This Sunday, Sept. 17, Austin will be celebrating its 20th Annual Austin Museum Day where over 35 museums in the Austin-area will be free of charge, and many will be hosting special events for the day. There’s even an Instagram contest where you could win some awesome stuff! You can find the full list of participating (AKA: FREE) museums here, but below we’ve highlighted a few of our favorites from the list. So get out there and learn something new FOR FREE!
This Downtown museum features over 200,000 toys, which is enough to bring out the inner child in anyone. Spend the day exploring fun exhibits including Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony, Transformers and He-Man. There’s also a video game exhibit featuring Sega and Atari console games and a Vintage Arcade.
Also on the UT Campus, the Briscoe Center is usually closed on Sunday, but on Sept.17, it will have special hours of 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Stop by and check out the American South exhibit on its last day and learn about the South in the 19th Century, including slavery, the cotton industry and the Civil War.
Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin.
On the UT campus, you’ll find Austin’s primary art collection. Not only can you view thousands of works of art from around the world, but on Austin Museum Day, YOU can be an artist, too, in a community Rangoli-inspired art project! There will also be storytellers and traditional Indian dances from 1-4 p.m.
In the historic 1892 studio of sculptress Elisabet Ney, you’ll find a stunning collection of her sculptures, and on Sept. 17, you can make your own art. To celebrate Museum Day, the museum is hosting a Portraiture in the Park event, complete with live music and demonstrations, art activities and caricatures, food trucks and more!
On this square, you’ll find two historic landmarks that have been turned into museums. The first is the home of Alamo survivor, Susanna Dickinson, which now houses an exhibit on her time in the Alamo, featuring rare family artifacts.
The home of famous writer O. Henry is also part of the Brush Square Museums. On Austin Museum Day, the museum will be hosting special readings of Henry’s works at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., with a caricature artist painting portraits and “Oh Henry!” candy bars for sale.
Step into another culture at this art museum where you can view traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latino and Latin American works of art. On Sept. 17, the museum will have hands-on exhibits that compliment the current Frida Kahlo exhibit.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. ( Patrick Pelletler CC BY-SA2.0).
Along with having free admission on Sunday, at this center where you can frolic through fields of flowers, you can also join in on tons of nature activities all day including planting demonstrations and an entomology exhibit. Be sure to check out the fall flowers garden tour as well!
Dive into Barton Springs without even getting wet at the Education Center’s Splash! Into the Edwards Aquifer exhibit about Barton Springs, how it was formed and its complex ecosystem. You’ll also learn about the living things that call Austin’s local rivers, springs and creeks home.
The Presidential Library is packed with fun exhibits including the permanent exhibits on President Johnson’s time in office, but right now there’s also a PBS exhibit (which was created after LBJ signed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967) and you know how much we love PBS! Learn about some of PBS’s most beloved programs including “Sesame Street”, “Mister Roger” and “The Joy of Painting” by Bob Ross. On Museum Day, “Sesame Street’s” Grover will be there and KLRU President Bill Stotesbery will be the featured Storytime guest.
Back in 1854, immigrants from Eastern Germany (called Wends) settled in the historic Texas town Serbin — that town has since become the Texas Wendish Heritage Museum. Transport yourself back in time and take a peak into the life of these folks with a walk through the town’s historic buildings, including the St. Paul Lutheran Church, one of South Central Texas’s painted churches.
Explore the musicians that helped Austin claim the title of the “Live Music Capital of the World” at this museum where you’ll find personal items from some of the Texas greats, including Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and Beyoncé! You can also check out the current exhibit on the “Contributions of East Austin African-American Musicians to Texas Music.”
View hundreds of Contemporary artworks at this museum and find sculptures sprawling across the Sculpture Park. The museum will be hosting all kinds of hands-on activities exploring how color and light combine to make art, and the music group Kupira Marimba will perform outside the museum.
Along with the permanent fun hands-on learning activities, The Thinkery will also have a Kitchen Lab where kids ages 4 and up can learn about extracting DNA from fruits and vegetables. Be sure to get to the museum early to ensure you get a spot in the long line for one of Austin’s favorite children’s museums!
The living farm at the Round Rock location will not only be alive with history, but the museum will also be “yarn-bombed” on Sept. 17 and you are invited to contribute to the art! Stop by for live demonstrations, tons of fun and more!
This gallery is filled with art works from incredible female artists across Texas. The current exhibit “Red Dot Art” features 150 artworks by some of the best contemporary artists in the state, and on Museum Day, the exhibit will also feature a fun game of “I Spy” to help people of all ages get a deeper look at the pieces of art throughout the gallery.
In 1835 Sam Houston called for volunteers to help in the fight for Texas independence and closed his letter with the phrase “Let the Brave Rally to Our Standard.” He was referring to the Texas flag and the Texas spirit all in one.
To continue to rally to standard, I’ve partnered with some other passionate Texans and released a shirt bearing Sam’s timeless phrase. We’ll be giving back 100% of the money made from these shirts to Harvey relief. You can order one HERE. Of course, we want to raise as much money as possible, but please don’t let this stop you from serving in other ways too.
The road ahead is long. The standard has been set. Let’s all be brave, and make Sam proud!
Hurricane Harvey has created so much destruction, and the road to recovery is just beginning for so many. Yet, even in the midst of such a tragedy, the true Texas spirit lives on in the thousands of everyday heroes who are lending a helping hand to their neighbors. We’ve scoured the internet and found some of our favorite stories highlighting the kind and brave folks who are banding together to love our fellow Texans on the coast and in Houston.
Ordinary Folks become Superheroes
A Woman and 21 Shelter Dogs Were Rescued
This story’s filled with multiple Good Samaritans. According to the New York Post, Betty Walter was found in her attic sheltering 21 dogs she’d rescued from her neighborhood during the storm. The Postreports that she spent 14 hours there before two men with a boat came to her aid, rescuing all 21 dogs and refusing to leave anyone behind!
Pennsylvania Boy’s Lemonade Stand for Harvey Victims
5-year-old PA boy collects donations for Harvey victims with lemonade standhttps://t.co/ZCCZI1XzdA
You don’t have to live in Texas to have that Texan spirit, as shown in this story from CBS 21 News about a 5-year-old boy in Pennsylvania selling sweet tea and lemonade for 50 cents to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
When their house started flooding on Monday, Chick-fil-a regulars Karen and J.C. called the restaurant to place their usual order: two grilled chicken burritos, with extra egg… and they also requested a boat. The manager and her husband brought a boat to rescue them, but just as the couple was trying to decide what to bring in the boat with them, Jet-Skiers arrived to give them a ride so they could fit more of their possessions in the boat. Karen told Eyewitness News that being rescued was “was one part ‘oh well, here we go!,’ one part ‘happy to be alive’ and two parts, ‘I can’t believe I’m leaving my flooded house in a Jet Ski.'”
A Texas-sized Cattle Drive saved these Cows from Washing Away
No cow is left behind in this video shot by Harriet Taylor. It’s a scene you’d only find in Texas, as a cowboy, escorted by the police and a couple cow dogs, herds cattle to higher ground in Dayton, TX. Find the full story here at the Houston Chronicle.
Human Chain of Neighbors Saves Pregnant Neighbor in Labor
They used a human chain to get her safely to the truck!! (Video shot by my roommate) Happy thoughts & prayers to the new parents! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nlEaa9J8E4
As you can see in this viral video posted on Twitter by Callie Hatcher, dozens of neighbors responded to a mass email sent out in their apartment complex, bringing medical supplies and forming a human chain in the high flood waters to help this woman in labor get to the dump truck that would carry her to the hospital. ABC News has the full story.
Local Businesses Supporting Their Communities
These Houston Bakers Made Bread for Evacuees While Stuck in the Flood
Houstonians helping Houstonians is what we like to see, like in this story about the El Bollilo Bakery that continued baking bread for two continuous days after their employees got stuck in the Wayside location because of flood waters.
A Houston Brewery Uses an Army Truck to Save Folks
Cheers to Houston’s 8th Wonder Brewery! Besides great craft brews, this brewery apparently also has an enormous army truck, which prior to the hurricane, had only been used for decoration. However, during Harvey, the brewery used the truck to rescue Texans in heavily flooded areas, according to Eater Houston.
Houston Furniture Stores Open Doors to Refugees
According to Huffington Post, the owner of Gallery Furniture in Houston, Jim McIngvale, “put calls out on social media on Sunday for people displaced by the effects of Hurricane Harvey to take refuge at either of his two [furniture] stores.” But his kindness didn’t stop there, he even used his furniture delivery trucks to shuttle people to his stores, ultimately taking in 400 refugees!
Buc-ee’s Opens the Katy Location as a shelter for First Responders
God bless Buc-ee’s! The gas station opened it’s brand new Katy, TX location early as a shelter for First Responders, giving them a place to sleep, hot food and anything else they might need for free. Beaver nuggets for everyone!!
HEB Sends Mobile Kitchens to Victoria
Our disaster relief units have landed in Victoria and are setting up in hopes to serve dinner tonight. pic.twitter.com/jR202uPA9q
One of Texas’s favorite grocery stores stepped up to help flood victims by bringing 15 trucks equipped with mobile kitchens and serving over 8,000 hot meals to hurricane and flood victims in Victoria, reported KXAN. They continue providing relief and supplies to victims, and now they are raising funds for the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Feeding Texas. Donate at any HEB store check out or by clicking here.
Here’s How YOU Can Help!
It’s incredible to see these incredible outpourings of love and compassion happening in the Lone Star State in the midst of all the destruction, and we hope these stories of amazing Texas heroes will inspire you to do the same. Whether it’s by giving your money, time or donating goods, your fellow Texans need you.
There are so many ways to get involved. You can text the word “HARVEY” to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross or check out our online store where we’re giving 100% of the profits to Harvey relief. If you need ideas on how to help, both Texas Highwaysand Texas Monthlyhave great resources to show you where you’re needed at this time.
To all the folks hit by this disaster, hang in there — we’re praying for y’all and we’re here to help you start rebuilding.
Keep the party going this summer with these 10 festivals around Texas celebrating everything from fajitas and cheeseburgers to hot air balloons and mosquitoes. It’s a surefire way to have the best summer ever!
On July 28-30, join the folks of Longview for three days of balloon races, live music and tons of fun. Don’t miss the Special Shapes Spectacular on Friday and Saturday to see giant floating balloons shaped like Tweety Bird, clowns, mice, Sylvester the Cat and more! Each night, see the hot air balloons lit up at the Balloon Glow.
Get a taste of the blues in Midland at this festival July 14-16. The city will be hosting performances by famous musicians all around historic downtown, leading up to an incredible Saturday night finale featuring Victor Wainwright, winner of the 2016 B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, and the multi-award winning Santini-Jensen Project wrapping up the event on Saturday night. Tickets start at $20.
If you’re a burger fanatic, this festival on July 15 in “The Cheeseburger Capital of Texas” might just be your meaty dream come true. Each year, the folks of this Panhandle town celebrate their location in the middle of the beef, wheat and dairy country with a day-long burger competition where each contestant must prepare 200 1/3 pound burgers to serve to judges and the crowd. So ditch the idea of a “beach bod” and get ready for one delicious day!
It ain’t a Texas summer without swarms of mosquitoes flying around! Join Clute, TX, on July 27-29 for three days of craft fairs, live music, tons of food and hilarious contests! Don’t miss the Mosquito-Calling Contest where contestants hoot and holler to see who can call in the fattest, juiciest mosquito, and the Mosquito Legs Contest – a goofy competition to see who’s got the best-looking mosquito legs! Don’t forget to take a picture with the world’s largest mosquito and the festival’s mascot, Willie-Man-Chew!
Hit up Panther Island in Fort Worth for a rockin’ time this summer every Saturday until August 5. Grab your swimsuit and head to this FREE event where you can spend the day tubing the Trinity River with a cold beer, while listening to live music by awesome musical guests. Sound like heaven? Well it gets even better — each night concludes with a spectacular fireworks display!
Celebrate Christmas in July with the folks in Boerne on July 28! On this magical night, Disney’s The Santa Clause will be shown at dusk at the Main Plaza, and Christmas fun will be provided by the Cibolo Creek Community Church. Arrive before the movie starts at 6:30 for even more Christmas cheer, snow and even a visit from Santa Claus, himself!
The cities of Big Bend Country have teamed up to bring you ONE EPIC music festival! From July 27-30, you can check out live performances from various artists including Aaron Watson, Doug Moreland and Shane Smith & The Saints at music venues across Fort Davis, Marfa, Alpine and Marathon. It’ll be one big party with food at many of the venues and fun that the kids can join in on too! Get your tickets now because they’re selling out fast!
At this foodie festival in Corpus on July 22, you can chow down from a selection of over 45 local food trucks from noon to midnight. Be sure to save room — there’s also a Food Eating Contest! And when you need to walk off your eventual food coma, you can check out the various vendors at Arts & Crafts Alley, watch the kiddos play around at the Kid’s Truck Zone and listen to live music.
Get your eat on at the Fajita Festival on July 22. Bring your appetite because throughout the day, you’ll have the chance to try different entries in the Fajita Cook-off and then vote for your favorite ones in the People’s Choice Fajita Contest! Besides just eating all the fajitas you can fit in your mouth, there will also be a Jalapeno Eating Contest, a Taco Eating Competition, a live mural painting and more!
Head to the Reunion Lawn on July 29 for a massive block party! Not only will there be live music, over 15 local food trucks and a large selection of local craft beers and wines, but you can also play lawn games like bocce ball and corn hole, rent frisbees and Nerf balls, and dance around with checked-out hula hoops, ribbons and bubbles at the event!
July marks the start of the sweltering hot days in Texas. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any hotter, the temperature rises yet again. You could hide in the shade or under the water like a wimp, or you can toughen up and EMBRACE THE HEAT. Grab a few Gatorades and prepare for a sweaty good time at these 5 hottest cities, activities and spots that Texas has to offer. Warning: It’s about to get REAL HOT.
The Cities with Record-Breaking Temperatures
Looking for a weekend getaway? Perhaps you’d like to head to the spots where the hottest temperatures in Texas were ever recorded. It’s a tie between Seymour and Monahans, TX, for hottest temperatures ever recorded — both have hit a blazing heat of 120 degrees! So instead of surfing the cool, refreshing waves of a Texas beach, slide down the sandy waves of the Monahans Sandhills State Park for a truly scorching experience.
Sweat Lodge
If you really want to feel the burn, head to a Sweat Lodge. These lodges, like the one at Thunder Ranch in West Point, TX, is part of an ancient, deeply spiritual Native American ritual. They believe that this practice of sweating helps purify the mind, body and soul. The covered lodge is heated to a blistering 100 degrees using hot rocks and steam as up to 20 participants sit in the small space, either meditating in silence or participating in ceremonial chanting.
The Sweatiest City in Texas
Would you rather explore a sizzling metropolis? Then head to Space City. That’s right, Houston was declared the 3rd “Sweatiest City” in America after a 2015 study by the Honeywell Fans and Environmental Health & Engineering compared summer temperatures, humidity levels, wind speed and population density to see which cities produced the sweatiest situations.
Hot Yoga
Picture by Pure Yoga Austin
Pure Yoga Texas’s Bikram method hot yoga class will have you panting during your Downward Dog… The yoga class features a 26-posture yoga sequence done over a 90 minute session — but there’s a catch — the room is heated to 105 degrees for the entire session. It’s so hot that the yoga studio suggests that first timers count just staying in the burning room for the entire 90-minutes as a victory. I’m sweating buckets just thinking about it…
If you must make a splash, then I suggest one of the Texas Hot Springs, which folks have been traveling to wade into for centuries because of their supposed “healing powers.” At Big Bend National Park, you can take a steamy dive into the Langford Hot Springs which is a boiling 105 degrees year round, and if you like it even hotter, then jump into the Chinati Hot Springs which is 110 degrees! Sure, it won’t have quite the same refreshing effect of diving into a cold swimming hole, but it’s soothing all the same.
Georgetown – that quaint little town 30 miles north of Austin – isn’t as sleepy as it used to be. In fact, it’s exploding with food, outdoors and culture. If you haven’t been yet, well here are 51 ideas to get you motivated.
1. Take a stroll around the Georgetown Square (known as the “most beautiful” in Texas)
Kerrville is a part of the Hill Country that often gets passed by in favor of the burg to the north flowing with wine and German cuisine and its southern neighbors where the Frio runs clear. So I decided to give this town a chance, and I actually discovered that it doesn’t get enough credit for how cool it is.
Just like any Central Texas town, it’s got those hilly green valleys that roll through town, and it’s situated right on the pristine Guadalupe River — and if the nature’s not enough to get you there, there’s plenty to do in town!
As any great day trip should, I started my journey through Kerrville at the Hill Country Cafe. Small though it was, this nondescript building on Main Street was packed with folks grabbing a bite to eat before heading to work. It’s got all the classic decor and the overflowing breakfast plate of country chow we’ve all come to know and love at hometown cafes.
After scarfing down as much as I could of this countrified breakfast (which was probably about half), I discovered a newspaper article near the cash register proudly claiming that this cafe sits in the spot where Mrs. Florence Butts opened the first HEB in1905!
Next, it was time to tackle the main event: the James Avery Headquarters and Museum. Yes, before he was selling his famous silver bracelets and necklaces nationwide, James Avery was working out of his garage in Kerrville and selling his jewelry out of a cart in local neighborhoods and at nearby church camps.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect — a giant store, maybe a small museum? But let me just tell you — the headquarters is basically what I picture heaven to be like. Tucked away in rolling green hills of an old farm alongside duck-filled ponds, just driving around the campus, itself, is a glorious escape, but the real treasure is inside the on-site store.
Attached to the store is an awesome museum about James Avery’s life, including the bench where he used to work and some of his workshop tables that seem completely untouched, as if Mr. Avery might just walk right in and pick up where he left off.
For all you of who aren’t Avery-fanatics, there are exhibits on the jewelry-making process from sketching out new ideas and making models to the finished products. You’ll even see a haunting handwritten note from space shuttle Columbia Commander Rick Husband’s wife, Evelyn, which James received just two days before the space craft burned upon re-entry. In the note, she thanked him for the two silver charms he designed for Rick to take to space in honor of their family.
Out back of the store is a wide porch with a sweeping view of the Hill Country, but I was ready to get a little deeper into nature at the Riverside Nature Center. Inside the Center, they’ve got exhibits about the native plants of the area, but my favorite part was the Certified Butterfly Garden. Not only was it filled with Texas wildflowers and plants, but it was fluttering with butterflies!
I wandered back behind the Center to find that it is connected to the Kerrville River Trail which runs throughout the city along the Guadalupe River. What an awesome retreat in the heart of the city!
Heading back into downtown, I stumbled upon what may be one of the few remaining Gibson’s Discount Centers — a one-stop shop that started in Abilene in 1958 and grew to be a favorite store nationwide in the 60s and 70s. The famous chain eventually died out due to competition with Kmart and Walmart, but Kerrville’s little discount center still remains as a proud, over-packed and adoringly discounted relic of the “good old days.”
Next, I decided to explore downtown which wasn’t quite bustling yet. Down this little street right next to the Guadalupe (aptly named Water Street), I found the famous Grape Juice wine bar with a patio that backs up to the river. Word to the wise, get here early and be prepared for a long wait because the locals love this place!
On my way out of town, I stopped by the Museum of Western Art on the other side of the river. It was a beautiful gallery full of works (both paintings and bronze statues) depicting daring cowboys and life on the wild frontier! Out on the back patio, I took in the view of the sprawling hills.
Sure, its neighboring towns may get all the press, but Kerrville is a city truly deserving of recognition. It’s a little bit of everything all mixed together in one picturesque setting. Whether you’re a history buff, an art fanatic, James Avery’s biggest fan or just looking for a fun way to spend the day, this is the place for you!
Summer is so close, you can taste it (and feel it in those blazing 87 degree days) — but it’s still spring. Instead of getting the summer blues, check out this list of 15 rockin’ festivals around the state to keep you partying until spring is over and help you welcome in the gloriously hot days of summer!
Food is the big event at this festival (and that’s honestly the best part of any festival, right?) Sample gourmet dishes from 24 local restaurants, purchase some of their signature dishes for only $5 and watch food demonstrations by chefs from the Art Institute of Dallas’s International Culinary School! Besides the food fun, there will also be live music, a craft show and a fun zone for kids!
Jousting knights, mystical mermaids, dazzling princesses, epic sword fights…sound like a fantasy? It’s also a normal day at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie. Step into an enchanted fairytale and become a part of the magic at this recreation of a 16th Century English Village under the reign of King Henry VII. From sword fights and historic demonstrations to all the food you can imagine (including giant turkey legs), this festival is one awesome adventure! And with themed weekends, you never know what you’ll discover!
This is one festival that keeps rockin’ and rollin’ — for 18 continuous days! Join Kerrville in this huge gathering of singer-songwriters for TONS of live music as well as multiple workshops including blues guitar, ukulele and songwriting workshops! To add to the musical fun, there are also Canoe Trips on the Guadalupe each Friday and a 26-mile Hill Country bike ride every Saturday. Hit up the festival on Memorial Day weekend to take part in the Texas Wines & Texas Craft Beers seminars!
It’s time to get your Greek on at this Houston fest where you can learn all about the Greek culture. Enjoy traditional dances, handmade Greek crafts and jewelry, a Non-Greeks dance competition and, of course, all the delicious Greek foods and pastries! Ticket proceeds from this year’s festival benefit the Ronald McDonald House Houston.
Grab your dancing shoes and head to this festival celebrating Polka music and the Czech heritage! The festivities start on Friday night with a Polka dance and guests are encouraged to wear traditional Czech costumes. The fun continues on Saturday and Sunday with a parade, live Polka music, kolache-eating contests and so much more! You’ve gotta “Czech” it out!
If there’s two things you can count on finding in Longview, TX, it’s BIG pines and a BIG sound! Since 2006, this Blues festival has been showcasing blues legends and newcomers, alike! The festival begins with performances by new artists on Friday night. On Saturday, enjoy music by 2016 Blues Hall of Fame member Elvin Bishop, Johnny and the Nightcrawlers, and Jimmy Wallace and the Stratoblasters!
Grab your boots and dance partner and make your way out west to Snyder, TX for this weekend celebrating the official music of Texas: Western Swing! Dance the days away to live music by Rance Norton, Jody Nix, Jake Hooker and more! Besides tons of two-stepping, you can also browse through the Craft Fair!
This festival is a Rodeo, mixed with a Carnival in the Barbecue Capital of Texas — Lockhart! Join the community for three days of fun, food, craft fairs, washer throwing and golf tournaments! There will also be live music by country artists including Justin Trevino, Nathan Colt Young and Reckless Kelly.
With a name like that, you know this is gonna be one EPIC festival. Head to Port Aransas on June 9-11 for shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp. At this coastal celebration, you can enter a shrimp eating contest, enjoy a shrimp boil, watch the Miss Shrimporee Contest or even partake in the Outhouse Race! Or you can just grab a shrimp cocktail and relax to live music from over a dozen musicians!
This may be one of the best smelling festivals in Texas! Blanco is hosting its 13th Annual Lavender Festival, and it’s your one-stop shop for all things lavender! There will be a lavender market outside the Historic Old Blanco County Courthouse, but you can also visit the local farms to see the lavender growing, and possibly even pick your own! Attend the lectures by guest speakers about lavender, gardening and bee-keeping, or relax with a “Lavender Lizzie” from Real Ale Brewing and listen to live music.
Enjoy a luxurious evening in the Texas Panhandle! Sip some of Llano Estacado Winery’s finest wines in Slanton, TX while you view artworks, handcrafted jewelry, pottery and more!
Join the folks of Jacksonville, TX, for their 33rd Annual Tomato Fest when the mayor proclaims the city “Tomatoville” for the week! There will be all sorts of fun events (like a Dodgeball Tournament on Tuesday and a Golf Tournament on Friday) leading up to the big festival on Saturday! The Tomato Fest will be ripe with all kinds of opportunities to enjoy tomatoes, including Tomato Eating, Salsa and Home Grown Tomatoes Contests. The kids can also join in the fun with Tomato Peeling, Tomato Shoot and Tomato Packing Contests. And of course, you can gorge yourself on fried green tomatoes among other delicious foods!
Boerne is hosting its 51st Berges Fest and you’re invited to help them honor all things German! There will be a Parade to kick-off the festival, then throughout the weekend activities include a Bratwurst Eating Contest, Daschund Races, a Root Beer Drinking Contest, Wheelbarrow Races and more! There will also be a carnival and live music.
If you love peaches, this is the JAMboree for you! At this fest in Stonewall, you’ll find peaches galore in the form of ice cream, cobblers and, of course, fresh peaches. Compete in the peach salsa, baking or preserves contests to put your peachy skills to the test, hit the rides at the carnival or stop by the rodeo to watch the mutton bustin!
Mosey on down to Cowboy town to join in the fun on the Medina River. You’ll find a little bit of everything — from a water-themed rodeo (with events like “tube roping”) to contests for your furry friends (Water Fetch competition anyone?). Show off your talent at the Bandera Idol competition, or your food-eating skills at the Watermelon or HotDog eating contests! Add in a BBQ Cook-Off, the “Anything That Floats” Regata and an Arts & Craft Show, and you’ve got yourself an epic day!
Things get pretty crazy behind the scenes of The Daytripper! Check out this exclusive look at our time shooting the Mt. Pleasant episode in this behind-the-scenes video!
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and here at The Daytripper, WE LOVE MOMS! We know that moms are a huge part of what makes trippin’ the state so great, so we’ve created a list of 7 awesome ways to show your mom some Texas-sized love. Whether she’s a lover of wine, chocolate, flowers or even just having some alone time, pick a gift from this list and you’ll be sure to make your mom feel special!
Ok, let’s admit it, we all whine to our mom about our problems on the daily, and — being the amazing mom she is — she always listens. But this Mother’s Day, it’s time to let your mom do the whining — or wine-ing that is… And luckily, Texas is filled with tons of award-winning wineries (that could almost kinda possibly rival Napa Valley…) Take a tour of a winery like Pedernales Cellars in Stonewall where they’re having a Roses and Rosé tasting event, or if you can’t choose just one winery, take a self-guided wine tour on the Grapevine Urban Wine Trail or a guided one with Heart of Texas Wine Tours.
Whisk your mom away to the luxuries of yesteryear with a tour of some of Texas’s most historic and indulgent homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Take a tour of the largest historic neighborhood in the southwestern United States at the Fairmount National Historic District Mother’s Day Weekend Tour in Fort Worth to see restored homes with amazing architectural styles of the late 1800s and early 1920s. You can also hit up the Menard Mother’s Day Brunch and Tour, for an elegant brunch by Chef Mary Bass that mom will love at the oldest residence in Galveston and a tour of the Historic Homes District.
Nothing Says, “I Love You, Mom” like Chocolate…
Give your mom the gift of heavenly gourmet chocolate! In Dallas, you can choose between multiple Mother’s Day Chocolate Tours where you can try sweet samples from up to five of Dallas’s top chocolate shops. If you’d rather try your hand at making your own, take a chocolate class with mom at Araya Chocolates in Houston or Wiseman House Chocolates in Hico.
Step up your flower game…
Header photo and this photo courtesy of the Dallas Arboretum.
Your mom may be tired of receiving a bouquet every Mother’s Day, so step up your flower game with a Texas twist on this classic gift. There is no better way to spend Mom’s special day then by taking her to see some of the most beautiful blooms in Texas. You’ll find roses galore (even in the middle of the barren El Paso land!) at the El Paso Rose Garden and the Rose Garden Center in Tyler. For a more formal floral event, head to the Dallas Arboretum where you can celebrate Mother’s Day with a special exhibit in A Woman’s Garden while being serenaded by Serenata Strings, or take mom to Chappell Hill Lavender Farms where she can cut her own lavender as well as buy tons of lavender scented goodies in the gift shop!
Brunch: A Win-Win for you and mom
Show your mom you love her a “brunch” with several courses of gourmet food and champagne. Choose an upscale brunch like at the Driskill Hotel in Austin or the Colonial Room Restaurant at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio. Enjoy something more laid back like brunch at the Aquarium Restaurant in Kemah where you can eat with the fishies, or something all-you-can eat like the buffet at the Overton Hotel in Lubbock where you and mom can eat as much as you want.
Afternoon Tea: The Royal Treatment
Pip, pip, cheerio! Treat mom like the queen that she is by taking her to high tea (in Texan that translates to a tea party with tons of sweets at around 3-5 p.m. in the afternoon). You can book your spot of tea at the Full English Cafe in Austin or Hotel Granduca in Houston. Bond with your mom over multi-tiered trays of fresh scones, fancy finger sandwiches and a tea pot. Just remember pinkies up!
Give Mom a Day to Herself at the Spa
Maybe all your mom needs is a little time to rejuvenate by herself, and the perfect place to do that is the spa. Whether you join or not, she will be sure to get the VIP treatment at Barton Creek Spa in Austin where her day will be filled with awesome facials, massages and even a gold manicure! For a spa that mixes history and luxury, check in to Hotel Galvez where mom can get a special Mother’s Day massage, manicure or facial!
