T RAILHEA D BANDERA BULLETIN
G AT E WAY T O T H E T E X A S H I L L C O U N T R Y
FALL 2019 WWW.BANDERABULLETIN.COM
T RAILHEA D BANDERA BULLETIN
OUR TEAM Publisher JONATHAN DEELEY Editor BILL PACK Office Manager & Bookkeeper FRAN FOX Sales & Advertising DEE RUSS Magazine Designer MATT HELLMAN
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................PAGE 2 WELCOME FROM THE PUBLISHER.............. PAGE 3 FALL EVENTS CALENDAR...............................PAGE 4 SOUNDS OF SYMPHONY...............................PAGE 8 ARTS FEST RETURNS TO INGRAM.............. PAGE 10
Cover photo by FABRIZIO VERRECCHIA
FALL AT LOST MAPLES................................. PAGE 11 DAY AT THE MUSEUM................................. PAGE 12 HILL COUNTRY MUSIC FEST........................ PAGE 16 WELCOME HOME FEST............................... PAGE 17 THIRTEEN NIGHTS OF FRIGHT.................... PAGE 18 NIGHTMARE ON MAPLE STREET................ PAGE 19 MEDINA LAKE CAJUN FEST......................... PAGE 20 BANDERA BUCKFEST.................................. PAGE 21 PUMPKIN PATCHES IN BLOOM................... PAGE 22
P.O. Box 697 606 Hwy 16 South Bandera, TX 78003 For advertising, call 830-796-3718 www.banderabulletin.com
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Welcome to the Trailhead BY JONATHAN DEELEY Bandera Bulletin Publisher
Fall is a special time of year. It marks the beginning of the holiday season and the outside temperature drops 10 degrees (to a comfortable 90). It’s a time of parades, family gatherings and one special night of dressing as your alter-ego, whether that was a superhero or a cowboy. As any small child growing up in middle class America in the mid-70s, I found myself watching hours of reruns, including The Lone Ranger, Laramie and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. With familiar story lines of invulnerable heroes who risked everything to bring order to the untamed frontier, these television shows captivated my imagination. And like most small boys, we not only wanted to emulate these heroes, but these shows only left us dreaming of a different life. I wanted to be a cowboy. As a family, we didn’t go hunting, occasionally fished, and my father’s idea of roughing it was Howard Johnson’s. A trained architect with his own firm,
my father explained it wasn’t what he did as a boy. The Boy Scouts filled some of the gaps, but there was still no Wild West equivalent to “running away and joining a circus.” Having three older sisters did not encourage confidence that I would achieve my cowboy goal. But one day, as luck would have it, my dad acquired six ponies. He had them boarded at our lake house property where we would visit on the weekends. My father never offered an explanation to where the small horses came from, nor did he offer any tack or instructions as to how to ride them. Being next to the youngest, I got last pick of the ponies. My default selection was a pregnant mare named “Buttercup.” At 10-years-old, I was a far-cry from resembling the rough-and-rugged men portrayed in black-and-white cowmen who could start a fire, shoot a pistol and charm a damsel with the tip of their Stetson hat. Protectors of the home and hearth. And most impressive, they could also ride a horse. I was having a pretty
tough time with Buttercup. Without the benefit of a saddle, sound advice or adult supervision, I learned my first lesson: crying and screaming will not stop a horse. In time, however, I learned how to hold onto the mane, jump off when Buttercup headed for a tree and at all cost, avoid the one-eyed stud. I also earned the distinction of the first family member to break a bone. I would eventually break my left arm three more times. This will be my first fall season in Bandera since taking the helm as publisher of the Bandera Bulletin. The list of events planned in our town and the surrounding area is impressive, from the Nightmare on Maple Trunk or Treat (hosted by the Bandera City Marshal’s office) and music festivals to an interactive haunted hayride where participants shoot paintballs at zombies. I look forward to more seasons in Bandera, exciting events and perhaps a lower electric bill. I too plan to dress up for Halloween and perhaps even woo a damsel with my Stetson. VOL. 1, NO. 1 | FALL 2019
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Fall Events Call us at 830-796-3718 to sumbit your events for the next calendar. Casino Night Sept. 21, 6 – 10 p.m. Flying L Ranch Resort (830) 796-7745 Casino Night at the Flying L Hill Country Resort Ghost Town Facility. All proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Bandera County. Frontier Times Jamboree Sept. 22, 1 – 4 p.m. Frontier Times Museum (830) 796-3864 Fourth Sunday of each month. Cowboy music performance, free and fun for all ages. 39th Annual Medina Lake Cajun Festival Sept. 28, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Annual Cajun Festival & Gumbo Cook-Off (830) 7512727 Cost: $12 Adults, Children 10 & under free. Cowboy Capital Opry Oct. 1, 7 – 9 p.m. Silver Sage Community Center (830) 796-4969 Cost: $5 adults; $12 family; $10 per person reserved seating. Bandera Market Days Oct. 2, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Bandera County Courthouse Lawn (210) 215-1995 Arts and crafts vendors on the courthouse lawn in downtown Bandera. Rumble on the River 2019 Oct. 4 - 6 Mansfield Park Motorcycle rally moved 4
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one week earlier than normal to avoid conflict with event vendors. 9th Annual Texas Frogs For Freedom Run Oct. 5, 9 a.m. 11th Street Cowboy Bar (830) 796-4849 Registration begins 9am. First bikes out 10am Bandera Market Days Oct. 5, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Bandera County Courthouse Lawn (210) 215-1995 Arts and crafts vendors on the courthouse lawn in downtown Bandera.
cabrito, brisket & sausage dinner raffle and silent auction. TX Hill Country Music Fest Oct. 12, 6 p.m. 11th St. Cowboy Bar, Bandera, (830) 796-5726 8th Annual Fundraiser benefitting local non-profit organizations in Bandera with great live music. Live auction & 50/50 raffle. Featuring Zac
Wilkerson and Jason Eady. Doors open at 6pm with music starting at 7 pm. Catered meal by Brick’s available. Market Day & 1st annual Chili Cook-Off Oct. 19, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Pipe Creek Presbyterian Church (830) 510-6650 Handmade items, greeting cards, jams and jellies, soaps, candles, baby items,
Pipe Creek Pumpkin Patch Oct. 5 – 27, 11 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Pipe Creek Tree Farm (210) 426-6191 Activities include a hayride, hay jump, scarecrow dressing, visiting farm animals and pumpkin painting with the purchase of a pumpkin 13 Nights of Fright on the Western Trail Oct. 5 – 31, 6 – 11:55 p.m. Farm Country RV Park (830) 589-2276 Bandera’s first-ever interactive haunted hayride. Using a paintball gun, guests will be able to ward off the undead. Annual Cabrito & BBQ Dinner Oct. 6, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Medina Community Center Annual fundraiser benefitting the Medina Livestock & Wildlife Association with
A young visitor to the Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch licks her lips while posing for a picture on the grounds of the Medina event. It and the Pipe Creek Pumpkin Patch open for business Oct. 5. Courtesy photo
Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch Oct. 05 – Oct. 28, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch (800) 449-0882 A festival for children and the child in us all.
jewelry and more. Lunch, quilt raffle and bake sale. Prizes will be supplied by nationally acclaimed artist Esther Benedict.
sures within the old jailhouse. There is a little bit of everything. Benefiting the Frontier Times Museum.
Bandera Wrangler St. Jude Fundraiser Oct. 19, 2 p.m. Red Horse Saloon Music, fish fry, auction, 50/50 raffle with proceeds benefitting St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Frontier Times Jamboree Oct. 27, 1 – 4 p.m. Frontier Times Museum (830) 796-3864 Join us on the 4th Sunday of each month as we have live music, storytelling and more. Free and fun for all ages.
BISD Education Foundation Fundraiser Oct. 19, 3 – 8 p.m. Hill Country Cellars, (830) 796-2326 Four bands, bouncy house, 50/50 raffle, Busbee’s food truck to raise money for Bandera ISD Education Foundation. Second annual Bandera Fire & Rescue BBQ & Chili Cook-off Oct. 19 Mansfield Park Washer tournament, bouncey house, Lone Star Barbecue Society sanction chili cook-off for Bandera Fire & Rescue.
Nightmare on Maple Halloween Event Oct. 31, 5:30 – 10 p.m. Bandera City Park The Bandera City Marshal’s Office second annual combined National Night Out and Halloween celebration. There will be Trunk or Treating, haunted hayrides, bouncy houses and Haunted Halloween fun for all ages.
Oasis Run for the Heroes III Oct. 26, 9:15 p.m. Oasis for Warriors, 888 Mountain View, Pipe Creek.
Bandera County Chamber of Commerce Opening Day Buck Fest Nov. 1, 6 – 10 p.m. Mansfield Park Annual dinner and dance celebrating hunters and the hunting season since 1962. Gun raffle, silent and live auctions as well.
Trash & Treasure Show Oct. 27, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Old county jailhouse complex Come browse the trea-
Annual Turkey Shoot Nov. 2, 9am Castle Lake Ranch VFD (830) 535-6611 Raffle & silent auction.
Welcome Bik�s
2 4 4 0 S T AT E H I G H W AY 1 6 N O R T H
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CHECK OUT OUR MUSIC LINE-UP
EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT: KARAOKE WITH DJ RAY SEPT. 14: .................... TO BE ANNOUNCED SEPT. 17: ............BRANDON NICHOLSON/ LYNN CAVIN & OPEN MIC - 6:30-10:30 SEPT. 21 .................................. WILDSTREAK 6:30-10:30 SEPT. 22: ................................ WILDSTREAK 5:00-9:00 SEPT. 28: .............................ALLEN LOVE & COUNTRY PRIDE- 6:30-10:30 OCT. 05: .............. BRANDON NICHOLSON/ LYNN CAVIN & OPEN MIC - 6:30-10:30 OCT. 06: ......................................MARK PIPER 4:00-7:00 OCT. 12:.................................... WILDSTREAK 6:30-10:30 OCT. 13: ..................................BOB STEWART 4:00-7:00 OCT. 19: ............. ST. JUDE’S CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BENEFIT - STARTS NOON SERVING FOOD, DONATIONS ACCEPTED NOON -2:00 PM AUCTION - 2:00-5:00 ALLAN LOVE & COUNTRY PRIDE BAND - 6:30 -10:30 OCT. 26: ...................... TO BE ANNOUNCED VOL. 1, NO. 1 | FALL 2019
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Fall Events Call us at 830-796-3718 to sumbit your events for the next calendar. Annual Hunter’s Game Dinner Nov. 2, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. The Farm Country Club Sponsored by the Medina Volunteer Fire Dept. Bandera Honors Veterans Nov. 9, 2019, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. American Legion Post 157 (830) 796-7528 Military memorabilia stands on courthouse grounds, ceremony and guest speaker at 11 a.m., a noon parade and free barbecue for veterans.
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Cork ‘n Fork Nov. 9, 6 – 10pm The Farm Country Club (830) 796-4448. Arthur Nagel Community Clinic’s fifth annual fundraiser. Honoring military veterans and Bandera’s own Buddy Byrd. Great food, friendship and fun for a life-changing cause. Catering by the Ranch House, Kirby and Stephanie Jones. Musical guest artist Tony Booth. Live and silent auctions.
Cowboy Capital Christmas and Shoppers Jubilee Dec. 6 – 7 p.m. Bandera County Courthouse and downtown Bandera, (830) 796-3781 Enjoy beautiful lights and the sweet sound of children’s voices as choirs bring us their version of what makes Christmas special. A visit from Santa. Holiday shopping while the streets are filled with strolling Christmas carolers, musicians and cowboys.
Cowboy Capital Christmas Parade Dec. 7, 11 a.m. Main Street Bandera, (830) 796-3045 See Santa and all cowboys as they celebrate the holidays in a parade on Main Street. Children’s Christmas Party Dec. 7, 2 – 5 p.m. Lakehills Civic Center, (830) 751-9904 Children’s Christmas Party – gifts, crafts, finger foods, photo with Santa, nativity and more.
Celebra�ng a Rock Legend
An Evening with a Television, Film and Stage Star!
A Holiday Tribute to The Four Seasons
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VOL. 1, NO. 1 | FALL 2019
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KERRVILLE’S CAILLOUX THEATER PRESENTS Symphony of the Hills Professional orchestra comes to the Texas Hill Country
For tickets and information: www.symphony ofthehills.org (830) 792-7469
Symphony of the Hills BY PHIL HOUSEAL Contributing Writer
Newcomers to the Texas Hill Country are surprised and pleased to dis-
Symphony of the Hills orchestra performs on stage. 8
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cover the Symphony of the Hills, a professional 75-piece orchestra that offers a full season of classical concerts every year at Kerrville’s Cailloux Theater. Such a high caliber of classical mu-
Courtesy photo
sic is unexpected outside the metro areas, according to Dr. Eugene Dowdy, Conductor and Artistic Director. “Symphony orchestras like ours are rare,” Dowdy said. “This is not just a community orchestra; I like to remind my friends that Symphony of the Hills is a professional orchestra. These are professional musicians playing and teaching on their instruments. How fortunate we are in the Hill Country to have a 75-piece professional symphony orchestra that plays a five-concert season.” Symphony of the Hills 2019-2020 Season begins on October 3 with Swan Songs for the Orchestra, a program of “graceful music” featuring works by Wagner, Haydn, St. Saens, and Tchaikovsky. Concerts are held at the Cailloux Theater, 910 Main, Kerrville, starting at 7:30 p.m. Each concert is preceded by a wine and cheese reception for attendees Boasting a symphony orchestra benefits a community beyond providing classical concerts. The Symphony of the Hills offers outreach
opportunities, including two children's concerts that impact 1600 elementary students at 24 area schools. It also attracts talent and supports all the arts in the area, according to Dr. Tim Summerlin, Board President. “The upcoming season will excite our audience,” Summerlin said. “We will welcome two exceptional guest artists and a talented brass group to our concerts. Meanwhile, you will continue to see the Symphony of the Hills artists engaged in the community, providing music at events such as the Leadership Kerr County graduation or the Chalk Festival celebration. We want to partner again in the future with Kerrville Folk Festival, Hill Country Arts Foundation, and the Texas Arts & Crafts Fair as we did last year. You will see the
Symphony around our community.” One of the distinctive features of the Symphony of the Hills is the relationship between conductor, orchestra, and audience. “I’ve conducted and performed in lots of theaters, and the Cailloux Theater is a gem,” Dowdy said. “It boasts superb acoustics, and is just lovely to be in. To be able to experience five concerts here at such reasonable pricing is an incredible opportunity. We are performing music for our friends, and we want the community to share our accomplishments. And also to bring their friends and help spread the word about the Patron, Subscriber, and individual concert seating options are now available for the orchestra’s five concerts between October and April.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR Eugene Dowdy Dowdy is in his third year as conductor and artistic director of the Symphony of the Hills, Kerrville, Texas, and for two years was their associate conductor under Jay Dunnahoo. Dowdy has served for 20 years as professor and director of orchestral studies and instrumental conducting at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He conducts the UTSA Orchestra and the Lyric Theatre Orchestra and is the founding director of the UTSA String Project, a nationally recognized teacher-training program. For six years he served as the music department chair at UTSA and is currently the interim chair. Dowdy was the assistant conductor of the Mid-Texas Symphony from 2009-2013 under David Mairs, and also guest conducted the Camerata de Coahuila, the state orchestra of Coahuila, Mexico.
Symphony of the Hills February 27, 2020 April 23, 2020
January 11, 2020
October 3, 2019 December 5, 2019
2019 ~20 Concert Season
all performances at the
CAILLOUX THEATER 910 Main Street, Kerrville, TX
Tickets Starting at $25 For Tickets Visit www.symphonyofthehills.org CALL 830-792-7469 or the CAILLOUX BOX OFFICE 830-896-9393 VOL. 1, NO. 1 | FALL 2019
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Spotlight EVENT
Arts and crafts fair returns in Ingram
FOR THE BULLETIN Contributed article
More than 100 artists, exhibitors, musicians and demonstrators will sprawl across 13 acres when the Texas Arts and Crafts Fair returns to the Kerr County on the grounds of the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram on Sept. 28 and Sept. 29. After last year’s successful relaunch of the “official” state arts festival, this fall’s event promises favorite features and a few changes, organizers said. Visitors will be treated to a wide range of arts and crafts exclusively made by Texas residents, as well as fair food offerings, entertainment and educational and recreational activities. The fair opens at 10 a.m. each day. It closes at 5 p.m. on Sept. 28 and 4 p.m. on Sept. 29. The fair’s concert, held in conjunction with the Kerrville Folk Festival, Schreiner University and the Hill Country Arts Foundation, moves to Saturday night. Billed as the “Legacy Concert,” the show celebrates the community collaboration that began in 1972 when the fair and the folk festival were founded to showcase art and music on the grounds of Schreiner University. Headliners for the concert are the legendary folk trio The Limeliters and Kerrville’s own Sentimental Journey Orchestra, under the direction of Ted Conerly. The invitation-only “Heritage Artists” exhibit will be indoors at the foundation's Duncan-McAshan Gallery. Invited exhibitors include regional artists who have a historical connection to the arts and crafts fair and the arts foundation. Among the artists are Legacy Artist Amado Peña, watercolorist Edith Maskey of Comfort and goldsmith Fred Stockbauer of Wimberley, all of whom exhibited at the first fair, held in 1972 10
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Ceramic artist Karen Cruce displays one of the colorful bowls she has made. She will be one of the artists who will take part in the 2019 Texas Arts and Crafts Fair in Ingram this month. Photo courtesy of Jane Lee
on the Schreiner campus in Kerrville. Scores of other artists will exhibit in festival tents in the area surrounding Stonehenge II. Ceramics, photography, woodworking and painting of all types will share the tents with jewelry makers, basket makers, metal workers, weavers and fiber artists. Musicians booked for the Stonehenge Stage include Willow City, The Flashbacks, Kerrvana, The Elderberries and Josh Murley and Florin Sanchez and an encore performance by perennial crowd pleasers Buster Baldwin and Emil Willmann. HCAF board President Dave Staggs said the unique 13-acre site on the banks of the Guadalupe River is the ideal location to showcase this major community event. Event Director Wanda Cash said the 2018 fair was a success in terms of attendance, artist sales and community
support. “We had 140 volunteers who helped us create a fun weekend of art, music and good food,” Cash said. “It rained Saturday, but folks kept coming in the gates and buying art.” The idea for the arts and crafts fair originated in 1970, when the Texas Tourist Development Agency, inspired by successful arts fairs in West Virginia and Canada, wanted to establish a similar event in Texas. From a number of competing cities, Kerrville was selected as the host site, and the first arts and crafts fair was held over Memorial Day weekend in 1972, designated as the official state arts and crafts fair by the Texas Legislature. Tickets for the event will be $10 for adults, $5 for students, and youngsters ages 12 and younger will get in for free. The Saturday night concert at Point Theater will cost $25 and $35.
Fall big season at Lost Maples SPECIAL TO THE BULLETIN Contributed article
Any time is a good time to visit the Lost Maples State Natural Area north of Vanderpool to appreciate the majesty of nature, but the fall is when it attracts the most attention because of how colorful the trees that cover the hillsides become. The big attraction at the natural area are the stands of Big Tooth Maples that the preserve is named for. They turn yellowish and then orange and red when the temperatures start cooling and the conditions are right, said Lost Maples’ Superintendent Lisa Fitzsimmons. Sycamore trees also abound throughout the natural area and their leaves can become a brilliant yellow during the cool fall season, while the red oaks display more copper hues during the period. Fitzsimmons said the best time to see the brilliance of fall is from mid-October through November, with peak times generally being the second or third week of November. By the start of December, most of the leaves on the trees have fallen. The natural area’s website posts updates about the impact of the fall season in mid-October each year. It is available at https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ lost-maples/foliage-reports. Visitors from across Texas and throughout the country visit Lost Maples to see the colors change. Fitzsimmons said it draws about 30,000 people in November alone. Since it is a natural area, public use of the
trails, camping areas and other resources are controlled to reduce the impact that has on the land. When its parking lots fill up, which they might during the fall, the area will close for a period to allow crowds to thin and open again, typically, about 1 p.m. Park officials ask visitors to consider visiting during the week days rather than the weekends or holidays during the fall to avoid the crowds. No day-use reservations are not available at Lost Maples, but visitors can get pre-paid admission online and camping reservations that will guarantee entrance even during the periods when the park is closed.
For help in securing those reservations, go online to https://tpwd.texas.gov/stateparks/park-reservation-information/reservations. Reservations can be made by calling 512-389-8900. The natural area is located at 37221 FM 187 and features more than 10 miles of trails. It costs $6 per person to enter for anyone 13 and older. Those under the age of 13 get in free. Visitors who are backpacking it can use primitive camping areas for an extra $10 fee. Thirty camping sites with water and electric hookups are available for $20 a night in addition to the admission fee.
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Trixie, one of the stars in Night At The Museum, greets visitors inside the International Hall. Photo by Phil Houseal
Day At The
MUSEUM Bandera's Natural History Museum offers you the chance to take a tour 65 million years in the making...
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BY PHIL HOUSEAL
The first vibe upon arriving is a little Jurassic Park-ish.
A
"
s an elementary science teacher, I was perennially fascinated by the fascination dinosaurs held for all students. I now have a granddaughter who requested a dinosaur theme for her 3rd birthday, and she was talking Triceratops, not Barney. So, when I learned there is a museum in the Hill Country that features life size models of dinosaurs, we took the 45-minute, 65-million-year drive to the Bandera Natural History Museum. The first vibe upon arriving is a little Jurassic Park-ish. Sixteen life size reproductions of dinosaurs and ice age animals ring the parking lot. That’s not by accident. “Kids love seeing those as they drive in,” said Dr. M.J. Schumacher, Director of Operations. “One reason Mr. Infante thought of putting dinosaurs outdoors was so kids would say, can we go there?” Juan Carlos Infante is the prime mover behind this project. Born in Argentina, Infante emigrated to the United States where he became an engineer and worked in the oil and gas industry. He is a Medina rancher and an avid hunter, and early on had a dream of creating such a museum for educational purposes. He chose Bandera for its reputation as a tourist destination. In 2011 they formed an educational nonprofit, and in the summer of 2016 opened the 14,000 square foot building on eight acres of land. Inside the International Hall, the Museum Collection features an impressive array of full body animal mounts from around the world, including a lion, wolf, grizzly bear, kangaroo, and giraffe.
Bandera’s Natural History Museum is an unexpected treasure located in Bandera, Texas. Young dinosaur hunters can get up close to 16 life size replicas on the grounds. Photo by Phil Houseal VOL. 1, NO. 1 | FALL 2019
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There are artifacts from many cultures, including a collection of ceremonial masks, arrow and spear points, wood carvings, and a 2,000-pound jade tiger from Taiwan. Overhead flies a full-size replica of Quetzalcoatlus with a 36' wingspan, and you can view a real 50,000-year-old femur from a mammoth. Outside you find several “dig sites,” where youngsters can dig up bones like real archeologists. “The company that made all our dinosaurs also builds them for movies, including Jurassic Park and all the Night At The Museum movies,” Schumacher said. “When they realized Trixie was going to be destroyed after the movie was filmed, they asked 20th Century-Fox if we could have it for display here.” In its short existence, the Natural History Museum has become a popular destination for school groups from surrounding communities. I can see why–it held the attention of both me and my young dinosaur hunter. Her favorite was the Trail of Habitats, a hall of six dioramas depicting life in different parts of the planet. Locals seem to linger over the arctic tundra the most, not surprising in July in South Texas. Schumacher enjoys seeing that and other effects the museum makes on visitors of all ages. “For the young kids, just to see them so excited and exposed to things they’ve never seen before is fun,” she said. “It opens up a world of possibility for them. We have children and adults who come and this is their first time at any museum. I find it very heartening to show them that, yes, you can have fun and you can also learn.” The same goes for grownups and grandpas.
THE MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART
...Where the legend lives 36th Annual Roundup Exhibition and Sale Through October 26th
Exhibition includes over 120 pieces of original art from 57 renowed western artists, including members of the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America.
Coyote Moon by Nancy Boren
Come add to your collection of exceptional western art.
1550 Bandera Hwy., Kerrville TX 78028 - museumofwesternart.com Open Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. 830.896.2553
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Young dinosaur hunters can get up close to 16 life size replicas on the grounds Photo by Phil Houseal
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KIWANIS CLUB PRESENTS Texas Hill Country Music Fest
Country singer-songwriter Jason Eady performs at a recent show. He and Zac Wilkerson will take the stage for the 8th annual Tx Hill Country Music Fest that will be held Oct. 12 at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar in Bandera. The festival will raise money for three area nonprofits. Courtesy photo
The Tx Hill Country Music Fest will offer a night’s worth of Texas country tunes, tasty food and a chance to bid on fun items in a live auction all for a good cause when it returns to the 11th Street Cowboy Bar in Bandera on Oct 12. Performing at the 8th annual music fest sponsored by the Bandera County Kiwanis Club will be hard-charging country tunesmiths Jason Eady and Zac Wilkerson. In addition, Brick’s River CafÊ will have food available to purchase, and an auction featuring a variety of gifts from local and regional retailers will be held during one of the breaks. Free tasting stations also will be set up by Rebecca Creek Distillery and Bloody
Boody, a pre-mixed cocktail, for guests to enjoy. Tickets for the festival cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Pre-sale tickets are available through Outhouse Tickets. Organizers said the festival will benefit three area nonprofits – the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund, the Warriors Heart Foundation and the Bandera Challenger Sports League, which helps disabled youngsters in the area get involved or stay involved in sports. Money raised by the event will be split evenly between the three. Doors to the festival will open at 6 p.m., and music will start an hour later. The cowboy bar is located at 307 11th St. in Bandera.
KERRVILLE PRESENTS Welcome Home Fest
STEAKS • SEAFOOD • PASTAS
WEEKEND BREAKFAST Beto & the Fairlanes pauses for a photo during one of its recent performances. The Austin band will be a headliner at the new Welcome Home Fest that the Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation is putting on at the Quiet Valley Ranch in October. Courtesy photo
For almost 50 years, people have gathered at the Quiet Valley Ranch to celebrate the Kerrville Folk Festival, and the event has developed such a close following among its artists and guests that the phrase “Welcome home” is the one most commonly used when everyone returns for a new show. Since a year was too long to ask supporters to wait for another event, a fall gathering was created a few years ago to shorten the gap named “Little Folk” because of the smaller crowds. This year, an all-new fall gathering will take place called the “Welcome Home Fest.” It will be intimate, organizers said, as all programming will take place in the Threadgill Theater, and it will arrive later in the year when the weather is cooler. The three-day event will be held Oct. 11-13 and will feature a variety of live music, food vendors, craft offerings, a silent auction and, last but not least, a campground of music appreciators and players. Among the performers to take the Threadgill state will be Flaco Jimenez & Los Texma-
niacs, Guy Forsyth and Jeska Bailey, Joe King Carrasco, Walk Wilkins & the Mystiqueros, Beat Root Revival, South Austin Moonlighters, the Bob Livingston Trio, Shawn Camp, Warren Hood, Will Owen Gage, Beto & the Fairlanes and American Dreamer. A Music Camp for Teens also will he held with music by Tori & Red and Joel & John, and Sunday’s festivities will start with gospel music by Akina Adderley, of the Vintage Payboys. The Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation is also excited to announce that between Threadgill programming, “Tweener” sets will present fresh artists at the Kerrtry Kourtyard. In addition, late-night acoustic showcases are being planned. Tickets are available now for purchase online at discounted price. Gate price will start on the site at 1 p.m. on Oct. 11. Call the foundation’s office at 830-257-3600 with any questions and to reserve a spot for RVs, which are limited. Information also is available at the festival’s website, www.welcomehomefest.org.
★ Wing Night ★ Steak & Oysters ★ Trivia ★ Cajun Night ★ Prime Rib
807 Main Street Bandera, TX 78003 (830) 796-9990 www.tjsoldforge.com We’ll Keep You Comin Back VOL. 1, NO. 1 | FALL 2019
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Zombie-like performers like those expected to take part in Bandera's new Thirteen Nights of Fright Haunted Hayride. Visitors shooting paintball guns will ward off groups of “zombies” on a trail southeast of Medina in the event that gets started Oct. 5. Courtesy photo
THIRTEEN NIGHTS OF FRIGHT Bandera's newest ‘Zombie’-filled attraction BY BILL PACK
Bandera Bulletin Editor The Halloween season will get a little spookier – and organizers hope a lot more fun - around Bandera this October as a horde of “undead” actors become the targets of sharpshooters firing paintballs from wagons in a new venture called the Thirteen Nights of Fright Haunted Hayride. A partnership called the Cowboy Capital Dinner Theatre is bringing what it calls “an interactive, audience participation haunted hayride” to the fields around the Farm Country Club at 347 Pue Road, southeast of Medina, for 14 nights in October. The first night of the zombie-shooting adventure, on Oct. 5, will be listed as a soft opening aimed at attracting reporters, cameramen and women and other media representatives to get a firsthand look at what goes into the holiday presentation. It then will continue on Oct. 6 and every Friday through Sunday that’s left in October, along with Oct. 29, 30 and 31, ending on Halloween. The partners who put the venture together are film stuntmen and performers who are paintball enthusiasts and believe there are a lot more people who would love 18
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the opportunity to take shots at live characters dressed up like zombies and vampire overlords with paintball guns mounted on wagons during the Halloween season. The wagons will travel down trails for a little more than 20 minutes giving visitors the chance to shoot not only at the costumed zombies on the trail but inanimate targets the creators of the event are constructing and even some targets with animatronic features. Each visitor with a shooter’s ticket will have a paintball gun with 100 rounds in it. Those wanting to inflict more paintball damage can buy additional rounds of 100 for $5 per round. “We want to give people of all ages something fun and exciting as an option for their fall, Halloween activities,” said Jody Stelzig, one of the three partners who have put the attraction together. “I think it’s going to be a great entertainment option for folks around here.” A $5 ticket will get visitors into the general admission area of the outdoor venue, which will be filled with food and merchandise vendors, games for youngsters, live music and an area where people can take shooting practice at zombies with a paintball gun. That shooting gallery will cost $1 for 10 shots.
For a $15 ticket, visitors can get a general admission pass and can get onto the wagons as non-shooters. A $20 ticket will get guests into the event and on to the wagons as shooters, which includes the first 100 rounds of paintballs. Each wagon that’s sent out on the tour can hold up to 14 shooters and six people who are not shooting. Stelzig said the zombie shoot-fest will be an introduction to other Western-themed live productions the dinner theatre group is planning. A comedy based on a cattle drive gone awry is being planned for the spring inside the event center at the Farm Country Club, he said. To add to the authenticity of the Thirteen Nights of Fright, the wagons, gun mounts, zombies and other features are being outfitted in the look of the Old West. Stelzig said other companies have put on zombie-combating hayrides in other parts of the country, but normally with a more contemporary feel. The Thirteen Nights of Fright is the only Western-themed zombie hayride he is aware of. The fun will start at 6 p.m. each night the venue is open. It will last until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and the three days that end on Halloween. On Sundays, it will close at 11 p.m.
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NIGHTMARE ON
MAPLE STREET
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BY CHUCK MCCOLLOUGH Bandera Bulletin Staff Writer
The Nightmare on Maple Street returns to Bandera on Oct. 31 for its second fun and safe Halloween celebration for kids of all ages in the Bandera City Park, 1102 Maple Street and outside of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bandera County Teen Center, 715 Maple St. The first Nightmare on Maple Street - a combination of Halloween and National Night Out - last year was rainy and still drew an estimated 800 visitors to a variety of outdoor activities scheduled along the Medina River, said Bandera Deputy Marshal Willie Smith who is organizing the event. He is optimistic the event will have a larger crowd this year based on positive feedback he got last year from families and others who took part. Smith expects more churches to be involved in programming this year and for games to be added to give youngsters more to do. Last year the event was a night of fun, fake fright and a parade of clever costumes
worn by children and adults. Costumes included zombie nuns, a tall Oz munchkin, a skinny Superman, the entire Flintstone family, Scooby Doo baby, a bouncing teen dinosaur, a taco, skeleton, clowns and a Bandera City Council member dressed like a kitty. Deputy Smith said the same fun components from last year like bouncing houses, free food, a DJ, a haunted hayride and trunk or treat activities will be available as well as a more clearly defined pumpkin patch area, where visitors can take pictures of their group dressed up in Halloween finery. Representatives of first responder organizations also are expected to be present handing out candy and displaying emergency vehicles to the crowd. “We’ve got a pretty good formula,” said Deputy Smith. The free event was designed as a way to bring the community together for a safer, more entertaining Halloween celebration than that normally available in the door-to-door Halloween rituals. Organizers also hope it improves lines of communication
between residents and law enforcement agencies, which has been the purpose of National Night Out.
The fun is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and last until about 10 p.m. in Bandera City Park.
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A band performs at the 2018 Medina Lake Cajun Festival at the Lakehills Civic Center. The festival returns to the center for its 39th year on Sept. 28, and bands will provide entertainment on two stages during the annual fundraiser. Bulletin photo by Chuck McCollough
Medina Lake Cajun Festival Approaching FOR THE BULLETIN Contributed article
You may wonder, “what is a Cajun festival doing in the Texas Hill Country?” In 1981, organizers of the event said the Lakehills Civic Center was desperately seeking a way to pay the mortgage on its building, which was being foreclosed on. The center’s board of directors asked the help of a recent Louisiana transplant, attorney Bob Caswell. After buying time on the foreclosure, he suggested trying a gumbo cookoff as a fundraiser. At that time, that was a rather bold idea, because the Cajun craze had not really hit Texas yet. However, the event was a success and eventually grew into the Medina Lake Cajun Festival. The event will return to the civic center for its 39th year this Saturday, Sept. 28. Each year, about 500 volunteers work to
transform the grounds into a little slice of Cajun Country, decorating booths, cooking all of the foodand preparing for the huge number of visitors who are eager to sample all the Cajun fare the festival has to offer. The doors will open on Sept 28 at 11 a.m., and the good times will go on until 10 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults. Anyone age 10 and younger who comes out will get in for free. There also will be free parking at the civic center’s parking lot, and a shuttle will deliver visitors to the grounds if they have to use a satellite lot that will handle overflow traffic. The civic center, a hub of activities for seniors and youngsters in the Lakehills area, is the beneficiary of funds raised at the festival since the organization that puts the festival on owns and operates the center. It is located at 11225 Park Road 37 in Lakehills. Guests can listen and dance to Cajun and Zydeco music on two stages with
September 28, 2019 11am to 10pm Lakehills Civic Center Cajun, Zydeco Music and Country & Western Music all day on two stages Big Silent Auction • Art & Crafts and Games for Kids • Free Parking • Shuttle Service The event takes place rain or shine! www.cajunfestival-medinalake.com (830) 751-3130
39th Annual Medina Lake Cajun Festival 20
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11225 Park Road 37, Lakehills, TX 78063 Admission: Adults $12, children 10 and under free.
bands from the heart of Louisiana, enjoy the best homemade Cajun food this side of Louisiana, and sample gumbos in the Great Gumbo Cook-off. The Cajun dishes prepared by volunteers for the festival include crawfish pies, jambalaya, fried catfish & shrimp, red beans & rice, crawfish etouffee and bread pudding with whiskey sauce. All day long, two stages rock with Cajun and Zydeco music and a little Country and Western added in. Ca Va Bien, Cajun on Demand and Rusty Metoyer and Zydeco Krush will be featured at the Fais Do Do pavilion, and the La Recolte Cajun Band, the Toman Brothers and Ca Va Bien will provide the tunes at the Gazebo Stage Also part of the activities will be an arts & crafts show and games for kids. For more information, visit www.CajunFestival-MedinaLake.com, call 830 751-2727 or 210-885-6435 or e-mail cutaway12@att.net.
BuckFest honors Bandera’s hunting legacy BY CHUCK MCCOLLOUGH Bandera Bulletin Staff Writer
The Bandera County Chamber of Commerce’s 57th annual kickoff to the hunting season – Opening Day BuckFest -will be held at Mansfield Park on Nov. 1. BuckFest, formerly known as the Hunters’ Weekend Bar-B-Q, toasts the annual fall pilgrimage of hunters to the county and the big impact they have on area hospitality interests, retailers and hunting lease owners. A crowd of more than 350 visitors enjoyed the 2018 BuckFest. Then chamber President Jaki Perkins said BuckFest is a celebration of Bandera's hunting legacy. The gala dinner and dance event will start at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7:30 p.m. and music provided by the Derailers starting at 8 p.m. The event will include a gun raffle,
along with silent and live auctions. A steak dinner is on the menu as is an open bar. Admission is $50 per person, and the chamber plans to sell only 350 tickets. It is a key fundraiser for the local business association. Man-
sfield Park is at 2667 Highway 16 North outside of Bandera. “Banderans love their historic roots and our business community is hard working, hard playing, and dedicated to serving our visitors and locals with the absolute best products and services available,” said chamber Executive Director Heather Odom. “We at the chamber embrace our primary industry of tourism, while reaching for new frontiers to enhance the quality of life in Bandera. “The annual BuckFest allows us the opportunity to raise funds to continue the mission here in our community.” Call the chamber at 830-7963282 for more information. A kick off party for BuckFest is planned for Oct. 10 from 5-7 p.m. at Texas Hill Country Bank in Bandera, 800 Main St.
355 State Highway 16 South • P.O. Box 1389 Bandera, Texas 78003
830-796-3333
VOL. 1, NO. 1 | FALL 2019
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Pick - Your - Own
PUMPKIN PATCH Pumpkin patches about to bloom located at 14024 Highway 16 North in Medina.
BY CHUCK MCCOLLOUGH Bandera Bulletin Staff Writer
The feel of fall is the air, and two iconic symbols of the season - football and pumpkins – are sure signs that summer has drawn to an end. Football is up and running, and pumpkins will soon have everyone thinking about Halloween. Two well-known and popular Bandera County pumpkin patches, in Medina and Pipe Creek, will be opening in early October to locals and regional customers. Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch The Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch at Love Creek Orchards in Medina opens for its 26th year on Oct. 5. It will be open every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 28. Admission is $6 per person and includes the hayrides, petting zoo, pumpkin painting (you buy the pumpkin and we provide the paint), a hay Youngsters find a place to rest at one of the scarecrow-and-pumpkin displays that are sprinkled around the grounds of the Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch in Medina. It will open for its 26th year on Oct. 5. Courtesy photo
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bale maze, an apple orchard tour and other entertainment. Children 2-years-old and under are free. There is an additional charge for face painting and a barrel train ride. “We want children to experience a day on the farm and fun,” said owner Bryan Hutzler, about the popular fall offering. The Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch is also open on Thursdays and Fridays for scheduled school tours. For more information, call 830-2000302. For school tour information, call 210-215-1995. Special birthday parties can also be accommodated by calling 210-215-1995. For more information, go to www.lovecreekorchards. com. Love Creek Orchards is
Pipe Creek Pumpkin Patch The Pipe Creek Pumpkin Patch opens on Saturday, Oct. 5, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 27, to help folks get into the Halloween mood. “This will be our seventh or eighth year we have had the pumpkin patch, and we are open every weekend day of October,” said Pipe Creek Christmas Tree Farm & Pumpkin Patch owner Jim Hingst. He started the Christmas Tree Farm in 1994 and added a pumpkin pack later to have almost back-to-back fall and winter activities. The pumpkin patch is geared especially to children 10 and under, Hingst said, but is fun for all ages, with a hayride, pumpkin painting and other fun activities. The Pipe Creek pumpkin patch will be open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the weekends in October. Pipe Creek Christmas Tree Farm & Pumpkin Patch is located at 805 Phils Road in Pipe Creek. For more information call 210-4266191 or visit pipecreekchristmastrees.com.
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