WELCOME

The Texas Hill Country

More than a state of mind ... it’s a unique mindset

Welcome to the heart of the Texas Hill Country!

Boerne is both literally and figuratively an entryway into one of Texas’ most beautiful regions, the Hill Country. While just a couple of decades or so ago, Boerne (pronounced Bur-nee) easily could have been considered “forgotten.” Today, it is a town where technology and times past enjoy equal balance. Boerne is recognized across the United States as a desirable place to live. Listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as one of the country’s fastest-growing regions, the area’s rapid expansion has meant numerous new housing subdivisions as well as an influx of industry, business and tourism. Boerne strives to hold on to its warm, small-town origins. Oak trees still grow together in canopies above many city streets while a trip to the grocery store almost guarantees an encounter with friends and neighbors.

See WELCOME, Page 5

WELCOME HISTORY THE HILL COUNTRY MILE FINE ARTS PARKS & THE OUTDOORS CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAPS SCHOOLS LODGING DRIVING TOURS DINING KENDALL COUNTY FAIR 3 6 8 10 12 16 22 25 26 28 30 36

BERGES FEST

37 TOUR DE BOERNE 38 CIBOLO CENTER FOR CONSERVATION 41

HELPFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

EMERGENCY 911 Crime Stoppers 1-800-348-LEAD

BOERNE:

City Offices 830-249-9511 Boerne Police (non-emerg) 830-249-8645 Public Library 830-249-3053 Swimming Pool 830-249-3969 Visitors Bureau 830-249-7277

BOERNE ISD:

Administration 830-357-2000 Boerne High School 830-357-2200 Champion High School 830-357-2600 Middle School North 830-357-3100 Middle School South 830-357-3300 Voss Middle School 830-357-3500 Cibolo Creek Elementary 830-357-4400 Curington Elementary 830-357-4000 Fabra Elementary 830-357-4200 Fair Oaks Ranch Elem 830-357-4800 Herff Elementary 830-357-4300 Kendall Elementary 830-357-4600 Van Raub Elementary 830-357-4100

COMFORT ISD:

Administration 830-995-6400 Comfort High School 830-995-6430 Middle School 830-995-6420 Elementary School 830-995-6410

FAIR OAKS RANCH:

City Offices Police Department

KENDALL COUNTY:

County offices Sheriff’s office EMS Office Extension Agent Justice of the Peace offices: Precinct 1 Precinct 2 210-698-0900 210-698-0990

830-249-9343 830-249-9721 830-249-3721 830-249-9343

830-249-9343 830-249-8404

Precinct 3

830-249-2820 Precinct 4 (Comfort) 830-995-2031 Drivers’ License office 830-249-6335

UTILITIES:

Bandera Electric Coop 866-226-3372 Boerne (elec, gas, water) 830-249-9511 Central Texas Coop 830-997-2126 Pedernales Electric Coop 830-868-7155 SA City Public Service 210-353-2222

MEDIA:

The Boerne Star 830-249-2441 Chamber of Commerce 830-249-8000 Hill Country Family Srvs 830-249-8643 Post Office 830-249-2414 Kendall Appraisal District 830-249-8012 Boerne Methodist ER 830-331-3000

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BoerneStarNews

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PUBLISHED AND COPYRIGHTED BY

BOERNE THE ST R

941 N. School St. • Boerne, TX 78006 830.249.2441 • www.boernestar.com

Publisher Editor Advertising Distribution Photography Jim Beaver Keith E. Domke Kolleen Roe & Shannon Lincoln Stephen Bartell & Melody Whittaker Keith E. Domke, Cindy Bormann, courtesy photos and file photos

ON THE COVER: Seventeen-month-old Archer Penson is all smiles as he grabs the head of the goose statue at River Road Park in Boerne on a perfect spring day. The park always is a popular place for local residents and guests to hang out as they enjoy Boerne, the gem of the Hill Country. Boerne Star photo by Keith E. Domke.

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ADVERTISER INDEX

Bechants ..................................................... 43 Bechants Men’s ........................................... 11 Billy’s Western Wear ................................... 39 Boerne Theater ........................................... 40 Calloux Theater .......................................... 29 Capital Farm Credit .................................... 35 Davison Insurance ....................................... 34 Epicure Gourmet Market ........................... 32 Fickle Pickles ............................................... 18 Glick Insurance ............................................ 9 Golden Outlook Insurance ......................... 21 Hill Country Classics ................................... 44 Hill Country Distillers .................................. 34 Hill Country Pregnancy Center .................. 39 KC Roofing ................................................. 5 Kendall County Democratic Party .............. 15 Klein Smokehaus ........................................ 29 Mumme’s .................................................... 21 Penguin Suits .............................................. 13 ShangHai ..................................................... 2 The Creek Restaurant ................................. 33 The Dienger Trading Co ............................. 31 The Boerne Star .......................................... 40

The Boerne Star would like to thank all of its advertisers appearing in this 2021 Spring/Summer Visitors Guide.

FROM PAGE 3 The surrounding countryside is lush and arid, dramatic and pastoral. Streams and rivers soften the sharp-edged limestone topography. Roosters and goats, still raised within city limits by a few old timers, may wander about under cell phone towers that have risen within the last several years. Established by a young group of Germans who considered themselves classical philosophers – or Free Thinkers – Boerne originally didn’t allow churches inside the city limits. Today, however, the town is home to numerous religious congregations. Also enormously important within the ranks of the city’s population is its volunteerism. Citizens selflessly donate countless hours not only to religious matters, but to social, educational, environmental, political and historical causes as well. The crown jewel of Boerne’s history is its quaint Main Street. Also called the Hill Country Mile, it is lined by many of the buildings that formed the vibrant core of the county’s “city life.” These structures, although admired by tourists, are still thought of as home by the town’s octogenarians. “That’s the house where I grew up,” one might point out, or “There’s the hospital where I was born,” or “Here’s the dry goods store that sold us fabric for our dresses.” And apparently it’s not only long-timers and newcomers who are drawn to Boerne’s old structures. Ghosts, it seems, are drawn to the buildings as well. For example, the lovely, ornate Joseph Dienger building on Main Plaza has an officially certified other-worldly occupant believed to be the building’s original owner, Joseph Dienger himself. Whether it’s shopping, visiting the area’s beautiful caves, exploring the local nature center, enjoying historically authentic exhibits, birding, cycling, hunting or hiking, Boerne provides the ideal blend of the urban and the rural.

Close on one hand is an international airport, the Alamo, the San Antonio Riverwalk, SeaWorld of Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, the San Antonio Zoo and numerous concert and museum venues. Nearby on the other hand is the unique and sought-after beauty of the beautiful and picturesque Texas Hill Country.

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