People & Places // Best Of 2026

Place to Adopt Pets

Readers’ Choice & Critic’s Choice: Humane Society of North Texas (two area locations)

Now celebrating its 121st birthday, Humane Society of North Texas is one of the oldest animal rescue organizations in Fort Worth. They currently have hundreds of animals available for adoption, including cats, dogs, horses, and various small animals. HSNT has partnered with numerous PetSmart and Petco store locations across North Texas and regularly host adoption events there. HSNT also offers veterinary services, including low-cost spay and neuter services, microchipping, and pet vaccinations. This is a fantastic place to meet your next furever friend.

 

Animal Rescue Group

Readers’ Choice & Critic’s Choice: Saving Hope Animal Rescue (14184 Aledo Iona Rd, Aledo, 214-914-7368)

Saving Hope is an amazing and dedicated animal rescue group. Since 2017, they have rescued more than 15,000 animals, not only in North Texas but across the country as well. Lauren Anton and her dedicated staff do a fantastic job at rehabilitating and finding these animals loving homes. Their facility is so charming and spacious, it’s so wonderful seeing all the dogs there. The puppy pods are the cutest!

Apartment Community

Readers’ Choice: Bell Lancaster Apartments (2901 Bledsoe St, Fort Worth, 866-563-2744)

 

College Athlete

Critic’s Choice: Olivia Miles, TCU Women’s Basketball

The second overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft to the Minnesota Lynx, Miles was already projected at that spot before transferring to TCU to play one season at point guard as a graduate student with two college degrees. Miles’ career stats are some of the most storied in the sport. She smashed the Big 12 conference last year, earning player of the year, first-team all conference, and newcomer-of-the-year awards. She also earned the conference women’s athlete of the year (the first Frog to receive the honor), as well as the Bob Bowlsby Award, which is given to a single athlete and voted on by conference athletic directors. She’s the first female athlete to receive both the athlete of the year and the Bowlsby award. Miles averaged almost 20 points per game last season and set TCU records for points and assists in a single season. Miles also owns Frog records for assist average and assists in a game. The most absurd conference record for this alum is the triple-double record for the conference: Miles recorded six of them last season, which was good enough for the Big 12 record for both a single season and an entire career.

 

Professional Athlete

Readers’ Choice: Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings

Critic’s Choice: Petar Musa, FC Dallas

The area and the world focused on soccer in 2026, so it seems appropriate that we had a North Texas performer show himself worthy of this award. The fact that Petar Musa scored a goal for Croatia in a World Cup game in Arlington might be enough to earn him this award by itself (because it was the World-Frickin’-Cup in Tarrant County!), but he’s proven himself worthy with his play at the club level, too. After scoring 34 goals combined during his first two seasons with FC Dallas, he’s positioned himself near the top of the goal-scoring leaderboard in Major League Soccer all season in 2026, running closely with Lionel Messi (yes, that Lionel Messi). The Moose made the MLS All-Star team and has played a huge role in putting his squad into contention for a playoff berth. Note: It won’t be long before the college and pro athlete categories are the same, but for now, we’ll restrict ourselves in this space to athletes from local teams who specifically define themselves as professionals.

Basketball General Manager

Critic’s Choice: Curt Miller, Dallas Wings

Miller made tough and astute decisions to turn last year’s 10-win squad into a 2026 playoff team, seeing something in Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale that others did not — and Azzi Fudd can play, too, when healthy. This category may continue to grow as colleges add GMs for their hoops programs. For now, though, TCU’s Allen Huddleston and the Mavericks’ Masai Ujiri have not been at the job long enough for proper evaluation. We will always remember Ujiri’s predecessor for that trade he made to swipe Daniel Gafford from the Wizards.

 

Camp for Kids

Readers’ Choice: YMCA Camp Carter (6200 Sand Springs Rd, Fort Worth, 817-738-9241)

Critic’s Choice: Summer Zoo Camp at Fort Worth Zoo (1989 Colonial Pkwy, Fort Worth, 817-759-7555)

If your kids are animal lovers, like most of us were back in the day, then what’s not to love about zoo camp? The camp is led by a large team of certified schoolteachers and special-education professionals who provide structured, inclusive programming, including daily zoo hikes and visits with the zoo’s classroom animal ambassadors, like porcupines and such. The little ones get to splash around in a water play area and feed giraffes. Older kids get behind-the-scenes access on veterinary science, nutrition, or specific animal groups. Plus, there’s all the traditional camp fun for everyone. Sign us up!

 

City Councilmember

Readers’ Choice: Elisabeth Beck (District 9)

Critic’s Choice: Chris Nettles (District 8)

Chris Nettles doesn’t only fight in the culture wars for the right side of history. He fights for his community and the rest of town. Since he was first elected in 2021, he has helped obtain more than 2,500 new jobs for his home district, supported raising city employee minimum wage to $18/hour, and, perhaps most impressive of all, backed and approved the Evans and Rosedale mixed-use development, resulting in a lovely little area on the other end of the Southside, where more investment is still needed.

 

Community Group

Readers’ Choice Wildcard: Queer Professionals Network

This group has been successfully serving Fort Worth and meeting monthly for over three years and is an integral part of the growth of the local queer-owned business community. This year-round networking and professional development program is now hosted by the larger North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce organization, connecting LGBTQ+ business owners, allies, and career-driven individuals throughout our part of the state. QPN Fort Worth meets on the last Thursday of every month from 6pm to 8pm on the Near Southside at The Usual (1308 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth). For event updates, visit Business.LGBTQChamber.com/calendar.

 

Dentist

Readers’ Choice: Dr. Greg Luk at Fort Dental (4000 Bryant Irvin Rd, Fort Worth, 817-292-5957)

 

Doctor

Readers’ Choice: Dr. Mary Bond at Baylor, Scott & White (410 Shops Blvd, Ste 300, Willow Park, 817-912-9200)

 

Dog Groomer

Readers’ Choice: Bernadette’s Pet Spa (8145 White Settlement Rd, White Settlement, 817-883-7742)

Critic’s Choice: Purrfect Paws Mobile Pet Spaw (PurrfectPawsSpaw.com)

Highly recommended. The groomers are so kind and gentle, they can make even the most insane chihuahua melt in their hands. The team members also don’t dilly dally. No matter what your littlest loved one is having done — services range from hair, nails, and teeth to hydro massages (!) — Purrfect Paws will have them looking and feeling their best, because they deserve it.

 

Facebook Group

Readers’ Choice: Tanglewood Moms Group (@TanglewoodMoms)

Critic’s Choice: Fort Worth Weird Moms Club (@FortWorthWeirdMoms)

This Facebook group turned real-life nonprofit hosts an annual adult prom for “weirder, kinder souls,” and we think that’s kind of wonderful!

Hospital

Readers’ Choice: Cook Children’s Medical Center (801 7th Av, Fort Worth, 682-885-4000)

 

Lawyer

Readers’ Choice: Bryan “The Texas Lawhawk” Wilson (3131 W Bolt St, Ste 5, Fort Worth, 817-440-3953)

 

Local Celebrity

Readers’ Choice: Henry O. (Henry the Archer)

Critic’s Choice: Stephanie Benjamin (Heavy Petal)

We should call this the Leon Bridges Award, because next to maybe Gary Patterson, there’s no other Fort Worthian with as much national clout in their respective fields. However, back in the good ol’ days of our annual Best Of issue — 31 years ago — we often bestowed this distinction upon local rock stars known for raising hell at local bars and on local stages, so in honor of yesteryear, we’re going with a good ol’ fashioned, bona fide local rocker. Though perhaps best known for her powerful voice and stage presence in indie greats Heavy Petal and for her hip fashion sense, Stephanie Benjamin is also a stellar conversationalist and makes everyone feel like an old pal, which is probably why everyone in town knows her. In a world of only one Leon and only one Gary, this young woman’s got next.

 

Martial Arts Lessons

Readers’ Choice Wildcard: Fort Worth Judo Club (5302 Trail Lake Dr, Fort Worth, 817-207-9500)

 

Massage Therapist

Readers’ Choice Wildcard: Annie McCormick at Three Roses Massage (4701 W Fwy, Ste 500, Fort Worth, 682-227-4481)

 

Mechanic

Readers’ Choice Wildcard: Brittni’s Automotive Repair (5894 TX-114, Haslet, 817-350-7408)

 

Place to Meet Locals

Readers’ Choice: Southside Cellar (125 S Main St, Fort Worth, 682-703-2184)

Critic’s Choice: FW Thunderbird (306 S Houston St, Fort Worth, @FWThunderbird)

Found at the north end of Sundance Square, Thunderbird is a friendly neighborhood dive bar, where the bartender learns your name and where you’re from, then introduces you to the regulars. Its vibe — pool table, TV, and 30 years of accumulated Fort Worth-related decor on the walls — makes it a comfortable, casual downtown spot. If your hotel bar isn’t as lively as you’d hoped, fly on over to Thunderbird and make some acquaintances.

 

Nurse

Readers’ Choice: Tina Torres (Pediatric Nurse/Cosmetics Company Owner at Tina Torres Cosmetics)

 

Pep Rally

Critic’s Choice: Orange Walk at 2026 World Cup

When the Netherlands supporters marched through the Arlington Entertainment District, they sent a (loud) message. They let us know they were excited about their football squad. The Dutch fans made it clear they had come to party — you don’t transport your own orange bus across the Atlantic Ocean if you don’t mean it. They sang and chanted and generally carried on as they walked around current and former baseball stadia — it was everything you’d want to get fired up for a match. They also made a clear statement that nobody had to say out loud because the vibe was obvious: Everyone was welcome. Supporters of the day’s opponent, Japan, joined in the frivolity, as did people wearing the colors of numerous other clubs and countries. It reflected what a pep rally is supposed to do: bring people together on game day. This one did it as well as any we’ve seen.

Photographer

Readers’ Choice: Abby Pfaff Photography (@AbbyPfaffPhotography, 817-823-9663)

Critic’s Choice: Juan R. Govea (NTX_Subculture_Nerd)

The tall, bearded, bespectacled guy with a camera, congenially moving through crowds at a concert, documenting the moments between the band and the crowd, or out on the street, finding the feeling in an old building’s faded signage, longtime Weekly contributor Johnny Govea shoots primarily on film, with an eye for emotion, even when it is in the cracked facade of an empty storefront.

 

Piercing Artist

Readers’ Choice Wildcard: Katie Burm at Renaissance Tattoo Collective (2836 Bledsoe St, Ste 200, Fort Worth, 682-499-5734)

 

Radio Personality or Program

Readers’ Choice: Haltom Buffalo Broadcast (@BuffaloBroadcast)

Critic’s Choice: Think with Krys Boyd (KERA/90.1-FM)

Covering current events, culture, science, and so much more, KERA’s flagship program helmed by quite a thinker herself, host Krys Boyd, seems to fly by — it’s an hour long but is so interesting, time ceases to exist. Boyd interviews everyone from politicians to artists and does so with a nimble brand of rhetoric that makes even the tough questions easy for guests to answer. The show airs Mon-Fri at noon and 8pm.

 

Realtor

Readers’ Choice (tie): Jeremy Molinar of Molinar Group (4500 Mercantile Plaza, Ste 108, Fort Worth, 817-900-2313) and David E. Rodriguez of Bray Real Estate Group (3100 Capital Way, Ste 100, Fort Worth, @DavidtheTXRealtor)

 

Social Influencer

Readers’ Choice: Misc Honey the Entertainer (@Misc_Honey)

Critic’s Choice: Ontario Mireles (@FortWorthPeople)

The talented photographer behind the popular Instagram page Fort Worth People, and the cover of this special issue, spends his time capturing local folks on the street with his camera while asking them about their lives, finding common ground among us. The people, personalities, and unique perspectives he finds make up Fort Worth. Whether it’s an interesting outfit, a certain smile, or way of walking, Mireles brings all these moments — and Fort Worth — to us. And we are happy to see our city through his lens.

 

Tattoo Artist

Readers’ Choice (tie): Lady Karina at The Chosen One (519 E Abram St, Arlington, 817-277-5199) and Rember Orellana at Renaissance Tattoo Collective (2836 Bledsoe St, Ste 200, Fort Worth, 682-499-5734)

Critic’s Choice: Eddy Herrera at Renaissance Tattoo Collective (2836 Bledsoe St, Ste 200, Fort Worth, 682-499-5734)

Tarrant County has an amazing community of tattoo artists, so choosing someone to be the best if quite a task, but when you ask around, Eddy’s name comes up again and again. Herrera has been tattooing for more than 10 years. He has been featured by Texas Inked Magazine and has been a guest tattoo artist in Denver, Atlanta, and Riverside, California. His Instagram page (@eddygtattoo) showcases quality and diversity, the work of a man constantly evolving as an artist and who is committed to the craft. When asked about his style, he explains that he does a bit of everything, because doing all the styles is necessary to try to master a particular one. Urged to reveal what he loved the most, he says that he excels at “neotraditional, anything with a hard outline … portraits.” And he has one piece of advice for those looking to get a new tattoo: Moisturize. Moisturized skin helps the tattooing process and your body. As he explains, “It makes tattooing the skin easier, which means less skin trauma.” This sometimes leads to faster healing.

 

Teacher

Readers’ Choice: Pam Kahuda at Trinity Valley School (7500 Dutch Branch Rd, Fort Worth, 817-321-0100)

Critic’s Choice: Ernie Moran, I.M. Terrell Academy (FWISD)

One of the marks of a great teacher is the level of caring they show for their students — all of their students. During his 10 years at the Fort Worth school district, Moran has made a point to try to ensure that all the children he’s taught, including those from marginalized communities or challenging upbringings, see a path to success for themselves. The former journalist taught Spanish and coached JV soccer with a passion at Western Hills for six years before moving to I.M. Terrell Academy this school year.

 

Television Personality

Readers’ Choice: Chip Waggoner on Good Day (FOX 4)

Critic’s Choice: Rico Copeland (@RicoTV_817)

Through Instagram, Rico Copeland documents the history and current situations of Fort Worth’s gang culture, posting well-researched vignettes that include both the socioeconomic contexts for his stories and interviews with the survivors. His reporting leaves opinion at the door and sticks to the facts, but he makes the people affected by crime and poverty real rather than faceless numbers of police statistics.

Third Space

Readers’ Choice Wildcard: Fairmount Community Library (1310 W Allen Av, Fort Worth, 682-710-3223)

Renovated and reopened in 2023, this independent, volunteer-run community library offers books but also events and other programming and a space for people to safely exist.

 

Urban Farm

Readers’ Choice Wildcard: Mind Your Garden (3815 S Timberline Dr, Fort Worth, MindYourGardenFW.com)

 

Veterinarian

Readers’ Choice: Dr. Jimmy Davis at Arlington Heights Animal Hospital (1712 Montgomery St, Fort Worth, 817-735-8700)

 

Place to Work

Readers’ Choice: Renaissance Tattoo Collective (2836 Bledsoe St, Ste 200, Fort Worth, 682-499-5734)

Critic’s Choice: United Way of Tarrant County (201 N Rupert St, Ste 107, Fort Worth, 817-258-8000)

Did you know Fort Worth Inc. has a Workforce Research Group program that combines employer information with anonymous employee surveys to compile a list of the best employers Fort Worth has to offer? Nor did we. Of all the companies in their roster, one Fort Worth favorite is calling our name: local nonprofit United Way of Tarrant County. As a volunteer, you can help impact the community through any number of programs, but if you are on the hunt for an actual J-O-B, they employ approximately 60 people dedicated to their mission. For internship and employment, visit UnitedWayTarrant.org/careers.

Place to Work Out

Readers’ Choice: Anytime Fitness (1714 8th Av, Fort Worth, 817-207-0900)

Critic’s Choice: Westfork Fitness (4648 White Settlement Rd, Fort Worth, 817-782-9850)

The discipline and motivation to work out can be hard to find, but at a place like Westfork Fitness, the atmosphere and experience are added benefits to getting in shape. The modern setting packed with high-end equipment makes for a stylish workout that can be tailored to your fitness goals. With 20-plus cardio machines, multiple dumbbell options, and Olympic power racks, it’s easy to personalize your exercise routine. If that’s not your style, Westfork Fitness also offers one-on-one sessions with their in-house trainers. An added bonus: the many amenities that come with being a member. Saunas, high-end toiletries, and meal-prep options from local legend Paris Coffee Shop sound like excellent rewards after a tough workout.