Note: In the Pop Traveler, Pop Candy readers name their cities' best pop-culture hot spots/events. Wanna write about your town? Holler at popcandy@usatoday.com.

By Debra Tellier, Special Correspondent for Pop Candy

What better way to celebrate the National Day of the Cowboy on July 28 than in Fort Worth, where the PR tag is "Cowboys & Culture"?

If you want to brunch at one of the best restaurants in the country, attend the symphony in the afternoon and watch a herd of Longhorns parade and scoot-a-boot in the evening, we've got you covered. A few of my favorite attractions:

1. The Stockyards --This former meatpacking area and livestock yard has been transformed into one of the premier "Western" tourist venues in the country. Here, you'll find Billy Bob's (the world's largest honky-tonk), Cowtown Coliseum (home of the world's only year-round rodeos), a working vintage steam engine, the Stockyards Museum and Cowboy Hall of Fame and (my favorite!) the Texas Herd -- a herd of 15 Texas Longhorns that has twice-daily "drives" down Exchange Avenue.

2. The Museum District -- This area is home to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Museum of Science & History, the Kimball Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Monnig Meteorite Gallery at TCU, the National Cowgirl Museum, and the Sid Richardson Museum of Western Art. You'll also find various equestrian facilities which host the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, the Appaloosa Horse Club World Championship and other events.

3. Sundance Square -- The 35-block downtown area of Fort Worth has dozens of restaurants, bars, live music venues, theaters, comedy clubs and shopping spots. But watch where you step -- the police patrol this area on horseback!

4. Magnolia Avenue -- Among the restaurants in this newly restored historical area: the Cat City Grill, Hot Damn Tamales, Yucatan Taco Stand and Ellerbe's Fine Foods (named one of the 10 best new restaurants in America by Bon Appetit).

5, 7th Street Corridor -- If you're still hungry, this foodie hot spot that features Eddie V's Prime Seafood, Bailey's Prime Plus, Blue Sushi, Boomer Jack's, Chimy's Ceverceri and more.

6. Bass Performance Hall – Arguably one of the foremost concert venues in the world, Bass Hall is home to the Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, Fort Worth Symphony and Casa Manana. Recent events include everything from Tony Bennett to Tony Bourdain.

7. The Van Cliburn Competitions -- Van Cliburn stunned the world when, at age 23, he won the first quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow in 1958. (He's the only musician who has received a ticker-tape parade in New York City upon his return.) The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition started in 1962 in Fort Worth; it's held every four years, with the world's most accomplished young pianists competing.

8. Bureau of Engraving and Printing -- There are only two places that print U.S. currency: Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth. At the BEP's Western Currency Facility, you can actually see billions of dollars being printed as you walk along an enclosed elevated walkway suspended over the production floor. Before or after your free tour, visit two floors of interactive exhibits and displays showcasing the history of currency and the intricacies of the printing process.

9. Botanic Garden/Water Gardens/Fort Worth Zoo/Botanical Research Institute of Texas -- These sites are devoted to all things floral, faunal and fishy!

10. Texas Motor Speedway -- During event weekends, Texas Motor Speedway becomes the 12th largest city in Texas. Home of the Firestone 550, the Texas 500, NASCAR races, drag races and way-cool driving classes, people camp and RV in the infield, where partyers display some of the most creative campsites you can imagine.

The Pop Traveler: Atlanta

The Pop Traveler: Austin

The Pop Traveler: Baltimore

The Pop Traveler: Burbank, Calif.

The Pop Traveler: Burlington, Vt.

The Pop Traveler: Cincinnati

The Pop Traveler: Cleveland

The Pop Traveler: Des Moines

The Pop Traveler: Destin/Sandestin, Fla.

The Pop Traveler: Jacksonville

The Pop Traveler: Lexington, Ky.

The Pop Traveler: Minneapolis-St. Paul

The Pop Traveler: Philadelphia

The Pop Traveler: Phoenix

The Pop Traveler: Pittsburgh

The Pop Traveler: Portland, Ore.

The Pop Traveler: Reno

The Pop Traveler: Richmond, Va.

The Pop Traveler: Sacramento, Calif.

The Pop Traveler: Salt Lake City

The Pop Traveler: San Diego

The Pop Traveler: Savannah

The Pop Traveler: Seattle

The Pop Traveler: St. Louis