These are the 11 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Weekend event planner

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Stock Show

This weekend marks the start of the biggest event of the year in Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, which will dominate the landscape for the next few weeks. Other choices this weekend include six concerts, two of which are attached to the Stock Show, a new art exhibition, screenings of an acclaimed movie, and a local theater production of a famous musical, but aimed at kids.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Friday, January 13

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
The annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is a three-week long event that's such a big deal, it's dubbed "legendary." The main events are the daily rodeos at Dickies Arena, but there are also shows with pigeons, chickens, goats, and more; livestock auctions; an "all-Western" parade through downtown Fort Worth (Saturday); Cowboys of Color rodeo (Monday); a midway with carnival games and fair food; and concerts on most days. The event will take place daily through February 4.

Magnolia at the Modern: The Eternal Daughter
In The Eternal Daughter, an artist and her elderly mother confront long-buried secrets when they return to a former family home, now a hotel haunted by its mysterious past. Featuring a towering, deeply moving performance by Tilda Swinton in both roles, acclaimed filmmaker Joanna Hogg's beguiling latest film is a brilliant and captivating exploration of parental relationships and the things we leave behind. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Artisan Center Theater presents Fiddler on the Roof JR
Set in the little village of Anatevka, the story of Fiddler on the Roof centers on Tevye, a poor dairyman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to marry off his daughters and instill in them a sense of tradition in the face of growing anti-Semitism in Czarist Russia. Artisan Center Theater in Hurst will present a kid-friendly version of the musical through February 11.

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Auditorium Concert Series: John Michael Montgomery and Deana Carter
In addition to the daily concerts at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, bigger stars will headline the Auditorium Concert Series at Will Rogers Auditorium. Kicking off the series are '90s country stars John Michael Montgomery, best known for hits like "I Love the Way You Love Me," " I Swear," "Be My Baby Tonight," and "I Can Love You Like That," and co-headliner Deana Carter, best known for her hit "Strawberry Wine."

The Quebe Sisters in concert
Grace, Sophia, and Hulda Quebe front an innovative Progressive Western Swing band of archtop guitar, upright bass, fiddles, and sibling harmony. The Dallas-based five-piece presents a unique Americana blend of Western Swing, Jazz-influenced Swing, Country, Texas-Style Fiddling, and Western music. They'll play at Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall.

Colter Wall in concert
Colter Wall is a Canadian singer-songwriter with a deep and knowing voice. He started learning guitar at the age of 13, playing the music of rock bands such as AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. He later moved on to folk music, placing equal importance on crafting songs as well as carrying older songs into the present day. He's released three albums in his career, most recently 2020's Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Saturday, January 14

Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents "Morning Light: Photographs of David H. Gibson"
Dallas photographer David H. Gibson has been exploring the beauty of the Southwestern landscape for more than 50 years, building a reputation as an astute interpreter of effervescent moisture and changing light. "Morning Light: The Photographs of David H. Gibson" takes viewers to two of his favorite sites, Cypress Creek in Wimberley, Texas, and Eagle Nest Lake nestled in the mountains east of Taos, New Mexico. The 20 works in the exhibition draw attention to the artist’s repeated return to each site and his fascination with dawn’s break into day. The exhibition will remain on display through May 21.

National Theatre Live: Much Ado About Nothing
Katherine Parkinson and John Heffernan lead the cast in Shakespeare’s romcom of sun, sea, and mistaken identity. The legendary Hotel Messina on the Italian Riviera has been visited by artists, celebrities, and royalty. But when the owner’s daughter weds a dashing young soldier, not all guests are in the mood for love. A string of scandalous deceptions soon surround not only the young couple, but also the adamantly single Beatrice and Benedick. This screening of a previously-recorded production will be at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Auditorium Concert Series: Tesla
The second entry in the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Auditorium Concert Series will be the classic rock band Tesla. Debuting in 1986, the band laid claim to the name well before Elon Musk did thanks to hits like "Love Song," "Signs," and "What You Give." They've released eight albums in their career, most recently 2019's Shock. They'll play at Will Rogers Auditorium.

Asleep At the Wheel in concert
This is a monumental year for Austin-based Asleep At the Wheel, as they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1973 debut album, Comin' Right At Ya. To commemorate the historic accomplishment, they are touring in support of their 2021 album, Half A Hundred Years. They'll play at Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall.

Kolby Cooper in concert
Country singer Kolby Cooper came out of the East Texas town of Palestine just three years out of high school, with no label or industry machine in place. Since then, his songs have garnered millions of streams on Spotify, solidifying him as a voice of the future for Texas country music. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas in support of his debut album, Boy From Anderson County To The Moon.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Stock Show

The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will be in and around Dickies Arena, January 13-February 4.

Photo by fstop123/Getty Images

First-time buyers need this much more income to afford a home in Texas right now

The price is not right

The hurdles are raised for first-time homebuyers in Texas yet again, as rising interest rates demand an overall higher income for mortgage approval.

The Texas Real Estate Research Center released findings in its new Texas Housing Affordability Outlook that Texans buying their first homes need $10,000 more in income than at the beginning of last year to be approved for a $229,000 house.

Purchasing power, the center explains, and mortgage interest rates are indirectly related. Higher interest means higher monthly payments; it takes a higher income to keep up. “... As long as the rise in home prices continues to outpace the increase in income, purchase affordability, or the ability of a household to buy a home, will continue to diminish,” explains the report.

The $229,000 figure represents the first-quartile home price in Texas in Q1 2022, described as "the highest home price among those lowest-priced 25 percent of homes sold" in the state. The state's median home price for the first quarter of 2022 was $319,000. Year-over-year growth was slightly higher for the median figure (18.4 percent) than first-quartile figure (17.5 percent), but both are at their highest rates since the beginning of the chart in 2012.

Unsurprisingly, the Austin-Round Rock area is driving a large part of this growth, with a 29.2 percent change in first-quartile prices since Q1 2021. That figure in Austin now sits at $420,000, almost double the state's first-quartile home price. Dallas -Fort Worth’s numbers are slightly above the state average, San Antonio’s nearly exactly match, and Houston’s are slightly below.

Unfortunately for many Texans currently renting, only 37.4 percent of them are making the qualifying income ($61,652) to buy one of those first-quartile homes with a 3.4 percent interest rate (that was the national interest rate at the beginning of the year; by mid-May the interest rate had risen to 5.25 percent).

Gruene Hall/Facebook

Dreamy new riverfront condos spring up in historic Hill Country town

Hill Country respite

Fort Worth fans of "floating the river" who've ever dreamed of owning a place on the Guadalupe are in luck. Construction is underway next to the Gruene Historic District in New Braunfels on a 15-unit luxury condo project — the city’s first waterfront condo development in more than 10 years.

Located along the Guadalupe River just west of the Gruene Road Bridge, The Agave at Gruene Rapids sits on a 2.3-acre riverfront lot at 1228 Ervendberg Ave. Perfect location for avid tubers on the river.

Prices of the condos range from $485,000 to $825,000.

“These condos are ideal for those seeking a second home or anyone looking to escape the city life and enjoy all the Texas Hill Country has to offer,” Michael Fredrickson of New Braunfels, one of the project’s developers, says in a news release.

Each of the first two floors of The Agave at Gruene Rapids will feature five standard units. The third floor will have five two-level penthouse condos. Every three- or four-bedroom unit will be decked out with high-end finishes, including premium cabinets, stainless steel appliances, wood and tile floors, and granite countertops.

The Gruene Historic District attracts thousands of tourists each year. Highlights of the rustic district, which dates back to the 1870s, include Gruene Hall, the state’s oldest dance hall; the Gruene General Store, which opened in 1925; and the Gristmill Restaurant, built in 1977.

Frederickson’s partner on the project is Brad Beago. Both men are principals at Austin-based Agave Investment Partners LLC. The company has developed vacation rental properties and apartment complexes.

Frontera Construction of Del Rio is the builder. Open Studio Architecture of San Antonio is designing the condos, and real estate agent Jill Christian of Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty is marketing them.

Photo courtesy of Estately.com

Fort Worth listed among top U.S. luxury home markets to watch in 2020

Residential royalty

While Dallas and Houston might draw much of the attention in Texas when it comes to luxury homes, Fort Worth is now stealing the spotlight.

A new report from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program lists Fort Worth as one of the five top luxury markets to watch in 2020. The others are Boise, Idaho; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cincinnati; and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“Today, the city that’s in Dallas’ shadow is establishing itself as a luxury outpost,” the report says.

Part of the rise of Fort Worth as a luxury home market stems from its desirability as a place to live and work.

“Fort Worth’s laid-back atmosphere, convenience to DFW International Airport, and business-friendly environment make it attractive for companies,” Lori Arnold, owner of Coldwell Banker Apex Realtors, says in the report.

In the 10 percent luxury category, the median list price in 2019 for a single-family home in the Fort Worth area was $743,100 and the median sale price was $643,100. Meanwhile, the highest list price was $12 million and the highest sale price was $6.5 million. In all, 2,890 luxury homes were sold last year in the Fort Worth market.

As for luxury condos in the 10 percent category, the median list price in 2019 was $508,500, while the median sale price was $463,454. In all, 125 of these condos were sold last year. The highest list price, meanwhile, was $3,235,500, and the highest sale price was $1,780,000.

“It’s amazing what you can get for $500,000, like a four-bedroom house with 4,500 square feet and a three-car garage on a sizable lot,” Arnold says. “There’s an influx of buyers from California and New York, and [the] cost of living is much lower here. Clients say, ‘My gosh, we paid that for our starter home!’”

Elsewhere in Texas, the same report ranked Austin among the country’s four top-performing luxury home markets in 2019. The others are Arlington, Virginia; Malibu, California; and San Diego.

Coldwell Banker says it found Austin and the three other top performers “had an evenly distributed hold on the top 10 percent of luxury sales in 2019. Their sales prices in relation to other luxury markets made them the top performers of the industry this past year.” In the Austin market, the annual pace of sales for homes above $2 million has climbed 45 percent since 2015, according to the report.

The report indicates that the local heavy demand for single-family luxury homes and luxury condos has been driven by highly paid employees of tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Dell, and Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Lang Partners

Apartment/condo hunting? Here are 4 show-stopping options in Fort Worth's hottest neighborhood.

Home Sweet Home

Apartment and condo hunting in Fort Worth can be a daunting task, with the hundreds of residential locator websites and plethora of options currently on the market. Throw in the fact that nearly 15,000 new apartment units and condos have been built in Fort Worth over the past two years alone — and an additional 5,000 are either planned or under construction — and the task seems nearly impossible.

If you're looking for an urban luxury living experience — an apartment or condo with the latest in technology, modern features, and resort-style amenities within walking distance to restaurants, bars, and shops — here are four in-demand, show-stopping options to consider in Fort Worth's hottest neighborhood: the Near Southside.

1. The Monarch
1108 7th Ave.
Monthly rents start at: $1,090

Completed in 2018, The Monarch offers 327 units (studios and one- and two-bedrooms) with the finest in finish outs — think quartz countertops, designer backsplashes, stainless steel appliances, single-basin sinks, gooseneck faucets, gourmet kitchen prep islands, 10-foot ceilings, and even Elfa custom-designed walk-in closets. Resort-style amenities include a leash-free pet park with "paw spa," huge pool with sundeck, outdoor fire pits and grilling pavilions, free Wi-Fi, and a state-of-the-art fitness center with strength training equipment that will have you ditching your gym membership stat. Last but not least, its location in the Near Southside is within walking distance of Magnolia Avenue.

Need even more convincing? The Monarch has a 24/7 gourmet coffee bar featuring local favorites Craftwork Coffee and Stir Crazy Baked Goods that's free for all residents. Sold!

2. Dickson-Jenkins Lofts & Plaza
120 St. Louis Ave.
Listing prices start at $299,999

Originally built in the 1920s as a farm clothing factory for Dickson-Jenkins Manufacturing Company, the historic building has been renovated to house 21 industrial-style residential lofts on the second and third floors, and local retail space on the ground floor (Leaves Book & Tea Shop, Magnolia Skate Shop, Record Town, and others). The lofts range from 920-1,600 square feet and boast oversized windows, custom cabinetry, granite countertops, jetted tubs, industrial lighting, concrete floors, exposed ceilings, and views of downtown. Residents also can take advantage of an on-site park with huge trees and green space, as well as gated, covered parking.

3. Magnolia Avenue Condos
1455 W. Magnolia Ave.
Listing prices start at $348,000

The brand-new Magnolia Avenue Condos are the epitome of urban living. Located on Magnolia Avenue and situated above first-floor retail tenants like Salsa Limon, Panther City Vinyl, Tribe Alive, Magnolia Skate Shop, and more, each condo has its own secure, private entrance and covered carport parking, with features that include open floorplans, balconies (most with downtown views), sliding barn doors, hardwood flooring, white quartz countertops and backsplashes, and oversized bathrooms and closets.

4. The Cooper
1001 W. Rosedale St.
Monthly rents start at $1,200

Although The Cooper is still under construction, it is a "must-consider" for anyone moving to Fort Worth or looking for an apartment in 2020, as the $65 million, five-story, 390-unit Cooper is expected to be one of Fort Worth's finest apartment offerings to date. Hotel-inspired with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, lofts, and townhomes, the building features expansive glass windows, 10-to-12-foot ceilings, custom-designed walk-in closets, natural stone finishes, walk-in glass showers, private terraces, and chef's kitchens with quartz countertops, platinum silver appliances, gooseneck faucets, and prep islands.

Community amenities will include a resort-style, zero-edge pool with lounging shelf and private cabanas, outdoor grilling and lounge stations with fire pits, property-wide Wi-Fi, and controlled-access covered parking. Where's the waiting list?

The Monarch's pool is resort-worthy.

Photo courtesy of Lang Partners

The Monarch's pool is resort-worthy.

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

Get the best views in North Texas from this pricey penthouse pad

Sky Living

How would you like to own a billionaire’s penthouse in the sky with the best views in North Texas? The founder of Dallas-based TRT Holdings (Omni Hotels, Gold’s Gym International) has placed his pristine Fort Worth condo, at the tip top of the Omni Residences, on the market again.

Robert Rowling, a Dallas billionaire whose primary residence is a $12 million house on Beverly Drive in Highland Park, has listed an amazing $7.9 million property with Allison Hayden and Margo Bentsen of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty. Hayden and Bentson were the sales team that marketed and sold out the Omni Residences in Fort Worth when they were agents with Allie Beth Allman & Associates.

The penthouse, decked out by Dallas-based designer Adrienne Faulkner, is 10,000 square feet, with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, five living areas, two dining areas, and even a four-car garage. There are five — count ’em, five — balconies with unparalleled 360-degree views of downtown Fort Worth.

It also has a private elevator entrance straight into the unit so you never have to see neighbors. The Omni offers a stunning outdoor pool, exercise facility, and direct access to Bob’s Steak House.

Rowling’s wife is from Fort Worth, but sources say he never spent more than a week in the property, which was mostly used to house friends or business associates.

The Corpus Christi native got his start in the oil business with Tana Oil and Gas, which was partly owned by his father. In 1989, Texaco acquired Tana for $476 million, which seeded TRT Holdings. According to Forbes, Rowling has an estimated net worth of $6.5 billion.

Tarrant County will sure reap the benefits of the sale: The penthouse was valued at $3.1 million. But the price has come down somewhat; last year, Rowlings listed it for $9 million.

“This is a very unique property in that it takes up the whole entire floor of the building,” Allison Hayden told the Dallas Business Journal.

Hayden also says there is no comparison in Fort Worth, and maybe even Dallas. Unless you are talking the $25 million penthouse at Museum Tower.

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A version of this story originally was published on Candy’s Dirt.

All of Fort Worth is your backyard at this penthouse.

1301 Throckmorton St. Fort Worth Omni penthouse for sale

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

All of Fort Worth is your backyard at this penthouse.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus navigates marriage pitfalls in You Hurt My Feelings

Movie Review

Anybody who’s been married or in a long-term relationship knows that it’s almost impossible to be completely honest with his or her partner. There are always going to be moments – whether for the sake of expediency, in a show of support, or other reasons – when one person withholds their true opinion so as not to hurt the other person’s feelings.

That idea is the central tension point of You Hurt My Feelings, which follows Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a writer/teacher, and her husband, Don (Tobias Menzies), a therapist. Beth is in the middle of trying to get her first fiction book published, a process that is causing her unceasing anxiety. Don sees a series of patients, including a constantly-bickering couple (played by real-life husband and wife David Cross and Amber Tamblyn), and a few lapses cause him to question his commitment to the profession.

When Beth and her sister, Sarah (Michaela Watkins), accidentally overhear Don telling his brother-in-law, Mark (Arian Moayed), that he doesn’t like Sarah’s new book and is exhausted having to tell her otherwise, it sends Beth into an emotional spiral. The aftermath winds up pulling in not just the two couples, but also Beth and Don’s son, Eliot (Owen Teague), dredging up feelings that all of them normally try to keep hidden.

Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, the film is a funny and genuine look at how even the best couples can run into pitfalls. By most measures, Beth and Don get along fantastically well, supporting each other unwaveringly and showing their love in a variety of ways. When the story puts them at odds with each other, there’s never a question that they belong together, as even their arguments are tinged with exasperation instead of anger.

Holofcener complements the story of Beth and Don with a nice variety of side plots, including Eliot trying to start his own writing career while working at a weed store; Beth and Sarah’s mom, Georgia (Jeannie Berlin), offering up support and criticism in equal measures; and more. Don’s patients and Beth’s students offer an opportunity to expand the two characters’ personalities outside of their marriage while also adding a few other funny roles.

While perhaps not the most insightful film about marriage that’s ever been made, it is still highly enjoyable thanks to Holofcener’s writing and the strong performances. Filmed in New York City, the particular feel of that urban landscape and the way it affects the lives of the characters also plays a big part in the success of the film.

Louis-Dreyfus, as always, is a delight to watch. A kind of spiritual sequel to her previous collaboration with Holofcener, 2013’s Enough Said, the film gives her plenty of room to show off both her comedic and dramatic skills. Menzies makes for a steady presence, showing good chemistry with Louis-Dreyfus and a preternatural calm in therapy sessions. Watkins, Moayed, Teague, and Berlin all fit in seamlessly.

You Hurt My Feelings is not a world-changing kind of movie, but rather a solidly-told story about how relationships can be complicated. With actors who are easy to like and Holofcener’s reliably great filmmaking, it’s a movie for adults that’s nice counter-programming to the glut of summer blockbusters.

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You Hurt My Feelings is now playing in theaters.

Photo courtesy of A24

Tobias Menzies and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in You Hurt My Feelings.

Gow Media powers up new site to report on major Texas city's energy transition

Website news

A new media platform from CultureMap's parent company officially has gone live: EnergyCapitalHTX.com, announced in March, is now up and running. Houston-based Gow Media, a multi-platform media company that owns CultureMap, InnovationMap, SportsMap, and Houston's ESPN Radio 97.5FM and 92.5FM, launched the site June 1 at an event at Gow Media's office.

“We are excited to roll out our new outlet, EnergyCapitalHTX.com. We have been very impressed by Houston’s efforts to lead the global transition of energy and to address the 'dual challenge' of meeting the world’s growing demand for energy while at the same time reducing carbon emissions,” says David Gow, CEO of Gow Media.

“On our new site, we plan to provide informative, unbiased coverage of the Houston-based initiatives, spanning big corporations and startups," he continues. "We hope that a site dedicated to the transition will bring visibility to the city’s substantive progress and to the path forward.”

The site will cover Houston's energy transition ecosystem — the people, companies, capital sources, and numerous initiatives in Houston. Lindsey Ferrell serves as the inaugural editor of the site.

The site’s first sponsor is HETI, which launched in 2021. Led by Executive Director Jane Stricker, HETI was founded to drive economic growth in the Houston area within the energy transition toward a lower carbon future.

“We are excited to support Gow Media with the launch of EnergyCapitalHTX.com,” Stricker says in an earlier news release. "There is so much innovative and exciting activity in our ecosystem. Houston is the Energy Capital of the World, and this platform will amplify the energy leadership that is already happening here.”

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