The impressive art gallery in The Bull Ring ice cream shop may come as a surprise in the stockyards, but those who know about it head to 112 East Exchange Avenue as much for the artwork as for the ice cream and drinks. Owner A. C. Cook exhibits early Texas art from 1845 to 1965.
Red Steagall is a nationally known country western singer and poet from Fort Worth. Every year, Red Steagall Days are held at the Fort Worth Stockyards, along with a Chuck Wagon Parade in his honor. Tourists and locals alike watch the parade at the historic site, beneath the decades-old Fort Worth Stock Yards sign.
Have you ever seen Santa Claus on horseback? During the Christmas season, he can be seen riding a horse in the annual Christmas parade at the Fort Worth Stockyards. And there is not just one Santa—you can see several of them.
The entrance to the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame was built directly into the rear of one of the two large horse and mule barns constructed in 1912. It is not just a hall of fame, but also a museum featuring, among other things, an extensive collection of wagons and carriages, including hearses, dairy wagons, fire engines, and more.
The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame is housed in a spacious section of one of the horse and mule barns. Among the cowboys inducted are Walt Garrison, Larry Mahan, Buck Taylor, W. R. Watt Sr., and even the Light Crust Doughboys.
Among the many special events held at the stockyards is the annual Texas Frontier Forts Muster, which takes place every April. Fort Worth was established in 1849 as an actual military fort, and participants in this event dress in uniforms like those worn by soldiers in the 19th century. These historical reenactment enthusiasts enjoy firing replica cannons similar to those used by the U.S. Army at the time.
Such crowds gather at the stockyards especially on weekends, when organizers hold special events that attract both locals and tourists. Chevy Thunder Days 2008 took place at the North Forty in Stockyard Station, where cattle pens had dominated the landscape just a few decades earlier.
The official website of the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District is the best place to keep up with current events at the stockyards. From its office in Cowtown Coliseum, the foundation publishes the daily schedule and attractions on its website (fortworthstockyards.org), as well as lodging, dining, and shopping options. In the past, stockyards employees received daily livestock prices from other major markets by telegraph and wrote them on a board in the Livestock Exchange Building.
Although the annual Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show and Rodeo moved to western Fort Worth as early as 1944, Hub Baker, general manager of Cowtown Coliseum, ensures that the Stockyards Championship Rodeo takes place every Friday and Saturday evening.
