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Word from the CVBs Fort Worth's West Side Story
The vast region to the west of Fort Worth is a great tourism asset of our community. Fort Worth, long known as "Where the West Begins," was the edge of the Northwest Texas frontier. However, from the time of Texas independence in 1836 until about 1900, the area west of Fort Worth, reaching to Abilene and San Angelo and up to the Red River, was known for its colorful and sometimes tragic struggles of settlers, soldiers and Native Americans. Recently, the New York Times featured an excellent news article about Abilene and its attractions, including one of its newest additions "Frontier Texas!" It underscored the wealth of heritage tourism opportunities within an easy drive of Fort Worth. As settlers and the military moved westward from Fort Worth, towns such as Weatherford, Mineral Wells, Granbury, Glen Rose, Jacksboro, Graham, Thurber and many others came into existence. A line of forts were constructed in this region as well, including Fort Richardson, Fort Belknap, Fort Phantom Hill, Fort Griffin, and Fort Concho. Two major Indian reservations were, for a time, located near Graham. The Civil War and the following years brought a period of great struggle for the people of the area. Fortunately, much of its history can be discovered by visitors today, and Fort Worth is the logical place to start your historic tours. The Texas State Travel Guide and numerous books and brochures available in Fort Worth provide excellent information to develop your tour plans. The Texas Historical Commission's Lakes Trail and Forts Trail brochures also provide great resources. Places to visit include: Frontier Texas! in Abilene, the Wildcatter Ranch & Resort near Graham, Fort Richardson and the Richards Ranch in Jacksboro, and Fort Concho in San Angelo. A legendary part of the state's history can be found in Fort Worth and the historic "Frontier of Northwest Texas." For brochures and the free Texas State Travel Guide, contact the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau at 817-336-8791 or visit one of the CVB's three visitor information centers. Texas Scottish Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary By Diane Brandon, Vice President Communications, Marketing & Research, Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau This June 2nd-4th marks the twentieth anniversary of the premier Scottish Festival in America. The Texas Scottish Festival will have exciting things to do for every member of the family. Held at the University of Texas at Arlington, the Festival features Scottish musical guests including Brian McNeill, Alex Beaton, Alasdair Fraser, Ed Miller, John Taylor and the headline group, Enter the Haggis. Last year's headline band, Brother, will also play again at this year's festival. In addition to great music, check out the U.S.A. vs. Canada professional athletic team championships. Other scheduled events include professional & amateur athletics, children's games & activities, genealogy & history seminars, a Gaelic language seminar, Scottish country dancing, a "Bonniest Knees" contest, a medieval Scotland area, a Scotch whisky tasting and seminar, and other things. "The Festival is a unique experience," says Ray McDonald, Texas Scottish Festival organizer. "This is something that attendees won't see anywhere else. There's a lot to see and do for everyone. It's really a very big event." Also returning this year will be fireworks in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Festival. For more information, visit www.texasscottishfestival.com or call 1-800-363-SCOT (7268). FUN CENTRAL vacation packages are now available. Packages are a great value and have terrific add-on options. To purchase your FUNtastic Family Package, visit www.arlington.org and click on the green box in the upper right hand corner or call 1-866-656-FUNN (3866). Gaylord Texan® Resort & Convention Center's Second SummerFest Through Labor Day Weekend, the Gaylord Texan will offer SummerFest 2006. AUSTIN CITY LIMITS: Daily, June to September 3, 2006, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Four hotel guests, free; others, $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12. One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit Texas Music Project, www.texasmusicproject.org. This exhibit highlights 30 years of musical innovation. About Austin City Limits: This multimedia exhibit recreates the legendary studio at KLRU that has hosted the program since 1974; Includes a timeline of all thirty seasons. About Texas Music Project: The mission of TMP is to help strengthen and restore music education to Texas schools. For more information, visit www.texasmusicproject.org. SUNSET DESSERT CRUISE: Lake Grapevine, Friday and Saturdays, June to September 2, 2006, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. $42 per person-18 and older. This 2-hour cruise features a variety of delectable desserts from the Gaylord Texan Bakery. WINE AND CHEESE PAIRINGS: Old Hickory Wine Shoppe, Thursday through Sunday, June to September 2, 2006, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. $12 to $14: 21 and older. The Gaylord Texan's team will share insights into combining wines and cheeses. SUMMERFEST CHEF DEMONSTRATIONS: Ama Lur Restaurant, Saturdays, June 3 to August 26, 2006, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Free. The Gaylord Texan's award-winning chefs will present tasty dishes from the hotel's restaurants. JUNIOR CHEF'S CAMP: Ama Lur Restaurant, Saturdays, June 10, July 1 and August 19, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $90 per Junior Chef: includes lunch for two adults. Designed to introduce basic kitchen techniques to 11 to 16 year-olds. RIVERWALK FIESTA: Fridays, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays, 11 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays, 11 p.m. to 3 p.m. Through September 3, 2006, Free. Gaylord Texan chefs create a market style eatery featuring regional foods prepared with Texas flair. Go to Granbury for an Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration
Summer family fun in Granbury, Texas! Experience our thirty-second Annual Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, reminiscent of yesteryear, this July 1, 2, 3 & 4th. Kick-off for the celebration will be the fourth Annual Lone Star Garden Tractor pull on Saturday, July 1 at the Reunion Grounds. This family oriented event is sure to get the adrenalin flowing for the entire family. Stroll through hundreds of arts and crafts vendors on the historic downtown courthouse square shopping for hand-crafted treasures. The smell of festival food, and laughter of children, will beckon you to sample the foods of the day and watch children enjoy games, children's craft, and many other family activities. A hometown parade, car show, ranch rodeo, and lots of homegrown entertainment continue the summertime fun, along with old-fashioned games, ice cream freeze-off, and a lighted boat parade. Then just as you thought the excitement could not get any better - fireworks over sparkling Lake Granbury on July 4th top off a great weekend of patriotic celebration beyond compare - it's one of the best in the state! Pack up the family and come early. You may want to take a cruise on the Granbury Riverboat, enjoy live performances at Granbury Live or the Granbury Opera House and relax in the luxury of one of our charming bed & breakfast inns or guest houses. Granbury's Victorian charm will bring you back for many 4th of July celebrations to come! For details on this year's event contact the Lake Granbury Area Chamber of Commerce at 817-573-1622 or visit their website www.granburychamber.com. Red Steagall and Friends Coming to Glen Rose The hills surrounding Glen Rose will echo with music on July 1 as some of the country's top talent will be performing at the Texas Amphitheatre, including Red Steagall and Don Edwards. Red Steagall is a native Texan and a man of many talents. He has written more than 200 songs recorded by himself and other artists. He is best known for his Texas Swing dance music and songs such as "Party Dolls and Wine," "Freckles Brown" and "Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music." But his music crosses all categories including "Here We Go Again," recorded by Ray Charles and Norah Jones on the Grammy winning album, "Genius Loves Company." In addition to his success in the music world, Steagall also has an extensive background in television, radio, and motion pictures. He was a regular on the NBC series, "Music Country USA," has been a host and commentator on a number of national rodeo broadcasts and has appeared on syndicated shows such as "Hee Haw" and "Nashville On The Road." His syndicated weekly radio program, Cowboy Corner, airs on more than 170 radio stations worldwide. Steagall is also a noted cowboy poet and was designate Poet Laureate of Texas for 2006 and in 1991 was named The Official Cowboy Poet of Texas by the Texas State Legislature. His poems, stories, and songs have also been published in a number of books. Don Edwards is also respected and well-known in the music world. He is a Grammy nominated singer-guitarist, as well as a noted historian of cowboy songs and music. He has performed around the world and presented seminars at such prestigious universities as Yale, Rice, and TCU. Also performing will be Jean Prescott and The Quebe Sisters. Each with their own talent will round out what promises to be an enjoyable and memorable evening in Glen Rose. The concert is presented by Shell and Sundance Resources and benefits the Somervell History Foundation. For more information on Glen Rose and the surrounding area, contact the Glen Rose CVB at 1-888-346-6282 or www.glenrosetexas.net. Come see why Glen Rose was named America's Dream Town in 2004. New Driving Tour in North Texas is Packed with Horsepower Three North Texas cities, Denton, Fort Worth and Pilot Point, have come together to present a driving tour that is packed with horsepower. For the first time, equine enthusiasts and visitors to the Dallas/Fort Worth area can hit the trail and see what is behind the scenes using the North Texas Horse Country Driving Tour brochure as a guide. North Texas Horse Country visitors can begin their tour at any of the outstanding museums celebrating Western heritage in the heart of Fort Worth's Cultural District. Visitors then wind through Sundance Square to the Stockyards National Historic District and forge north to Denton and Pilot Point for up close views of working horse farms and ranches. Visitors are welcome to get out of their cars and step onto some of the visitor-friendly facilities that breed, train and sell horses.
"On any given day, you can drive down the back roads of Denton County and see mares and foals frolicking in the fields, which is what makes this area of North Texas and this tour so special," said Kim Phillips, Vice President of the Denton Convention & Visitor Bureau. In Denton County the horse industry represents the number one economic impact in agriculture. The county is populated with more than 300 horse farms and ranches. To request a brochure, call 888-381-1818 or visit www.discoverdenton.com. Current
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