• Memorial Day was originally called “Decoration Day” after the American Civil War and began as a tradition of decorating Soldiers’ graves with flowers, flags, and wreaths.
• The first ceremony took place at Arlington National Cemetery on 30 May 1868, where both Union and Confederate Soldiers are buried.
• The National Cemetery Administration, part of the Department of Veterans Affairs, credits Mary Ann Williams of the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia, with being the first to express the idea of an annual date to decorate the graves of Civil War veterans with flowers.
• After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American military personnel who died in service to our Nation.
• In 1971, Memorial Day became an official federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May.
• Protocol for flying the American flag on Memorial Day includes raising it quickly to the top of the pole at sunrise, immediately lowering it to half-staff until 12:00 noon, and displaying it at full staff from noon until sunset.
• A National Moment of Remembrance is encouraged each Memorial Day at 3:00 PM local time across the United States.
• Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in our Armed Forces, while Veterans Day honors all who served in the military.
Bob on Business: New-to-area retailers set for Southlake
by Scott Nishimura, Fort Worth Report May 17, 2026
This story was originally published by the Fort Worth Report. You may read the original version here.
Southlake Town Square, regarded as a trendsetter in new retailers and food offerings, has a lineup of tenants set to open throughout 2026.
“Southlake Town Square continues to attract best-in-class brands that align with the lifestyle of our community,” Jason Kasal, vice president and senior leasing director of Kite Realty Group and Southlake Town Square’s owner, said in a news release.
Set to open this year:
On Running will bring its footwear and apparel to Southlake Town Square in a 6,000-square-foot space at 415 Grand Ave. East. Its location in Southlake Town Square will open in the second half of the year and will be the first On store in Tarrant County.
Reformation, a fashion brand known for its designs and environmentally conscious practices, will open in a 2,007-square-foot space at 213 Grand Ave. It will be the brand’s first retail location in Tarrant County. Reformation has celebrity fans such as Taylor Swift, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Aniston and others.
Crate & Barrel is expected to open in July in a 18,945-square-foot space at 321 State St.
Ascension Coffee is set to open in August at 100 State St. in a 4,223-square-foot space.
Rothy’s is already open in a 1,972-square-foot space at 307 Grand Ave. East. The brand features machine-washable footwear and accessories crafted from recycled materials.
More retail coming to North East Mall
North East Mall in Hurst also has some new retailers ready to open shop.
Now open are:
Lovisa, a fashion jewelry and accessories retailer that provides hundreds of new styles and must-have trends in stores each week.
Black Island, a retailer offering a curated collection of premium clothing for men, women, youth and children.
Trendy Treats, a store that offers exotic candies, cookies, chocolates, chips, sodas and other unique treats sourced from around the world.
Coming this summer to North East Mall will be Perfumania, a fragrance retailer.
JLL, Sundance Square enter leasing partnership
Chicago-based JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) and Sundance Square will support targeted retail leasing for the commercial space, the two entities said in a joint news release.
Sundance Square encompasses 3.7 million square feet of commercial space, JLL and Sundance said. In the retail partnership, “JLL’s scope, led by Michael Wheat and Isabella Burnette, covers over 105,000 square feet of space at Fort Worth’s most visited destination,” they said.
“Sundance Square is where Fort Worth’s Western heritage meets modern urban sophistication in perfect harmony,” Wheat said in the release.
“We’re thrilled to partner with all those involved in ensuring Sundance Square is a vibrant source of culture and entertainment for Fort Worth residents and visitors for decades to come.”
Ed Kraus, Sundance Square vice president and former Fort Worth police chief, said in the release, “We see significant opportunity to further strengthen the tenant mix in ways that reflect both Fort Worth’s identity and evolving consumer demand. With JLL’s experience and market insight, we’re well-positioned to build on the current momentum.”
Sundance previously hired Dallas-based Henry S. Miller Co. to manage and lease Sundance Square, under an agreement that started in 2020 and ran for several years.
Scholarships in the ag world
AgTexas Farm Credit is based in Lubbock, but they have plenty of area offices. AgTexas had its annual AgYouth Scholarship Banquet for the Central Texas area April 27 at Granbury’s River View Ranch Resort, highlighting 14 graduating high school seniors who each received a $1,000 scholarship.
AgTexas is a rural lending cooperative, providing financing for
real estate and operating capital, as well as insurance, leasing, and cash management services for the agriculture industry since 1934.
Do you have something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis, business editor for the Fort Worth Report, at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
Scott Nishimura, senior editor for local government accountability and a Fort Worth City Hall reporter, contributed reporting.
At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
…to downtown Fort Worth this week. Here’s what to know
by David Moreno, Fort Worth Report April 12, 2026. This story was originally published by the Fort Worth Report. You may read the original version here.
Downtown Fort Worth will soon be filled with hundreds of visual artists, booths and musicians when two distinct art festivals founded by members of the Bass family return next week.
The long-running Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival returns April 16-19 at the same time as the Fort Worth Art Fair at Sundance Square Plaza. Both events are free and open to the public.
Established in 1986 with support from Robert Bass, the Main Street festival spans over 18 blocks on its namesake street between the Fort Worth Convention Center and the Tarrant County Courthouse. The event paused for two years during the pandemic.
The Art Fair was developed by Sundance Square owners Ed and Sasha Bass in 2022 following a dispute over the number of local artists included in the Main Street festival. The Sundance event specifically highlights Fort Worth and Texas talent and the downtown district’s artists-in-residence.
The 39th iteration of the Main Street festival features more than 200 exhibiting artists selected by a jury from a nationwide pool of nearly 1,000 applicants.
Fort Worth creatives taking part on Main Street include Travis Clayton at booth 347, Alexander Isokrari at booth 354 and Diane Allison at booth 572. Click here for the complete list of participating artists.
The Main Street event will also be amplified by a diverse lineup of musical acts across three stages. Headliners include Austin-based rock artist Ian Moore, Americana group Ghosts of Hill County and Tejano band Quimikoz del Son.
Vendors will not be accepting cash. Event organizers encourage guests to leave pets at home. Attendees can bring folding chairs to events, but they must be placed out of walkway areas.
What times will the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival run?
10 a.m.-10 p.m. April 16
10 a.m.-11 p.m. April 17, 18
10 a.m.-8 p.m. April 19
Nearby, the Fort Worth Art Fair will spotlight more than 100 artists from across the state and 24 local bands, orchestras, and DJs. Featured North Texas artists include Sari Shryack, Amy Jenkins, and Cedric Ingram. Click here for the complete list of participating artists.
“That local focus matters because it supports working artists, strengthens the local creative economy, and connects them directly with collectors and the community, building relationships and keeping that energy rooted in Fort Worth,” a spokesperson with Sundance Square Art said in a statement.
Headlining music groups include Fusion Latina, Summer Dean and Matt Kirk & The Gueyfarers. Click here for the complete performance schedule.
The Art Fair runs from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Musicians will perform on the plaza stage from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday, and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Coolers, folding chairs, wagons and picnic blankets are not permitted within Sundance Square. Limited seating and tables are available throughout the plaza.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Fort Worth plans ‘transformative’ upgrades at 3 municipal airports amid private travel boom
This story was originally published by the Fort Worth Report. You may read the original version here.
by Eric E. Garcia, Fort Worth Report April 8, 2026
Fort Worth is planning major airport upgrades as the city’s hubs for private travel and corporate flights ascend.
New construction and improvements are planned at three bustling municipal facilities — Meacham International Airport, Fort Worth Spinks Airport, and Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport — to accommodate growth, officials said.
“It’s really going to be transformative, I think, in a couple of years,” Roger Venables, the city’s aviation director, said.
Last month, the Fort Worth City Council approved resolutions as the city applied for about$3.2 million in federal and state funding to aid in construction costs.
Officials plan to rebuild runways and other infrastructure at Meacham, Texas’ second-busiest general aviation airport. The runway upgrades are part of the city’s $170 million airport master plan, which also calls for upgrades to the control tower and the merging of the airport fire station and a nearby local fire station.
Venables said the improvements will aid in economic development as travel to North Texas is booming.
The city plans to use a total of about $1.3 million in federal funds for improvements to Meacham and Spinks airports. Meacham’s runaway will be rehabilitated and Taxiway Tango will be reconstructed. The funds will also pay for instrument landing system improvements and drainage upgrades.
About $675,000 in federal funds administered by the Texas Department of Transportation will be used with about $75,000 in matching funds from the city, according to a staff report.
“The majority of our projects here involved federal funding,” Venables said.
Meacham is wrapping up projects worth $18 million that include another taxiway rehabilitation and the building of a parallel taxiway. Meacham is planning to build a new maintenance building and replacement of an airport fuel facility, Venables said.
As a 100-year-old airport, Meacham always has something in need of upgrades, Venables said.
In 2027, Meacham’s primary runway will be shut down for improvements with an alternative in place to handle daily flight traffic. Navigational lanes will be added and upgrades will be made to the landing system.
“We’ve never had a parallel taxiway,” Venables said. “We finally got funding for that.”
The parallel taxiway will be on the airport’s west side and will aid in future development opportunities in that area, he said.
When the primary runway is closed, a taxiway will be converted into an alternative runway with a new landing surface. “We’ve done that before with other projects,” Venables said.
That project is expected to take about 180 days. Once complete, the airport would shift back to its upgraded runway.
The council also approved a new 43,560-square-foot hangar and lease agreement for Jets Asia Pacific Services LLC at Meacham. Venables said that the hangar will be built by the company.
Meacham’s private travel has taken off in the past five to 10 years, Venables said.
An airplane undergoing maintenance sits outside a hangar May 6, 2025, at Meacham International Airport. (Scott Nishimura | Fort Worth Report)
“Small, medium and larger business jets just require bigger hangars,” he said. “The market is building to demand, let’s put it that way.”
He added: “We look at ourselves as a business jet center.”
At Fort Worth Spinks Airport, the city’s southern flight center, similar upgrades or runways and taxiways are planned. Those projects will also use about $675,000 in federal funds with a $75,000 contribution from the city, a staff report said.
Venables said Spinks, located at 450 Alsbury Court, has a lot of developable land that will aid in economic growth as more private jets use the facility for recreational travel. The city also purchased 36 acres on the east side of Spinks to boost development.
“What we’re doing is consistent with what’s in our future master plan,” he said.
In the future, officials plan to extend Spinks’ runway by about 500 feet, Venables said.
At Perot Field, in the Alliance area of north Fort Worth, more than $1.5 million in federal funds will be used to reseal and improve airport pavement, preserve the airfield shoulder and for the relocation of Taxiway Papa’s fence and road while it is extended. A pavement management report will also be conducted.
The council authorized the use of land credit for the city’s match of up to $172,590 for the project.
Also approved was a facility lease agreement with Wallport Transit Xpress for about 43,560 square feet of parking space at Alliance airport’s maintenance facility at 2016 Eagle Parkway.
The improvements at the three airports will help boost economic development opportunities throughout Fort Worth.
“We’ve got quite a bit of hangar demand,” he said. “We’ve had quite a bit of growth in the business jet and corporate flight sector so that will keep us busy.”
At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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