Fort Worth Music

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 Today, those welcoming fields have been replaced by growing cities and towns, but Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) remembers this heritage and culture with the annual celebration of Prairie Day.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.

“The prairie, in all its expressions, is a massive, subtle place, with a long history of contradiction and misunderstanding.  But it is worth the effort at comprehension.  It is, after all, at the center of our national identity.” – Wayne Fields

On May 18, a variety of local organizations will descend upon the Botanical Research Institute of Texas® (BRIT) for a day of free family-friendly fun that celebrates the history and beauty of the North Texas landscape. Known as “Prairie Day”, the annual celebration focuses on BRIT’s acre-and-a-half of restored prairie habitat, which is filled with the native plant life that would have covered Fort Worth almost two hundred years ago.

Prairie Day began in 2010 when seed balls were created to help populate BRIT’s new campus meadow with a variety of native flowers and grasses. Seed balls are a Native American tradition, consisting of tiny modules that contain all the ingredients needed to give seeds a little help getting started in their new habitat – seeds, humus, dried powered red clay and sand. After being mixed with water and rolled into spherical shapes, seed balls literally become tiny gardens waiting to happen.

Local Dallas-Fort Worth organizations will also be participating in Prairie Day, including the Fort Worth Zoo, Metro Bee Keepers Club, and Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. The Log Cabin Village, a living history museum located just south of BRIT in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, will be offering a variety of activities including paper flower-making, spinning, and games. Other pioneer-themed demonstrations include making mesquite flower, acorn leeching, soap and candle making, solar oven cooking, composting, basket weaving, and gourd art.

Prairie Day visitors will have the opportunity to visit discovery booths, which will be representative of a variety of local environmental causes, including the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, the River Legacy Foundation, the Fort Worth Prairie Park, Texas Bluebird Society, and many more. Finally, performances will be staged by the Bearclaw Singers and Dancers, cowboy poet Lanny Joe Burnett, Prairie Divas & The Outlaw. Live music by 3 Fools on 3 Stools will culminate in a barbeque lunch at noon.

New to Prairie Day this year are two special guests: a pair of prairie dogs from Lubbock-based organization Citizens for Prairie Dogs. BRIT has been hosting a competition to name these special guests on their Facebook and Twitter pages, and the person who contributed the winning name submissions will receive several prizes, plus a one-on-one meeting with BRIT’s furry friends.

A Celebration of Texas History

At one time, the Texas landscape could boast about 20 million acres of tallgrass prairie. According to the Native Prairies Association of Texas, in the early 1800s the tallgrass prairie ecosystem extended across the heartland of the United States, from southern Canada through Fort Worth-Dallas before continuing south to San Antonio. (Texas’ Blackland Prairie and Grand Prairie subregions are included in this.) Before settlers arrived, the prairie was home to a variety of plant life and grazing animals, from buffalo and deer to rabbits and prairie dogs. The native grasslands protected watersheds across the Texas plains, increasing water infiltration and yield, as well as reducing erosion and reservoir sedimentation.

Today, less than 1% of that historic tallgrass prairie remains due to a combination of suburban sprawl, plowing for row-crop agriculture, and overgrazing by livestock. In fact, the tallgrass prairie is considered by the National Park Service to be one of the most endangered large ecosystems in the world.

Restoring a Prairie

The acre-and-a-half of prairie that resides next to BRIT’s sustainable, LEED-certified headquarters has proven incredibly beneficial to researchers hoping to study and preserve this disappearing ecosystem. For example, it allows BRIT researchers to learn the most safe, effective, and practical way to control the spread of invasive species such as Johnson grass (introduced from the Mediterranean region), King Ranch Bluestem (an invasive exotic grass from Asia), and Bermuda grass (a native of Asia and northeast Africa). BRIT’s prairie is also undergoing a soil remediation and regeneration project, in which different areas of the prairie are dusted with a combination of prairie soil and compost tea intended to inoculate the soil with the microbes and bacteria that are present in healthy native prairies. “The posts in the field mark the areas of different experimental treatments,” explains Dr. Will McClatchey, BRIT Vice President and Director of Research. “All of the treatments use native soil from a donor prairie site in the same watershed as BRIT. The donor soil has been processed in different ways – simply spread onto the surface of the BRIT soil, or fermented to produce a liquid that was then spread on the surface of the BRIT soil. A third choice has been to add no donor soil. Our prediction is that one of the donor soil additions will prove to be more effective at promoting prairie soil regeneration than not adding any donor soil at all.” With time and a little patience, BRIT’s prairie research will eventually prove beneficial not only for scientists, but for others who wish to manage urban grasslands.

Going Back to Basics

BRIT’s building, completed in 2011, seems brand new when compared to the legacy of the land that it stands on. And ultimately, that legacy is what the organization’s celebration of Prairie Day is all about.

“There is value in native plants, in terms of their relevancy to the history of Texas, but native plants have more value in contemporary times in terms of their effects on water, soil, and conservation in general,” says Tammie Crole, BRIT’s Head of Membership. “BRIT’s prairie demonstrates that beauty is not just defined by fancy green lawns. There is another way to save water and to maintain the integrity of the landscape, and that’s going back to the basics, filling our environment with plants that naturally grow here and belong here, as they have for hundreds of years. Prairie Day is more than a celebration of Fort Worth’s historical past. It’s a reminder that we have to be good stewards of our own lawns, our own natural resources, and our own landscapes.”

In the same breath as you utter the Kimbell Art Museum, what usually trips off the tongue are so many of the master artists that are the pride of its permanent collection: From Caravaggio, Velazquez, David, Rubens, El Greco, and La Tour, to Cezanne, Matisse, Murillo, Bernini and, of course, the first-painting believed to have been executed by a brashly talented, young artist named Michelangelo. And this constellation of European greats totally omits the museum's exquisite holdings of African, Asian, African and precolumbian art.

But it isn't often that the Kimbell serves as the podium -- or canvas -- from where one can appreciate art from the Andes. Until now. With Wari: Lords of the Ancient Andes, opening June 16, the museum will acquaint patrons with the creative force of the Wari people, the actual ancestors to the better known Incas. It is the first North American exhibition of its kind and it will transport patrons back to between 600 and 1000, when the Wari people created what many deem to have been Peru's first empire.

Containing 145 objects, the exhibit will run the gamut of media and materials the Wari worked in -- from precious metal ornaments, ceramics from polychrome, to joyously colorful mosaics, objects formed of sculpted stone and wood, and lushly woven clothing that constitute some of the most expertly executed textiles in what would form the illustrious tradition of Andean textile artistry.

Details: Wari: Lords of the Ancient Andes -- From June 16-September 8, 2013 at the Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. www.kimbellart.org    

Other upcoming Kimbell Art Museum exhibitions and events to look forward to:

The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from the Art Institute of Chicago - October 6, 2013- February 16, 2014. This exhibition marks the grandest loan of its kind from the celebrated Art Institute of Chicago. Among the treasures, culled from the first 50 years of the 20th century, will be 10 works by Picasso, 10 by Matisse, in addition to great pieces by Braque, Juan Gris, Chagall, and Mondrian among many others. The Kimbell will be the only venue for this exceptional and landmark show.

Opening of the new Renzo Piano Pavilion -- November 27, 2013. The much anticipated new pavilion by one of the world's most sought-after architects will permit the Kimbell to host world-class touring exhibitions at the same time that it still has its permanent collection up for view in its classic Louis Kahn-designed original building. The glass, concrete, and wood-constructed pavilion will not only include plentiful classroom space, a well-stocked library, but also a 298-seat auditorium that is sure to become the next acoustically pristine music venue for Fort Worth music lovers. 

Most often, I come away from an opera with a remnant of an aria flitting around my inner ear, and an uplifting skip in my gait. Rarely do I look back on a gut-level, visceral experience -- where I've been riveted, moved, and finally provoked to consider the unrelenting toll of war and captivity, betrayal, the double-edged sword of forgiveness, and the ultimate challenge of rebuilding a shattered life. 

But it's precisely that meaningful and dark collage of feelings that coalesced in me at the conclusion of the Fort Worth Opera Festival's performance of Glory Denied. With its "based on a true story" imprimatur, Glory Denied, (music and libretto by Tom Cipullo) is inspired by the agonizing Vietnam War experiences of Colonel Floyd James (Jim) Thompson, whose name is engraved in contemporary military history for being America's longest held P.O.W. Over nine-years, Thompson endured unspeakable suffering, from failed escape attempts, physical torture, to the more invisible, psychological toll of prolonged loneliness and that agonizing feeling that everyone had forgotten him. When he is finally released, the euphoria of his new freedom is tempered by how drastically the world has changed, and the challenge of making his place in such a foreign world.

Fort Worth Opera's staging of Thompson's story is suitably stark, with the captive, "young Thompson" (David Blalock) sharing one-half of the stage with his post-captivity "older Thompson" self (Michael Mayes). The other half of the stage also plays with biographical time as it is home to "young Alyce" (Sydney Mancasola) or Thompson's wife at the time of his Vietnam service, and, a decade older Alyce (Caroline Worra), reduced to gazing nostalgically at letters and other fragments of a happier time, but who is now trying to cope with the stranger that is her freed, war-addled spouse.

Set in the intimate, semi-in-the-round confines of McDavid Studio, the opera permits each audience member to witness at close range time skipping from young Thompson's desultory jail cell (the opera's nimble, 12-piece chamber orchestra provides the slap of a torturer's whip across his back), to young Alyce, whose relatively upbeat mood is conveyed by her soaring voice and the sunniness of her robin's egg-blue dress. Then the spotlight lands on the "older Thompson," in a frumpy yellow sweater, trying to comprehend the '70s America he's re-entered. Finally, the agile light lands on the "older Alyce," reduced to ripping off what looks to be days in a calendar, like a wound's scabs, as she marks time spent wondering if her husband will ever come home.

When Thompson finally does return, to a hero's welcome, it sets up the opera's high point, a bravura solo by  Mayes who, in a passage echoing Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire, and R.E.M.'s It's the End of the World, reels off a vast litany of all the totems of the early 70's (mini-skirts and Roe v. Wade, Patty Hearst and leisure suits, to Stonewall, Playboy, and Richard Nixon) most of them punctuated by the era's great counter-cultural motto:  "Turn on, tune in, drop out."

By the end of the opera, the audience is left with the hypnotic use of projected black and white scrap-book pictures of the real Jim Thompson, on the battlefield, and reunited with his family. This montage precedes the opera's ultimate scene of a near-broken Thompson, all but flailing about the stage, as he blurts out the dilemma of everyday existence ultimately facing us all: "What to do today?" followed by his feeble solution: "One day at a time." 

Glory Denied delivers powerfully on its title as the light slowly fades on a crumpled Thompson, one of the American military's great war heros, for whom life after wartime may be his most daunting battle. 

Details: Glory Denied plays May 11 at McDavid Studio, 301 East 5th Street, Fort Worth. Sung in English. As it runs about 90 minutes, there is no intermission.

Hometown: Martha originally from Lubbock, TX & Richard from Lake Jackson, TX

Occupation:  Owners/Innkeepers of Azalea Plantation B&B for 20 years

Ideal Day in Fort Worth: Wake up in your lovely, quiet room at the Azalea Plantation B&B to the aroma of fresh coffee and a gourmet hot breakfast awaiting you in the dining room.  After breakfast, head over to I-30 & Montgomery to browse through artfully displayed aisles of treasures from the past at Montgomery Street Antique Mall. Only a few minutes from there is Kool Nails (corner of W. Seventh & University) where you can treat yourself to an amazing mani and pedi at a reasonable price and by professional and friendly staff.  For a yummy lunch, go across West 7th Street on Foch to La Familia for lunch with the locals. Guaranteed: you won’t be disappointed as they have quite a following! Spend the afternoon checking out Fort Worth’s state of the art museums or the Botanic Gardens. Return to the B&B for a little rest and relaxation, and perhaps a glass of wine.  Later, enjoy dinner at Lonesome Dove in the Historic Stockyards District, an incredibly unique culinary experience. The Stockyards District has plenty of live music and boot scootin’, so don’t turn in too early...go have some fun before heading back to the B&B for a perfect night of sweet dreams! (You’ll be dreaming about Cowboys & Culture!)

How would you describe Fort Worth to a visitor? Fort Worth is a friendly BIG hometown with ties to the past and eyes on the future!

What do you like most about working in the tourism/hospitality industry? I love the opportunity to show people a great time. It’s truly a blessing to have a job that you love doing! True hospitality gives me the opportunity to go that extra mile and create an experience that our guests will cherish and remember for a long time.

What is the biggest surprise visitors have about Fort Worth? We are constantly surprised by the number of international visitors to our city and how much they know about Fort Worth and the area. They absolutely love it here!

What makes Fort Worth different than any other destination? Fort Worth has that air of “having it all together” but without the attitude.  Everyone is welcome and accepted, and leaves feeling that they are better for having visited our “hometown”.

Learn more about Azalea Plantation Bed and Breakfast, located at 1400 Robinwood Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76111.

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

It's hard to think of a more felicitous marriage of Fort Worth tourist-attractions than the marvelous music making of a Cliburn Concert, set against the incomparable backdrop of the Tadao Ando-designed Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

And, sure enough, both will come together this Sunday, May 5th for an event designed to celebrate all the cultural richness that has become Fort Worth's calling card. As hosted by the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, the concert is also part of a multi-event celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week, running from May 4-12.

With a welcome from no less a potentate than Fort Worth's mayor, Betsy Price, the concert will also establish quite a cultural precedent as it will be the first musical event of its kind ever to be held on the verdant front lawn of the Modern. The free, outdoor concert will feature a familiar Cliburn performer, Spencer Myer, whose concert will also act as a prelude to the Fourteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition -- kicking off on May 24, and running till June 9.

Besides the concert, the public can gain free admission to the spectacular Modern Art Museum and a free Spanish language tour at 2pm. 

In addition to the Cliburn Concert, the host Convention and Visitors Bureau will also be giving away everything from bandanas, and sunglasses to Molly Pins (get 'em while they last) to the concert attendees. 

Some of the other upcoming activities to celebrate Texas Travel and Tourism Week include Reata restaurant offering drink specials ($5 Frogaritas all day on May 6 just by mentioning "Fort Worth CVB Travel and Tourism week"); free docent-led tours at the Sid Richardson Museum in downtown, Fort Worth; and a "Public Knowledge" event (with Elvis as the principal topic of the occasion) at the Magnolia Motor Lounge --  organized by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

Details: Free Cliburn Concert at Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth this Sunday, May 5 at 3:30 p.m.

Fort Worth native, Jamey Ice, guitarist for Green River Ordinance, is proud to say he grew up in the City of Cowboys and Culture. For the last seven years, he has traveled the country with GRO—playing every major city in America, but any time he’s asked what his favorite city is, he is quick to respond, “Fort Worth...it's my favorite city in the country”. Jamey recently opened up BREWED, a restaurant/ pub / coffeehouse on Magnolia Ave., the main street on one of Fort Worth’s emerging districts, the Near Southside. The vision behind BREWED was to create a “local living room” – a place where people can come to feel at home, be inspired and enjoy great hand-crafted food and drinks. Jamey said, “It was fun because I got to bring a lot of ideas that I have seen in other parts of the country back here to Fort Worth.”

Hometown: The greatest city in America…Fort Worth, Texas!

Occupation: Guitar player in Green River Ordinance & owner of BREWED. 

Favorite Fort Worth District: The Near Southside. It's a ton of fun. I love it because it is a community that supports and embraces local things. There are so many local artists and artisans here, dreamers and thinkers, awesome one-of-a-kind local businesses, and incredible local eateries. It's also a very community-driven area, with vibrant people who are passionate and active about supporting local goods. People are always outside: riding their bikes, working in the community gardens, or walking their dogs. My wife and I live in Fairmount and we are crazy about our neighborhood and the big front porches are a true reflection of  that everyone is always outside hanging out. I literally see my neighbors every day. I cant think of another neighborhood in town that has the community and camaraderie among the neighbors as Fairmount. 

Favorite Fort Worth Restaurant: BREWED?!? Fort Worth has so many killer places to eat, it is so hard to pick. But if I had to pick the one restaurant that I frequent most and has a special place in my heart, it would have to be Benito’s on Magnolia. It is the real deal authentic Mexican food, not the tex-mex stuff (not that there is anything wrong with good tex mex!). They have great authentic menudo, ceviche, chile rellenos, mole, and my favorite dish, queso flameado (a flaming cheese queso)! It's my dad’s favorite restaurant, so we grew up going there every Sunday and has become a weekly staple ever since. 

Describe your ideal day in Fort Worth. I am obsessed with my city, so it's hard for me to pick just a one-day itinerary. I love Fort Worth in the summertime when the weather is warm. My ideal day would have to include walking around Magnolia, some Fairmount front porch hanging out with my neighbors, sipping margaritas at Joe T's, exploring the Modern, riding my bike around the Trinity River, and maybe catching some awesome music and fireworks during the summer concert series at the Botanic Gardens.

Where are your favorite places to listen to live music in Fort Worth? Green River Ordinance literally got our start at The Aardvark on Berry Street. We started playing there in high school and continued through our TCU days, and I still love catching bands there. The new Live Oak Music Lounge is also a great new spot that is bringing in some awesome music. Of course, it doesn’t get much better than seeing someone play at Bass Performance Hall; that place is unreal. It doesn’t matter who is playing because any show at Bass Hall is sure to be amazing!

If you had to describe Fort Worth in a song title/create a song title for Fort Worth, what would it be? Oh man that’s a hard one. There are some good songs about Fort Worth. Steve Earl has the famous “Fort Worth Blues” song. For some reason Pat Greens music always reminds me of home. With GRO, we have spent so much time writing and recording our music here in town that it's hard not to associate Fort Worth with our songs. “West Wind” and “Dancing Shoes” both loosely about our City. 

If you could play a live show anywhere in Fort Worth, somewhere out of the norm, where would that be? We are playing at the Concerts in the Garden this summer. That is literally one of my favorite things to go to every year, so I am pretty pumped for that. Definitely a “Bucket List” show. But something out of the norm....hmmm. It would be fun to do a show on the roof of the 7^th street parking garage. It has a killer view of all of downtown, so that would be pretty fun! 

Your favorite place to get inspired in Fort Worth: The Kimbell Art Museum lawn (before they started construction on the Renzo Piano expansion). I can’t tell you how many Green River Ordinance songs were written right in front of the Kimbell or by the giant vortex statue at the Modern. Whenever we would get writer’s block, we would always grab our guitars and go down to Fort Worth Cultural District. 

The Fort Worth Music Festival, scheduled this year from Friday, May 17-Saturday May 18, is the annual reminder of just how stunningly diverse and rich the various musical strains and traditions that run deep in Fort Worth. Historically, that variety stretches all the way back to the country swing of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, the jazz giant, Ornette Coleman, to the present day stylings and musical production vision of T-Bone Burnett.

This year's edition of the festival will continue its historically varied offerings as 30 bands populate three stages and all offering up a spectrum of music from rhythm and blues and gospel, to jazz, country and indie rock.

The festival isn't just about a striking abundance of music, but it will also be a showcase for art exhibits, cool local vendors, food offerings, and even classes taught by notable local chefs.

Among the cornucopia of musical offerings, there will be something for just about every musical sensibility. Friday's lineup will offer festival goers the chance to revel in everything from the soul-country sounds of the Drive by Truckers, the alt-country, power pop enduring (as in more than 15 years long) presence of the Old 97's, and the quintessentially Texan brand of boogie rock, Memphis-flavored soul, and blues of the Quaker City Night Hawks. Saturday's lineup will offer a stunning richness of musical expressions, from the rock-revivalists, The Walkmen, marking their 10th anniversary together, and 25-year old Allen Stone, a self-proclaimed "hippie with soul," who has earned plaudits from no less a musical king-maker as the New York Times, comparing his socially aware music and lyrics to that of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, to the Hammond organ-propelled funky grooves of Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk (doubtlessly the catchiest name on the bill), to the bluesy, psychedelic Southern rock sounds of Fort Worth's The Hanna Barbarians (sporting the second catchiest name on the two-day bill).

And if that isn't enough ear-stretching variety for you, the Festival is also showcasing the roots music, steeped in the raw living done in far west Texas, as purveyed by the always energetic, harmony-driven band, The Dirty River Boys, along with the trumpet and sax-driven New Orleans-flavored musical gumbo that is the 35-year old Dirty Dozen Brass Band. 

The details: The festival runs Friday, May 17th-Saturday, May 18th. Gates open at 3 p.m. on Friday with music running 4 p.m.-11 p.m. On Saturday, gates open at 1 p.m. with music running 2 p.m.-11 p.m.  And it all takes place at Panther Island Pavilion, 395 Purcey Street in Fort Worth. 

Photo Credit: Brian Hutson, Fort Worth Music Festival 2012

People who know me are all too aware of my longstanding culinary obsession with the annual Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival. It’s more than just the fact that so many of the foods served up there inspire fond memories of the street fairs and block parties with which I grew up in New York.

It’s that so much of the food at Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival is so good – a welcome reminder that you don’t need to spend $40 a plate to have a distinct dining experience in Fort Worth.

In my more ambitious years, I would actually visit the four-day festival every day, and usually ended up eating six or seven meals there over the course of the weekend. These days, I usually visit just a few times – fair food may be delicious, but my cholesterol can only take so many spikes.

This year’s festival begins at 10 a.m.. on Thursday (did someone say “late breakfast?”) and continues through Sunday at 8 p.m. (dessert!). Here are my picks for dishes that no arts festival weekend is complete without, based on the last thirteen years of festival food experience:

1. The Bahama Mama, from the stupendous Schmidt’s in Columbus Ohio, is for me an annual renewal of my faith in humanity – a plump, spicy bratwurst much too large for its bun, which I slather in Gulden’s spicy brown mustard and top with sauerkraut. Make it a meal for a few extra coupons, and you can enjoy a side of Schmidt’s marvelously tangy potato salad. (The giant cream puff ain't too shabby, either, but it should not be approached on an even half-full stomach.)  

2. Tenderloin Tamales, from Reata. Who says festival food can’t be sophisticated? Tucked into steaming corn husks and topped with a nicely piquant pecan sauce, these beauties can be found on the regular Reata dinner menu – but they taste even better when you can enjoy live music and people watching at the same time. 

3. Smoked Turkey Legs. Yes, you will look like a cannibal while chowing down on one of these greasy, gristly wonders; and, indeed, I can speak from personal experience that it will send your blood pressure about 20 points higher. You can thank me later.

4. Funnel Cakes. Fried dough + powder sugar =  the perfect capper to any evening spent at the festival. That said, my advice is to get in line before the nightly funnel cake rush commences, usually around 7 p.m. (And, no, I'm not making that up. One year I spent forty minutes in line.) 

Of course, if none of these options appeal to you, there are plenty more vendors to choose from, including Texas Skillet (the grilled steak sandwich gets my vote); Fletcher’s (corny dog!), and many others. Most of these venues surround either the Sundance Square stage or the Bank of Texas Stage. You can check out a festival map here.

Finally, you can wash all of this down with a white wine margarita, or this year you can visit the Craft Brew Pavilion hosted by Flying Saucer, which will feature a half-dozens beers on draught.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go purchase some coupons.

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. 

If you're looking for something fun to do in Fort Worth when the sun goes down, all roads lead to West 7th. The West 7th nightlife offers something for everyone including a dine-in movie theater, bowling alley bar and lounge and tons of restaurants and bars offering a multitude of food and drink specials. Plan ahead, and make sure to grab a bite to eat before you hit the town. New restaurants opening soon like Waters, Bonnell's Coastal Cuisine and Kona Grill are sure to be big hits with your taste buds. In addition to a full-service restaurant and upscale sushi lounge, Kona Grill, will also include an energetic bar and lounge-a great addition to the nightlife scene atWest 7th. Looking for great happy hour specials? Check out Bar Louie and Brownstone both offering incredible specials day or night!

Be sure to mark your calendar for the 2013 Brewfest on Crockett for April 13th from 5-10pm. Save the date, and get ready for some brews, live music and West 7th fun! 

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.

There's no doubt, Fort Worth has romance in the air. Just take a walk through Downtown Sundance Square and the tree lit sidewalks mixed with the historic atmosphere, will create the perfect setting for your Valentine's date night. Fort Worth offers plenty of Downtown dining options where you can dress it up at Mercury Chophouse, Del Frisco's or Ruth Chris and dress it down at Riscky's or Frankie's Sports Bar. 

If you're looking for an ideal Valentine's date night in Downtown Fort Worth, we recommend appetizers and drinks at Reata Restaurant in Sundance Square. If it's a nice evening, try to get a spot on the recently renovated rooftop patio. Walk down Main Street for a dining experience like no other at Grace Restaurant where award-winning Chef Blaine Staniford creates Modern American Classics like bacon wrapped scallops.

The highlight of your evening will take place at one of the most romantic spots in Downtown, Bass Performance Hall where Performing Arts Fort Worth presents Broadway at the Bass: Memphis (February 12-17, 2013). Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Memphis is a show-stopping, thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love with explosive dancing and irresistible songs. After the show, indulge in a gourmet cupcake at The Cupcakery or step into Scat Jazz Lounge, for live music and a nightcap.

Share your Fort Worth love this Valentine's Day, and you could win two tickets to see Memphis on February 14 plus a $20 gift card to Grace Restaurant! To enter, upload a photo of something you love about Fort Worth or a loved one, using the tag #LoveFortWorth. For more contest info, visit FortWorth.com/Love. One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Instagram and Facebook on Monday February 11 at 2pm. 

In just a few days, on January 19, 2012, there is a show at the intimate Casa Manana Theatre that is sure to have you dancing, rocking and singing along.  Fort Worth’s own Josh Weather’s Band, the best thing you might not yet know about, and the legendary Eddie Money are teaming up to put on the show you’ll be talking about for the rest of the year.

The Casa Manana Theatre is a terrific place for a show and delivers on all of the important details you would want. It is a small, intimate venue without a bad seat in the house. You want to make sure you get there early to see the opening act, Josh Weather’s Band. They are known for their big soul-infused rock sound with even bigger energy that will have you humming for days and ready to download their music on iTunes as soon as you get home.   

After Weather’s concludes rocking it, Eddie Money, one of the best entertainers and musicians you’ll ever experience, will perform live. He will be thrilling the crowd with some of his classic rock hits like “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Think I’m in Love,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” etc., while also showcasing his unbelievable talent playing the saxophone.

So, let Josh Weathers welcome you and have Eddie Money make you “Wanna Go Back” in this can’t miss show to really kick start your 2013. Get your tickets today!

The smash hit Broadway revival of West Side Story will open at Bass Performance Hall in Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth on January 15 and will run through January 20. More than 50 years ago, this musical changed theater forever and is back mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time and remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever.  Make an evening in Sundance Square with many dining choices before the performance. I’ll be there on opening night. See you there! Get your tickets now! 

For more Fort Worth entertainment and events, visit www.FortWorth.com

 Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is a 23-day extravaganza, offering a unique atmosphere rich in tradition and history. Also known as Tarrant County's largest annual event, the Show attracts more than one million visitors each year. This year's event will last from January 18th - February 9th, 2013.

The 117-year old event is the nation's oldest livestock show, featuring over 22,000 head of world-class livestock on exhibit. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is home of the World's Original Indoor Rodeo®.

In addition to the various livestock shows and professional rodeo thrills, Stock Show patrons can also enjoy interactive educational exhibits, nearly 200,000 square feet of unique shopping, live music, an exciting carnival, great food and much more! Experience this legendary event full of western heritage, family entertainment and lasting education each January through February at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Rodeo tickets range from $19 to $25 and will be available for:

• "Best of the West" Ranch Rodeo @ 7:30 p.m. January 18-19th
• Best of Mexico Celebracion @ 7:30 p.m. on January 20th
• Cowboys of Color Rodeo @ 2 p.m. on January 21st
• "Bulls' Night Out" @ 7:30 p.m. January 22-23rd
• World's Original Indoor Rodeo January 24th-February 9th.

Check www.fwssr.com for a complete list of times and events for the 2013 Stock Show and Rodeo. Check back on our Facebook page for a FWSSR photo contest January 2-January 14! 

The ticket office at 3401 W. Lancaster Ave. will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Fans also can purchase tickets by calling 817-877-2420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.