Coming attractions

Rooftop Cinema Club Fort Worth reels out hot new summer lineup and special $10 ticket

Cool movies for hot summer nights.

Photo courtesy of Worthington Renaissance Hotel

Hot summer nights call for outdoor movies. Okay, not usually, but Fort Worth's Rooftop Cinema Club has a movie lineup for July and August that's so cool, you'll forget you are viewing them in a 1,000-degree "theater."

The movie experience atop the Worthington Hotel downtown is reeling out blockbusters that include Gen-X nostalgia, cinematic legends, girl power, and some wicked fun. Tickets are on sale now for screenings through September 4. Here's a look at what's coming:

July
Things get started with a bang: A 4th of July Party complete with live music, BBQ, a screening of the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day, and rooftop views of fireworks. Ticket sales ($50) will close at 12 pm June 29 ahead of the July 4 event. (Here's a list of more local July 4 fireworks and events.)

Every Tuesday in July and August will bring Y2K Tuesdays - throwback movies that defined the early 2000s. Dressing to theme is highly encouraged for retro films like Clueless, White Chicks, Zoolander, The Devil Wears Prada, 13 Going on 30, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

A Pink Power series in July will celebrate female empowerment in anticipation of Greta Gerwig's Barbie. Beloved and inspirational girl-power movies like Legally Blonde and Steel Magnolias will hit the big screen.

Also on tap in July: A Christopher Nolan series. Each week, Rooftop Cinema Club will showcase one Nolan masterpiece in the lead-up to his forthcoming Oppenheimer.

Happy birthday to Harry Potter on July 31 Everyone's invited to his magical party with a screening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone that day.

August
Viewers will have the power to choose the movie that opens a new month, August 1. For the bimonthly People's Choice screening, the focus will be on non-human creatures, with the Creature Feature theme. "Cast your vote for the film featuring cinema's most popular creatures that you’d like to see on the Rooftop," they encourage. Voting closes on July 17, and the winning film will be announced the next day. As thanks for participating, tickets for the winning film on August 1 will be discounted to $10.

August goes to the dark side with a Best Movie Villains series. Films that feature captivating and wickedly fun villains will make being bad look oh-so-good, they promise. The series kicks off with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Appropriately, August also will bring a series called It's Getting Hot in Here. "Immerse yourself in movies set in exotic locales, filled with summer romance and sizzling energy," they say. Don't look now, but Fifty Shades of Grey is on the schedule.

On National Book Lover's Day (August 9), homage will be paid to classic literature with a screening of Pride & Prejudice, Joe Wright's beloved adaptation of Jane Austen's iconic novel.

The legendary Robert De Niro will be feted on his 80th Birthday (August 17) with a screening of Martin Scorsese's mob masterpiece, Goodfellas.

Labor Day Weekend closes out summer and looks ahead to fall's favorite holiday, with a Summerween series. They promise a bone-chilling weekend of Halloween favorites like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Hocus Pocus.

The full list of screenings can be found at rooftopcinemaclub.com/downtown-ft-worth. Tickets run $16.50-$26.50.

Opened in fall of 2022, Rooftop Cinema Club quickly became one of Fort Worth's favorite alfresco activities. The experience provides 360-degree views of downtown Fort Worth from the rooftop of the hotel while attendees relax in deckchairs with personal wireless headphones in front of the state-of-the-art LED screen showing iconic movies.

For tips and things to know before you go, check out this story.

Rooftop Cinema Summer Lineup movies

Golf News

Indoor golf simulator venue to open a location west of Fort Worth

Birdie Bay

Birdie Bay golf simulator.

There’s a new indoor golf venue making its Texas debut: Called BirdieBay, it’s a golf simulator concept founded in Tulsa opening two locations in the DFW area: Richardson, at 1002 N. Central Expwy. #579; and Hudson Oaks, 25 miles west of Fort Worth at 3017 Oakley Trail, next to the H-E-B.

Richardson is slated to open first in early 2025; Hudson Oaks just broke ground, and will open in August 2025.

BirdieBay was founded by brothers Keaton and Kennedy Lockhart, who opened the original in Tulsa in 2020. Their goal was to create a venue where anyone, at any level, could enjoy the game of golf, regardless of skill level, whether beginner or PGA professional, and also create a place where golf could be played regardless of the weather.

BirdieBay uses Golfzon, a pioneering simulator technology founded in Korea in 2000 that uses software to mimic playing on a real golf course. There are other Golfzon franchises in Austin and Houston, but this will be the first in Dallas.

Golf simulators are similar to other sports simulators such as baseball, and are a growing trend. Dallas currently has only a few such facilities such as the virtual TopGolf Swing Suite at the Hilton Anatole.

Bringing the concept to Dallas-Fort Worth is franchisee Peter Weldon, an SMU graduate and golfer, who calls BirdieBay the best golf simulator in the world.

"This is something that appeals to both avid golfers and families alike," Weldon says. "It bridges the gap between video games and golf, and that's something I'm excited about — being able to offer something that's for everybody. There are both competitive and noncompetitive activities to keep our members engaged."

The Richardson location will feature five bays where players can choose from mini games or traditional golf play. The bays are available for $50 an hour for a round of indoor golf, which takes about 45 minutes.

For those seeking a group experience, there will be leagues and a Golfzon pro tour in which the top three players compete at other Golfzon facilities across the country.

Amenities will include golf course classics including a pro shop and an in-house bar with food you’d find on a golf course, such as hot dogs, pretzels, and power bars; they’re in the process of getting a mixed-beverage license. They'll also partner with local businesses such as Tacos Y Mas and Ten50 BBQ to bring in tacos and BBQ.

golf technology openings