If you're itching to close out the year with a yeehaw vibe, Fort Worth's downtown is the place to be this New Year's Eve. Get your photo-op ready for the "disco cowboy hat," a mirrored, monumental piece of selfie heaven in the heart of Sundance Square. This glitzy topper has been catching eyes and lenses since it debuted, ready for its close-up with Texans and tourists alike, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The oversized hat, a blend of Texan tradition and disco glamour, sits at a whopping sixteen feet long and roughly 6 feet high, making it impossible to miss against the backdrop of Fort Worth's bustling plaza. This attraction isn't just big, it's "Big Tex" big, and it glimmers with the best of them. "It looks like some big guy lost it in a wind storm," Sundance Square chief security officer Ed Kraus jested, per The Dallas Morning News.
The New Year's Eve bash at Sundance Square is a returning tradition after being placed on pause during the grit of the pandemic. Revelers can expect a burst of local culture with street performances, live bands such as Quimikoz and Ice House, and a DJ to spin the decks into 2024. Countdown the final moments beneath the Westbrook Building's fireworks display, last seen in 2020, but now back with a sparkle.
Parking options will range from the gratuitous to the pay-to-park, with Sundance Square Garage #3 on W 3rd Street offering free spots for the night owls until 3 a.m. The crowd expected to don their boots and rally in the square has organizers urging an early arrival, echoing the high turnout of over 15,000 attendees from last year's New Year's Eve fete.
Fort Worth's mirrored marvel, rivaling Chicago's Cloud Gate for its selfie magnetism, was crafted by the Alvin-based fabrication studio, Smash Design. Referring to it fondly as Fort Worth's own "bean," Kraus acknowledged it's the city’s shiny new Instagram bait. The colossal hat will keep shining bright in Sundance Square until February 4, wrapping up after the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo concludes. So grab your phones and cowboy up for what's sure to be a dazzling send-off to 2023.
