"This is a neighborhood that took us 30 years to turn into a vibrant, culturally rich destination street for the city," Near Southside Inc. president Megan Henderson told the Fort Worth Report this month. "We are dogmatic that we are going to support these businesses through construction, and we're really calling upon the community to start that support."
She was talking about the roughly two years of construction ahead on West Magnolia Avenue. Fort Worth plans to replace the old cast-iron water mains under Magnolia and several nearby streets, along with sewer mains in nearby alleys, with construction expected from spring 2027 through spring 2029. The street's biggest event days are being paused. Its restaurants and shops are planning to stay open, so for a while they will rely on ordinary weeknight and weekend visits rather than festival crowds. The months between now and spring are the last stretch when Magnolia runs the way it has.
ArtsGoggle Has Already Had Its Last Run for a While
Saturday's ArtsGoggle was the 23-year-old festival's final edition before a 2027 pause. The Fort Worth Report reported that organizers planned more than 800 artists across 21 blocks of Magnolia, 64 free music performances and more than 50 local food vendors. The night before, ArtsBoggle closed Magnolia for its pre-party, with markets, live music and special menus along the same stretch.
Organizers chose not to move the festival to another Near Southside street. Near Southside Inc. plans to put festival funds toward businesses affected by the street closures, and it is working on smaller events for the meantime. Henderson told the Report that a decision on whether ArtsGoggle returns in 2028 has not been made.
Open Streets is also off the calendar. The district's open-street event was paused until 2027 after financial challenges led to the cancellation of its April 2026 edition, and it will stay on hold through spring 2027 as well. Both of Magnolia's large annual street days now sit behind the same construction schedule.
What the City Is Replacing, and Why Magnolia Is First
The City of Fort Worth's project page lists cast-iron replacement under West Magnolia, 5th Avenue, South Henderson, Washington, Hemphill, Galveston and East Morphy. Its detailed list of water-main segments also includes East Magnolia and Bryan Avenue, and sewer mains will be replaced in several alleys. The city's pre-construction presentation adds a fifth alley north of West Morphy. Expect the exact segments to be refined once a contractor is hired.
The work is part of a citywide effort by the Fort Worth Water Department to cut down on main breaks. Henderson told the Report that Magnolia Village was singled out as a critical location because pipe conditions in the historic neighborhood are "so poor." According to the Report, the bidding process begins in November.
The Working Schedule
The contractor usually sets its own phasing. The city says it will give bidders a recommended phasing plan meant to limit disruption and leave room for events on Magnolia Avenue. That plan assumes construction starts in May 2027 and groups the work in this order:
- Group A, May 2027. This is where the West Magnolia portion begins, according to the Report's reading of the plan.
- Group B, July 2027. Finishing Groups A and B is the condition the presentation ties to a possible ArtsGoggle in October 2028.
- Group C, September or October 2027. The presentation also links finishing this group to an October 2028 ArtsGoggle window.
- Group D, December 2027. The East Magnolia phase. Finishing it would allow an Open Streets event in April 2028.
These are planning assumptions. The project overview says its dates depend on normal easement and permit acquisition, and the Report noted the timeline could change depending on the contractor. For now, the only near-term milestone is bidding, which begins in November. Spring 2027 is the earliest point when the street itself would change.
The District's Calendar Moves to South Main Village
Not every Near Southside event depends on Magnolia being closed to cars. The Report confirmed that Third Thursday and the Lost 'n Sound music event will continue in South Main Village as planned. Those events take place blocks east of the construction route, so they are the ones most likely to keep running once work starts.
Upcoming dates on the Near Southside calendar:
- Margaret's Market, Nov. 2 to 6, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Clothing, gifts and holiday goods.
- Third Thursday, Nov. 19, 6 to 9 p.m. A free art crawl in South Main Village.
- Lost 'n Sound, Nov. 21, 1 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. Free live music in South Main Village.
Near Southside Inc.'s plans for smaller events during construction are still in development. Until those plans are announced, the district's regular gatherings are the art crawl and the music event in South Main Village, outside the construction route.
The Storefronts Planning to Stay
Some Magnolia businesses have already worked through partial street disruptions. The Fort Worth Report reported that Moncrief Cancer Institute's expansion has brought separate road work near May Street. The city says that work is unrelated to the pipe project. Gina Palma, general manager of Cafecito, told the Report that front parking was restricted during that work and customers had to adjust, but the restaurant was fortunate not to see an impact on business.
Chris Curtis, co-owner of Neighborhood Wine at 1257 W. Magnolia, told the Report that the shop saw a slight dip over two months when infrastructure work was done near Lake Street. He said the shop is now doing three times the business it did before he bought it in 2024, and he plans to send construction updates through its newsletter.
Melt Ice Creams has said plainly that it is staying. "We won't be moving," marketing director SaraGrace Lee told the Report. "We will be remaining open. A lot of other businesses on Magnolia will as well." She said Melt hopes to make up for lost sales with walking traffic, activations and community connections.
Enchiladas Olé at 1208 W. Magnolia opened in December 2025 and is adjusting its model ahead of construction. Owner Mary Perez told the Report she is planning a to-go counter. She also plans to have her staff handle deliveries directly and to reach out to the area's five nearby hospitals for orders. The menu centers on enchiladas filled with ground beef, brisket, chicken or vegetables, with about seven sauces including mole.
The Newer Names on the Street
Several Magnolia storefronts will go through construction in their first or second year. That makes this winter the best time to try them while parking and sidewalks are unaffected.
- Salt & Straw, 1305 W. Magnolia Ave. The ice cream shop's Fort Worth location opened May 22, 2026.
- Sweet Stacks, 1515 W. Magnolia Ave. Opened in February 2026, according to a 6AM City roundup.
- Vicela: Crafted Excellence, 1411 W. Magnolia Ave. Also opened in February 2026, per the same roundup.
- Smoke & Bone BBQ, 218 Bryan Ave. Opened a permanent Near Southside location in March 2026, just off Magnolia on one of the streets in the city's water-main list.
At the east end, 1101 W. Magnolia Ave. is changing hands. The Magnolia wine bar announced it would close May 16, 2026, and Commodore Tavern & Terrace has since been listed for the address with an estimated fall 2026 opening. If it opens on that timeline, it will have only a few months on an open street before the work begins.
Staying Informed Once Work Starts
Near Southside Inc. says it is building communication tools to keep the public and business owners up to date on the project. It plans to post parking and road updates once Magnolia construction begins. The city's project page is the official source for street segments and will be the place to check when the bid is awarded and phasing is set. Between those two, and individual shops' newsletters like Neighborhood Wine's, people who live nearby can track which block is affected in a given month.
Infrastructure schedules like this one affect property along Magnolia and in Fairmount as much as they affect a night out, and following them is part of the municipal work our team does every day. If you own a home, a storefront or an investment property near the project and want a clear read on how the phasing could touch your block, Social Living Real Estate is glad to talk it through. Schedule a consultation.
