Texas Trail of Fame Induction Ceremony & Gala Returns to the Stockyards on Oct. 23, 2025
Fort Worth’s most storied sidewalk will gain ten new stars this week as the Texas Trail of Fame stages its 2025 Induction Ceremony & Gala at Billy Bob’s Texas on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Doors open at 5:00 PM and the formal program begins at 6:30 PM, bringing together Western heritage leaders, rodeo greats, civic icons, and fans for a black-tie/fancy-western evening in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District.
This year’s honorees reflect the breadth of the Western story—spanning business, culture, public service, sports, frontier history, and even beloved animals. The 2025 class includes Elaine Agather; Mrs. Ninnie L. Baird; Dan Blocker; Lane Frost; Walt Garrison; U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland; Capt. John T. Lytle; Bobby Norris; Sancho; and Samuel H. Walker. Each name will be etched into a terrazzo-and-bronze star along the Stockyards’ pedestrian routes, where more than two decades of inductees are already commemorated.
A Night at “The World’s Largest Honky Tonk.”
Hosting duties fall to Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plaza)—a venue synonymous with country music legends and Western culture. The gala setting underscores the event’s dual character: celebratory and ceremonial. Guests are encouraged to lean into the evening’s dress guidance—black-tie or “fancy Western” attire—as organizers pair a polished dinner program with the Stockyards’ signature atmosphere.
From Stage to Sidewalk: Two Moments to Mark on the Calendar.
While Thursday night delivers the awards program indoors, the Texas Trail of Fame tradition continues on Saturday, October 25, when the Unveiling Ceremony moves outdoors to the front steps of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building at 10:00 AM—the moment when each star is revealed to the public and the trail quite literally grows longer. For locals and traveling fans alike, the Saturday unveiling offers an accessible, family-friendly way to witness history in the open air.
Why These Names Matter.
The class of 2025 brings together figures with outsized impact:
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Lane Frost, the 1987 PRCA World Champion bull rider, remains a touchstone of courage and friendship in rodeo lore; his induction is expected to draw a devoted following to the Stockyards.
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Walt Garrison, beloved Dallas Cowboys fullback and cowboy in spirit, symbolized the crossover between gridiron grit and arena dirt.
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Deb Haaland, as U.S. Secretary of the Interior, represents stewardship of public lands and cultural resources central to the Western narrative.
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Capt. John T. Lytle and Samuel H. Walker anchor the frontier and military chapters.
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Elaine Agather and Mrs. Ninnie L. Baird speak to Texas business leadership and community legacy; Dan Blocker (television’s “Hoss” Cartwright) highlights Western storytelling; Bobby Norris reflects contemporary Stockyards advocacy and horsemanship; Sancho represents the animals that shaped work and lore across the West.
What to Expect Thursday Night.
Organizers emphasize a streamlined timeline—doors at 5:00 PM, program at 6:30 PM—with remarks, presentations, and the ceremonial reading of citations for each inductee. While past years have offered seated dinners and a convivial program, 2025 continues the Awards & Induction Ceremony Banquet format that Texas Trail of Fame adopted in recent years to complement its long-standing public unveilings.
About the Texas Trail of Fame.
Founded to “honor those individuals, organizations, groups and animals who have made a significant contribution to our heritage… and the Western way of life,” the Trail has become a living outdoor museum—part walking tour, part civic memory—embedded in the Stockyards’ brick and boardwalk. Visitors can spend an afternoon tracing the names underfoot, then step into the museums, arenas, and music halls that keep those stories alive.
If You Go.
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When: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025—Doors 5:00 PM; Program 6:30 PM.
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Where: Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth.
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Attire: Black-tie or fancy Western suggested.
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Also: Unveiling Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 25, 10:00 AM, at the Livestock Exchange Building steps.
With a class that spans cowboys and cabinet secretaries, TV icons and trail-driving captains, the 2025 Texas Trail of Fame underscores why the Stockyards remain a crossroads of memory and momentum. On Thursday night, the applause will be indoors. By Saturday morning, the stars will be where they belong—under the open Texas sky.