A new Fort Worth festival in November has a mission to help 3 historic neighborhoods
A new festival will bring health screenings, vaccinations, workout sessions and a farmer’s market to the Fort Worth neighborhoods that have had the lowest life expectancy in the state.
The Phoenix Festival will be Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Evans Avenue Plaza, 1050 Evans Ave., next to the library.
The event, co-hosted by BRAVE/R Together and the United Way of Tarrant County, is open to all Tarrant County residents.
“Despite the systemic hardships the residents in ZIP code 76104 have faced with severely limited healthcare and job access, they are persevering to create a stronger, healthier community by working together,” said Shawn Lassiter, founder and CEO of BRAVE/R Together.
“With Phoenix Festival, we aim to further uplift these families, commemorate their progress and provide them with access to vital resources. The festival was inspired by a community on the rise, not through flames, but through hope and positivity, and will provide a beacon of hope by advancing healthcare justice and community joy.”
BRAVE/R Together is accepting donations of essentials such as socks, gloves, jackets, hand sanitizer, household products and baby products. The items will be distributed to families in the historic Southside, Morningside and Hillside neighborhoods.
To donate or sponsor the event, or for more information, go to bravertogether.org/phoenix.
The partnership between the United Way and BRAVE/R Together follows the publication of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram investigative series “Life & Death in 76104,” which chronicled life in the three neighborhoods south of downtown Fort Worth — Historic Southside, Morningside and Hillside.
The Star-Telegram series was sparked by a 2019 UT Southwestern study that found residents of the 76104 ZIP code have the lowest life expectancy rate in the state.
The irony of the story of 76104 is that the ZIP code includes the city’s Medical District with five hospitals and hundreds of medical offices. Yet residents described a lack of access to health care driven by a lack of transportation, insurance and awareness of programs available to help.
