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Peruse our database of Texas events –
from
community plays and cook-offs to mega-festivals and touring productions.
We highlight a few of options here.
Last year’s 175th anniversary of Texas’ independence sparked
celebrations from one end of the state to the other, and the party continues
this year at a number of locations. For example, Historic Gruene’s 3rd annual
Texas Independence Day Celebration takes place in downtown Gruene on March 2 and
includes a free live show at Gruene Hall. For details, call 830/629-5077;
www.gruenetexas.com. Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site hosts
its annual Texas birthday celebration March 3-4 at the site of the Independence
Convention of 1836. The festivities include performances by Texian Army
reenactors, demonstrations of frontier crafts by Texas artisans, music and
stories of Texas’ past, and a Texas-size birthday cake. Call 936/878-2214, ext.
224; www.birthplaceoftexas.com.
More Independence Day events at TH Tip.
Last Chance! Griff Smith’s Texas: A Retrospective Through the Lens and Images From Texas Highways will be on view through March 25 at the Institute of
Texan Cultures in San Antonio. Some 60 of Texas Highways Photo Editor Griff Smith’s most
memorable images span the state—from Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch and Monahans sand dunes to a South Padre sea turtle and Dallas’ Thanks-Giving
Square.Call 210/458-2300 or 800/776-7651; www.texancultures.com. More on the Folklife Festival exhibit at TH Tip.
Whoop-de-do
TH Traveler is beach-bound this month for the annual Whooping
Crane Festival (February 23-26) in Port Aransas. Festival highlights include
whooping crane boat tours to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge—the only location
in the world where the sole natural migrating flock of whooping cranes (from Wood
Buffalo National Park in Alberta, Canada) spends the winter.
The boat tours offer festival-goers the chance to observe
these endangered and territorial birds at close range. Other birding excursions
take place at nearby sites including La Copita Ranch, Fennessey Ranch, and
various locations in Port Aransas. Hear talks by leading birding and nature
authorities, including renowned whooping crane expert Dr. George Archibald, who
discusses efforts to establish four other populations of whoopers in the U.S.
With more than 75 nests found in Canada this past spring, ANWR biologists
anticipate that the flock size could reach record levels this winter—possibly
300 cranes. Call 800/45-COAST; www.whoopingcranefestival.org. On the subject of whooping cranes: there's another, unusual opportunity to take a peek at these big birds—six have been wintering at Granger Lake near Georgetown.
Now Showing!
The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon tells the
region’s story with diverse collections that span more than 500 million years.
Along with an extensive array of Texas and Southwestern fine art, the museum’s
millions of artifacts include a Ford Model A, Charles Goodnight’s
silver-mounted saddle, Quanah Parker’s headdress, and a lock of George
Washington’s hair.
This month’s lineup of traveling exhibits includes The
Littlefield Murals (through Feb. 18), three recently rediscovered murals by E.
Martin Hennings once housed in Austin’s historic Littlefield Bank building; Try!:
Rodeo on the Southern Plains (through Sep. 8), which traces the evolution of
the rodeo in the region; and Another Day, Another Dollar: The Legacy of the Civilian
Conservation Corps (Feb. 11-Oct. 13), with displays illustrating the CCC’s
lasting mark on the Panhandle landscape. Call 806/651-2244;
www.panhandleplains.org.
For a free printed copy of an even more detailed, quarterly
schedule of events, write to Texas Events Calendar, Box 149249, Austin
78714-9249. Or, call 800/452-9292 from anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, between
8-6 Central.
For Texas travel questions, call 800/452-9292 to reach a
TxDOT Travel Infor-mation Center, where a professional travel counselor will
provide routing assistance, advise you of any emergency road conditions, and
send brochures (including the official Texas State Travel Guide and map,
accommodations guide, and quarterly Texas Events Calendar).
Send future event information to: Texas Events Calendar, Box
141009, Austin 78714-1009; fax: 512/486-5879; e-mail: trv-tec@dot.state.tx.us.
Listing deadlines: Spring (Mar, Apr, May) Dec 1; Summer (Jun, Jul, Aug) Mar 1;
Fall (Sep, Oct, Nov) Jun 1; Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb) Sep 1.
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