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Bass Hall, on the corner of 4th Street and Calhoun, is home to Fort Worths premier performing arts organizations and is the venue of choice for top artists from all over the world. Artists from ballet dancers to bagpipers perform here; there is something for every musical and artistic taste. Every four years, the top professional pianists in the world gather for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. A newer jewel in the Cliburn Foundations crown of jewels is the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, held on campus at Texas Christian University for the first time in 1999. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra offers delights for every musical taste, ranging from its regular season with monthly concerts from September through May, through the Pops series, also from September through May, to the Concerts in the Garden at Fort Worth Botanical Gardens every summer for the past 10 years. Their regular concerts are presented at Bass Hall. If classical musics not your thing, visit Casa Manana, the first permanent theatre designed for in-the-round performances. Chartered as a non-profit organization in 1958, it now offers a wide variety of entertainment from Broadway musicals to dramas to concerts and childrens theater. Or, try the Jubilee Theatre in Sundance Square. African-American performers, writers, and directors are spotlighted here in dramas, comedies, and especially musicals, and use local talent whenever possible. J & J Blues Bar offers cold beer and hot jazz, including some outrageous Thursday night jams. At the two live rock clubs, Wreck Room and Aardvark, fans can party with some of the Metroplexs top rock bands without having to drive to Dallas. Of course, no visit to Fort Worth is complete without stopping in at Billy Bobs Texas and The White Elephant Saloon. Billy Bobs, billed as the worlds largest honky-tonk, features live entertainment almost every night by country musics biggest names. The White Elephant, an authentic Old West saloon, is as plain as Billy Bobs is fancy, with a good-sized dance floor and a combination of live and recorded music. Fort Worth is an art lovers paradise, boasting some of the finest museums and galleries in North America. The Amon G Carter Museum, founded by the pioneer to house his collection of paintings and sculpture by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, features pre-1940 works by premier nineteenth and twentieth-century artists. Itself a work of art, The Kimbell Art Museum is home to several unusual collections, featuring European art from 1920 forward and American art since 1940. For a delightful Friday evening, enjoy a light buffet with live music at the Kimbell. One of the oldest art institutions in Texas, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth houses masterworks of post-World War II American and European artists in all media-a collection of more than 2800 pieces. The Carol Henderson Gallery offers a mixed bag of traditional and more abstract works by regional and international artists. From sculpture and paintings to folk art and pottery to designer jewelry, the collection will delight a wide variety of tastes. Theres a gift shop if you see something you can't live without. Local and nationally known artists also show at Evelyn Siegel Gallery. In addition to painting, sculpture, and folk art, you can enjoy prints, glass/ceramics, and Native American arts here. Galerie Kornye West features American and European art, not only the traditional pieces but also glass and furniture. Academic and impressionist styles prevail here, especially florals, seascapes, and landscapes; management staff is knowledgeable and generous about sharing, so ask away. To view works by young talent on the art scene, be sure to visit Gallery 414. Owned and run by artists, the gallery is designed to showcase cutting-edge work. While its cultural center counterpart is being expanded and renovated, The Carter Downtown maintains the continuity of the collections until fall 2001 or so. Superb examples of American modernism and impressionism are on display here across from The Bass. Original works and those of rarely performed playwrights are featured at Hip Pocket Theatre, marking its 24th anniversary this year. The company became the first Texas one invited to perform in the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, the troupe has also performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Allied Theatre Group, formed when Stage West and Shakespeare in the Park merged, offers classic and contemporary plays year round. With Shakespeares plays as the nucleus of its work, ATG performs in the venues its components have used over the years: in a former movie theater near University Drive and Berry Street and in lovely Trinity Park on an arena stage surrounded by green grass and trees. Snug in the historic Sanger Building at Sundance Square, The Circle Theatre offers an intimate theatre experience. Texas playwrights like Horton Foote and Larry L. King, as well as developing playwrights from North Texas, are showcased here as Circle regularly premieres contemporary plays. Fort Worth Theatre, is still the community theatre of Fort Worth, presenting four different series and offering not only quality community theatre but also commendable projects featuring at-risk youth. For comedy, choose from two venues, Hyenas and Four Day Weekend, an improv troupe performing at Caravan of Dreams on weekends. Dance offers three fine choices: Contemporary Dance Fort Worth, with a lively repertoire and a full season of performances; North Texas Ballet Theatre, a non-profit youth ballet company that provides performance experience to pre-professionals while promoting ballet in the community; and Fort Worth Dallas Ballet, a thriving joint venture with a board and a full season in each city. The troupe performs at the Bass in Fort Worth and the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas. A variety of other entertainment options may be found in and around Fort Worth. The Log Cabin Village, for example, is a group of seven restored nineteenth century cabins inside Trinity Park where you'll get another one of those living history lessons. Daily demonstrations of pioneer life include candle-dipping, corn grinding, spinning, and weaving. Theres a little museum and gift shop, too. And speaking of Trinity Park, its a must-visit oasis of trees, grass and, of course, water not far from downtown. There are 32 miles of multi-use trails as well as playgrounds, picnic areas, and restrooms. You can find a festival or some sort of celebration here almost any time of year. For 17 acres of manmade water fun, take the kids to NRH2O, where there are attractions for every age from a water choo-choo to a 65-foot tall water coaster and a breathtaking waterfall drop ride. Concession stands and picnic space are plentiful. In stark contrast, the Tandy Center Ice Rink offers year-round ice-skating right in the Fort Worth Outlet Mall. Admission to the rink also pays for skate rental; the food court will help keep skaters? energy levels high-and Mom and Dad can shop while the kids skate, if you prefer. Inside the Miller Brewery you'll find the Brew Kettle Museum and Pub, where you can enjoy a multi-media presentation of the history of Miller Brewing Company. Purchase all kinds of logo souvenirs from golf bags to glassware and Rusty Wallace autographed NASCAR memorabilia?all at the Miller Marketplace. And back to outdoor fun, try Bergers Lake, a former fish hatchery thats as close as you'll get to the swimming hole of your childhood. There are all the amenities you?d expect in a family park; the lake boasts 14 floating tubes, a fountain, and even a trapeze for "swingin? and droppin?." Finally, if racing is your bag, there are two fabulous places less than an hour away for watching the best of the best: Lone Star Park and Texas Motor Speedway. Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, open 313 days a year, features both live and simulcast (from other premier racetracks) thoroughbred horse racing. Some of the top jockeys and trainers in the country work here, where you'll sometimes see purses exceeding $1 million. Texas Motor Speedway in Roanoke offers a full roster of NASCAR, Indy, hot rod, and Grand Prix racing almost year round. Campgrounds nearby are plentiful, as are RV hookups. You can tour the facility whether theres a race or not. |
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