Fun in the Sun All Summer Long

It’s summer! Cookouts, swimming, and family FUN. Yes, adults have to work, and the kiddos may be in summer camps, but there’s plenty of time to PLAY. Here are some ideas to help you and the family play hometown tourist while you enjoy the summer!

Who doesn’t love a real-life treasure hunt? Along the Trinity River are hidden 30 geocaches just waiting to be found. What is geocaching, I hear you ask? It really is a treasure hunt, using a GPS device (here’s a pro tip: use your cell phone!) to find “geocaches.” These are containers hidden at specific coordinates with a logbook and possibly a treasure. Fill in your family’s names and leave a treasure of your own. The Trinity Trails Geocaching Adventure is a great way to start geocaching; simply go to www.trwdgeocaching.com to download your family’s passport and start hunting!

When was the last time you spent a day in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards? In the words of the old Wolf Brand Chili ad, “Well, partner, that’s too long.” Many of us only go when we have out-of-town guests to entertain, but it’s a great place to play hometown tourists. It’s a great place to window shop (or shop shop!), listen to some music, take a carriage ride or let your little ones ride a pony, grab some grub, and watch our beloved Fort Worth Herd twice daily. What other city has a daily cattle drive? Sure, it’s a tourist destination, but there’s a whole lot of fun to be had in the Stockyards.

Did you know that more than half of the banknotes printed in the United States every year are printed right here in Cowtown? The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is one of Fort Worth’s hidden gems. There are two floors of interactive exhibits, a film that is not only informative but interesting (trust me, my daughter’s Girl Scout troop actually enjoyed it!), and an enclosed walkway suspended above the production floor where you can watch as the banknotes roll off the production line. There’s even a gift shop. This is a great way to spend an afternoon when the temperatures rise.

Circuses have changed quite a bit since we were little. While there are no more animal performances, there are still plenty of thrills at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to keep the whole family on the edge of their seats. Enjoy flying acrobats, balancing tightrope walkers, graceful aerialists and, of course, the clowns. The circus comes to town the first weekend of August at Dickies Arena.

There are few things that taste better on a hot summer day than a ripe, juicy peach. And we are right next door to one of the premier peach-growing places in the United States. Forget Georgia. Give me a Parker County peach any day! Celebrate the sweet bounty at the 42^nd Annual Parker County Peach Festival, which takes place on July 13 this year. There are local vendors, great music, activities for the kiddos, and more peachy treats than you can shake a stick at. And if you’re a cyclist, don’t miss the Peach Pedal. There are rides ranging from eight miles to 61 miles, all benefitting the United Way of Parker County.

Admit it. You may pretend to prefer punk or grunge or country or hair metal because they’re cool, but when ABBA comes on the radio, you can (and do) sing every word at the top of your lungs. Probably while doing the Hustle or the Electric Slide. Unleash your inner disco bunny at Bass Performance Hall this July as the cast of MAMMA MIA! makes you sing along and tap your toes. Set on a Greek island, MAMMA MIA! tells the story of love, friendship, and family, all told through the music of ABBA. Mamma mia, here we go again!

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is a lovely place to spend a hot summer day. Explore Surrealism as seen through the eyes of Caribbean and Black artists in Surrealism and Us: Caribbean and African Diaspora Artists Since 1940, which runs through July 28. See what clay can do when an artist pushes the medium to its extremes in Rebecca Manson: Barbecue through August 25. And enjoy some of the most creative short films in Modern Kids Summer Flicks featuring the Children’s Film Festival Seattle Best of the Fest, a curated selection of award-winning and audience-favorite films for young audiences.

Rodeo and Fort Worth go together like peanut butter and chocolate. And the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame has a mission to lift women from the shadows of history. The new exhibition, Soldaderas to Amazonas: Escaramuzas Charras combines the mission of the Museum and Fort Worth’s long history of rodeo. Escaramuzas charras are female equestrian teams in Mexican rodeo who perform complicated choreography while riding sidesaddle. The exhibition explores the history of escaramuzas charras through artifacts, portraits, and poetry.

If you and your partner or friends need a night away from the kids (and let’s face it, who doesn’t every now and then?), why not enjoy some of the choicest products of the brewers’ arts in Cowtown? Whether you’re a beer lover or are new to craft brewing, the Fort Worth Beer Trail will take you to some of the best brewers our city has to offer. From HopFusion and Martin House in the Near Southside to Wild Acre off East Lancaster to Cowtown Brewing Company on East Belknap, there is something for everyone’s tastes. Of course, if you plan on imbibing, we must ask that you be responsible and get a ride!

The rodeo isn’t just for January! The PBR (that’s Professional Bull Riders for those not in the know) Stockyards Showcase highlights some of the best up-and-coming bull riders every Thursday at the Cowtown Coliseum. (A note from your history nerd editor: The very first PBR event EVER was held at the Cowtown Coliseum way back in 1993.) Bring the whole family to experience the thrill of watching young cowboys try to ride some of the toughest bulls in town. Eight seconds never lasted so long!

Celebrate art and community during Family Fest at the Kimbell Art Museum on July 14. Explore the galleries (admission to the current exhibition, Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries, will be waived during the festival), admire the incredible architecture, enjoy live performances, make art with your family, and indulge in some creamy-dreamy MELT Ice Cream. Beating the heat never sounded so fun!

It’s been a while! After fourteen years and a $15 million, state-of-the-art renovation, the Forest Park Pool is open again. Did you know that this 102-year-old beauty is the oldest aquatics facility in Fort Worth? The new Forest Park Pool includes a 50-meter, Olympic-sized pool with eight lanes, a beautiful new bathhouse, a leisure pool, and all sorts of fun for the little ones. There’s something about going to a city pool with the whole family – it makes summer even more summery!

When my kiddos were little and we couldn’t go outside without bursting into flames, we would head to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The galleries were delightfully air-conditioned, and my little darlings enjoyed the shapes and colors… until they got hungry or sleepy. This summer, the Carter has several exhibitions to capture your family’s imagination. Go back to old Hollywood in Moving Pictures: Karl Struss and the Rise of Hollywood through August 25. Explore history and anthropology and the search for extraterrestrial life in Dario Robleto: The Signal, on view through October 27. And dive into the Carter’s archives in Drawn to Nature and Re/Framed, on view through September 29 and October 13, respectively.

If you want the ultimate cowboy family adventure, look no further. We’ve got you covered. Take a trail ride. Make that a TRINITY Trail ride. Starting at the Stockyard Stables, you and your family can mosey along the Old Chisholm Trail as it meanders along the Trinity River toward downtown Fort Worth. There’s no better way to see the skyline than from the back of a horse. And after your one-hour ride, explore the stables. Take selfies with a longhorn. Feed the babies at the Petting Zoo. Take a carriage ride through the Stockyards. What a great way to spend a summer’s day. It’s a great way to spend a summer day.

On July 14, take your family over to the Arlington Music Hall for the 2024 Peruvian Festival: Culture and Tradition. It’s a recreation of the Inti Raymi, the ancient Incan festival of the sun, which celebrated Inti, the sun god who was the most important deity in the Incan pantheon. Your family will enjoy live performances and delicious Peruvian foods. (Don’t tell the kiddos, but they might actually learn a little history and culture, too!)

Have you ever wanted to strike up a conversation… with a sculpture? You can at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden this summer. On display through September 1, Seward Johnson: Sculptures in the Garden features 21 “living” sculptures by the late Seward Johnson that are strategically placed around the Garden, blending in with their surroundings and delighting Garden visitors. Created with a staggering attention to detail and a deliberate attempt to fool the eye, these sculptures depict people engaged in day-to-day activities. Pro tip: Be sure to bring your camera. After all, how many people can say they got a selfie with the Mona Lisa?

Generations of Fort Worth children have grown up at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. From the Dino Dig to the Innovation Studio to “shopping” in the “grocery store,” we played while learning at the Museum. This summer, the FWMSH has two special exhibitions that will open your eyes and mind. Celebrate Mexico in Mexican Roots: Masks, Prints, and the Traditional Arts of Mexico through August 18. Explore Fort Worth’s role in taking to the skies in Cowtown Takes Flight, on view through August 11.

Since 1976, summer has meant theater under the stars at Fort Worth’s beloved Hip Pocket Theatre. Each summer and fall, Hip Pocket explores new ways of storytelling out under the vast Texan night sky. But after 48 years, Hip Pocket is doing something a little different. They’re doing a production… INDOORS. Raft Away is an original production by John Dyer and Lake Simons, daughter of two of Hip Pocket’s founders, Johnny and Diane Simons, running INDOORS in August. She’s also the Managing Artist Director. But don’t worry – Hip Pocket will be back outside in September, under their beloved stars.

It sounds simple, I know. But hear me out. There is something magical about taking your kidlets to a farmers’ market. Fortunately, Fort Worth has two magnificent specimens. The Clearfork Farmers Market on the banks of the Trinity at The Trailhead is a great place to find some delicious produce, as well as local artisanal food producers and artists. After several decades on the Benbrook Traffic Circle, the Cowtown Farmers Market found a new home on Clifford Avenue in White Settlement. The Cowtown Farmers Market is Tarrant County’s only producer-only farmers market, meaning you buy directly from the person who grew the food. So take a Saturday morning before it gets too hot and wander through the farmers’ market of your choice. I promise you’ll be glad you did.

One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is the ability to make a meal. It doesn’t have to be a Michelin-starred, molecular gastronomy extravaganza of 38 tasting courses. But the ability to feed yourself and your loved ones is essential for modern life. Why not sign the whole family up for a Parent & Child Cooking Class at Central Market? On July 7, you and your child will learn to make fillings and sauces for several kinds of Asian dumplings. And then the fun begins. You will fill and pleat the dumplings before cooking and enjoying them. Open to children from seven through 17 and their adults.