If you want to spend your weekend with a different and unique experience then Stockyard in Fort Worth is one of the best place. A place which is renowned as a historic district which was a livestock market under various owners and capitalize the cowtown image of Fort Worth.
Stockyard area starts with a beautifully painted walls, antiques shops, boot shops, Museum, Furniture shop, beer bars with live music, various shops selling souvenirs and gifts. There were huge bulls to click pictures with them. If you want to totally get involved then there are hotels just right in the market street to stay.
The next attraction is Stockyard Railway Station, which is a very unique market place with shops of gifts, herbal tea, Candy shop and restaurants on both sides of track. Earlier that place was a railway station which is now converted in marketplace. Even today there is a train which runs over the weekend. We didn't got a chance to onboard as that weekend was one of the busy weekend and train was stopped for that day only.
There was one antique shop which sells antique items and also carcass of various animals. This was one of the most unique shop I ever been to. There were pendants of real snake mouth, horns of bulls, deers and also face skeleton of some animals. That shop is bit scary for me when I saw a carcass of leopard. Price of that leopard is $3,850.
There are plenty of restaurants and wine shops which are preserved as they were in old times but for a non drinker like me it's quite difficult to sit in any wine shop and enjoy the live music with a toss of cold drink.
Many events were organized by them especially on weekends we had attended a Rodeo show which starts at 8 PM on every Friday and Saturday. Bulls, Horses, Cowboys, Cowgirls and their stunts all are amazing. And Rodeo show starts with a National Anthem and after that loud music, stadium full of people who are cheering louder and louder for the participants of the Rodeo show.
There is another show which start at 4.30 PM which is more about tricks and skill show of Cowboys.
Cowgirls and cowboys were showing stunts on horses, trying to balance themselves on bulls only for 8 seconds which was impossible for them as bulls are not allowing them to sit for more than 2-3 seconds, then they were trying to catch calf with ropes.
Once rodeo show finished, just outside in the same compound there was a band performing. Sound of Guitars, drum and rock music ends the day beautifully.
