Stephen Montoya

Fort Worth

Digital Editor at Fort Worth Magazine

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Articles

Fort Worth's 2025 Endangered Places: Schools & Historic Sites

1 week ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

Every May, during National Preservation Month, Historic Fort Worth, Inc. releases a list that’s equal parts love letter and distress call. The nonprofit’s “Most Endangered Places” program — more than a decade strong — isn’t just about aging buildings. It’s about memory, place, and the stories that make Fort Worth Fort Worth.
Cash Byers Sings His Way Into the 'American Idol' Spotlight

1 week ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

Cash Byers just couldn’t crack the “American Idol” code. For over a decade, the Fort Worth-based musician made auditioning for the singing competition an annual tradition. He’d line up in city after city — Houston, Austin, Dallas — and brave the endless cattle-call auditions that break most hopefuls long before they get to sing for the celebrity judges. Ten tries. No dice.
Kid-Friendly Comics: North Texas Duo Creates 'The Guardians'

1 week ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

It started with a dad, a comic bookstore, and two disappointed kids. Christopher Arnold wasn’t looking to start a movement that day — he just wanted to find something decent for his children to read. “My oldest has ADHD,” he said. “I took him to the comic shop hoping we’d leave with something that could get him excited about reading.” Instead, they walked out empty-handed—almost every comic on the shelves was too mature, packed with violence, adult language, or off-putting humor, Arnold said.
Stephen Montoya

1 week ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Stephen earned his bachelor’s in Communications at the University of New Mexico while also studying journalism. Stephen’s first venture into journalism came in the form of being the Culture Editor for UNM’s newspaper, The New Mexico Daily Lobo. From there, Stephen went on to work at NBC affiliate KOB in Albuquerque as a web producer, and at the Albuquerque Journal, as a staff reporter.
The Center for Transforming Lives Expands Footprint at New Fort Worth Campus

1 week ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

The Center for Transforming Lives has opened a new 60,000-square-foot campus in southeast Fort Worth to expand its services for women and children experiencing poverty and homelessness on May 2nd. Located at 3020 S. Riverside Drive, at the intersection of East Berry Street and South Riverside Drive, the trauma-informed facility sits on 14 acres in an urban park and is accessible by public transit.
Dr. Frederick Gooding Jr. on Race, History & Hip Hop

1 week ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

Dr. Frederick Gooding, Jr., known to his students as Dr. G, has the kind of classroom presence that sticks with you long after the semester ends. His lectures feel less like lectures and more like jam sessions — equal parts history, pop culture, and raw honesty. A trained historian with a Ph.D. from Georgetown University, Gooding is best known for his book “You Mean, There’s RACE in My Movie?” a sharp, insightful guide to decoding racial patterns in Hollywood.
7 Cinco de Mayo Events in Fort Worth This Weekend

2 weeks ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

Cinco de Mayo has never really been about the date — it’s about the feeling. The sun’s out, the tacos are hot, and your drink (probably a margarita) has just the right amount of salt on the rim. Sure, it marks the Mexican army’s underdog victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. But in Fort Worth, it’s also a chance to celebrate Mexican culture, crank the music, and connect with your people — on patios, in the streets, and across town. This year, Cinco de Mayo falls on a Monday.
Whiskey Riot to Unleash Its First Fort Worth Festival

2 weeks ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

It started with 700 people, a snowy night, and a hope-soaked bottle of bourbon. No big sponsors. No splashy marketing. Just Bobby Finan, a distiller from Buffalo, New York, with a dream — and a borrowed event space. Eight years later, that dream has become Whiskey Riot, one of the country's premier tasting festivals for the whiskey curious and connoisseurs alike. And now, for the first time ever, it’s riding into Fort Worth like a barrel-aged outlaw with something to prove.
Roy Cooper, 'The Super Looper,' Rodeo Legend, Dies at 69

2 weeks ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

The rodeo world lost a legend on Tuesday, April 29, when Roy Cooper, the eight-time world champion and icon of calf roping, passed away at the age of 69 in a house fire at his Decatur, Texas, property. Known to all as "The Super Looper," Cooper was a trailblazer in the sport of rodeo, with a career that spanned more than two decades, breaking records and inspiring generations of cowboys and fans alike. Roy Cooper’s name was synonymous with calf roping excellence.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Trains at TCU Ahead of Texas Motor Speedway Return

2 weeks ago | fwtx.com | Stephen Montoya

On a sunny Tuesday morning in Fort Worth, NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. walked into Amon G. Carter Stadium expecting a light workout. “They told me we were coming here to work out with TCU,” he said, laughing. “I still don’t really know what that means. So... we’ll find out together.” He found out fast. Kaz Kazadi — TCU’s assistant athletics director for football human performance — doesn’t ease people in.