La Grange
Renovated Rec Center Has Something For All Ages After about $1.5 million was spent (split equally between the city and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department), La Grange now has a sparkling activity complex (Randolph Activity Center at 653 E. Pearl Street) that has everything from a gymnastics area to a dance studio to an exercise room with the latest fitness machines. There’s even a whole room dedicated to quilting. The center is a far cry from the 80-year-old structure that was sitting mostly empty and decaying as recently as a few years ago. The site used to be the home of Randolph High, the all-black school in La Grange that closed after integration in the mid-1960s. It was used sparingly by La Grange ISD after that, until the city took ownership in 2004, and the long, slow process of finding a way to revitalize Randolph began. “This facility is a prime example of re-use of existing buildings in our community,” said La Grange mayor Janet Moerbe during the 2013 dedication ceremony. “This was once your school building, now it’s your community building.” The Randolph Recreation Center is located at 653 E. Pearl Street in La Grange. To find out about the programs currently being offered call (979) 968-5600. The facility also hosts a massive summer camp program for kids, but spot fill up fast.
The recently renovated Randolph Recreation Center at 653 E. Pearl Street in La Grange offers gymnastics and tumbling classes as well as aerobics and dance. Various senior groups meet there to play cards, dominos and to quilt. Photo by Alyson Svec
Lindemann Real Estate
BE
ST OF F
F
ST OF BE
TE C
O T Y •
TY •
•
ST OF
ET AY
UN
UN
TY •
BE
E T T E CO AY
•
E T T E CO AY
UN
F
www.lindemannrealestate.com 821 E. Travis • La Grange, TX 979-968-5803 gflind@verizon.net
Growing To Better Serve You!
NEW CONTRACTOR PRICING
Katy Michalke Broker
• Landscaping & Lawn Supplies • Roofing Materials • Paneling • Hardware • Builders Hardware • Tools • Plumbing Fixtures & Supplies • Electrical Supplies • Farm & Ranch Supplies • Valspar Paint - “The Beauty Goes On”
Unique Decor & Gifts VOTED BEST Real Estate Agent In FAYETTE COUNTY
•
Serving Fayette and Surrounding Counties for over 50 years! We are here to serve you with Courtesy, Integrity and Professionalism!
MONDAY-FRIDAY: 7:00 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. SATURDAY: 7:30 A.M. - 12:00 NOON
515 E. Travis • La Grange • 979-968-3161
La Grange
148 N. Washington, La Grange, Texas 979.966.0111
152
N.
La
Grange,
Washington, Texas
979.966.0555
CottageGatherings.com Shop till you drop
La Grange
A Sweet Success Story Kay Carlton, left, founder of Katy Sweet confections, shares a laugh with her employees.
Photo by H.H. Howze
Local Pralines a Nationwide Hit, Business Expanding to Downtown Square
ET AY
TE C
O UN T Y •
ST OF F
What’s kosher, gluten-free, all natural, locally made, distributed nationwide and coming to the La Grange courthouse square? If you guessed Katy Sweet confections, you may, for a modest sum, treat yourself to
one of their delicious pecan pralines. (You may be wondering about “kosher” candy. It took a while, but sure enough, a rabbi now comes up from Houston every three months to inspect the premises and process. It’s about being inclusive and it’s savvy marketing. “We want everyone to be able to enjoy
BE
The Fayette County Record
•
By H.H. HOWZE
our products,” Carlton said.) Katy Sweet began with Kay Carlton making small batches of family-recipe candy in her home kitchen to give away at Christmas 16 years ago, has outgrown their current headquarters on SH 71 West and sometime Continued on next page
Voted BEST Breakfast & Home-Style Cooking in Fayette County
Turkey and Dressing Fried Chicken w/ all the trimmings Served Every Sunday Private Dinning Room For Any Occasion Hours: 7am - 3 pm Open 7 Days A Week 1225 Carroll Lane La Grange, Texas
979-968-5506
La Grange
La Grange Pralines Enjoyed Nationwide Continued from previous page this year – “hopefully by June,” Carlton said – will move their retail candy sales and administrative offices to the former D&Z Man’s Store premises at 245 W. Travis Street in La Grange. D&Z ceased operations at the end of 2014. Extensive remodeling followed. Carlton’s kitchen hobby grew into a thriving little business retailing boxes of signature pralines, but it really started to take off when son-in-law Garland Hart asked her, “Wouldn’t you like to sell pallets of candy instead of boxes?” Why not? Carlton got on the telephone and one of the first wholesale customers she landed was none other than Nieman-Marcus department stores. N-M is not one
of the bigger customers these days, but the iconic firm’s cachet lingers. “We fix up gift baskets and they sell them for $200,” she said. Katy Sweet went from cooking candy in a small gasfired kettle to a large one and now has eight doublemixing kettles capable of cooking enough candy mixture to make 800-1000 pieces of candy per load, according to Hart. There are now 33 full-time employees, some of whom have been with the firm the whole way. Several pallets of candy leave the factory everyday on trucks bound across
the United States. Hart, now the company’s general manager, said Katy Sweet sells under its own label as well as under private labels for “multiple national accounts and Texas chains.” “We’ve been very blessed,” Carlton said softly. They’ve also been very good business people. Besides additional space for actual candy-making at the current plant (which will be expanded,) another reason for the move was to raise the operation’s local visibility. As wholesale business out on the highway expanded, Carlton explained, “we had to pull back” on some product varieties and stop hosting tour busses – the
100-person tours were just too disruptive to the process and not particularly profitable. The new location puts a more public face on a very successful local enterprise. “We think it will be a great draw,” Carlton said, adding that in addition to candy sales, she would like to install a nut roaster to add interest. She said she looks forward to hosting tour busses at the new location. With the Quilt Museum diagonally across the square already hosting several tour busses a week, downtown La Grange has an axis of high profile tourist attractions. That could be the proverbial tide (of tourists) which lifts all boats around the square. Carlton projects a grand opening by Christmas 2015.
La Grange
MORE SPECIALISTS. MORE ADVANCED.
Adding to our extensive array of services, St. Mark’s announces the NEW Cardiovascular Imaging Center. Our relationship with AUSTIN HEART – a trusted resource for heart health and an anchor on our campus for many years – allows us to elevate the level of services we offer to patients with cardiac needs. Together, we provide patient education and the technologies, as well as expertise to diagnose and care for heart and vascular disease.
St. Mark’s Orthopedics..........................................(979) 242.2387 St. Mark’s Women’s Clinic...................................(979) 242.2883 St. Mark’s Medical Clinic - Flatonia...................(361) 865.3302 St. Mark’s Cardiovascular Imaging Center....(979) 242.2360 St. Mark’s Medical Center....................................(979) 242.2200
One St. Mark’s Place | La Grange
www.smmctx.org
Located just North of La Grange on Hwy. 77
Round Top
The Civil War-era replica cannon on the Round Top courthouse square signals the start of the annual 4th of July parade. Photo by Jeff Wick
Round Top Exploding With Things to Do By KATHY JOHNSTON
On any given weekend, a stop in the quaint central Texas town of Round Top will treat its visitors to a surprising amount of activity. The town, located on State Highway 237 half way between Brenham and La Grange, is reputed to be among the smallest incorporated cities in Texas with a population of 91. This historical treasure is at once charming in its authenticity and a surprisingly exciting place to be, when one experiences it fully. For, what could easily be just a sleepy, don’t blink or you’ll miss it point in the road has now become a destination and center for arts and diverse fun. So, slow down at the flashing yellow light that marks arrival at the town’s square with its historic courthouse, and make a left turn to experience most of the action. Round Top offers virtually something for everyone from beer and wine festivals to Shakespeare, and music that ranges from classical to hoe-down, traditional polkas and classic rock. Well-known for its twice annual (Fall & Spring) antiques fairs that span miles
and attract thousands, there is a lot more to enjoy year round. In town there are no less than five art galleries including one that has featured works by internationally known watercolorists, underscoring the fact that Round Top has truly become an artful destination. Others feature everything from folk art, top quality western art, to craft as art, as well as traditional media. For a one-square mile town, there is also a wide variety of shops tucked on the Square, and around it in historic Henkel Square Market, and Bybee Square. One can locate everything from antiques, quality gifts, fashionable clothing, lovely jewelry, and home decor, both sophisticated and ranch-like; and there’s not a ‘kitschy’ tee shirt in sight; how refreshing. Round Top’s German heritage is noticeable even today as architectural controls have preserved many of the town’s earliest structures. Many of the structures on Bybee Square and Henkel Square, for example, are original to Round Top, or the nearby area. Not to be See Round Top, next page
Country music star Miranda Lambert, front and center in this photo, has enjoyed shopping for antiques in Round Top.
Round Top
Round Top a Mix of History, Culture Continued from previous page
missed are the old German immigrant homes and sites that can be found two blocks south of the square on Highway 237 including the historic Bethlehem Lutheran Church. On the two blocks that now contain the Round Top Inn, Hotel St. Vincent, and the Moore’s Fort across the way with its landmark century oak tree. Prost, located at the corner of Round Top Road and White Street, is housed in Round Top’s most historic stone home. You can savor all the history, right along with a stellar glass of wine. Truly, in Round Top, it’s nice to see that so much has not only been preserved, but given new life in such charming ways. If you haven’t arrived hungry, after your walk about, you will be. So don’t travel any further because within two blocks in any direction you’ll find great food and good variety. Sample any place and it won’t disappoint from Italian style, thin crust pizza at The Stone Cellar, to top notch steaks, pastas and seafood at Round Top’s famous Royers’ Round Top Cafe. Los Patrones on 237 at the Square has excellent Mexican fare and serious Margaritas. Down-home country comfort food is always to be found at Scotty’s & Friends - fried green tomatoes, anyone? If you’re eating ‘on the fly’, try a top notch, made-to-order deli sandwich from the newly expanded Round Top Mercantile where they literally do carry everything from soup to nuts. Or, grab a piece of pie, savory or sweet, with a latte from Royers’ Pie Haven in Henkel Square Market.
Henkel Square Market (above) & Bybee Square, both in the heart of Round Top, are quaint shops and galleries, all in historically significant structures.
Travelers here will no doubt be plain tuckered out after their Round Top experience. So, why go home? Instead, go to www.roundtop. org to choose from any number of charming accommodations, B&B or guest house style, located in Round Top’s proper, or the surrounding area. No hotel chains here, just abundant hospitality, and the perfect flavor of evening respite after a long day (and perhaps, night) of enjoying Round Top’s offerings. Here, the welcome mat is always out, and your accommodation will come with an evening sky where you can virtually pick the stars out of the night. Not to be missed Sites & Events: • Round Top Festival Institute, with acres
The young and the young at heart line up to watch the annual Fourth of July Parade in Round Top, shown here passing in front of Royer’s Cafe.
of gardens & 1200-seat concert hall plays host to both a summer festival, monthly concerts and year-round programs • Henkel Square Market & Bybee Square - quaint shops & galleries, all in historically significant structures • Round Top Family Library, a community treasure and a beautiful garden • Historic Bethlehem Lutheran Church • Five Art Galleries in and around Round Top, including those located in Bybee Square and Henkel Square Market Year-round Events • Spring Beer Festival • Fall Wine Festival • Spring & Fall Antiques Festival (October & April) • Spring Guitar Festival, Summer Concert Series & monthly Concerts and/or events at Round Top Festival Institute • Fall Quilt Festival • Numerous gallery openings and shows • 4th of July Celebration (longest continuously celebrated this side of the Mississippi) • Summer Shakespeare Festival • Christmas town-wide celebration with Santa on the Square (first Saturday in December) • Annual Chili Cook-off sponsored by the Round Top Family Library, the smallest accredited Library in the state of Texas. Schedule every January For complete and periodic information, the Chamber’s website is the place to go: www.roundtop.org.
Round Top
Festival Hill a World Famous Music Complex Located in historic Round Top, Texas, The James Dick Foundation for the Performing Arts and its sole project, Round Top Festival Institute, were founded in 1971 by worldrenowned concert pianist James Dick. Begun with a handful of gifted young pianists in rented space on the town square, the project is now an internationally acclaimed music institute for aspiring young musicians and distinguished faculty. Over a forty-three year period and with the help of its patrons and friends, The James Dick Foundation for the Performing Arts has developed superb year round education and performance programs. It has also created a unique 210-acre campus – Festival Hill – containing major performance facilities, historic houses, extensive gardens, parks
One of the students at last year’s Festival Institute shows off her instrument to a young visitor after the annual a free Kids Concert.
and nature preserves. Through its singular collection of rare books, manuscripts, archival material, music and historic recordings, photographs and objects, Round Top Festival Institute is also
A Special Place We are the Smallest Accredited Library in the State of Texas Stop by to check out our book, audiobook, and DVD collections or attend one of our community service programs for all ages. The Library is funded through private donations, events, volunteers, grants, and community partnerships.
206 West Mill, Round Top, TX 78954 • (979) 249-2700 • www.ilovetoread.org
known as an important center for research and scholarly study.
The Campus
Home of Round Top Festival Institute, the Festival Hill cam-
pus opened officially in 1976, and was just about six acres large. Today, it has grown to over 200 acres. It has been generously planted with thousands of trees and bushes of various species. It offers to visitors shadowing lakes, picnic areas, jogging trails and wonderful herb gardens. In addition to the School Building (1956), the only building on the original 6-acre site, the William Lockhart Clayton House (1885) from La Grange and the Menke House (1902) from Hempstead came to Festival Hill soon after its creation and today provide lodging, meeting, rehearsal, dining and practice space for the Young Artists, Faculty and staff. In 1994, the Edythe Bates Old Chapel (1883), formerly the Travis Street United Methodist Church of La Grange, was added Continued on next page
Round Top
Festival Hill a Musical Gem to the campus. The landscaping of the grounds is spectacular, offering various settings. More recent additions include the Texas/ Mediterranean Albert and Ethel Herzstein Stone Chapel and Memorial Plaza, the Log House and the three Artists Residences. The center piece of the campus is the magnificent 1,000 seat Festival Concert Hall, a peerless acoustical master work.
Concerts
The two-concerts season in 1971 have grown up into more than 30 concerts during June and July each year. The Augustto-April Series, the International Guitar Festival, the Theatre Forum, The Poetry Forum, and the Herbal Forum bring the total number of year-round events to more than fifty. The repertoire extends from the Ancient to contemporary music. The first commissioned work “Etudes for Piano and Orchestra” by Benjamin Lees was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. The Festival-Institute commissioned a new concerto for piano and orchestra, “Shiva’s Drum” by American composer Dan Welcher as part of its twenty-fifth anniversary celebration. James Dick performed the work with
the Texas Festival Orchestra conducted by Pascal Verrot on June 11, 1994. Another work for piano and orchestra, “Theme, Variations and Fugue” titled “Rasmandala” by British composer Malcolm Hawkins was premiered on June 8, 1996. In January 1997, the Festival-Institute commissioned Professor Chinary Ung to write a Choral-Fantasy for piano, chorus and orchestra titled “Rising Light”. The world premiere was performed on June 27, 1998 at Round Top. Students from conservatories and universities in the United States and abroad pursue their musical studies at Round Top under the guidance of an international faculty. While the number of Festival-Institute alumni is in the thousands, the project manages to give each student the personal attention that has been a hallmark of its program: it is both a festival and an institute, where students and faculty perform for appreciative and large audiences. For more information on Festival Hill, or to view a concert schedule, visit www.festivalhill. org or call (979) 249-3129. Festival Hill is located at 248 Jaster Rd. Round Top.
ROUND TOP, TX 78954
Y
our Artful Escape begins
right here. Discover the art of delectable food and fine wine; the art of comfort in well appointed accommodations; the art of ‘shop ‘til you drop’ in fabulous boutiques that hold everything from clothing to one-of-a-kind decor & gifts. Perfect the art of bootscootin’, just as well as porch sitting. Revel in artful pursuits such as world-class music, and exhibitions in several highly respected
galleries.
And,
Round Top’s Festivals are varied, fun & frequent. So, plan your Artful Escape soon, or right now by visiting...
www.roundtop.org
ROUND TOP AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The interior of the Festival Hill concert hall.
Round Top
James Dick –The Man Who Started Festival Hill Who would dare to stand in a cow pasture in the heart of central Texas, and declare it to be the future site of one of the world’s greatest performance and learning centers? A young concert pianist from Hutchinson, Kansas by the name of James Dick. Over the next 40 years, he would guide the development of the Round Top Festival Institute and its campus, Festival Hill. How did this internationally famous Center for Performance and Learning, situated a half mile from the town square of Round Top Texas come to be? There were two dreams in James Dick’s life. To create and grow Festival Hill and to become an internationally famous concert pianist. Both would come true. James Dick began his career by playing the triangle in his kindergarten classroom. Encouraged by his parents, he eventually, would study piano with Dalies Frantz, a noted American pianist at the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating with honors in piano, James received two back-to-back Fulbright Fellowships, and has received many honors, including the 2009 Texas Medal of Arts and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma
James Dick
mater. He also took top prizes at the Tchaikosky, Busoni and Leventritt International Competitions. Besides his own concert career, James Dick had another burning passion. To establish a teaching institute. He recognized how important his teachers and mentors had been to him, and he wanted to pass this gift along to others. Several locations were considered but, ultimately, Round Top was chosen. Miss Ima Hogg was an early James Dick fan, and noted for her knowledge of historic homes, beauty, craftsmanship and gardens. With Richard Royall – a recent Princeton
and University of Texas Law School graduate – as managing director, James started Round Top Festival Institute, the sole endeavor of The James Dick Foundation for the Performing Arts. The effort to attract talented faculty, motivated students with professional aspirations, appreciative audiences, and philanthropic support began. The goal was to raise full scholarships for each participating young artist. In the early years, piano-only performances were held in rented space, with ten young artists studying and performing with the Institute for two weeks of the summer. Practice areas and lodging for students and faculty was provided in the homes of interested neighbors throughout the nearby country side, including the Round Top home of Miss Ima Hogg. While Round Top is tiny, its location turned out to be the perfect place to build a dream. A place that provides year-round arts and humanities programs, houses museum and library collections, and continues with its centerpiece project, the Summer Music Festival, now providing training and orchestral performance opportunity to eighty-five young artists each summer.
Round Top State Bank TOM BAKER INSURANCE AGENCY
•Traditional Banking Services •Mortgage Lending •Home Equity •ATM at each location •Commercial and Consumer Online Banking
Full Service Agency Located at Round Top State Bank - Tommy Baker III, Agent Not a Deposit. Not FDIC Insured. Not Insured by any Federal Governmental Agency. Not Guaranteed by the Bank.
979-249-2126
• ROUND TOP 301 N. Washington 979-249-3151
• JARRELL (Eagle Bank - a Branch of Round Top State Bank) 12345 N. IH 35 512-746-2531
• LA GRANGE 2010 Hwy. 71 West 979-966-0556
• GIDDINGS 1442 E. Austin 979-542-7872
• ROUND ROCK (Eagle Bank - a Branch of Round Top State Bank) 2250 N. A.W. Grimes Blvd. 512-218-3903
• LEXINGTON 8681 St. Hwy. 77 979-773-2227 ROUND TOP FINANCIAL SERVICES
ROUND TOP STATE BANK INSURANCE AGENCY Your local Germania Agent - Tim Huebner Not a Deposit. Not FDIC Insured. Not Insured by any Federal Governmental Agency. Not Guaranteed by the Bank.
Full Service Brokerage - Reece Cernoch, Broker and Tom Baker III, Broker
EOE Your Hometown Bank Since 1912
Member FDIC
www.roundtopstatebank.com
Securities and insurance products are not FDIC or NCUA insured, not bank or credit guaranteed, may lose value, not insured by any federal government agency, and not a bank or credit union deposit. Securities and insurance products offered by LPL Financial and its affiliates, member FINRA/SIPC. LPL Financial and Round Top State Financial Services are independent entities.
Round Top
Round Top
TV’s Junk Gypsies Based in Round Top Two years ago The Junk Gypsies (Jolie SikesSmith, her sister Amie Sikes and their mother Janie Sikes) opened their decor and clothing store in Round Top, the latest in a vast empire that includes an television show on the GAC network, a booming online business as well as their prominent presence in Warrenton at Zapp Hall during the annual spring and fall antique shows. If you are not familiar with the Junk Gypsies, they’ve created their thriving brand in the last decade out of finding interesting items at flea markets (and in some cases re-purposing them) and then reselling them. “First and foremost we’re junkers,” Amie said in an earlier interview with the Fayette County Record. “And I guess we’re accidental designers.” They have their own line of clothing and jewelry and up until recently were based out of College Station. The Junk Gypsies have been the longtime hosts of one of Antique Week’s most popular events, the Junk-O-Rama Prom, at Zapp Hall. “We’ve been coming here for 10 years. There is such a spirit and energy here. It’s like a soul vaca- Two years ago the nationally famous designers, the Junk Gypsy family, opened their “world headquarters” in Round Top. They are shown here on opening day at their store. tion,” Jolie said of Antiques Week.
Round Top
Winedale & Shakespeare
Celebrating Summer Together for 45 Years
Just like Fayette County music ranges from polkas to symphonies, there’s world-class theater here, too. It’s heart lies in Winedale. That’s the tiny Texas community that Miss Ima Hogg fell in love with and literally bought – then turned it over to The University of Texas. Shakespeare at Winedale began as an English Department course in 1970. It grew out of
a meeting between Professor James Ayres (“Doc” to his students) and Miss Hogg, the philanthropist regarded as “the First Lady of Texas.” Miss Hogg had recently restored and donated to the University the Winedale Historical Center, a 270-acre area of pasture, woodland and historic pioneer buildings in central Texas. Noting the resemblance of an 1880s hay barn to an Elizabethan theater, she suggested that Ayres try having his students perform Shakespeare there. He agreed, and Shakespeare at Winedale was born. As the program grew in size and reputation, it began to attract students from outside the English Department and eventually beyond the University of Texas. Continued on next page
Shakespeare at Winedale students perform at a special 40th anniversary party for the program back in 2010.
Round Top
College Students Perform Shakespeare in a Barn Theater Continued from previous page The broad spectrum of students served by the program reflects its emphasis on performance as a learning method and a means of selfdiscovery, rather than an end in itself. For more than 40 years, Shakespeare at Winedale has drawn students with different cultural and academic backgrounds from universities around the United States. Their interests have ranged from medicine, law and physics to music, theatre, and English. They’ve met every June at Winedale to begin a journey that takes them well beyond their expectations and themselves. The program has now expanded to include year-round activities, including special programs for younger children such as Camp Shakespeare and an Educational Outreach Program. The Winedale Historical Center is part of the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas. To get there, go to Round Top, then at the blinking light, turn right onto FM 1457. After about 3 miles, turn left onto FM 2714. Drive one mile down the road. When you get to Winedale, there will be a split rail fence on the right. The visitor’s center is on your left and the Meadows Conference Center is just past the visitor’s center. 2015 performances: July 16-Aug. 9: Twelfth Night, Henry V, Pericles and The Duchess of Malfi. Reservations strongly recommended, particularly for Saturday performances and can be made by visiting the Shakespeare at Winedale website at www.shakespeare-winedale. org or calling (512) 471-4726. Tickets $5 for students, $10 for adults.
ET AY
TE C
O
UN
BE
T Y •
ST OF F
Original Oil Paintings by Dorothy Little
•
108 N. Washington Round Top, Tx 78954
979.249.3770 dorothylittlefineart.com dlittlegallery@gmail.com
Jim ‘Doc’ Ayres is the founder of the Shakespeare at Winedale program. Photo by Jeff Wick
Round Top
Round Top’s Famous 4th of July Fest The Round Top community has celebrated the Fourth of July every year since 1851. In fact, it’s known as the longest running Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi. The rest of the year, Round Top boasts an impressive population of 90 souls, many of German origin. But on the Fourth of July, our neighbors from Houston, Austin, San Antonio and everywhere in between travel into Round Top for a taste of an old-time, small-town Fourth. The replica civil war-era cannon roars at 10:30 a.m., announcing the parade of handmade floats, antique cars and tractors, fire engines, trail riders and longhorn cattle. The parade circles Round Top square to the enthusiastic strains of Round Top’s own Brass Band. Children dart out for candy and trinkets while families and neighbors visit on the town square. As the parade wraps up, everyone heads a few blocks down FM 1457 to the historic Round Top Rifle Hall. Association members have been up all night preparing
mouthwatering brisket, pork, and sausage on the Hall’s huge wood fired pits. German style potatoes, green beans, fixin’s, and homemade desserts round out a delicious buffet lunch. The afternoon continues with music, a raffle, and games for the kids until 4 p.m. when the local band sets up for the afternoon’s dance. Come join us for a fun-filled old fashioned Fourth!
That blasted cannon
Traditionally in Round Top, a cannon was fired as the official start of the July 4 celebration. In 1889, for some reason, the cannon did not fire. The President of the Rifle Association, John George Kaiser, bent over to inspect the cannon when it suddenly exploded. Mr. Kaiser was severely injured and died several days later from loss of blood and infection. A replica cannon is now used for the An entry in last year’s Round Top 4th of July pastart of the parade. It can be heard all over rade. The parade draws thousands of spectatown. tors. Photo by Jeff Wick
...come home to your heritage
TM
Your Texas Casual Cottages Team
Frank Johnston Sales Manager
979.249.7315
Sandi Shurley 832.418.3208
Betty Powell 281.850.7626
Vicki Holland 832.754.8555
W W W.H E R I TAGE T E X AS COU NT RY. C OM
Nancy Applebel 979.338.9690
Round Top
Round Top Schützen Verein Keeps German Roots Alive The Round Top Schützen Verein (shooting society) was formed in 1873 by the town’s German heritage inhabitants. The original charter of the Round Top Schützen Verein was to be a sporting club for the “encouragement of innocent out-door sports, such as bicycle riding, target and trap shooting, open air athletics, games, dancing and others of like character.” Of these different activities, only a few are still practiced; dancing and target shooting. The Rifle Association hosts many dances throughout the year. The primary event of the target shooting is the annual Schützenfest. The next evening, the members and public gather for the crowning of the König, followed by several hours of dancing to the music of a local band. Continued on next page
Marvin Marburger, this year’s Schützen-König (Shooting King) of the Round Top Rifle Association and Paulaner Brewery rep John Slaughter celebrate the ceremonial tapping of a traditional wooden keg of the famous brew at Saturday’s OctoBierFest. The keg was tapped using a wooden mallet to knock in a spigot near the bottom of the keg. Slaughter said the keg of beer is (was?) one of only 15 in the state. It cost about $200 for slightly less than eight gallons, but Saturday it was going for $3 a cup for as long as it lasted. This was the second year for the Fest which features German food, music and, of course, bier. Photo by H H Howze
“Wow” is a common reaction.
Ma Mu Rou y 3 sic nd 1 - Fe To Jul sT p y 1 iva 2, 2 l 015 Concerts
Dance Theatre Poetry Conferences Forums Retreats Celebrations Weddings Receptions Picnics Campus Tours Group Lunches Family Reunions Photo Shoots
Round Top FesTival insTiTuTe
International Center for Performance and Learning (979) 249-3129 • www.festivalhill.org