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In mid-June, Fort Worth packed up its boots, its beats, and its best velvet jacket and headed straight for the City That Never Sleeps. Destination: Lavan Chelsea, an upscale venue in the heart of New York City. The mission: to give the Big Apple a full-tilt taste of Cowtown.
At the center of it all was Leon Bridges, Fort Worth’s hometown crooner turned global soul star. “From the soulful corners of Magnolia Ave to sold-out venues across the globe, Leon carries Fort Worth with him in every lyric,” Visit Fort Worth posted. Bridges, who first captured national attention with his 2015 debut album Coming Home, surprised guests that night with the release of “Hold On” — a heartfelt single commemorating a decade since the record dropped.
Backed by a slate of homegrown talent that included cosmic cowgirl Summer Dean and the ever-stylish Disco Cowboy, the event was designed to showcase Fort Worth in all its genre-bending, boot-stomping glory. And judging by the crowd’s reaction — many of whom admitted they’d never set foot in Texas, let alone its fourth-largest city — it worked.
Fort Worth’s personality — big-hearted and bold, unpretentious yet stylish — was on full display as well. Western wear dealer to the stars Laura Simmons, owner of Studio 74 Vintage, brought a lot of heavy Western wear for men and women. “Just some things that appropriately represent Fort Worth,” she said of her carefully curated collection.
Every detail — from drinks with custom labels to racks of Western fashion — was carefully curated to highlight the city’s unique blend of tradition and trend.
“I hear Fort Worth is very posh, very Western,” said Julie Vadnal, deputy editor of Domino magazine. “I just had a jalapeno popper, and that might be the most Texas thing I’ve ever tasted.”
And that’s exactly the point.
Visit Fort Worth, the nonprofit tasked with marketing the city to the world, isn’t just putting on parties — it’s investing in visibility. The visitor economy in Fort Worth generates more than $2.5 billion annually, and events like this are part of a larger strategy to support the city’s creatives, amplify its cultural capital, and attract future visitors.
“The city is setting us up to be successful,” Summer Dean said. “They’re doing everything they can to get us on the road and give us opportunities like this. I’m spilling a drink that’s got my picture on it right now. I mean, it’s crazy.”
In the middle of it all was Bridges — velvet-voiced and dressed to kill — reminding the crowd why Fort Worth isn’t just a stop on the map. It’s a sound, a soul, and a story worth sharing. His performance capped off a night that felt less like tourism marketing and more like a movement, rooted in the spirit of home, yet always reaching toward what’s next.
“It’s such an honor to rep Fort Worth around the world,” Bridges shared.
