As the temperatures drop and summer turns to fall, we’re constantly looking for ways to be outside. Whether it’s a long hike in Fort Worth’s beautiful parks and nature reserves, visiting animal friends at the top-rated Fort Worth Zoo, snagging a ticket to see a football game or having a patio cocktail at some of the coolest restaurants in Fort Worth, this city has the vibes to match the season. 

Fort Worth Botanic Garden 

What better place to experience the seasonal changes than the Botanic Garden? Enjoy nature as it blooms once more before winter. See a rainbow of colors as you meander through the garden’s walkways. The Garden puts on multiple events for Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations from September 14 through October 15, along with free admission on certain days. Check their website to learn more. 

Japanese Botanic Garden

The Stockyards 

With live music, rodeos, saloons, shopping, restaurants and a boardwalk that feels straight out of the past, the Stockyards is a veritable playground in the fall for all ages. Mosey around East Exchange Ave, where you can find the perfect Western outfit and catch a glimpse of the Fort Worth Herd, the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive. Try a plate of top-notch Texas BBQ or ranch-inspired cuisine at Lonesome Dove, Provender Hall or 97 West Kitchen + Bar. Eat at the iconic Joe T. Garcia’s for simple yet exquisite Tex-Mex and margaritas. Listen to live, local music at Tannahill’s Tavern, Second Rodeo Brewing or Billy Bob’s Texas, the world’s largest honky-tonk. 

Mule Alley Stockyards Test Image

Sundance Square/Downtown – Water Gardens 

Downtown Fort Worth is a lively, walkable area with lots of shopping, dining, art galleries and entertainment. Don’t miss the exciting Broadway at the Bass season, with fall performances of Broadway shows Company, Beetlejuice, Mrs. Doubtfire and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Sundance Square Plaza is always hopping with live music performances, twinkling lights and dancing. Explore the Water Gardens on the south end of downtown, where the trees will be bursting with color and the pools and water features provide a tranquil spot to rest a while. 

Water Gardens

Take a Hike 

Explore the great outdoors in Fort Worth! Stroll along the Trinity Trails for excellent views of the Trinity River. Visit the 20 miles of hiking trails of the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, a 36,000-acre wilderness of forests, prairies and wetlands that boasts native flora and fauna. The massive oak trees of Oakmont Park provide a canopy of beautiful fall colors.  

Explore Gateway Park’s 1,000 acres, one of the largest urban parks in the nation that offers a wide array of outdoor activities like soccer and baseball fields, disc golf course, mountain biking trails and the Fort Woof Dog Park. 

Trinity Trails

Fort Worth Zoo 

It’s always a wild time at the Fort Worth Zoo! One of the nation’s top ranked zoos is bustling with activity year-round. Visit the big cat exhibit, Predators of Asia and Africa, the gentle giants at Elephant Springs and the Museum of Living Art (MOLA) with its 250 amphibian and reptile species. Take the little ones to the Children’s Ranch and Petting Corral to get up close and personal with farm and ranch species like goats, sheep, chickens and pigs. 

Elephant Springs zoo

Near Southside 

The Near Southside neighborhood, along Magnolia Ave. and South Main Street, is about as “Stars Hollow” as you can get. Dotting both streets are cozy coffee shops, boutiques with cool weather apparel and restaurants with food that will warm you up and keep you satisfied. Venture out for a girls’ night or date night of activities at one of these studios and stores. Or listen to acoustic sounds of live music on one of the areas many restaurant patios

Near Southside patio night

TCU Football 

Here in Texas, football is king. One of the country’s most quaint universities turns into a non-stop good time in the fall. Don your purple and check out the atmosphere of a TCU football game in the fall. If it’s not a Saturday afternoon (or the Frogs have an away game) explore the surrounding area for fun restaurants, bars and shops frequented by the student population.  

TCU