First, it’s virtually impossible not to have a good time in the Fort Worth Stockyards. You’ve got history, the Old West, and arguably the best Mexican food restaurant on the face of the planet at Joe T. Garcia’s. Toss in some of the best music to be found and you’ve got yourself a weekend to remember.
And that’s exactly what visitors experienced during the second annual Fort Worth Musical Festival and Conference (Feb. 28-March 2).
Personally, I enjoy just strolling through the Stockyards on any given day. There are always friendly folks to mingle with and engage in good conversation. And don’t discount a good discussion with one of the few homeless folks you might interact with. It’s worth the twenty bucks and a beer to learn what they have to offer about the world they see as it walks by them.
Folks come from all over for this event, and well they should. The lovely Mrs. Junell and I spent last Friday night there and it was one of the most fun evenings I can recall – and we have plenty of fun outings (fortunately for me, I married a lady who, like me, likes to take in as much life as she can while on this mortal coil).
“I’m playing tomorrow at White Elephant (Saloon). I absolutely love coming here,” said Jade Patek, a musician from New Braunfels. “I’m always on the road, but when I come here I get to see a lot of my friends who are also playing. Putting this together was a great idea.”
While official numbers concerning attendance and economic impact haven’t been released, no statistics are needed to say that a lot of folks had a great time, heard some fantastic music and contributed many dollars to Fort Worth coffers those four days.
Austin Turner is a bartender at Tannehill’s Tavern in the Stockyards. He keeps pretty good tabs – pardon the pun – on how many people come through his establishment. He said, as best as he can estimate, it did seem like more visitors attended the music festival in 2024 than 2023 – a good sign the event is headed in the right direction for even more success in the future.
“I met a guy from Idaho who came all the way down,” Turner said. “I love these kind of festivals. I go to Florida and help a buddy with one and then I go to the LJT (Larry Joe Taylor’s festival in Stephenville).”
Edward Isern attended the inaugural year because his friend Matt Stallings was playing. He made the return trip from Montana this year after having so much fun. “I saw a lot of other acts as well and it was a fantastic time. I met some nice people. I’m already looking forward to next year,” he said.
Ditto for Monica Tow from Ardmore, Oklahoma. “I had a great time last year. The atmosphere, all the acts are great, and I love to see all the new, young acts. I’ll definitely be back next year,” she said.
Kim Ellis, from Duncan, Oklahoma, and her husband combined a trip to the festival with a visit with their grandchildren. “We came for a few of our favorites, Grady Spencer and Shiny Ribs and Band of Heathens,” she said. “We’ve been following Shiny for some time now. And it was a great chance to spend some time with our grandkids. That’s a pretty good combination.”
Some folks came for a day, which in itself was an experience to remember, and some attended all four days, such as Fort Worth’s Michelle and David Morgan.
“This is our third day and we have loved every minute of it. We talked to the radio station,” Michelle said. “I hope they continue to have this for years to come.”
To which David added, “It’s fantastic, the variety, the fact they’re giving so many new bands a chance, so much diversity. We’ll be back tomorrow – and next year.”
As a fan of the city, let me once again note that it is this kind of event and its “come on down and have some fun” appeal that makes Fort Worth special. I will also say that if you haven’t been participating, well, as they used to say in the Wolf Brand Chili commercial, “Pardner, what are you waiting for?”
Be sure and mark your calendar when dates are announced for next year’ Music Festival and Conference. I’m going to. I’ll look forward to seeing you there.
Rick Mauch writes regularly for the Fort Worth Business Press, covering a wide array of topics including business, sports and entertainment.