Despite cold weather, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is ready for crowds

baklava
Photo credit Alan Scaia

A Cold Weather Advisory continues through Wednesday morning across North Texas. The National Weather Service says low temperatures could reach into the low 20s Tuesday night.

At the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, people showing animals say their jobs will not change.

"We just put on more clothes," says one girl showing cows. "The heifers don't really get anything different because they're fine."

"It's normal to them because they're always outside," another says. "They're used to how cold it is. Then in the summer, it's warm, so they just adapt to the weather."

Some say Tuesday might be cold, but as long as the weather stays dry, they can still have a successful show. The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo set an attendance record in 2023 with almost 1.3 million visitors; attendance dropped to 1.1 million last year because of snow and ice during the show.

"Last year was way worse," one man in the cattle barn says. "There were a couple ten degree days, 12 degree days. It was cold."

Vendors set up across the Stock Show say sunshine can help their sales. This year, a local restaurant was setting up for the first time between the sheep and swine barns.

Beren Mediterranean is serving Turkish dishes including scones and baklava.

"This is our first year at the rodeo," says Owner Charlie Unlu. "We have Turkish cuisine, but Turkish cuisine is so broad. We have so many kabobs, food and plates, but at the same time, we have beautiful pastries."

Baklava is popular throughout eastern Europe, but Unlu says he has maintained Turkish authenticity by not using rose water, cardamom or honey which are popular in other places. Unlu says he also buys local walnuts, pistachios and other foods to maintain freshness.

"We get all the nuts from my beloved Texas, we blend them at home," he says. "Basically, it's Texas-style Turkish baklava. It is so tasty and light."

Unlu says Texas walnuts are softer and better absorb flavor.

"We make a walnut baklava that tastes almost like Turkey," he says. "If you go to Istanbul, you'll find exactly the same taste. We are very proud of using Texas products."

Unlu has worked at restaurants in North Texas 14 years. He says the stand at the Stock Show can also introduce people who live in the Metroplex to his work as he and his wife prepare to open Beren Mediterranean near 8th Avenue and Mistletoe Boulevard on Fort Worth's Near Southside.

"We are Turkish, but I love Texas just like my country," he says. "People appreciate my cowboy boots, cowboy hat. I'm just like being a real Texan."

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Alan Scaia