Texas State Arts Festival Comes to Austin
This weekend will bring Austin residents and visitors plenty of opportunities to shop for arts and crafts at the Texas State Arts Festival. Scheduled for March 3-4 at Congress Avenue and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
The event will include Texas arts and crafts vendors, musicians, foods and historical performances.
For more information:• visit
www.roadwayevents.comLabels: Festivals
posted by Paris and John @ 5:03 PM
Austin to Celebrate Texas Independence Day
We told you last week about the big plans for celebrating Texas Independence Day at Washington-on-the-Brazos but you'll find many other celebrations across the state. In Austin, the event will be marked from March 2-4 with a parade, barbecue cook-off, 5k fun run and a celebration at the State Capitol.
The 5k run takes place at 9 a.m., and http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifthe parade begins at 11 a.m. on Congress Avenue on March 3.
For More Information:• visit
http://celebratetexas.orgLabels: Festivals
posted by Paris and John @ 5:00 PM
Spring Photo Workshop in Big Bend
Every spring visitor to Big Bend wants to capture the beauty of the region in photos and this spring that task is easier thanks to a digital photo workshop. Held twice annually, this spring's event at Big Bend Ranch State Park is scheduled for April 13-15.
"The park was blessed with considerable amounts of rain and snow this winter, so the ranch's chaparral, canyons and mountain slopes should be awash in floral color," said Houston photographer Jim Carr. "The workshop is designed for both beginning and intermediate digital photographers."
Carr, a retired commercial photographer, has been conducting trail rides and photo workshops at the scenic 300,000-acre state park and working cattle ranch for more than 10 years.
Workshop participants learn how to properly light and compose a picture, what to do with pictures after they've been taken, digital photo storage and organization, and more.
The Price: The cost of the workshop is $400 which includes meals, lodging, all park fees and transportation in connection with the on-site workshop. Workshop participants will meet at Fort Leaton State Historic Site in Presidio and be transported to Big Bend Ranch.
The Schedule: Participants meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 13, at Fort Leaton State Historic Site three miles east of Presidio on FM 170. Each person will need to provide his own lunch on Friday. On Saturday at the ranch, photographers will go into the field to take scenic and candid shots. The last morning is reserved for a discussion about what to do with the hundreds of photos that have been taken. After lunch on Sunday, participants are free to take photos on their own anywhere on the ranch before heading home.
To register for the workshop:• call Big Bend Ranch State Park at (432) 229-3416
• for more information, call Carr at (281) 486-8070 or send an e-mail to jcpic@sbcglobal.net
Labels: Big Bend Country
posted by Paris and John @ 4:34 PM
Buffalo Soldier Events Announced
Black History Month throughout February marks the kickoff for events leading up to "Texas Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Month" in July. The Texas Buffalo Soldiers will be offering educational presentations at historic fort sites, schools and rodeos to increase public knowledge of frontier-era African-American soldiers.
2007 Buffalo Soldier Events:
Austin:--Feb. 18: "Black Cowboys in Texas: Chronicling History" at Bullock State History Museum
--Feb. 20: "Posting of the Colors" at Texas Travel Industry Association Dinner
--Feb. 24: "8th Annual Heritage Festival at Huston Tillotson University
--Mar. 1: "9th Cavalry on Campaign" at Oakhill Elementary
--Mar. 19-23: "Company A -- 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers and First Ladies of Texas" at Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo
--TBA: "Sgt. Carl Durrah Memorial Youth Camp" -- at McKinney Falls State Park
--July14: "Cowboys of Color Rodeo -- Texas Buffalo Soldier Celebration" at the Travis County Expo Center
--July 14: "Austin Capitol Salute to the Buffalo Soldiers" at the Travis County Expo Center
--Oct. 6-7: "Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo" at the Texas Parks & Wildlife Headquarters
Central Texas:--June 16: "Cowboys of Color Rodeo -- Military Celebration" at Heart O' Texas Fair Complex, Waco
San Antonio:--Mar. 9: "Not John Wayne Anymore: The preservation and Interpretation of the West Texas Forts" at Texas State Historical Association Conference
--April 27: Battle of Flowers Parade -- Downtown San Antonio, daytime parade passes in front of the Alamo.
--April 28: Fiesta Flambeau Parade -- Downtown San Antonio, nighttime parade passes in front of the Alamo.
--July 7, 14, 21, and 28: "Texas' Buffalo Soldiers Month Celebration" at Hemisfair Park
--July 28: "San Antonio Capitol Salute to the Buffalo Soldiers" at Hemisfair Park
--Nov. 11: "Bexar County Buffalo Soldiers Association -- Veterans Day Memorial Ceremony" at the San Antonio National Cemetery
Houston:--Feb. 10-11: "Remember the Maine" at Battleship Texas SHS
--Sept.15: "Cowboys of Color Rodeo" at the Lone Star Convention Center, Conroe
Dallas/Fort Worth:--Feb. 1-28: Fort McKavett Exhibit at the Doss Heritage & Cultural Center, Weatherford
--Feb. 15: "Life of a Buffalo Soldier" at Doss Heritage and Cultural Center, Weatherford
--April 13-15: Fort Richardson Days 140th Anniversary at Fort Richardson State Historical Site, Jacksboro
--May 26: "Texas Black Invitational Rodeo" at Fair Park Coliseum, Dallas
--June 9: "Downtown Irving Heritage Festival"
--July 4: "July 4th Parade" in downtown Irving
--Sept. 1: "Cowboys of Color Museum & Hall of Fame Rodeo" at the Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth
--Oct. 12-13: "Fort Griffin Living History Days" at Fort Griffin State Park & Historic Site
--Oct. 27-28: "National Cowboys of Color Rodeo Finals" at the Mesquite Championship Resistol Arena
Panhandle:--Feb. 25: "Black History & Women's History Celebration" at New Trinity Baptist Church in Morton
--June 1 "Prairie Tea" Texas Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Trail -- Trails of the Last Frontier event at Cal Farley's Girlstown in Sudan
--June 2 "Prairie Tea" Texas Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Trail -- Trails of the Last Frontier event at Portales Children's Home in Portales, New Mexico
--June 23-24: "Last Frontier Heritage Celebration" at Cochran County Park, Morton
East Texas:--May 12: Mission Tejas Folk Festival at Mission Tejas State Park, Grapeland
--May 18-20: "9th Cavalry on Campaign" at the Texas State Railroad State Park, Rusk
West Texas:--Feb. 25: Buffalo Soldier Heritage Day at Fort Concho in San Angelo
--Mar. 23-24: West Texas Heritage Days at Fort McKavett State Historical Site, Menard
--April 24-26: Texas Buffalo Soldiers workshop at Lake Brownwood State Park, Brownwood
--Dec. 7-9: "Christmas at Old Fort Concho" at Fort Concho National Historic Landmark
Wichita Falls
--May 8-9: "Buffalo Soldier Encampment" at Lake Arrowhead State Park, Wichita Falls
College Station:--Feb. 22: "Life of a Buffalo Soldier" at George Bush Memorial Library
About the Buffalo Soldiers: The Buffalo Soldiers were African-Americans of the U.S. Army's 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments. In Texas, their contributions were especially significant during the Indian Wars of the late 1800s, when approximately 20% of the U.S. Cavalry involved was African-American. It is speculated that that these soldiers' curly hair resembled that of the American Indians' sacred buffalo mane, while their bravery and tenaciousness reflected the buffalo's spirit, hence inspiring the Native Americans to call them "Buffalo Soldiers."
Labels: Festivals
posted by Paris and John @ 3:31 PM
St. Patrick's Church Plans St. Patrick's Day Fun
Galveston's St. Patrick's Church is planning a day of fun on March 17 from 11am-6pm. The church, located at 1010 35th Street, will offer a family-friendly event featuring Irish stew and even green beer. Admission is free. For more information, call (409)762-9646.
Labels: Festivals, Gulf Coast
posted by Paris and John @ 7:19 PM
Galveston Plans Spring Break Activities
Whether you plan to be part of the spring break fun--or you just want to make sure you plan your Galveston trip at a
different time--Galveston is offering a full menu of spring break activities. One of the biggest will be on East Beach which will celebrate on March 17 with radio station PARTY 104.9 at an event held from 1pm-6pm. The beach holds 7,000 cars, and drinking on the beach is legal.
Labels: Gulf Coast
posted by Paris and John @ 7:10 PM
Savor Dallas Festival
From March 8-11, Dallas and the Hilton Anatole will host the Savor Dallas Festival. Savor Dallas is a celebration of arts, premium wines and spirits, and cutting edge cuisine.
Savor Dallas Seminars Attend one of the six fabulous seminars at Savor Dallas, hosted by well-known culinary enthusiasts such as Rocco DeSpirito. Proceeds from Savor Dallas benefit North Texas Food Bank, Greater Dallas Restaurant Association Education Fund, and Arts Magnet Building Campaign for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
For information or tickets: • call 1-888-392-7705
• visit
www.savordallas.com.
The Package: The Savor Dallas Package includes:
• One-night deluxe guestroom accommodations for two
• Self-guided tour of the Art Collection at the Hilton Anatole
• ability to to earn both HHonors points and airline miles for the same stay
The Price: The Savor Dallas Package is priced as low as $149 per night, with maximum occupancy of two adults per room. Package is not valid with any other offer, is not available for groups and does not include tax. Rates are as low as the price point stated above; however they’re subject to change.
Dates: The package is available March 8-11, 2007.
For More Information on The Hilton Anatole Hotel:• call (214) 748-1200 (Hotel Main Number) or (800) 955-4281 or 1(800) HILTONS
• visit
www.anatole.hilton.comLabels: Dallas, Festivals
posted by Paris and John @ 2:25 PM
San Antonio's First Birding, Nature Festival
This year marks the first year of WildFest San Antonio, a birding and nature festival. Scheduled for May 4-6, 2007. Locations highlighted during the festival will include Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, Medina River Natural Area, Government Canyon State Natural and the Missions National Historical Park.
The three-day festival will include workshops, tours and hands-on fieldtrips focusing on the area's birds, butterflies, bats, wildflowers, history and geology. The festival will offer events for participants from children to experts.
For More Information:• visit
www.WildFestSanAntonio.comLabels: Festivals, San Antonio
posted by Paris and John @ 3:30 PM
Austin's Film Industry Tops the Charts Again
Austin's one of the top film locations in the country so it's no surprise that the latest issue of MovieMaker magazine names Austin as number three in its annual ranking of the “Top Ten U.S. Cities to Live and Make Movies.”
“So much of Austin’s reputation as a world-renowned moviemaking capital has to do with the unique education and support that the community fosters through film festivals, special screenings, retrospectives and even contests,” says MovieMaker.
Other cities ranking among the top ten include, in order: (1) New York, (2) Philadelphia, (4) Albuquerque, (5) Las Vegas, (6) Shreveport-Bossier City, (7) Memphis, (8) Miami, (9) Portland and (10) Salt Lake City. Austin ranked second to New York in the past two years.
Just what's been filming in Austin lately? Production wrapped on more than 22 feature films in 2006, including Fast Food Nation, The Hitcher, Teeth, GrindHouse and Gary the Tennis Coach, as well as NBC’s television series Friday Night Lights.
Labels: Austin
posted by Paris and John @ 3:15 PM
Taylor Hicks to Perform at Austin's Rodeo
American Idol fans take note: it has been announced that Taylor Hicks will be performing at Austin's Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo. The performance will be held on Thursday, March 15 and marks the second time an American Idol winner has performed at the popular event (Kelly Clarkson wowed audiences at the 2005 rodeo). We've just added
an article on the rodeo for dates and ticket information.
Labels: Austin, Festivals
posted by Paris and John @ 4:25 PM
TexasTripper Announces New Bluebonnet Contest
We've just launched a new TexasTripper contest! Enter for a chance to win a Texas bluebonnet package! The package is filled with bluebonnet-themed items including:
• a bluebonnet charm bracelet
• bluebonnet sun catcher
• bluebonnet cream pitcher
• bluebonnet coffee cup
• bluebonnet ceramic ornament
The prize is contained in a blue Texas basket. The prize also includes an autographed copy of our
Day Trips from San Antonio guidebook!
To enter, visit our
contest page.
Labels: TexasTripper News
posted by Paris and John @ 12:21 PM
Ask TexasTripper Your Questions Live on Tuesday!
Have any questions about romantic getaways in Texas? We'll be doing an online chat in honor of Valentine's Day; it will be live on Budget Travel Magazine's website, http://www.budgettravelonline.com on Tuesday, February 6.
Our chat will be from noon to 1pm Eastern time but you can send us questions in advance and we'll post them during that time. To send us your question, visit the Trip Coach page on the Budget Travel site.
Labels: TexasTripper News
posted by Paris and John @ 12:19 PM
