From college football showdowns to rodeo dust and arena-sized sing-alongs, Fort Worth’s calendar is packed with reasons to get out of the house. January and early February bring a mix of marquee concerts, theater, museum exhibitions, and big-ticket sporting events that span genres and generations. Whether you’re chasing nostalgia, culture, or pure Texas spectacle, there’s something on this list worth circling.
Jan. 2
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
Fort Worth can expect some visitors from Houston and the Hill Country, as this year’s Armed Forces Bowl pits two mid-major Texas squads against one another, the Rice Owls and Texas State Bobcats.
Amon G. Carter Stadium
Jan.16 – Feb. 7
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo
Shine your boots and bolos, the nation’s best three weeks of bronco bustin’, hog showin’, and calf-fry eatin’ makes its annual return to Cowtown.
Dickies Arena and Will Rogers Memorial Center
Jan. 17
Corey Kent
Hot on the heels of releasing a single, “Rocky Mountain Low,” featuring local country star Koe Wetzel, the “Wild as Her” singer makes his way to the world’s largest honky-tonk.
Billy Bob’s Texas
Jan. 17 – May 24
New Horizons: The Western Landscape
Featuring the work of 14 living artists, including Tony Abeyta, Sarah Ayala, and Dean Mitchell, this exhibition “presents contemporary interpretations of the American West’s terrain.”
Amon Carter Museum of American Art
Jan. 24
The Smithereens and Deep Blue Something
Three alternative bands of yesteryear — The Smithereens, Denton’s own Deep Blue Something, and The Nixon’s — swing by Tulips for a night of ’90s nostalgia.
Tulips
Jan. 27
‘Mark Twain Tonight!’
Emmy Award-winner Richard Thomas, who previously graced the Bass Hall stage as Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” brings Mark Twain to life in this one-man show originated by Hal Holbrook.
Bass Performance Hall
Jan. 29 – Feb. 14
A Night With Janis Joplin
Billed as a tribute to the legendary singer who took the stage at Woodstock, this concert-style performance pairs the counterculture icon with the likes of Aretha Franklin and Bessie Smith.
Circle Theatre
Jan. 29 – Feb. 15
Where We Stand
A co-production with Dallas Theater Center, this interactive play recreates a town hall gathering, where a lone storyteller puts the future of a town in the hands of the audience.
Stage West Theatre
Jan. 30 – 31
Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ in Concert
One of Disney’s most successful animated features gets the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra treatment — performing the tunes penned by Elton John — as the movie plays behind them.
Bass Performance Hall
Jan. 30 – Feb. 1
Turnpike Troubadours
The popular red-dirt country outfit gets a three-night residency at Billy Bob’s Texas, where they’ll weave old classics with songs from their latest release, The Price of Admission.
Billy Bob’s Texas