, Nov. 18 through Sunday, Jan. 5. Then, warm up with hot chocolate and snacks.
78th Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting, Sundance Square The 82-ft Norway Spruce will be the largest live tree in Texas + will be adorned with 10,000 LEDs and oversized ornaments painted by local artists. See it all aglow starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3 + snap the perfect holiday card picture.
Second Thursdays at the Carter | 5-8 p.m. | Amon Carter Museum of American Art | Free | Break standard museum etiquette with live music, drinks and snacks, and a western wear fashion show while you explore the current exhibition, “The Cowboy’s Legacy: Past and Present.”
Friendsgiving Cookies + Charcuterie Class | 6-7:30 p.m. | Graze Craze Charcuterie Boards & Boxes | $50 | Learn how to decorate three fall-themed cookies and assemble a tasting board that will wow your guests.
Candlelight Concert | 8:45-10 p.m. | Fort Worth Botanic Garden | $57+ | The Listeso String Quartet will rock out the peaceful evening concert with a tribute to Queen.
Friday, Nov. 15
“The Cowboy and the Queen” | Friday, Nov. 15-Sunday, Nov. 17 | Times vary | The Modern | $3.50+ | Watch the Magnolia at the Modern documentary about Queen Elizabeth II’s friendship with horse trainer Monty Roberts.
Spark Workshops | 5-9 p.m. | SiNaCa Studios | $85 | Learn how to sandcast glass and create your own one-of-a-kind sculpture.
Lone Star Brahmas | 7:30 p.m. | NYTEX Sports Centre, North Richland Hills | $5+ | The Brahmas will take to the ice against the Amarillo Wranglers.
Saturday, Nov. 16
Fall Festival Community Event | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | 1126 S. Bowen Rd., Arlington | Free | Enjoy pumpkin decorating, live music, carnival food, and local vendors.
Iron Maiden | 6 p.m. | Dickies Arena | $170+ | The English heavy metal band will take the stage in Cowtown with special guest The Hu.
Clint Black | 10 p.m. | Billy Bob’s | $41+ | The “A Better Man” and “Nobody’s Home” singer will take the stage at the world’s largest honky-tonk.
City Council approved revisions to the city’s Housing Tax Credit guidelines that will make it easier for developers to create affordable housing. Developers can apply for a 4% incentive for smaller projects and renovations or a 9% credit for new projects, which needs to be submitted by Friday, Jan. 3.
Outdoors
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden will break ground on Saturday, Nov. 16 on the Baker Martin Family Garden, as part of the 20-year master plan. The garden will feature 11 nature spaces, a 150-ft creek, pond, play areas + a LEED-certified education building. It is slated to open in the fall of 2026.
Number
$400,000. That’s what the city will contribute for the Fort Worth Herd equestrian facilities improvements. City Council approved the funding to add covered horse stalls, security cameras, horse therapeutic equipment, and more to the North Houston Street barn. Friends of the Herd will contribute $177,200 to the East Exchange Street facility improvements.
Edu
The approximate annual cost of undergraduate tuition at TCU starting in the 2025-2026 academic year will be $61,650. The university’s board of trustees approved a 3% tuition rate increase earlier this month to “support sustainability and initiatives to enhance TCU’s academic and student experience.”
Transit
Waze but make it North-Texas themed. By using a combination of helpful travel data, the 511DFW Travel Information System has been updated to get North Texan travelers to their destination safer and quicker. The system is free and is available in both English and Spanish. (Fort Worth Report)
Kids
Earlier this week, Tarrant County opened the first of six new child care centers. Located on the east side of town, Child Care Studio at Riverside features three separate play areas for children from infancy to preschool age, plus offers a unique view of downtown’s skyline. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
Cause
From now until Friday, Dec. 20, community members can donate new gifts to the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth’s Bow on Top Holiday Shop. The fundraiser allows out-of-town families who are currently located in Fort Worth for their child’s medical care to pick out gifts for the holiday season. Check out the wishlist.
Plan Ahead
Celebrate the legacy of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center and learn what’s to come at a come-and-go open house on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 12-8 p.m. Community members and artists can contribute their favorite moments to a collaborative Memory Wall + see a vision for the Arts Fort Worth future.
Eat
Need a new place to snack?Anna’s Table, a pop-up and catering restaurant, is open for business every Friday and Saturday night in downtown Fort Worth. Owner Anna Villegas is no stranger to the restaurant biz — her brother, Joshua owns Son of a Baker Pizzeria, located on top of the Archibald Bar. (CultureMap Fort Worth)
Ranked
No. 16. That’s what Fort Worth neighbor Denton ranked in a new SmartAsset report on the largest growth populations across the US. Denton grew 5.325 from 2022 to 2023, adding 8,000+ new residents. Mainsfield trailed close behind at No. 26.
Trending
I’m not crying, you’re crying — Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene scored a goal in Monday’s game against the Pensylvania Penguins, and his smallest fans celebrated in a big way. The WFAA Sports team shared a video of Duchene’s kiddos going wild for their dad.
Sports
Josh Smith’s third straight Silver Slugger Award, free agent Nathan Eovaldi’s possible return, and the Rangers’ recruiting advantage for Japanese phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki — don’t miss a minute of the action with the stories every day from the local experts of the Texas Rangers on Locked On’s daily podcasts.
The Foundry District will soon feature an outdoor gallery and community lounge space. | Rendering courtesy of GFF Design
Did you know our quaint Foundry District is about to get a major upgrade? Earlier this week, Asana Partners unveiled the redevelopment plan for the Foundry District, teasing that it would become a “premier experiential destination” for Cowtown + sharing a collection of artist renderings.
Asana Partners hopes to add more destinations where visitors can eat, drink, and shop ‘til they drop, while still honoring its history. Slated to be complete by the spring of 2025, the project by Dallas-based GFF Design will include:
Converting historic loading docks to open-air dining and patios
Improving the outdoor gallery
Installing Texas-native plants to enhance customer experience
The Foundry District first opened in June 2021 and was purchased by North Carolina investment firm Asana Partners in September 2022. Asana Partners also managers other Dallas-Fort Worth destinations like Deep Ellum and Victory Park.
Did you know today is National Pickle Day? I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than a trip to the Best Maid Pickle Emporium in the Near Southside. I visited two years ago and still think about it all the time. It might be my Roman Empire.
