FORT WORTH, Texas — North Texas is taking center stage in the Western sports world this month, as major events like the Professional Bull Riders World Finals and The American Rodeo Championship continue drawing thousands of visitors to the region.
From professional bull riding to roping and barrel racing, Fort Worth has quickly become one of the country’s top destinations for Western sports and entertainment.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker says Western heritage is more than a tradition in Cowtown — it is an important part of the local economy.
“The big picture story for Fort Worth right now is we’re booming for all the right reasons, but we still lean into what made Fort Worth great — and Western heritage, Western sports, Western lifestyle is at the center point of that,” Parker said.
Events like the PBR World Finals in Fort Worth and The American Rodeo Championship at Globe Life Field in Arlington are filling hotels, restaurants and entertainment districts across North Texas.
Parker says many Western sporting events are also helping to breathe new life into historic venues throughout the city.
“A lot of these Western lifestyle events really do show that you can reinvest in older, more historic spaces,” Parker said. “The Cowtown Coliseum is a really great example of that. You have a rodeo there every week, which is reflective of the sport in general.”
Chad Blankenship, president of the Ariat Texas Rattlers, says attendance numbers continue to show the growing popularity of Western sports in Texas.
“PBR welcomed 48,000 ticketed guests to its event, and this coming weekend, The American Rodeo — the richest rodeo in the world — heads over to Globe Life Field and will welcome more than 36,000 visitors,” Blankenship said.
As Fort Worth continues growing — now home to more than 1 million residents — Parker says Western culture remains a defining part of the city’s identity.
“People are moving here, we’re growing for the right reasons,” Parker said. “This topic of Western lifestyle and culture is so important to who we are as a city, but there’s also so many other things happening from an economic development perspective in Fort Worth — building enough housing and infrastructure to keep up with that growth.”
City leaders say the economic impact extends far beyond May events alone.
According to Parker, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo generates an estimated $120 million in economic impact annually and attracts more than 1.2 million visitors each year.
“I like to joke that in Fort Worth, we were cowboy before cowboy was cool,” Parker said. “There’s so much emphasis happening around Western lifestyle — even fashion — but in Fort Worth, it’s authentic, and people can feel it as soon as they get here.”
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