Legendary country singer Toby Keith said it best when he belted out, "I should've been a cowboy!"
It seems that no matter where people grew up in the United States or how they view the world now as adults, there's something alluring, captivating, and decidedly All-American about our love for the Wild West. Our grandparents kept Gunsmoke on the TV airwaves for 20 years, while modern American audiences have tuned in by the millions to hit television series Yellowstone, and Beyonce's Cowboy Carter has taken the Grammy for Album of the Year. Our love and interest in everything cowboy may ebb and flow as a trending topic in art, music, and television, but it never truly goes away.
In fact, according to a new report by Skyscanner, 44% of American travelers embrace "cowboy core," an affection for country esthetics with a modern touch, and shape their travel plans around this lifestyle. This number rises to a staggering 63% among 18 to 24 year olds.
Enter Fort Worth, a city known to effortlessly blend Old West charm with modern fun, making it the ideal place to experience the best of cowboy core. No matter what draws you in, whether it's the year round rodeos, delicious barbeque, or daily cattle drives (yes, really!), Fort Worth offers visitors a chance to dive into cowboy culture and wrangle up lifelong memories.
The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
Nothing screams "authentic cowboy core" like the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, which has been an annual tradition since 1896. It's a grandiose spectacle that celebrates the best of Texas heritage through adrenaline-laced competitions, world class livestock exhibitions, and exciting equestrian events such as show jumping and a rodeo grand prix.
When you factor in the live performances from the best entertainers in music, and an almost endless selection of mouthwatering food stalls that offer everything from turkey legs to huge BBQ plates, you can begin to understand why this is a bucket list adventure that cowboys and cowgirls shouldn't miss.
The Cowtown Coliseum
The Cowtown Coliseum has your cowboy core needs covered throughout the year with the world's only year-round rodeo. Built in 1908, it hosted the world's first indoor rodeo in 1918 and continues to make history by hosting events such as tie-down roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing, and bull riding competitions, which are always crowd favorites.
Even if "rodeo" is a new word you just recently added to your cowboy core vernacular, the Cowtown Coliseum is your best bet to quickly learn the ropes of what the modern cowboy life is all about.
The Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive
Fort Worth's National Historic Stockyards District transports visitors to the era of cattle drives and open ranges with the Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive. Twice a day, seven days a week, you can witness the Fort Worth herd, a group of majestic 1,500-pound Texas Longhorns, lumbering down East Exchange Avenue's bricked streets.
Real Texas cowhands, decked out in cowboy and vaquero attire, guide these beautiful animals on this journey showcasing a small piece of how these iconic cattle drives shaped the American West. It's an unforgettable scene that seamlessly merges the Wild West's colorful history with its dynamic present.
Mule Alley and Billy Bob's Texas
Not everything in Fort Worth is frozen in the past, though. Mule Alley is a revitalized area in the Stockyards area that highlights a diverse collection of unique bars, restaurants, and shops within a mind-boggling 180,000 square feet of beautifully restored brick horse and mule barns.
Boutique shops of all sizes dot the landscape in the Mule Alley vicinity. Travelers can pick up gorgeous customized leather gear from the King Ranch Saddle Shop or create a unique hat to complete the cowboy core look at Wide Brim.
When out-of-town cowpokes need to kick up their boots for a rest, popular watering holes such as Second Rodeo Brewing and Paloma Suerte give plenty of reason to try their tasty drinks. They infuse their brews and cocktails with local ingredients while the night air is imparted with live music of the Texas Country variety.
And though it's not technically part of Mule Alley, Billy Bob's Texas, the world's largest honky tonk, is located in the Stockyards and is nearby, so we'll count it. Billy Bob's Texas opened in 1981 and has been a Texas tradition and a Fort Worth icon ever since.
Generations of memories and legends have been made at Billy Bob's since its inception, including Merle Haggard buying the entire club a round of drinks that totaled over 5,000 cocktails, 40 gallons of Canadian Club whisky, and a $12,000 bar tab. This is the place to line dance, boot scoot, and top your cowboy core trip off in style.
With cowboy core once again trending among travelers it makes sense that Fort Worth is the perfect destination to try a cowboy hat on for the first, or millionth, time.