The fourth annual Phoenix Festival is returning to Fort Worth’s Southside community for entertainment, activities and information.
The festival provides awareness and resources that promote health and wellness for the Southside, Hillside and Morningside neighborhoods.
The festival is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 in Evans Plaza at 1050 Evans Ave. The event is hosted by the community organizing group BRAVE/R Together and is open to all residents. Tickets to the festival are free.
“I think this year it’s going to be even more critical because of what’s happening in the federal government,” says Shawn Lassiter, founder and CEO of BRAVE/R Together. “So being able to provide food and household goods and baby formula and things for expecting parents is going to be really helpful in this time when a lot of resources are being cut.”
“Phoenix” was the name chosen by residents to symbolize how their community has been down over the years, but, together, they are rising from the ashes. Each year, the festival includes a theme, and this year’s theme is “Embracing Wellness, Unity and Joy!”
Last year, over 1,000 people attended with over 350 families served.
There will be interactive stations that promote healthy living, including the Grove, where there will be workout and healthy lifestyle activities such as fitness classes and wellness workshops; a Kidz Korner dedicated to art and educational activities for children; and a market plaza with fresh produce and local products from farmers and vendors.
There will also be local music entertainment such as Southside Boyz and Knice 2 Know.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Evans Plaza, BRAVE/R Together will host the “2025 Our Table: Southside Dreams” dinner event. It is an opportunity to bring residents together, appreciate the progress that has been made, and acknowledge people in the community. It will feature a variety of local chefs including Chef Reggie Robinson of Little Boy Blue BBQ, Chef Z Williams of LGL Hospitality, Chef Carl of Cravings Gourmet, and Chef Victoria Woods of Castle Top Treats.
The neighborhood anticipates upcoming projects to help further restore The Historic Southside community. The National Juneteenth Museum is set to open in 2026, while The Evans and Rosedale Urban Village, a 251-unit apartment complex, where 15 percent of the units will be available below market prices, is in development.
BRAVE/R TOGETHER is a community organizing initiative dedicated to fighting racial and systemic injustices with an initial effort in the 76104 neighborhoods of color.
The organization sprang from a Star-Telegram project in 2020 that examined a 2019 UT Southwestern study that reported the average resident in the 76104 ZIP code didn’t live to see their 67th birthday and had the lowest life expectancy in the state.
The series showed that the majority of early deaths were in neighborhoods east of Interstate 35 — majority-Black communities of Hillside, Morningside and Historic Southside.
These neighborhoods are in the same ZIP code as Fort Worth’s medical district west of the interstate. The series showed that the interstate is a barrier for residents, as they lack access to grocery stores, pharmacies, doctor offices, public/ transportation and other resources.
Each year, BRAVE/R TOGETHER provides multiple grants of up to $10,000 that are available to eligible organizations, grassroots entities and individuals for projects, programming and capacity building that address disparities in the Morningside, Hillside and Historic Southside. According to its website, the organization has provided over $260,000 to 35 nonprofits in 76104 since its inception.
For tickets to the festival and dinner go to Eventbrite and search 2025 Phoenix Festival and 2025 Our Table: Southside Dreams. Tickets for the dinner range from $55 to $108.