Azle's Main Street will fill with parade floats, classic cars, and dachshunds in costume next Saturday as the 18th annual Sting Fling festival takes over the small Texas town from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free community event, organized by the Azle Area Chamber of Commerce, is widely regarded as Azle's largest annual gathering, drawing families, businesses, and community members from across northwest Tarrant County.
According to The Azle News, this year's festival carries the theme “Bubble Bash,” with live interactive bubble shows planned along Main Street courtesy of a performer known as Mr. Bubbles. The day kicks off with the Sting Fling Parade at 9 a.m., followed an hour later by the festival's signature Wiener Dog Derby, held at the entrance to the Azle Memorial Library. The dachshund races are paired with owner-and-pet costume contests, a tradition that has made the derby one of the festival's most popular draws.
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, who represents Precinct 4, promoted the festival in a Facebook post from Commissioner Manny Ramirez, calling himself “proud to be an official” Sting Fling sponsor. His post highlighted the event's lineup of a parade, car show, food, vendors, and a dedicated children's area. Precinct 4 spans 265.7 square miles across northwest Tarrant County, including Azle, and serves nearly 600,000 residents, according to Tarrant County.
Free Admission, But Kids' Zone Costs a Wristband
General admission to Sting Fling is free, but the festival's children's area near Central Park requires a $5 wristband per child, per the same Azle News report. That area, added in 2017, includes bounce houses, rock climbing, a train, and a petting zoo. Beyond the kids' zone, the Sting Fling Parade route runs down Green Way and Church Street before reaching Main Street, and entry is free for local businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations, according to the Azle Area Chamber of Commerce. Trophies are awarded in categories including Best Theme, Best Thing on Wheels, Best Overall, and Most Sting Fling Spirit.
The chamber hosting the festival represents a network of roughly 300 member businesses, funded through dues, sponsorships, and event fundraisers, the chamber says. Sting Fling has become the organization's marquee showcase for the local business community each year.
A Fast-Growing Town Behind the Festival
Sting Fling's role as a unifying civic ritual comes as Azle itself is changing quickly. U.S. Census Bureau estimates show the town's population reached approximately 14,126 residents in 2024, up from 13,369 recorded in the 2020 Census. Home values have climbed even faster: according to US Civic Data Census, Azle's median home value rose 74.6%, from $151,100 in 2019 to $263,800 in 2023, while median household income reached $81,200.
Azle sits roughly 16 miles northwest of downtown Fort Worth and is split across two counties, with its municipal territory divided between Tarrant County to the east and Parker County to the west, according to Azle Economic Development. That dual-county geography means local governance and public services coordinate across both jurisdictions, even as the town's population and property values continue their steady climb amid regional suburban growth.
