Fort Worth shoppers have a new reason to kick off the holiday season this year: Christmas in Cowtown is marking its 20th anniversary, filling Will Rogers Memorial Center with 235 merchants selling everything from clothing and décor to kitchen finds and original art. The market runs through Sunday, with early access shopping available Friday and Saturday mornings for those eager to beat the crowds.
The annual holiday gift market has become a Fort Worth tradition over the past two decades, according to tcu360.com, which reports that the event “has brought holiday shoppers to Fort Worth while helping the Junior League of Fort Worth give back to the community” for 20 years running. As NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth notes, the Junior League of Fort Worth started the market two decades ago to fulfill its mission of leadership and service. The League's about page describes it as the organization's largest fundraiser.
Paige Pate, speaking to NBC 5, said the Junior League needed a new fundraiser to generate money for community projects — a need that ultimately gave rise to the market two decades ago. Fellow Junior League member Alli D'Acosta told the station that the market's proceeds go toward community partners and programs, a line that has held true as the event has grown into a fixture of the city's holiday calendar.
Two Decades, Over $10 Million Raised
The numbers behind Christmas in Cowtown tell the story of its staying power. Over the past 19 years, the market has generated more than $10 million to support the Junior League's mission, according to the organization's own event website. That mission, per the same site, is to advance women's leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training.
Last year's 19th annual market welcomed 21,750 shoppers, per fwtx.com, which described the five-day, Wednesday-through-Sunday market as featuring unique gifts, seasonal décor, specialty foods and boutique finds. This year, the market enters its third decade with a lineup of 235 merchants.
Where the Money Goes This Year
This year's proceeds will benefit local organizations, including ACH Child & Family Services, Cristo Rey Fort Worth College Prep and the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History. The Junior League has donated more than $10 million back to its community over the market's history, NBC 5 reports, with the organization supporting women and children through its broader slate of programs.
That giving extends well beyond the market itself. In 2026-2027, the Junior League of Fort Worth plans to invest more than $770,000, 1 million diapers and 50,000 volunteer hours into the community, according to the event's about page. Of that, $424,000 is earmarked for Junior League programs including its Diaper Bank, Little Leaguers, Paint a Playground, Junior MINTS and Mobile Diaper Distribution initiatives, while another $350,000 and more than 75 volunteers will go toward community partners.
A Volunteer-Driven Organization
The scale of that commitment reflects an organization built almost entirely on volunteer labor. The Junior League of Fort Worth has nearly 2,000 members and contributes more than 50,000 volunteer hours annually to more than 50 community agencies, according to dfw501c.com. That same organization's founding has been described two ways: tcu360.com reports the group was founded in 1929, while dfw501c.com states it was established in 1929 and chartered in 1930.
For Fort Worth families, the market offers a practical draw too — a one-stop shop to find gifts and gift ideas as the holiday season gets underway, per NBC 5's report. With early access hours Friday and Saturday mornings and the full market running through Sunday, the 20th-anniversary market is scheduled at Will Rogers Memorial Center.
