Jo Ellard spills on the restaurants, shopping, and Western events that you can’t miss in Fort Worth.
We asked the dynamic cowgirl, entrepreneur, and owner of Bowie House about her favorite spots in Cowtown.
Cultural Experience
By design, the city has a collection of museums that showcase different genres of art and period styles. I love the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and Museum and all the museums here — the Amon Carter for more traditional Western, The Modern for contemporary, the Kimbell for classic. They’re all different, and they’re all in one district so you can even go from one to the other on foot.
>> Get to know last year’s Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductees.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Amon G. Carter Museum of American Art
Event
The Futurity coming up at the Will Rogers Memorial Center is the Super Bowl or Kentucky Derby for cutting horses. It’s the coming out party for all 3-year-olds. They debut right here in Fort Worth, and it’s 27 days of nonstop “Wow.” The showing, galas, cocktail parties, style shows, and just all things Western.
>> Check out the full Will Rogers Memorial Center event calendar.
Cowboy Night Out
Billy Bob’s is known as “The World’s Largest Honky Tonk.” It’s got it all: country music concerts, dancing, bull riding, and different events. I really loved a vineyard-hosted night of Cowboy Storytelling — wine and Western tales. And you can’t beat a Tanya Tucker concert in Mule Alley, where you’re right in the middle of the Stockyards in an area where they’ve wonderfully reinvented what were originally the horse and mule barns into an exciting market street.
>> View our 2023 Fall Fashion photoshoot, Midnight Cowgirl, shot at Billy Bob’s.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Norman Nelson
A (Meaty) Meal
Steaks are always a big option, and there are places like Del Frisco’s and Cattlemen’s for that. Tim Love’s Lonesome Dove Western Bistro is a really, really different experience. If you’re going out for Mexican, Joe T. Garcia’s is a household name and landmark where the fajitas and margaritas are classic.
>> Read our exclusive chat with Tim Love.
Outdoor Space
The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the top zoos in the country. The people of Fort Worth who serve on those committees have really poured their resources into making this zoo exceptional. The Japanese Garden is beautiful, peaceful, and an amazing place to be in nature in the middle of the city. For an urban hang, Sundance Square Plaza is great for taking a load off and people-watching.
>> Get your tickets for the Japanese Garden now.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Minteer Real Estate Team
Shopping
There are unique retail stores here in Fort Worth. Near Bowie House, on The Bricks, there’s six miles of Camp Bowie Boulevard filled with retail. And, of course, if you’re looking for the finest in Western wear, I’d point anyone toward the Stockyards National Historic District and tell them to make sure to time their outing to be able to see the twice-daily cattle drive presented by the Fort Worth Herd. Real Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns down East Exchange Avenue every day at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
>> Check out our full Fort Worth shopping guide.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau
Get the exclusive on Fort Worth’s brand-new Bowie House.
This article appears in our February/March 2024 issue.
HEADER IMAGE: Courtesy Hotel Drover
