Editor's note: Looking back at the most-read entertainment stories of the year, we see that Fort Worth readers clamored for news about some of the city's most beloved annual traditions: Rockin' the River summer concert series, Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival, and GM Financial Parade of Lights among them. There was also an exciting visit from a Yellowstone star, a fun new amusement park, best places to see Christmas lights, and more. These are the hottest entertainment headlines of 2024:

1. Fort Worth concert and tubing series on Trinity River pulls the plug. An annual concert series in Fort Worth called it quits over the summer: Rockin' The River, which combined concerts and tubing on the Trinity River, pulled the plug for 2024, after 12 years. The event was a summer tradition brought to Panther Island Pavilion just north of downtown by the Tarrant Regional Water District, wherein participants could hang out in tubes on the water, or on dry land at the pavilion, while being serenaded by acts performing on a waterfront stage.

2. Yellowstone’s hottest cowboy to greet fans at Fort Worth Walmart. Yellowstone fans who booked it to a northeast Fort Worth Walmart at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, September 17 were rewarded with the chance to meet one of the show’s hottest stars. Cole Hauser, aka cowboy Rip Wheeler, appeared at the Walmart Supercenter at 3851 Airport Frwy., Fort Worth, at sunrise to greet guests and sign bags of his Free Rein coffee.

Cole Hauser brought his cowboy coffee to Fort Worth. Photo courtesy of Free Rein

3. Amusement park with 'dry' slides coasts into DFW with Denton opening. A slippery slidey new entertainment venue came to town: Called Slick City Action Park, it's an indoor slide and activity venue that opened August 30 in Denton, in a former trampoline park at 2434 S I-35 E. #140. Sad about the trampoline park but wheeee to slides.

4. Miss Hooters pageant winner hits Fort Worth on meet-and-greet tour. A group of Hooters calendar girls — including the winner of the recent 2024 Miss Hooters International beauty pageant — were on tour, and that included a stop in Fort Worth in October. They were part of the 2025 Hooters Calendar Signing Tour, in which they're doing meet-and-greet events to raise money for breast cancer.

5. Where to see the most stunning Christmas lights in Fort Worth for 2024. Fort Worth got decked out and dazzling with Christmas lights for the 2024 holiday season. They're no longer just light "displays," but full on "attractions" - animated drive-thrus, immersive walk-through experiences, fun parades, and more. Here was our guide to the most spectacular Christmas lights of 2024 all around Fort Worth and Tarrant County (some of which will still be on through early January). Also ...

6. Best Fort Worth-area neighborhoods for magical 2024 Christmas lights. Fort Worth-area residents decked their halls, merry and bright, for the holiday season. Homes, streets, and entire subdivisions were dazzling with lights so spectacular, they could be seen from the North Pole. Here is our guide to the best neighborhoods for a Christmas light pilgrimage during the 2024 holiday season.

7. Fort Worth's most fun couple crafts cool beer garden in River District. There was an exciting new beer (and wine) garden in the works for Fort Worth's emerging River District: Called Crystal Springs Hideaway, it opened in late December at 113 Roberts Cut Off Rd. — a laid-back indoor-outdoor venue with 25-plus beers on tap, burgers, and cocktails, plus a unique wine, cheese and charcuterie shoppe.

Crystal Springs Hideaway is coming to the River District. Courtesy rendering

8. Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival unveils 2024 artists and entertainers. Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival, one of the city's favorite events of spring, returned April 18-21, 2024 with a jam-packed weekend of art, music, food, and entertainment. The festival, presented by PNC, would take over 18 square blocks downtown, will be family- and dog-friendly, and, as always, free to attend.

9. Fort Worth to host red-carpet premiere of new film by Hollywood actor. Fort Worth was host to the world premiere of a new film written and directed by a Hollywood veteran. Called The Actor, it's a comedy-thriller from veteran Hollywood actor Richard Blake (NCIS: Los Angeles, Cold Case, CSI, Dragonball: Evolution, Snake & Mongoose, The Rocket) and made its debut at a red-carpet screening on April 6 at the AMC Palace 9 in downtown Fort Worth, followed by a star-studded after-party at the Kimpton Harper Hotel. The film was released on Apple TV, Amazon, and other streaming services on April 5.

10. Streets closed, parking + more 411 on Fort Worth Parade of Lights 2024. It began to look a lot like Christmas in Fort Worth when the 42nd annual GM Financial Parade of Lights paraded through downtown the evening of Sunday, November 24. Getting caught in stalled traffic and squabbling over parking spots, however, would be major bah humbugs. Here was a guide to all the road closures, parking, public transportation options, the parade route, and more good info to know before folks headed downtown.