Registration is now open for the 41st Annual Cowtown Great American Cleanup, happening from 8-11 a.m. Saturday, March 28. Keep Fort Worth Beautiful invites residents to join in this citywide effort to pick up litter and care for our community.
The Cowtown Cleanup is for everyone! Individuals, families, neighbors, schools, churches and businesses are all welcome to participate. Get involved and make it meaningful — select any public area, like your neighborhoods and streets, parks and school campuses, or choose from preselected hub locations around the city.
Register early — the first 3,000 people to sign up will receive a free event T-shirt! All registered volunteers will also receive free litter cleanup supplies.
As part of the Cowtown Great American Cleanup, the City of Fort Worth is accepting scrap tires! From littered tires from the roadside or old tires from your home, you do not have to be a cleanup volunteer to dispose of old scrap tires. Stop litter in its tracks — bring us your scrap tires!
Scrap tire collection site: Fort Worth City Hall, 100 Fort Worth Trail. Back parking lot — use the Forest Park Boulevard entrance. 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 28
Responsibly dispose of unwanted tires while helping reduce illegal dumping, minimize landfill waste and prevent fire hazards. It’s free with no limits on tires.
After the morning cleanup, volunteers are invited to celebrate at Earth Party! As a thank-you for your efforts, participants will be treated to food, games, activities and the annual Trashion Fashion Show.
It’s a day full of fun packed with opportunities to connect with thousands of others who share a loving commitment to Fort Worth.
The Trashion Fashion Show contest is in full gear! Designers of all ages are invited to fashion creations made with at least 50% trash or recyclable materials. Submissions are due by Wednesday, March 25. View full contest details online.
Whether you are participating in the cleanup or dropping off old tires, the Cowtown Great American Cleanup is an easy way to be part of the litter solution. Don’t miss out and register today.
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Jordan Steffan has been named operations manager for the Fort Worth Convention Center (FWCC). Formerly director of sales at Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC), Steffan will continue her five-year leadership role in the City of Fort Worth’s Public Events Department (PED) by overseeing event coordinators and operations teams at the convention center.
“Jordan brings a deep understanding of client service, City procurement processes and venue best practices to our center as we embark on Phase 2 of our $701 million expansion and modernization,” said Cynthia Sanchez Serrano, deputy director of Public Events and general manager of the convention center.
In July 2025, Steffan earned a Certified Venue Professional (CVP) credential from the International Association of Venue Managers. The CVP recognizes expertise of middle- to senior-level managers of public assembly venues. Steffan also recently completed a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt project offered through the City. Her analysis improved the billing process at WRMC by decreasing the time to deliver final invoices to clients, thus reducing delays in receiving revenue.
Shanda Cartwright, national sales manager at FWCC since 2022, will step into an interim role at WRMC as director of sales and marketing.
Cartwright, who recently completed the City’s eight-month Lead the Experience program, will become a member of the PED executive team and supervise sales managers, event coordinators and an office assistant at the WRMC Welcome Center for a variety of clients, including major equestrian shows, sporting competitions, music and comedy performances, consumer trade shows and social events.
“Shanda has led several sales and events teams during her 23 years in the hospitality industry,” said Sanchez Serrano. “She will bring a steady hand to the WRMC team and our clients during this transition as we mark the 90th anniversary of an iconic Fort Worth venue.”
The City of Fort Worth has polished a set of proposed zoning amendments designed to prevent clusters of certain businesses, including liquor stores, retail smoke shops and credit-access businesses, from concentrating in the same areas. The goal is to ultimately encourage balanced development and support neighborhood vitality.
After additional feedback and research, the Development Services Department is no longer recommending a change to pawn shop spacing rules. Texas state law already restricts new pawn shop licenses within two miles of an existing location, which is stricter than the City’s earlier proposal in 2025.
The Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on Jan. 13. City Council is scheduled to consider the amendments on Jan. 27.
This Thing is Legendary! It’s not just a slogan. It’s why the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is the most authentic western lifestyle experience anywhere – since 1896.
Don’t miss your chance to experience Texas tradition with elite rodeo competition, family-friendly entertainment, shopping, food and more. The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo returns Jan. 16-Feb. 7, and tickets are on sale now.
Find all the rip-roarin’ details.
Casa Mañana, the Jiffy Pop-looking silver dome anchoring the eastern edge of Fort Worth’s Cultural District, is actually the second live theater venue on that corner.
At the well-traveled intersection of University Drive and Lancaster Avenue, today’s Casa Mañana was built on the site of a theater that held outdoor productions starting in 1936.
After Dallas was selected to be the site of the official Texas Centennial Celebration in 1936, newspaper publisher and Cowtown promoter Amon G. Carter began making plans for a celebration in Fort Worth that would rival the event to the east. At the center of the celebration was to be a large outdoor amphitheater and restaurant called Casa Mañana, “The House of Tomorrow.”
The Texas Frontier Centennial, Fort Worth’s special observance of the Texas Centennial, portrayed the culture and atmosphere of the Old West. Carter and other downtown bigwigs paid showman Billy Rose of New York City $1,000 a day to stage the entertainment.
The spectacle covered 162 acres and cost $5 million. The most publicized part of the celebration was Casa Mañana, in which seats and tables to accommodate 3,500 spectators faced a revolving stage on which Rose presented his musical revue. So popular was the celebration that it was presented again in 1937.
The original Casa Mañana outdoor theater was eventually dismantled.
Casa Mañana magic lives on
In the fall of 1957, Fort Worth Opera Association President James H. Snowden Jr. and manager Melvin O. Dacus approached the City of Fort Worth to build a theater complex focused on Broadway musicals. With a budget of $500,000, the City Council approved the project on Jan. 14, 1958.
Construction began on March 13. A record-breaking 114 days later, Casa Mañana Theatre was completed as a fully enclosed, air-conditioned, aluminum-domed theater.
A black-tie opening on July 5, 1958, entertained audiences with a production of “Can-Can” and introduced them to the 1,805-seat house and theater-in-the-round. With no backstage area, the actors and stagehands used the surrounding concourse and aisles to move set pieces, props and other materials on and off stage. With the back row only 36 feet from the stage, audiences fell in love with the unique and intimate setting of Casa Mañana Theatre.
The building, designed by A. George King, features a geodesic dome designed by aluminum industrialist Henry Kaiser and Richard Buckminster Fuller. It was the second building built in the U.S. with a Kaiser dome.
Broadway classics, kid-friendly shows and homegrown stars
Besides offering a full repertoire of renowned Broadway shows, Casa is also home to the Children’s Theatre, which caters to kids and families. Upcoming productions include “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “The SpongeBob Musical.”
Casa Mañana is also a pro-grade training ground for young aspiring thespians. Not only do the classes provide an authentic theater/stage experience, but some students also get to hone their acting chops with roles in the venue’s performances.
One notable alumnus is legendary actress Betty Buckley, who grew up in Fort Worth and attended Arlington Heights High School. She later studied acting more formally at TCU before launching her professional career. Buckley’s most famous project is widely considered to be her role as Grizabella in the original 1982 Broadway production of “Cats,” for which she won the Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical.
Setting the stage for tomorrow
The theater-in-the-round setup was changed in 2003 with a major renovation project to become a more traditional theater setting. The renovation provided a modified thrust stage, a new lobby and new restroom facilities.
Today, Casa Mañana continues to house live, professional theater for the enrichment and education of a diverse Fort Worth.
According to CRE Daily, a leading digital media outlet covering the commercial real estate industry, Fort Worth has been ranked first in the nation for permitting efficiency. The recognition comes from Labrynth’s 2025 Red Tape Index 500, an AI-driven analysis evaluating how quickly and effectively cities process development permits.
With a score of 0.96, Fort Worth leads all major U.S. cities, standing out for its speed, clarity and continuous improvements in permitting operations. For developers and commercial real estate investors, that performance translates directly into faster approvals, fewer delays and greater confidence in project timelines.
The Development Services Department’s top ranking reflects several years of strategic investment in modern digital systems, streamlined workflows and improved customer service. These changes have helped the City process permits more efficiently, ensuring developers can move from planning to construction with minimal friction.
“This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our Development team, community stakeholders and the vision of our executive leadership,” said Development Services Department Director D.J. Harrell. “Our team shows up every day committed to delivering clear, predictable and customer-focused service, and I’m incredibly proud of the work they do to support Fort Worth’s growth and economic development.”
The Red Tape Index evaluates 500 U.S. cities with populations of 50,000 or more, measuring:
Fort Worth excelled across all three categories. As Labrynth noted, the City’s success is no accident — it’s the result of intentional reforms designed to support continued growth for one of the fastest-expanding cities in the country. Permitting speed and efficiency matter for investors and developers because permitting speed can dramatically influence a project's viability. Cities that demonstrate predictable, transparent processes offer lower risks, competitive timelines and greater development certainty.
The Development Services Department's top ranking positions the City of Fort Worth as a national model for business-friendly governance, reinforcing its ongoing momentum as a hub for investment and population growth. As Fort Worth continues to grow, its commitment to fast, transparent permitting will remain a key driver of economic competitiveness — and a significant advantage for anyone doing business in the city.
Movies That Matter, a film series program, presents We Are Guardians at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St.
Know before you go: Admission is free. Make reservations online.
About the film: We Are Guardians (2023, NR, 82 min.) follows Indigenous Forest guardians Marçal Guajajara and leader Puyr Tembé as they fight to protect their territories from deforestation, while also exploring the struggles of an illegal logger and a landowner besieged by invaders and extractive industries. Through intimate storytelling, the film examines the Amazon Rainforest’s pivotal role in global climate stability and the economic drivers of its destruction. Blending politics, history, science and consciousness, it provides a deep dive into this complex crisis. Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene and Rob Grobman; produced by Fisher Stevens and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Sixteen establishments were recognized at the Nov. 4 City Council work session for their role as the inaugural participants in the City’s Golden Lasso Accreditation Program.
The free and voluntary program certifies bars, restaurants and venues committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable nightlife experience.
The 16 recognized establishments included:
About the program: The Golden Lasso certification demonstrates establishments’ commitment to providing “Safety-Branded Entertainment” for Fort Worth’s residents and visitors. It also empowers them to formalize their practices through policy and employee training, looping in the unique value of “Safety-Branded Entertainment” to enhance patrons’ confidence and peace of mind.
While any establishment is eligible to earn accreditation, the Golden Lasso program specifically aims to improve the practices of businesses that hold a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission license. Ultimately, the Golden Lasso Accreditation aims to decrease alcohol-related harm and build positive relationships among business owners, City agencies, state agencies and community groups.
Interested in joining the Golden Lasso program? The City of Fort Worth is actively onboarding new establishments to become accredited and join the Golden Lasso Program. For more information, email Kimberly Tyler or call 682-263-5852.
On Oct. 7, the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD), community leaders and residents came out to celebrate National Night Out. Residents were encouraged to hold events in their communities to get to know each other and the police officers who serve their neighborhoods to help prevent crime.
Cue the confetti and cake! Opal Lee, Fort Worth’s “Grandmother of Juneteenth” turns 99 years young today.
Lee’s circle of influence ripples far and wide. Born Oct. 7, 1926, in Marshall, Texas, she was the eldest of three children born to Mattie (Broadus) and Otis Flake. The family moved to Fort Worth when Lee was 10, eventually purchasing a house on East Annie Street.
On June 19, 1939, just days after moving in, a mob of around 500 white rioters vandalized and burned down their home. Lee was approximately 12 years old at the time of the fire. That tragic event marked the start of Lee’s lifelong activism and fight to keep the memory of Juneteenth alive.
She has spent many decades ensuring that Juneteenth remain etched in society’s collective conscience. Her relentless efforts to make June 19 a federal holiday stand as her most notable and enduring achievement. That law was signed in 2021, and Lee attended the signing.
Steadfast in her commitment to memorializing Juneteenth, beginning in 2016 at age 89, Lee began her annual “Walks for Freedom” on June 19. Since that initial event, Lee’s 2.5-mile treks have continued in Fort Worth, with people across the country joining in their own cities to amplify their voices and show support.
Besides receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024, Lee also has served in several volunteer leadership and service roles, including Citizens Concerned with Human Dignity, Habitat for Humanity, Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society and the Community Food Bank.
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