Featuring distinguished museums, art galleries, and performance art venues, combined with a daily cattle drive and year-round rodeo, it’s no mystery why Fort Worth brands itself as the City of Cowboys and Culture. Travelers looking for a cowboy themed experience will love the Livestock Exchange Building. The historic building is home to the North Fort Worth Historical Society Museum and is the launching point for the city’s popular daily cattle drive. Anyone looking to experience the city’s unique brand of culture should make their way to the Fort Worth Cultural District. The district is full of world-class attractions such as the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
The Fortress Festival has become one of Texas’ top music events in only its second year, and it will take place April 28-29 in the city’s Cultural District. Attendees will encounter a multi-genre music extravaganza complete with 25 performing acts playing on two outdoor stages. This year's event will feature performances by Father John Misty, Chromeo, Courtney Barnett, DE LA SOUL, RZA ft. Stone Mecca, and more. Patrons can stop by the vendor area, which will include a variety of vendors selling art, jewelry, clothing, and band merchandise. Those in search of a meal will encounter some favorite local food trucks selling everything from vegan entrees to comfort foods. People can purchase one-day, two-day, and VIP passes via the event ticketing page. With the purchase of a VIP ticket, attendees can take advantage of quicker entry lines, a VIP tent, special viewing areas, air conditioned bathrooms, and free parking. Kids nine and under can attend for free with a paid adult admission. We interviewed Event Representative, Trey Hicks, to learn more about this can’t miss Fort Worth music shindig.
RAL: Tell me a little bit about the event.
TH: This is the second year for Fortress Festival. In its inaugural year, we attracted more than 9,000 people over two days. About 60% of our audience is between the ages of 25-34. The event also plays host to a family of all sizes, in addition to music-loving travelers from across the country.
RAL: What makes this event unique?
TH: This is the only major, multi-genre music festival in North Texas, an area with a population of about 7.5 million people. An event like this has been attempted many times, but never really caught on.
The event is also unique because of its partnership with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, which is an internally-renowned museum. There are several other world-class museums like the Kimbell and Amon Carter, just a few steps away from the festival grounds. So we encourage attendees to visit priceless art before, after and between the performances. It makes for a truly dynamic experience. In the future, we hope to build on this experience with additional art programming that is specific to the festival.
RAL: Take me through a day at the event. What can I expect as an attendee?
TH: The festival is all about the musical performances. There are more than 25 acts scheduled so far between Saturday and Sunday. They start around 2:00 pm and continue through about 11:00 pm on Saturday, and 10:00 pm Sunday. In between performances, audiences can shop at the on-site vendors which include screen printers, artists, jewelers, and more. There will also be gourmet food trucks serving vegan options, handmade desserts, middle eastern specialties, and comfort favorites.
RAL: Tell us about the overall atmosphere?
TH: The vibe at the fest is always laid back and friendly, just like the city itself. With an artist lineup as diverse and exciting as this, you’ll find all stripes of people from all over the country. It’s hard to beat the weather in North Texas -- cool temps and plenty of sunshine.
RAL: Does the event drive business to your local economy?
TH: When audiences have experienced all the festival has to offer, they can venture into any of the nearby museums. There are three main art museums, all within a few short blocks of the festival grounds, each specializing in a different period and category of art. The Modern is all post-war American and European art, the Kimbell is almost all pre-war European, and the Amon Carter is almost exclusively American and Southwest art.
RAL: What can an attendee expect to find for local lodging?
TH: The official hotel of the festival is the Omni Downtown Fort Worth. Travelers can take advantage of a special code when booking, available via this link. Also available nearby is the Ashton downtown, a luxury boutique hotel and the Worthington, a Renaissance property.
For more information about the Fortress Festival, please visit the event website.