Across the state, visitors to Texas can experience plenty of that famous Western heritage but with a contemporary twist.
Fort Worth bills itself as “the city where the West begins,” and the Stockyards National Historic District is the perfect place to begin your Western adventure. Don’t miss the twice-daily cattle drive, where real cowhands drive a herd of longhorns down East Exchange Avenue every day. To learn more about the herd and the history of the stockyards, book the Fort Worth Herd Experience to get a behind-the-scenes look.
Visit the weekly Stockyards Championship Rodeo, held in the Cowtown Coliseum. Or scoot over to nearby Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honky-tonk. Take a spin on the Texas-sized dance floor to a live band or watch pro bull-riders as they compete for prizes.
Looking to have your own equine adventure? Saddle up for a half-hour or one-hour trail ride on horseback at The Stockyard Stables, where you can experience riding along a portion of the Historic Chisholm Trail near the Trinity River, just like cowhands of the past. Traveling with young kids? You can also embark on stagecoach and carriage rides, grab a photo of your child on a longhorn, and pet baby animals here.
While in the Stockyards Historic District, don’t forget to pick up some cool contemporary Western wear, including genuine handmade cowboy boots, hats, belts, jewelry, and jackets. Some of the shops here have been open since the early 1900s! You’ll find all kinds of modern cowboy accessories from these outfitters, including cowboy hats in felt or summer-weight straw, many with bands, buckles, and feathers to customize your selection. If you’re looking for a souvenir with a Texas touch, this is the place to treasure hunt.
When you find yourself in the Texas Panhandle Plains don’t miss visiting Palo Duro Canyon, in Canyon, Texas — the nation’s second-largest canyon after the Grand Canyon! And if you are visiting between June and August, you’ll want to grab seats for the “Texas Outdoor Musical,” held nightly in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Billing itself as a “a musical romance of Texas Panhandle history,” this live outdoor show has been entertaining folks since the 1960s. It features singers, actors, and dancers, who tell the saga of the struggles and triumphs of settlers and life here in the 1800s. Visitors can also enjoy a chuck wagon barbecue dinner before the curtain when they book show tickets.
For a deeper, authentic cowboy lifestyle experience you won’t soon forget, visit one of the many guest and dude ranches Texas has to offer. Experienced cowboys lead groups on horseback riding adventures while families can spend days together in the saddle and, in the evenings, tuck into traditional cowboy fare cooked over an open fire. Enjoy stories of the range while you toast marshmallows beneath a canopy of stars.
Other Ways to Experience Western Culture
Visitors to the state can also experience family fun at a genuine Texas rodeo. While the largest rodeos in the state are held mostly in February and March, small towns bring the roping, riding, and bull-riding to their arenas practically year-round.
Beyond the rodeo, if you’d like to watch some of the top Western performance sport riders and mounts compete for big prizes in their various disciplines, you’ll find exciting major events happening throughout the show year. The American Western Weekend (Global Life Field, Arlington) is action-packed equine sporting events where riders compete for big prizes. Known for its equestrian and livestock shows, the Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, is home to major year-round events, including the American Paint Horse Association’s annual World Championship Show; various National Cutting Horse Association competitions, where horse-and-rider teams separate select cows from a herd in timed events, and the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Snaffle Bit Futurity show, where competitors perform herd, rein, and fence work.
For a Western cultural experience you won’t soon forget, grab some dancing shoes and head out to one of the state’s many historic dance halls. Some of these halls have been providing lively entertainment for Texans since the 1870s. Whether you partake in the free basic dance lessons offered at some halls or just want to sip a longneck beer and watch others whirl away the night, “boot-scooting” is an authentic Texas pastime.
