Editor’s note: What was Fort Worth reading in 2018? We are so glad you asked. Here's a look back at the 10 most-read CultureMap stories from the past year. There are many top dining stories we didn't include, by the way, because they got their own list.
1. Fort Worth's favorite gas-station barbecue restaurant closes abruptly. BBQ on the Brazos, the critically acclaimed restaurant located inside a Texaco gas station in Cresson, shocked local barbecue fans when owners said it would close on July 11 due to lease issues. They vowed to reopen as soon as possible — and they made good on that promise. On November 6, the smokers fired back up in a permanent home just feet from its old location.
2. The best and brightest Christmas lights around Fort Worth in 2018. Some folks in Fort Worth had been decking their halls since Halloween. In early December, it was time to flip the switch on their festive yuletide decor. We listed some of the biggest, best, and brightest commercial and neighborhood lights displays around Fort Worth in 2018.
3. Load up the car for these 5 quick family-friendly getaways near Fort Worth. In mid-May, families could hear the tick-tock of the countdown to summer vacation. It was the perfect opportunity for a family-friendly getaway, and they were easy to take thanks to accommodations that cater to kids — and weary parents, too. We rounded up five of the best, all just a short drive away.
4. Downtown Fort Worth loops Texas debut of zany interactive attraction. In late September, Fort Worth was about to learn a new 10-dollar word: "zoetrope." It's an optical toy invented in the 19th century, which shows images in rapid succession, creating the illusion of motion. That was the official definition from Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., which was bringing 12 giant zoetropes to Burnett Park in a free, family-friendly, illuminated musical installation called, simply, "Loop."
5. Axe throwing lands in Fort Worth with new facility on Trinity Trails. Fort Worth joined a hot national trend in February with the opening of Flying Axe Factory, an axe-throwing venue that opened across the parking lot from Martin House Brewing Company, right off the Trinity Trails. The non-sporty sport is so popular that another axe-throwing venue recently announced it would land in Fort Worth in spring 2019.
6. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 5 best new patios to sip and stay awhile. April brought spring sunshine, perfect for patio sips. For this edition of our monthly Where to Drink series, we featured five new patio options around town. Some offered picturesque views, others, great drink specials, and others, outdoor games intended for adults.
7. Monet's beloved water lilies come to Fort Worth in new blockbuster exhibition. The first exhibition in two decades dedicated to the final phase of Claude Monet’s career will come to Fort Worth's Kimbell Art Museum next year — and it includes more than 20 of his beloved water lily paintings. "Monet: The Late Years" will include about 60 paintings, some among the most recognized in the world, the museum announced in early November.
8. Swanky new gym with a spa and cocktails finds a fit in Fort Worth. Hitting the gym for pedicures and poolside cocktails might sound like a fairy tale, but it's all in a day's workout at a luxe health club in far north Fort Worth. Life Time Athletic opened a luxury "resort" near I-35W and Golden Triangle Boulevard on June 15. It's the first gym of its kind in Fort Worth.
9. New doctor-owned CBD oil boutique is all the buzz in Fort Worth. Thrive Apothecary, Fort Worth's first CBD shop owned by a physician, opened in early October in the up-and-coming Foundry District without much fanfare. But based on initial customer response, "thrive" was exactly the right word for it, the owners say.
10. Charming Fort Worth neighbor named second best city in Texas to retire. Locals living in the charming small town of Granbury may have picked the perfect long-term home: A new study, released in June, ranked it the No. 2 best city to retire in Texas. Seniors make up 29.7 percent of the city's population, and the tax rate of 15.3 percent is among the lowest on the list.
News of BBQ on the Brazos' closure and reopening sizzled in 2018.
