A new Caravan of Dreams? Sundance Square files permits for a downtown music venue
New life could be coming to the mostly empty 300 block of Houston Street in downtown Fort Worth.
Sundance Square plans to put a bar and music venue bar called “The Spotlight” at 310 Houston St, according to permits filed with the city of Fort Worth.
The space should be open sometime this spring, said Sundance Square spokesperson Bryan Eppstein, speaking at a Feb. 20 event honoring Fort Worth Oscar-nominee Abraham Alexander.
The space was formerly occupied by Reata, however, disagreements over a lease extension led the restaurant to relocate in July 2024.
Before Reata, 310 Houston St. was home to the “Caravan of Dreams” night club, which served as the heart of the downtown Fort Worth music scene from 1983 to 2001.
Musicians at the time expressed sadness and shock at the Caravan’s closing. Billy Bob’s Texas co-owner Billy Minick said it would create an entertainment void downtown.
However, Sundance Square co-owner Ed Bass told the Star-Telegram in September 2001 that the old nightclub was unable to evolve with changes in the live music business.
Details about the new music venue are scarce. Eppstein reiterated in an email to the Star-Telegram that “the Sportlight” would be a new music venue in the old Caravan of Dreams building and would open later in 2025. He did not offer any further details.
The venue will be open late and serve mixed beverages, according to Sundance’s permit application.
It’s also not clear what, if any, relationship the new venue will have to the already existing “Spotlight” venue at 401 Houston St. Sundance Square Management filed a nearly identical permit application for that location in September 2023.
Sundance also advertised the venue on social media as a downtown Jazz club in January 2023, however, it doesn’t appear to have been open to the public since then.
This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 1:59 PM.
.jpg)