Family Friendly

Hundreds of years ago, settlers who came to Fort Worth were greeted by rolling prairies for as far as the eye could see. Today, those welcoming fields have been replaced by growing cities and towns, but Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) remembers this heritage and culture with the annual celebration of Prairie Day.

BRIT's Prairie Day offers family-friendly education about the beauty and importance of the North Texas landscape through hands-on events and activities that kids will love. Kids will be encouraged to get a little dirty as they help to make seed balls, a Prairie Day tradition. Using a Native American technique, visitors will combine seeds, humus, and red clay into tiny packets of life that will be tossed into the fields surrounding  BRIT to populate the area with native plants. Imagine the fun of returning to the BRIT next spring to see the plants you helped to grow!

Other activities throughout the day will combine fun family games with opportunities to learn about nature, including face painting, balloon twisting, and a variety of games provided by the Log Cabin Village.  In addition, live music and cowboy poets will be on hand to entertain the crowd. 

Don't miss these other great activities:

• Beekeeping demonstrations
• Soap and candle making
• Children’s coloring contest
• Basket Weaving
• Solar Cooking Demonstrations
• Meet two special guest prairie dogs

The 3^rd annual Prairie Day event will be held on Saturday, May 18^th from 10 am to 2 pm at BRIT Headquarters 1700 University Drive.

We showed you how to discover the Cultural District on a budget, and now it's time for some Sundance Square savings tips and how to visit downtown Fort Worth on a dime. When looking for free attractions in Downtown and Sundance Square, it is almost harder to find an attraction that does charge. This family-friendly Fort Worth area has plenty of hidden gems just waiting to be discovered by you and your family. Don’t forget to stop in our Downtown Visitor Center in Sundance Square for more savings: iFortWorth, located at 508 Main St.

Attractions:

• Bass Hall – Free tour on Saturdays at 10:30am
• Sid Richardson Museum – Free
• Fire Station #1 – Free
• Fort Worth Water Gardens – Free
• JFK Tribute – Free
• Heritage Trails – Free
• Sundance Square is always free to visit but check out their website and sign up for “Inside the Square” newsletter for additional discounts to be delivered straight to your email.

Most people eat something small for lunch and then consider dinner to be the larger meal of the day. Why not switch it up? Lunch menus often offer the same items but at a discounted price. Then check out a Happy Hour for dinner. Next time your in downtown Fort Worth, consider these dinner Happy Hours:

Taverna Pizzeria and Risotteria

• Monday-Friday 3:00 - 8:00 p.m., which includes Half-price Appetizers & Pizza /Well Drinks, Draught Beer, Bellini, House Red & White Wine $3.00 (Available in the bar and lounge)
• Wednesday Night-Enjoy 1/2 price bottles of wine with items off our regular menu or specials board (4:00 - 10:00)

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

• Happy Hour Sizzle, Swizzle, Swirl – The best of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse food and drinks for $7 Monday-Friday.

T and P Tavern

• Happy Hour Monday-Friday 4:00-7:00 and all day on Sunday.

Frankies Sports Bar & Grill

• Happy Hour 11:00AM-7:00PM week days
• Check out their website for daily specials!

Looking for a free way to get around? Molly the Trolley runs seven days a week from 10am-10pm. Check out Molly’s routes here! Don’t forget about Fort Worth’s brand new Bike Sharing too – there are several bike stations all over downtown for easy access! Check our out Deals & Discounts for more ways to save in Downtown!

If you are looking for a fun-and free-way to spend your weekend, bring your family out to Stockyard Exchange for the annual Frontier Forts Days, May 10-11, 2013. During the two-day event, the Stockyard National Historic District will take you back in time to the wild and wooly days of the Texas frontier. During the festival, cowboys, Native Americans, and military personnel come together to reenact a time when these vastly different cultures mingled and clashed, as they forged the future for the city of Fort Worth. 

Exchange Avenue will be transformed to the 19^th century and lined with encampments from the Texas Forts Trail. Wander through the camps to learn about the tools and daily life of the soldiers, as well as get a unique glimpse of the relationship between Texas and US Military. Parades, demonstrations, and other cultural encounters are ongoing throughout the day to give you a glimpse of the journeys and people who shaped the land.

With so many action-packed activities on the agenda, the kids will be so entertained that they won’t even realize they are learning about an important period in Texas history.

You won’t want to miss:

• Artillery demonstrations
• Infantry and Cavalry demonstrations
• Native American performances
• Live music
• 10 Fort encampments
• Military parades and presentations

Frontier Forts Days will begin on Friday, May 10 at 10:00 am and run through Saturday May 11 at 5:00 pm. 

Photo: Brian Hutson

For over four decades, families have gathered on the banks of the Trinity River for the annual food, music, and fun of Mayfest. Highlights of this four-day festival include seven stages featuring live music, a dedicated children’s area with over 20 free booths, and a global smorgasbord of treats from jambalaya to tacos. 

With so many activities, you can’t go wrong, but be sure not to miss these kid-pleasing activities.

·The Tom Thumb Children’s Area: It’s easy to find-just look for the white picket fence. Once inside, kids will enjoy activities such as face painting, clowns, Radio Disney, and art projects.

·The Range: An area where kids and adults can go wild with carnival rides, including a giant inflatable walk- on- water ball, and, of course, a mechanical bull.

·Live Shark Encounters: Imagine live sharks swimming in a giant tank in the middle of Trinity Park. You won’t want to miss it!

·Sandpile Creations: This is not your average sandcastle, but an artistic display of whimsical figures created from a pile of sand. What figures will take center stage this year?

·The Frost Zone: Bungee Jumping, pony rides, a petting zoo, and a giant human maze are waiting here. Watch out! You may never be able to get the kids to leave!

Mayfest is May 2-5 in Trinity Park. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, and free for children under $5. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or at www.mayfest.org

Photo Credit: Mayfest 

We all know that travelling can get expensive sometime. That is why doing your homework and finding the best deal is so important. Well we have done the homework for you. Take a look at these great deals in the Cultural District, West 7^th Street District and University Area.

Museums & Attractions:

-Amon Carter Museum is always FREE to visit.

-Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth - FREE to visit the first Sunday of every month.

-Kimbell Art Museum’s permanent collection is always FREE to see. Kimbell offers Half Price admission to their traveling exhibitions Tuesday from 10am-5pm and Friday from 5pm-8pm.

-You can received Half Price admission to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History with paid admission to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame (visits must be on the same day).

-The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is FREE to visit.

-The BRIT (Botanic Research Institute of Texas) offers FREE Self-guided tours during regular working hours, Mondays-Fridays, 10am- 5pm and Saturdays, 10am-2pm and FREE Guided Tours Thursday at 1:30pm and Saturday at 10:30am).

-Both Log Cabin Village and the Japanese Gardens are only $5 for adults to visit.

-Monnig Meteorite Gallery - located on the Texas Christian University campus is FREE to visit. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 1pm-4pm and Saturday 9am-4pm.

-Discount Tickets for the Fort Worth Zoo are available at iFortWorth and Wednesdays are Half Priced ticket days.

Don't forget to check out Fort Worth's new Bike Share program for a easy and affordable way to get around town.This is only the beginning on great deals to be found in Fort Worth. Feel free to let us know about other deals you've found by commenting below!

Celebrate the beauty of spring, one of the best times of the year to visit the City of Cowboys and Culture. Spring in Fort Worth is evident through the incredible 75-degree and sunny weather, blooming bluebonnets and the influx of people enjoying the Trinity Trails. Each year, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden celebrates the season with a Japanese-themed Spring Festival in the enchanting Japanese Garden. On Saturday, April 20th (10am-5pm) and Sunday, April 21st (11am-5pm), discover the beautifully-lanscaped Japanese Garden, where stone, earth, leaf and water become one amongst 7-acres of wonder.

This family-friendly festival offers entertainment for all ages including Sakura Dancers, demonstration of martial arts and the deft use of Japanese swords. Attendees can wander the wavering paths of the garden, listening to koto music and taiko drumming, participate in the tea ceremony, explore the bonsai and ikebana exhibits, indulge in reiki relaxation techniques, and shop among numerous vendors selling jewlery, artwork and gifts. Enjoy an afternoon culinary delight in the food court and shop in the gift store that features Japanese tea sets, sake sets, toys and books. Bring the kids for special children's activities including kimono dress up; Japanese storytelling; origami, calligraphy, Japanese crafts and games; temporary tattoos; Japanese fish painting; and feeding the koi fish. For more information, click here.

Admission: $6.00 for adults $3.00 for children 4-12; under 4 admitted free. 

Spring has finally sprung! Now that the weather is warming up, it’s the perfect time to explore the great outdoors! What better place to do that than the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge? With over 3,600 acres for visitors to explore the Nature Center is one of the largest city-owned centers in the United States. The Nature Center offers an extensive list of monthly things to do.  This is the perfect kid-friendly outdoor activity for a Saturday or Sunday funday! Check out one of their family friendly nature hikes, kayak/canoe tours or educational programs. See the complete list monthly activities on the Nature Center's Calendar.

Mark your calendar for the 21^st annual Buffalo Boogie on Saturday, May 11th! This is the Nature Center’s annual event to raise financial support for the herd of Bison that call the Refuge home. In 1973, the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge donated three bison to the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. Since then the herd has grown and serves many purposes for the Nature Center like land management, recreation and conservation. The Buffalo Boogie is a 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk (the 5K Chip-Timed Run on a USATF certified course). 

Imagine a place built around color, creativity and extreme fun! LEGO® fans - young and old - are sure to love the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center located next to Fort Worth in Grapevine Mills Mall. This is the perfect spring break destination designed to thrill the minds of children ages 3-10, where they can reach out and touch the stars in the 4D cinema, learn top LEGO® building secrets from the Master Model Builder, and discover iconic landmarks in MINILAND®.

Comment below by Friday, March 15 at noon to be entered to win a family four-pack of tickets!

(Up to two adults and two children; valid through Oct. 2013). Winner will be emailed on Monday, 3/18. 

Looking for something free and inspirational to do this Spring Break in Fort Worth? Look no further than the Fort Worth Cultural District, where the Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents Big Pictures, a culmination of nearly 50 works inspired by photographers thinking "big". On view through April 21st, the exhibition explores the impact of scale and the history of how thinking large has developed over the past 100 years. Expanding the image (no matter how simple) allows us as viewers to slow down and notice the details, which is a nice life lesson in general. For example, one of the photos in the first room, Landscape by Kathy Sherman Suder (b. 1959) conveys a boxer; however, the image's scale allows us to look deeper and pay attention to the form of his muscles, the sweat, and the direction of movement rather than just the image as a whole. 

Divided into five sections, loosely chronological in order, Big Pictures conveys grandeur style in looking at how photographers use size to affect the audience in different ways, many times by breaking the boundaries and thus, prolonging the gaze. Many have believed that large photographic prints are a recent phenomenon in photography; but interestingly enough, this exhibition reveals otherwise. In fact, the drive to create ever larger images has intrigued and motivated photographers from the medium’s earliest years. Don't miss this incredible exhibition at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art!  

Check out this free Fort Worth activity during spring break at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, where over half of the nation's currency is produced! From Tuesday, March 12 – Friday, March 15, 2013, enjoy two floors of interactive exhibits and displays showcasing the history of currency and the intricacies of the printing process. During your free self-guided tour (last tour at 4:30 p.m.), you can actually see billions of dollars being printed as you walk along an enclosed elevated walkway suspended over the production floor! It is an amazing sight to see, and kid of all ages will love this discovery! The tour experience also includes a high-definition theater film, the Moneyfactory Gift Shop, and a vending and rest area.

During the employee craft demonstrations, experience both floors of activities. On the first floor, witness Intaglio engraving artisanship at the engraver’s workbench, educational activities in the Kid’s Corral and see how currency was printed circa 1900 at the refurbished spider press (image below). Second floor activities include plate making for offset printing presses, see mutilated currency reconstructed piece-by-piece, and learn how Intaglio printing plates are “grown” in a nickel solution. For more information about this Spring Break event, click here.

For more Texas-sized fun to see and do this Spring Break, visit FortWorth.com/Spring-Break!

Photo Courtesy: Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Join Goodguys for a Spring Fling at Texas Motor Speedway – the Goodguys 3rd Annual Spring Lone Star Nationals features three big days of hot roddin’ fun Texas style! March 15^th-17^th Texas Motor Speedway will be filled with race fans of all ages. Enjoy over 2,000 Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars and Trucks thru ’72. There will also be vendor and manufacturer exhibits and live music entertainment! Bring the whole family because there will be free kids entertainment - Revell Model Car Make n’ Take, PPG Kids Coloring Contest, clowns & more. Other activities you won’t want to miss include: Goodgals Arts & Crafts Gallery, Ahwooga.com Swap Meet, Model & Pedal Car Show, and Goodguys Autocross. Download the Weekend Hap’s Flyer for a complete list of details. General Admission is $18; Admission for kids (ages 7-12) is $6.00, (6 & under) are free, and parking shuttles are complimentary. For more event information and to buy tickets visit www.good-guys.com/slsn.

Two lucky winners who comment on this blog post will receive 4 general admission tickets!

How to Enter: comment below, and you will be automatically entered to win! You must enter by Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Click here for Contest Rules. 

Hometown: Albany, New York

Occupation: Freelance writer and editor of AlbanyKid.com, a blog about enriching family travel.

Describe Fort Worth in three words: Spunky, Spirited, and Surprising.

If you want to discover America’s frontier spirit, there’s no better place to find it than in Fort Worth. The Old West comes alive every day in the Stockyards when cowhands drive a herd of Texas Longhorns through the Historic District. But on a recent visit, I discovered that there’s a lot more to this “Cowtown.”

Lush Gardens

The Texas landscape of my imagination is one of dusty trails, lone oak trees and barbwire fences. Not the verdant gardens—brightened by cottage pink roses, towering azaleas, and abundantly stocked koi ponds--that graced my stroll through the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. And as if that wasn’t enough to permanently shift my mental picture, the Botanic Garden offers a number of educational exhibits, including the extremely kid-friendly Texas Native Forest Boardwalk.

Renaissance Art

I was expecting to see works by legendary Western artists such as Frederic Remington, but little did I know that Fort Worth is home to world-class art collections.  The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth houses the second largest collection of modern and contemporary American and European art in the United States. And the Kimbell Art Museum, known as “America’s best small museum,” permanently displays Michelangelo’s first painting, The Torment of Saint Anthony. Both museums are neighbors in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, where a number of outdoor sculptures prompted smiles (and even raised eyebrows.)

Loss and Remembrance

When I visited, Fort Worth had just unveiled the JFK Tribute commemorating the city’s place in history as the site of President John F. Kennedy’s final speech before his assassination. I was staying across the street at the Hilton Hotel (formerly Hotel Texas) where JFK and the first lady spent their last night together, and thus had ample opportunity to study displays celebrating JFK’s accomplishments. What struck me, though, was not the photographs and signage, but the sense of pride and gratitude in his legacy emanating from a Texan vet I met at the exhibits.

I hope you dance.

Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honky-tonk, has to be seen to be believed. We dropped in early on a weeknight, so I didn’t experience the energy of a 100,000 square foot establishment capable of holding 6,000 people. Instead, I was able to get a good gander at the decorative displays: the world’s largest belt buckle; walls covered in hand prints from the likes of Ringo, Richard Petty, and Huey Lewis; and a homage to the Live at Billy Bob’s Texas” label listing county music legends from Merle Haggard to Billy Joe Shaver who have recorded onsite. The image that will stay with me, however, is that of a middle-aged couple dancing on the wooden floor, under neon lights and a rhinestone studded saddle.

Seems to me that Fort Worth is full of fun and educational things to do with kids, but it’s also the kind of place that makes you want to dance.

Hometown: Westport, ct 

Need your belly washed? 

 

In cowboy parlance, belly wash is coffee, a saddle blanket is a pancake and Pecos strawberries are beans.

 

Welcome to Fort Worth, Texas, which prides itself on being known as the City of Cowboys. (You can see cowboys herding longhorn cattle on the streets twice each day in the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, though today it’s strictly for the tourists.)

 

But Fort Worth also prides itself on being a city of culture. After all, there are five world-class museums here, from the Modern Art Museum, the second-largest museum gallery space for modern art in the country after MoMA New York to the Kimbell Art Museum, which has in its collection Michelangelo’s first painting and is undergoing a $125 million expansion to the Cattle Raisers Museum, that is literally a museum within a museum at the fantastic Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, which also includes the Fort Worth Children’s Museum.

 

It was at the Cattle Raisers Museum that I learned the lingo for chuck wagon eats. By the end of the Civil War, I also learned, millions of heads of cattle were in Texas and the teams that herded them North along the Chisholm Trail stopped here for supplies at what originally was settled as an army fort to protect settlers from Indian attacks on the frontier. The kids will love the interactive computer games that challenge them to drive the cattle to the ranch. Did you know that some ranchers use helicopters today to keep track of their herds?

 

Fort Worth certainly would be a good option for a Family Spring Break

 

Got a little cowgirl in the bunch? A few steps from the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame that celebrates the resilience and athleticism of the women who helped settle the frontier and entertained at rodeos and Wild West shows. 

 

I love that Fort Worth offers the opportunity to juxtapose Western history in museums and outside on the streets. Did I mention the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and the Sid Richardson Museum, both feature works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, two of the country’s greatest Western artists.

 

Eat some Texas barbecue  or Tex-Mex(we went to Riscky’s) for traditional Mexican fare at the sprawling Joe T. Garcia’s in a Mexican-style hacienda that has been a fixture here since 1935. (Enchiladas or fajitas?) Stop for breakfast (biscuits and gravy or cheese grits maybe?) or a piece of freshly-made pie (coconut or chocolate) at the Paris Coffee Shop that has been in the same family for more than 70 years. In case you are wondering, owner Mike Smith, who makes the pies, says coconut and chocolate cream are the most popular.

 

By now you’ve got to work off all the good eats, so grab your cowboy hat and go horseback riding along the Trinity River trails or take a hike at the huge (3,600-acre Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, where there’s also the chance to see a variety of animals native to this area — cottontail rabbits, prairie dogs, beavers and bison among them.

 

I’m busy breaking in my new Fort Worth cowboy boots.

 

© 2012 EILEEN OGINTZ

 

For more Fort Worth information and things to do this Spring Break, Click Here. 

 

Fort Worth Cattle Raiser's Museum (within the Museum of Science and History)

This weekend, enjoy one of the most beloved films of all time backed by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and travel to the wonderful world of Oz with Oz with Orchestra, sure to be a magical multimedia production! Experience The Wizard of Oz with a whole new treat for the senses as you watch the restored film on the big screen in the beautiful Bass Performance Hall and listen to Judy Garland's original 1939 studio recordings with live orchestration from the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. This is sure to be a treat for children of all ages, but adults alike who hold that special place in their heart for Oz. You can catch the performances Friday, January 25 at 8:00 PM, Saturday, January 26 at 8:00 PM, and Sunday, January 27 at 2:00 PM in Bass Performance Hall.  Click here to purchase your tickets (range from $27-$79). 

Texas Motor Speedway is twinkling once again with Christmas spirit. This favorite Fort Worth venue is home to The Gift of Christmas where visitors will find more than two million LED lights in dazzling displays every night of the week.

The Gift of Christmas will be open November 21, 2012 through January 6th, 2013.  The gates are unlocked at 5:30 pm and don’t close until the last car in line gets through. Click Here for daily hours of operation.

Get your tickets in advance at Walgreens, Tom Thumb or online. The price is $15 per car Monday-Thursday and $20 per car Friday-Sunday. Part of proceeds will benefit the Tarrant Area Food Bank, Goodwill Industries, and KLTY Christmas Wish. 

The Gift of Lights is back and this family-friendly holiday show is a great opportunity to share the joy of the season with friends and family. Click HERE to learn more!

The Forest Park Miniature Railroad is one of Fort Worth's many kid-friendly gems. Located next to the Fort Worth Zoo off Colonial Parkway in Forest Park, the main train depot (there are two) provides a great attraction for kids and always a great add-on activity from a day at Trinity Park, Fort Worth Zoo, Log Cabin Village or the Cultural District Museums. 

The five-mile route (35-45 minutes round trip) takes you from Forest Park to the Duck Pond in Trinity Park and back with one stop at the Trinity Park Depot where passengers may board the train if seats are available. Whether your child expresses interest in trains or not, this is a wonderful way to see Fort Worth as the train crosses six bridges over the Trinity River.

This winter, the train runs Saturdays, Sundays and select holidays: 11am - 4:30pm; weather permitting. Plan ahead by calling before your visit to ensure they are open: 817-336-3328. The Miniature Railroad accepts cash only, but is an inexpensive attraction that offers a whole lot of fun! For adults (13+), tickets are $4.00. Tickets for children (1-12; any child under one can ride on their parents ticket) and Seniors (65+) are $3.50. For more family fun attractions and things to do in Fort Worth, click here.

Even though it seems like we just celebrated Halloween, Fort Worth is starting to look a lot like Christmas. With Sundance Square's Christmas tree in place and the Annual Chesapeake Parade of Lights in Downtown Fort Worth on the Horizon, it's time to get into the holiday spirit! Check out these fantastic events to build up your holiday cheer.

Don't miss the Annual Sundance Square tree lighting ceremony following the Parade of Lights on November 23, 2012. To celebrate the parade's 30-year milestone, the route will be lengthened, and will extend from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. Expect over half a million holiday lights, ultimately transforming Downtown Fort Worth with "The Wonder of it All!" theme.

Christmas in the Stockyards takes place December 1, 2012, and is a Fort Worth holiday tradition where you can take your picture with Cowboy Santa, enjoy pony rides and celebrate the season with the one and only, Fort Worth Herd.

One of the best ways to get into the holiday spirit is to catch a show with your family at one of the numerous performing arts venues in Fort Worth. Holiday favorites include 'Twas the Night Before Christmas at Casa Mañana and Home for the Holidays at Bass Performance Hall.

With more than two million LED lights, The Gift of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway is back and a great opportunity to share the joy of the season with friends and family. Evenings through January 6, enjoy dazzling displays; proceeds from Gift of Lights benefits the Tarrant Area Food Bank, Goodwill Industries, and KLTY Christmas Wish. Click Here for more information on holidays in the City of Cowboys and Culture.