Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3108
Black Meetings & Tourism April/May 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 43 the convention center, the Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa offers 430 guest rooms and 22,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Fort Worth has added 1,000 new restaurant seats downtown. Recently opened restaurants include Shula's 347 Grill (Sheraton); Ruth's Chris Steak House (Hilton); The Vault (The Tower); Bob's Steak & Chop House (Omni) and Grace (Carter & Burgess building). The Fort Worth Convention Center also credits its popularity to a $75 million expansion and renovation. The Center features a total of 253,226 sq. ft. of exhib- it space; 41 breakout rooms; a 28,160-sq. ft. ballroom, 13,500-seat arena and expanded dock facilities. The Center's public events plaza for outdoor gather- ings links the Fort Worth Water Gardens to the Convention Center's new grand entrance. While in Fort Worth, visitors can experience one of the most dynamic downtown centers in the nation, exciting Western heritage, the artistic master- pieces of Fort Worth's Cultural District and significant African-American her- itage and theater. Fort Worth's downtown has gained a reputation as one of the country's most lively urban settings. The 35-block Sundance Square entertainment district is home to a collection of restaurants, live music clubs, theatres, shops, exciting nightlife and the beautiful Bass Performance Hall, named as one of the top 10 opera houses in the world. No visit to Texas is complete without a stop at the legendary Stockyards National Historic District. Unique attractions such as the Fort Worth Herd daily cattle drive thrill visitors year- round. Top country music performers play the stage at Billy Bob's Texas, the "World's Largest Honky-Tonk," and live rodeo takes place every weekend at Cowtown Coliseum, home to the world's original indoor rodeo. Shopping for handcrafted cowboy boots, hats, clothing and souvenirs is abundant in the Stockyards. The Cultural District is home to world-class museums. The temples of culture that line the park-like setting of the district include the Amon Carter Museum, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. It's no won- der Fort Worth is considered the muse- um capital of the Southwest. Several Fort Worth attractions cele- brate African-American heritage. The National Western Multicultural Museum highlights the role of African-Americans in the great adventure of the American West. Downtown, Jubilee Theatre is the original home of African-American pro- ductions and the Historic Wall at the Intermodal Transportation Center cele- brates the African-American mercantile district that thrived in early Fort Worth. Call (800) 433-5747 or visit www.- fortworth.comto learn more. HOUSTON Innovations have been happening in Houston with CityPass from May 2008, the opening of Discovery Green downtown park in April 2008 and the opening of Houston Pavilions enter- tainment complex in October 2008. Also, the Convention Visitors Bureau