TSHA Convention Tips: How to Make the Most of Your Time in Fort Worth

TXSHA (officially the TSHA Annual Convention) is coming to Fort Worth February 19–21, 2026, and if you’re heading there, a little planning can make your convention experience much smoother. Over the years, we’ve picked up some strategies that help us stay energized, make meaningful connections, and enjoy the city while we’re there.

The TSHA Annual Convention brings together professionals in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from across Texas and beyond, and it’s always one of our favorite professional events of the year.

These are simply places and strategies we personally enjoy when we attend TSHA — we don’t have any affiliations, just sharing favorites as fellow convention attendees. We’ve also linked Google Maps locations for each recommendation to make saving them easy!

Exhibit Hall Tips

Plan time to wander the booths. Some of our favorite convention friendships and professional connections have come from wandering and having genuine conversations with vendors. Yes, grab the freebies (they want you to!), but take time to talk — you never know what jobs you will learn about, cool resources you will discover, or connections you will make.

If you’re attending #TSHA2026, Habla Cadabra SLP will be exhibiting at Booth 302, and we’d love to meet you, show you our Spanish therapy materials, and talk bilingual intervention strategies.

The TSHA Exhibit Hall will be open:

• February 19 from 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

• February 20 from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

👉 Pro recommendation: Make one intentional lap to browse and a second lap to revisit booths you want to spend more time at.

Parking Tips

If you plan on driving out for dinner at night — street parking downtown is free after 6 pm on weekdays, and Saturday you can park for free all day. If you don’t want to pay $22 for convention garage parking, there are several lots a few blocks away that are much more affordable (often under $10/day).

👉 Screenshot or pin your parking location so you’re not wandering after a long conference day.

Shoes Matter (Trust Us)

Please wear comfortable shoes — you will walk so much around the convention center. It is also much easier to grab lunch outside of the convention center… but not if you are wearing cute heels!

👉 Bring backup flats or sneakers in your bag if you’re committed to the cute shoes.

Food + Recharge Breaks

We rarely buy food inside the convention center if we can help it. There are several sandwich and burger places within walking distance, but one of our favorite strategies is placing a DoorDash order to be dropped off at the entrance right after the last session before lunch.

Then walk over to the Fort Worth Water Gardens to get some sun and quiet before heading back in. Bonus: it is also a short walk from Sons Coffee if you need an afternoon caffeine boost. This location also has a bathroom and WiFi and is just far enough from the convention center to get a little mental reset.

👉 Ordering ahead can save you 30–45 minutes of lunch line time.

Nighttime Activities

If you are in Fort Worth, definitely check out the Stockyards! There are restaurants, shopping, live music, and plenty of western flair. It’s one of our favorite ways to unwind after a full day of TSHA sessions.

Some of our favorite spots:

• Atico: Gorgeous sunset views, tapas for sharing, and easy parking. If you don’t want to do a ton of walking and prefer to relax, snack, and talk about the day, this is a great choice.

• Cattlemen's Fort Worth Steakhouse: This is our favorite steakhouse in the Stockyards — not too fancy and consistently delicious.

• MELT Ice Creams: We admit we’re not the biggest ice cream people, yet we end up here almost every time we’re in the Stockyards. Great classic and seasonal small-batch flavors.

• Second Rodeo Brewing Co.: If you have a group with varying food cravings, this beer garden is a great choice. They have live music multiple times a day, plenty of seating, and multiple food stands. Very chill and laidback, and the musical acts are always fun (even if we’ve never heard the songs before).

If you want to stay in the downtown area, we have found the area to be walkable and safe - also street parking is free in the evenings and many restaurants (especially those close to Sundance Square) validate garage parking too. I had a great post-convention dinner at Istanbul Grill & Bar a couple of years ago.

Bonus Convention Survival Tips

• Bring a portable phone charger — between schedules, photos, and networking, your battery will drain quickly.
• Pack a refillable water bottle and quick snacks.
• Take photos of slides or resources you want to remember (when presenters allow it).
• Write down one takeaway after each session so ideas don’t get lost in the information overload.

If you’re attending TSHA 2026 in Fort Worth, we would truly love to connect with you! Stop by Booth 302 in the Exhibit Hall to see our Spanish therapy materials, chat about bilingual intervention, or just take a quick breather with us.

You can learn more about the convention and register here:
https://bit.ly/40H5wfo

Are you attending TSHA this year? What sessions or events are you most excited about?