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Serving Austin, Bandera, Blanco, Buda, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Comfort, Concan, Driftwood, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, Gruene, Henly, Johnson City,Kerrville, Kyle, Llano, Leakey, Luckenbach, Marble Falls, Medina, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Sattler, Sisterdale, Stonewall, Wimberley, Utopia, Vanderpool & More

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Hill Country SUNDECEMBER 2013

PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2013 R HILL COUNTRY SUN

By ErniE AltgElt

Visiting the Texas Hill Country at any time of the year is a joy. The ubiquitous warmth, friendliness,

charm and scenic beauty remain constant draws, attracting from far and wide across a diverse and welcoming seasonal spectrum.

But within this spectrum, thanks to the substantial Yuletide efforts of 10 spir-ited communities, for many, the most wonderful time for a visit remains the Christmas Season.

Why you ask? For the past 20 years, multiple participating municipalities have united in establishing a December “competition of candle power” where each strives to be the best and the brightest when it comes to lighting things up around town.

Do you want to know just who out-shines who? Then hop in the family se-dan (pick-up truck or two-wheeler) and motor on, up, down and around the Texas Hill Country regional Christmas Lighting Trail – your guaranteed path-way for a very illuminating and enter-taining (not to mention, Santa-ap-proved) experience.

Initially, the trail grew out of a “bright idea” conceived by one of John-son City’s local garden club members. The ever active organization annually takes pride in draping their town’s stately courthouse and other structures each December with thousands of twin-kling lights.

The effect is stunning and always draws substantial crowds eager for some glittering Christmas cheer. Realiz-ing that other like minded Hill Country towns had been bitten by the seasonal “lighting bug” as well, it seemed only natural for teaming up and staging a region-wide celebration of illumination.

Acceptance was immediate and the Christmas Lighting Trail was created. Two decades later it just keeps growing and glowing, attracting (and awe-ing) thousands from across the state and be-yond.

Today, the territory covered is im-pressive. From Burnet at the northern tip then south to Bandera with oh-so-much in between including Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Dripping Springs, Blanco, Wimberley, Kerrville and Boerne, at each stop, the high voltage viewings can (and will) be breathtaking.

Commercial buildings, parks, streets, even private residences beckon like blazing beacons welcoming one and all to Christmas in “Small Town, USA” Texas style. And, if the millions of lights and other festive decorations weren’t enough, at many of the stops special ad-junct events guaranteed to equally de-light will be staged throughout the sea-son including caroling and other musical treats, shopping, parades, religious re-enactments, Santa-sightings and myriad other not-to-be-missed inspiring diver-sions.

Young, old and even those in the middle can’t help but be impressed so plan your route early, bundle up (includ-ing Rover) and be sure and bring the camera. You’ll want to capture the many special and electric moments encoun-tered within each of these “tinseled” towns – ho, ho ho!

FYI • At multiple sites in each participating commu-nity, helpful brochures detailing the entire “mapped” trail (and the related events, dates and their specific locations) will be available at no charge. To request a complementary brochure before embarking, call 830-997-8515 or visit the web site at www.tex-fest.com. There are no admission fees to the majority of offerings and parking will be plenti-ful and free.

Local communities light up the Hill Country this holiday season

Hill Country regional CHristmas ligHting trail

The beautifully-lit Pedernales Electric Co-Op headquarters in Johnson City, part of the holiday Hill Country Regional Lighting Trail. Photo courtesy Hill Country Regional Lighting Trail.

HILL COUNTRY SUN R DECEMBER 2013 PAGE 3

December 2013Volume 24 • Number 7ISSN: 1524-2315

Entire contents copyright © 2013 by TD Austin Lane, Inc. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the written consent of the publisher.

•The Hill Country Sun is published monthly. For advertising rates or information, call Julie Harrington at 512-484-9716 (email [email protected]). Credit cards accepted.

•Circulation: 22,000. Distributed monthly to more than 450 popular Hill Country locations (see list of towns on front cover) and home delivered to all 5,276 Wimberley homes and 8,663 Dripping Springs homes by the US Postal Service.

•Cover: The Hill Country Regional Christmas Lighting Trail includes the communities of Burnet, Bandera, Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Dripping Springs, Blanco, Wimberley, Kerrville and Boerne. (See story, page 2.) Beautifully illuminated Johnson City Courthouse, inset top left Market Square in Fredericksburg, inset top right PEC Auditorium at PEC Headquarters in Johnson City (Photos courtesy Hill Country Regional Christmas Lighting Trail). inset lower right EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens’ Holiday Trail of Lights in Wimberley (Photo courtesy EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens).

•

Deadline for calendar events 15th of each month.Email [email protected].

Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/HillCountrySun

Julie HarringtonPublisher

Advertising

Melissa Maxwell BallEditor

ernie altgeltallie eissler

Maxine Mayeslaurel roBertson

Writers

gerry BurnsDelonn Bowie

Delane iBarraaDelle spellDistribution

Hill Country SUN

[email protected] • [email protected]

HENLY

Texas Hill CountryLocator Map

© 2013 by TD Austin Lane, Inc.

INDEXAustin J5

Bandera B10Bergheim D9

Bertram I2Blanco F6

Boerne D9Buchanan Dam F2

Buda J7Bulverde G10

Burnet G2Camp Verde B8

Canyon Lake G9Castroville C12

Center Point B8Clear Springs H11

Comfort C8Concan A11

Driftwood H7Dripping Springs H6

Fischer G8Fredericksburg C5

Georgetown K2Granite Shoals G2

Gruene H10Hancock G8Helotes G6

Henly G6Highland Lakes F2/3

Hondo B13Hunt A7Hye E6

Ingram B7Johnson City F5

Kendalia F8Kerrville B7

Kingsland F2Kyle I8

Lampasas G1Leakey A9Llano D2

Liberty Hill I12Luckenbach D6

Luling K10Marble Falls G3

Martindale J9Mason B2

Medina A9New Braunfels H10

Oak Hill I6Oatmeal H2

Pipe Creek C10Round Rock K3

San Antonio F12San Marcos I9

Sattler H9Seguin I11

Sisterdale D8Spring Branch F9

Startzville G9Stonewall D6

Utopia A10Vanderpool A9Wimberley H8

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By AlliE EisslEr

Santa Fe, New Mexico — or “The City Different,” as it is nicknamed — is an enchanting blend of old

Western, Native American, and Spanish sensibilities, and fans can find a little bit of everything at the Santa Fe Connection in Wimberley.

“I used to travel to Santa Fe at least three times a year,” explains owner Sigi Salinas, “and I love the culture.” Her store stocks everything from one-of-a-kind Mexican paintings, ethnic skirts, and hacienda furniture to statues, pot-tery, handmade jewelry, and tribal arti-facts.

Visitors can find colorful glass vases decorated with intricate starfish and sand dollars, oil paintings of crumbling missions and fields of bluebonnets, and sculptures of suns, galloping horses, and golden doves.

Gifts are available in all price ranges, from smaller magnets, travel candles, and samplers of all-natural soaps to larg-er, more exotic accents for the home.

Sigi originally moved to Texas from Germany to attend dental school, but af-ter spending many years fashioning gold and porcelain crowns, she began to dab-ble in making jewelry as well.

She enjoyed this creative outlet so much that she eventually opened her own jewelry store. In need of shop décor, she put some of her own paintings up along with a selec-tion of curios, pot-tery, and statues she acquired in Mexico.

“I had quite a few paintings all over my house and in the attic that I’d painted myself over the years,” ex-plains Sigi. “I thought I might try to sell them in the store, and lo and behold, people actu-ally bought them. Then I started buying paintings from other people, and it be-came an art gallery.”

Visitors loved the style so much that Sigi soon began selling decorative pieces right off the walls, and it wasn’t long be-fore she opened a store that was exclu-sively southwestern-themed, with folk art and kachinas.

“At first, I offered mostly Native American pottery and artifacts, but I slowly started to integrate items made in Texas, along with clothes and turquoise jewelry,” explains Sigi. “Now I make a lot of one-of-a-kind necklaces with natu-ral amber, bone, and stone beads.”

Over the years, Sigi has owned and operated a number of gift stores in the San Antonio area, including Heaven On

Earth, the Cottage, the Turquoise Coyote, Sigi’s Treasure Chest, and the Santa Fe Connection on the Riverwalk.

When her daughter and son-in-law (and fellow managers) moved to Colorado

to run their own store, she decided to pare down, sell her dental lab,

and focus exclusively on the Santa Fe Connection until

her lease was up — and it was then that she dis-covered a brand new home in the heart of Wimberley.

Traveling the Hill Country in search of scenery to paint, Sigi stumbled across a building for rent in Wimberley, and the rest is history.

She has operated the newest incarna-

tion of the Santa Fe Con-nection for the last six months, with the assistance of new business partner Dan Moore.

“He’s an all-around wonderful per-son,” says Sigi. “He puts up with this headstrong German, and we work to-gether well.”

“I love Wimberley,” adds Sigi. “It’s a nice community. The folks are friendly and helpful, and the pace is much slower and more laid-back. I can sit outside un-der our at least one-hundred-year-old oak tree sipping a cool drink and watching the people pass by.”

FYI • The Santa Fe Connection is located in Wimberley at 13900 Ranch Road 12. For more information about the shop or to order pieces online, visit their web site at www.santafe-connection.com, email [email protected], or call 512-847-2721. The shop is open seven days a week from 10 am to 6 pm.

Send calendar events [email protected]

Unique gifts, shopping at Santa Fe Connection

After a number of successful gift stores in the San Antonio area, German native Sigi Salinas finds a new home in Wimberley with her eclectic and original shop, Santa Fe Connection. Photos courtesy Santa Fe Conn


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wimberleySANTA FE CONNECTION, from page 4

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From one-of-a-kind jewelry to fabulous furniture, glassware, art, home furnishings and more, you’ll find fantastic gifts at Santa Fe Connection. Stop in and check out the enchanting blend of old Western, Native American, and Spanish sensibilities at 13900 Ranch Road 12 in Wimberley. Photos courtesy Santa Fe Connection.

WIMBERLEY H For many, the holiday season is simply not complete without a visit to the EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens’ Holiday Trail of Lights. More than 100 seasonal exhibits created by local families, individuals, businesses, schools, church-es, and organizations combine to make this one of the best family-oriented holiday sites in the Hill Country. Guests can take a train ride on the Jingle Bell Express (for kids 60 lbs or less) and enjoy hot cocoa at the Yule Log.

FYI • The EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens is located at 1101 Farm Market 2325 in Wimberley. The Holiday Trail of Lights is November 30 through December 31, open Sunday through Thursday from 6 pm to 9 pm and Friday and Saturday from 6 pm to 10 pm. Admission is free, donations greatly appreciated. For more information, call 512-847-6969 or visit the web site at www.emilyann.org.

EmilyAnn Theatre’s holiday Trail of Lights


WIMBERLEY

See OAK CREEK CAFE, page 7

By LaureL robertson

The term “family restaurant” takes on a whole new meaning when talking about the family of Oak

Creek Cafés growing as fast as the Hen-derson family that is the lifeblood behind all three Hill Country eateries.

The Oak Creek Café family tree be-gan seven years ago, with a small corner café in Dripping Springs, well known among lo-cals for its fried catfish dinners and burgers. A few years later, the Hen-dersons added an Oak Creek Express drive-through next door and, and this past spring branched out with a new full size Oak Creek Café just down the road in Blanco.

At the helm of each restaurant – and in the kitchen, the dining room and be-hind the cash register – is a Henderson. In 2006, after 30 busy years in the res-taurant business, Mike Henderson was ready to downsize to a small café with his wife Penny and see their just-grown kids set out in the world on their own. To

his surprise, all three wanted to work in the family business and excelled at dif-ferent aspects of it: oldest son Benjamin ran a tight kitchen; younger son Andrew managed an orderly front-of-house, daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Craig were hard workers all-around. Penny (in this instance known as Nanna) played a

vital part by watching granddaughters Madie and Micky while Craig and Jennifer worked at the café.

Mike advised them all, “I really don’t want you to go into the res-taurant business... it’s too hard a way to make a living... but if you’re gonna do it, spread out and own your own res-taurants to make the money worth all the

trouble.” A few months later, Mike moved

over to the new Oak Creek Express (a smaller version of the original café, of-fering an abbreviated menu and a conve-nient drive-through) and let the offspring run things in the main house. They knew their jobs, and the transition was seam-

less. Nothing succeeds like success and at age 30, son Benjamin began to imagine starting his own restaurant in the Hill Country west of Dripping Springs.

After a careful search of several com-munities, he chose Blanco as far enough away from Dripping not to be in compe-tition with the mothership, but still near enough to have family support.

He remembered travelling through Blanco on childhood trips with his grandparents, and it had always seemed the best place in the Hill Country to him.

When a large restaurant space on the Blanco Square became available, Benja-min was ready to jump.

But jumping took awhile. There was a lot of cleanup and remodeling to do first. “Without my grandparents, I could never have pulled it off,” he insists. “My grandpa is 80 years old and he can work circles around me!” Benjamin credits grandparents Joe and Joan Mooneyham of Medina Lake as instrumental in get-ting all three family restaurants dressed and ready for operation.

The Blanco location underwent a total renovation - floor to ceiling - in-

cluding new metal siding on the walls, curtains, paint, décor, etc. “We started in January and finished just in time to open in March,” Benjamin recalls.

Blanco’s Oak Creek Cafe offers a

Oak Creek Cafe(s) keep good food in the family

Son Andrew, granddaughter Madison, daughter Jennifer, granddaughter Mikeala and son-in-law Craig at the Oak Creek Cafe in Dripping Springs. Photo by Carla McCandless.

Oak Creek Cafe founder Mike Henderson with granddaughters Madison and Mikeala. Photo by Carla McCandless.

The “Texan” burger. Photo courtesy Oak Creek Cafe.

Oak Creek Express LEFT sits next to the original Oak Creek Cafe on U.S. Highway 290 in Dripping Springs. Photo by Laurel Robertson.

The newest Oak Creek Cafe at 419 3rd Street in Blanco. Photo courtesy Oak Creek Cafe.


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menu similar to the Dripping Springs Café: fried and grilled catfish, burgers, steaks and chicken-fried steaks, pork chops, soups and salad (“American fare”, Benjamin calls it) – and has added beer and wine (many from local brewer-ies/vineyards) to the mix.

A small bar off the entryway has the requisite TV for keeping up with the ballgame over a beer. Patios front and back bring the dining outside and host live music on Sunday afternoons. Plans are underway for a new breakfast menu and hours, expected later this fall.

Ideas for more “family restaurants”

are always growing in the minds of the Henderson family. After all, there are two kids yet to go….

FYI • Oak Creek Café and Oak Creek Express in Dripping Springs are both located at 660 Highway 290. Hours for the Café are Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm; 6:30 am to 9:00 pm weekends. Express hours are 10:30 am to 7:30 pm or 8:00 pm daily. For more infor-mation call the Café at 512-829-4593 and the Express at 512-858-0329 or find them on Facebook.

Oak Creek Café in Blanco is located at 419 3rd Street, on the southwest corner of the Square. Hours are Monday through Friday from 11 am to 8:30 pm; and weekends from 11 am to 9 pm. For more information, call 830-833-3363.

OAK CREEK CAFE, from page 6

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from all of us at the

HILL COUNTRY SUN

CANYON LAKE H Since 1996, CRRC has spon-sored the North Pole Village in their Recreation Center at 125 Mable Jones Drive. With the help of many volunteer elves, the CRRC Recreation Center is transformed into a pint-sized village for children.

Each building in the village offers an activity or gift to brighten a child’s day. Kids can visit a bakery, post office, toy land, elves house and more. Weather permitting, you can also see a live Na-tivity performance sponsored each night by local churches and enjoy a hay ride through the Hidden Valley Sports Park.

FYI • North Pole Village is open December 12, 13, 14 and 19, 20, 21 from 6 pm to 8 pm each night. Entrance is $3 for anyone older than 18 months. Face painting and cookie decorating are an additional $1 each. A photograph with Santa costs an additional $5. Funds from the North Pole Village help support many of CRRC’s programs in our community to include the Crisis Food Pantry, Crisis Utility Assistance and Crisis Rental Assistance programs. For more information, call 830-964-2324 or visit the web site at www.crrcofcanyonlake.org.

North Pole Village, plenty of old fashioned fun for the whole family


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By Maxine Mayes

Bulverde water colorist, Shirley Hammett’s, artistic leanings sur-faced at a very early age.“When

I was just six, my mother wanted me to take piano lessons,” Shirley recalls. “But I was so shy that I was afraid of my teacher.”

The shyness, the fear, and the fact that Shirley colored the pages of music in her student’s book instead of practicing them, led the piano teacher to suggest a switch from music to art.

Shirley grew up in Corpus Christi where her parents owned a grocery store. By age 12 she was painting the weekly spe-

cials on the plate glass display windows. At about the same age Shirley did her first oil painting, a fine rendition of Don-ald Duck with his nephews in a boat. The ducks and the boat were contained within an oval against a black background, but water, a fishing line, and a cork were vis-ible outside the scene’s boundaries.

In retrospect, that painting seemed to foreshadow what would become Shirley’s practice of painting “outside the box.”

In high school she was the cartoon-ist for the school newspaper and as an art major at Del Mar College she designed sets for plays produced by the student theater club.

Most of her earlier endeavors were in the medium of oil, but she clearly recalls when her focus changed to water colors.

“My husband was a career Air Force pilot which meant we moved around a lot. At one of his stations I took water color classes from a teacher on base. From then on that’s all I wanted to do.”

While raising her three daughters, Shirley’s time for painting was some-what limited, but for decades now she has found creative fulfillment and pro-fessional success with water color collag-es, a niche genre that allows her imagi-nation free reign and gives her complete license to always color outside the box.

Most of her work is whimsical, a word an online dictionary defines as “playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way” but which Shirley describes as “Weird!”

Examples? A frog on tippy toes wearing a net tutu. “Always A Brides-maid” (a big-eyed puppy adorned with a veil and pink posies).

“Dr. Spot” (an adorable Dalmatian puppy sporting a stethoscope).

A banana split topped with a pickle (an ideal gift for somebody expecting a baby). A cluster of oranges nestled beneath an actual net bag that oranges come packaged in.

Shirley does a lot of “kitchen art,” especially fruits and vegetables and chickens. In “Sisters,” three hens stand on top of each other with the one in the middle all “gussied up” with painted toenails and bling.

The materials Shirley uses for layer-ing her paintings are endless. Dryer lint glued to a small square of water color paper translates to avant-garde art in her talented hands.

Fringe from a white blouse that fell apart in the dryer serves as the stringy root ends of green onions. Fifty-year-old threads saved from sewing her girls’ clothes become believable corn silk. But it was a daughter’s suggestion that re-sulted in what might be called the signa-

Whimsical style of artist Shirley Hammett

See SHIRLEY HAMMETT, page 9

“Dr. Spot” by Shirley Hammett. Photo by Carl Mayes.

“Sisters” by Shirley Hammett, a quirky piece of “kitchen art.” Photo by Carl Mayes.


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ture piece of Shirley’s career. “One day my oldest daughter said, ’Mom, why don’t you paint a taco?’

So I bought a giant package of yel-low paper the color of cheese. After it was shredded I had three paper grocery bags crammed full.”

Those fine strips of “paper cheese,” along with similar green strips for let-tuce, crown all of her three-dimensional

taco paintings. A subtle outline of the Alamo appears

on the taco shell, making the piece an ide-al souvenir for the tourists who flock to the River Art Group and Starving Artist galleries in La Villita where Shirley exhib-its.

“La Villita is a favorite place for tour-ists,” Shirley explains, “so people from many countries have bought the tacos.

One time an international couple walked by and the lady said ‘Look at that enchi-lada,’ so I had to explain the difference.”

At 78, Shirley has now spent most of her life “coloring,” but she rarely tires of creating quirky art in her home studio.

“Sometimes,” she says, with a radi-ant smile, “I don’t even want to stop long

enough to go downstairs to fix supper.”FYI • Browse Shirley’s paintings at the Starving Art-

ist Gallery (210-226-3593) and the River Art Group Gal-lery. (www.riverartgroup.com, 210-226-8752). both in La Villita, the historic arts village located at 418 Villita Street in downtown San Antonio. Both galleries are open 7 days a week from 10 am to 6 pm. You can meet Shirley in person any second Saturday at the River Art Group Gallery.

SHIRLEY HAMMETT, from page 8

Bulverde artist Shirley Hammett at work in her studio. RIGHT Shirley’s signature taco artwork. You can find Shirley’s work at the Starving Artist Gallery and the River Art Group Gallery, both in the historic arts village at La Villita in Downtown San Antonio. Photos by Carl Mayes.


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JOHNSON CITY H “We all stood there in shock with the rest of the world,” recalls Richard “Cactus” Pryor, who was at the LBJ Ranch when he learned of John F. Ken-nedy’s assassination November 22, 1963.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park remembers the event’s 50th anniver-sary with a new exhibit describing that tragic day and the transition of power to Presi-dent Johnson. The exhibit is located in the Hangar Visitor Center on the LBJ Ranch and will be on display for six months. The public is invited to not only view the exhibit, but also to contribute their own memories or reflections from that day in history.

From the breakfast speech in front of the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, to the motor-cade through Dallas, the swearing in of Johnson on Air Force One, to his brief speech at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC, visitors can follow the timeline of events, with a special emphasis on Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson’s experiences.

The exhibit also includes a short video of Cactus Pryor, well-known Austin radio personality and longtime friend of the Johnson family, recounting his memories from that day. Cactus Pryor, Bess Abell, Dale Malechek, and other staff members and friends were preparing the LBJ Ranch for the arrival of the Kennedys later that same day. After getting the first reports from Dallas the staff gathered in the kitchen. While watching a small black and white television perched on top of a refrigerator they heard Walter Cronkite announce the death of President Kennedy.

In a recreation of what it may have felt like inside that kitchen, the exhibit includes a mock-up refrigerator and television set—including the now iconic image of Walter Cronkite—where visitors can post a short personal memory from that day: where they were, how they heard the news, how they felt, and how it impacted the nation.

The shift of power from President Kennedy to President Johnson was exhibited when Johnson hosted his first state visit from West German Chancellor Ludwig Er-hard on the LBJ Ranch in late December 1963. The exhibit will showcase the famous “Stetson Statesmanship,” as Newsweek magazine called it, as President Johnson hosted a Barbeque for Chancellor Erhard in the school gym in nearby Stonewall.

FYI • The Hangar Visitor Center is located on the LBJ Ranch unit of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park as part of the self-guided driving tour. Permits are required to drive on the LBJ Ranch and can be obtained free of cost at the LBJ State Park located at 199 State Park Road 52 in Stonewall, from 9 am to 4:15 pm. The visitor center is open seven days a week, from 9 am to 5 pm and there is no cost to view the exhibits. For more information on this and other park activities visit the web site at www.nps.gov/lyjo or call 830-868-7128, extension 235.

AUSTIN H Texas is so big even Santa needs a map, or three. Historical maps on the Texas General Land Office web site make quick, easy gifts for anyone who loves the Lone Star State and its colorful past. But best of all, proceeds from the sales preserve his-toric documents and help Save Texas History.

“Buying a map at SaveTexasHistory.com is not only a breeze, it will help preserve the very documents that tell the story of Texas,” says Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patter-son. “We receive no funding from the Leg-islature to preserve the priceless historical documents we are entrusted with — this is how we do it.”

Maps from the General Land Office are not just beautiful and unique gifts, they’re educational, Jerry notes. “Texas history is an epic tale,” Patterson said. “These maps don’t just tell that history — they show it.”

For example, he says, a German map of the Kingdom of New Spain — hand-drawn in 1720 — shows that Texas began as a part of the Spanish Empire, ruled from Mexico. “The first illegal immigrants to Texas had names a lot like mine,” Jerry says. “Understanding our history gives you the context you need to better deal with the is-sues of today. Plus, this map just looks great on any wall.”

A perennial top-seller is an 1845 commemorative map showing the full size of the Republic of Texas when it stretched all the way up to present-day Colorado. Another favorite is an 1889 map — the first of its kind — that shows Texas as it is today, and is decorated with period advertising around the margins.

FYI • These and hundreds of other great maps can be found at www.savetexashistory.org. Click the “search entire catalogue” button to go to our archive of over 80,000 city, county and state maps. Once on the archive page, select the “Bestselling Maps” search filter in red to see a set of more than 200 attractive maps specifically selected to be great gifts. Most maps at www.savetexashistory.org cost as little as $20. Online and phone orders before 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20th can be delivered by Christmas Day. Maps may be purchased at the General Land Office, 1700 N. Congress Ave., through Monday, Dec. 23. To search for maps, place orders, or make a monetary donation to the Save Texas History Program, visit www.savetexashistory.org or call the Land Office toll-free at 1-800-998-4GLO (4456).

Send calendar events [email protected]

Historic Texas maps make for great holiday gifting

New park exhibit recalls tragic day from a unique perspective


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Even before each season at Santa’s Ranch comes to a close, owner Frank Bass is already thinking up

something new to add when the park re-opens 10 months later.

The drive-through Christmas light park, which opened for its 11th consecu-tive season November 1, features many new displays that have been in the works for months, Frank says.

“We can’t wait for visitors to see what’s been added,” he says with a San-ta-like twinkle in his eye.

First, he says, “there are more lights than ever,” which is quite amazing con-sidering that at last count they were al-ready up to 1.5 million.

And as much as everyone loves strings of colorful Christmas lights, it’s the themed displays that really light up the faces of children of all ages.

“This year we’ve added a prehistoric area and many other surprises,” he says.

Frank and his wife, Melanie, started Santa’s Ranch in 2003 after some similar parks in the area closed. Every year he re-cruits family members and a crew of San-ta’s helpers to build dozens of scenes, run some than 75 miles of cords, and test the more than 1.5 million twinkling lights.

Of course, the standard nativity scenes, reindeer and numerous Texas-themed displays are back. But a new area of which Frank is particularly proud of honors the military.

“As Americans we are indebted to the men and women who fight for freedom,” Frank explains. “I wanted to express our appreciation to the military with a special display this year.”

Located on Interstate 35 between New Braunfels and San Marcos, Santa’s Ranch fills 12 wooded acres with holiday

Holiday lights park celebrates 11 years

spirit and takes about 20 minutes to drive through.

For a one-time visit at $28 per vehicle or a season pass of only $56 for unlimited visits, a drive through Santa’s Ranch is one of the most unique and economical holiday treats for families and friends to share — by the carload!

FYI • Santa’s Ranch is located between New Braunfels and San Marcos, at 9561 I-35, two miles south of Tanger Outlet Mall.

From New Braunfels, go about 6 miles on I-35 North to Exit 199 (Posey Road). Take the Exit 199 to the turn around and go back south on I-35 access road about 1 mile to the park entrance on the right.

From San Marcos, go south on I-35 for about 2 miles to the Exit 199 (Posey Road). Take the exit and stay on the ac-cess road for about 1 mile to the park entrance on the right.

Admission is $28 per vehicle; season passes (unlimited visits) are available for $56. The park is open every night through Jan. 4; hours are 6 pm to 10 pm Sunday through Thursday and 6 pm through 11 pm Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit the web site at www.santasranch.net or call 830-743-1293.

Santa’s Ranch drive through Christmas lights park, located between New Braunfels and San Marcos, features nearly a mile of holiday lighted scenery, including more than 350 feet of drive-through tunnels, about 300 lighted characters and around 50 major scenes (including the town of Bethlehem, villages, a toy mill, cartoon characters and numerous Bible scenes. The drive takes about 20 minutes to complete. Photo courtesy Santa’s Ranch.

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Melanie and Frank Bass.Photo courtesy Melanie and Frank Bass.


Hill country calendar

NOTE: Dates or locations for the events listed in the Calen-dar may change. Some require admission fees or reserva-tions. Please call ahead to confirm information.EVERY DAYGRUENE: Live music at Gruene Hall. Enjoy free music shows Monday through Thursday nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. www.gruene-hall.com.WIMBERLEY: (every day except Mon-day) Wimberley Glassworks gallery open daily 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm. Glassblowing demos daily. www.WGW.com.SECOND SUNDAYBANDERA: Cowboy Camp. Live cow-boy music at Frontier Times Museum. Free. 1 pm to 5 pm. 830-328-0321.JOHNSON CITY: Taste Wine + Art Mu-sic Events. Rockin’ gospel to Latin music at the Kirchman Gallery. 830-868-9290.SECOND AND FOURTH SUNDAYSAN MARCOS: Gypsy Moon performs at Palmer’s Restaurant Brunch. Enjoy music from popular duo from 11 am to 2 pm. 218 Moore Street. 512-353-3500.EVERY MONDAYCANYON LAKE: Seniors Bingo. 12:30 pm at Habitat for Safe Seniors, 2174 Old pm Road, Startzville. 830-899-2256.WIMBERLEY: Toddler Story Time at Wimberley Library. 10:30 am. 512-847-2188, www.wimberleylibrary.org.WIMBERLEY: Wimberley Community CYPRESS MILL: The Bunkhouse Gang at Wenmohs Ranch. Paint and enjoy fel-lowship of other artists. 830-825-3465.

WIMBERLEY: Hill Country Community Band. First Baptist Church. 512-858-7960.FIRST TUESDAYSBANDERA: Cowboy Capital Opry. Sil-ver Sage Corral Senior Center. 830-796-4969.THIRD TUESDAYSNEW BRAUNFELS: Country Music Show. Knights of Columbus. 830-629-4547.LEANDER: Low Cost Pet Spay, Neuter and Vaccination. 512-260-3602, ext. 101.EVERY WEDNESDAYDRIPPING SPRINGS: Farmers Market. 3 pm to 7 pm at the Highway 290 and Ranch Road 12. March to December, rain or shine. www.cityofdrippingsprings.com.WIMBERLEY: Farmers’ Market. Fresh produce, fresh breads, more at the Senior Citizen’s Activity Center. 512-264-1637.THIRD WEDNESDAYSDRIPPING SPRINGS: Cook Off Club meets at 6:30 pm in the VFW Hall. [email protected] WEDNESDAYSWIMBERLEY: Hill Country Neighbors. 10:30 am. Community Center. 512-847-2849.EVERY THURSDAYDRIPPING SPRINGS: Coffee House with Light Dinners, Decadent Desserts and Open Mic. 6 pm to 9 pm. Thyme and Dough. 512-894-0001.FIRST THURSDAYBUDA: First Thursday. Stroll through the downtown antique and specialty shops, enjoy the food from downtown

restaurants. www.discoverbuda.com.WIMBERLEY: YAPI (Young Artist Per-formance Incubator). Kids 18 and under perform. Maui Wowi. www.brenda-freed.com/yapi.SECOND THURSDAYWIMBERLEY: Hill Country Bead So-ciety Meets. Wimberley Community Center. 1 pm. For information, Marilyn Pierce at [email protected] AND THIRD THURSDAYCANYON LAKE: Noon Lions Meeting at Canyon Lake Golf Club. 830-899-4406.THIRD THURSDAYWIMBERLEY: Susanna’s Kitchen Cof-feehouse presents some of the best in Central Texas’ musical talent. Concerts held at Wimberley United Method-ist Church, Corner Ranch Road 12 and County Road 1492. Doors open by 7 pm, concert at 7:30 pm. Free child care; ta-males, pizza, pie, coffee and soft drinks available. Tickets at the door. For list-ing of performers, visit the web site at www.wimberleyumc.com.EVERY THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAYWIMBERLEY: Live Music at Linda’s Fine Foods. 500 FM 2325. 512-847-5464.EVERY FRIDAYBLANCO: Tasting Room Open and Brewery Tours at Real Ale Brewing Company. www.realalebrewing.com.CEDAR VALLEY: Free Wine Tasting and Art Gallery. 5 pm to 8 pm at Cedar Valley Spirits (across from Nutty Brown Cafe). www.cedarvalleyspirits.comGRUENE: Friday Afternoon Club at Gruene Hall. Broadcast live by KNBT-92.1 FM Radio New Braunfels. 4 pm to 7 pm. 830-629-5077.WIMBERLEY: Bingo. VFW Hall on Ja-cobs Well Road. 512-847-6441.WIMBERLEY: Preschool Story Time at the Wimberley Village Library. Bring your little ones at 10:30 am. 512-847-2188, www.wimberleylibrary.org.WIMBERLEY: Celebrate Recovery. First

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Catch live Texas music from Roger Creager at Gruene Hall December 28. Photo courtesy Roger Creager.



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Baptist Church Youth Building. 7 pm to 9 pm, with pizza at 6:30 pm. 512-847-9035.SECOND FRIDAYCASTROVILLE: Friday Night Fever. Cars, trucks, bikes, food, shopping. 6 pm to 10 pm. Lundquist Automotive. www.castroville.com, 830-931-2479.WIMBERLEY: Wimberley Area Parkin-sons Association Meeting. Chapel of The Hills Church, 11 am. For information, call Gae Koen, 512-847-7953.THIRD FRIDAYJOHNSON CITY: Cruise-In. See classic and collectable vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Free admission . www.3fjc.com.FOURTH FRIDAYBANDERA: Fourth Friday Jam. At the Silver Sage Corral starting at 6:30 pm. Call 830-796-4969 for information.EVERY FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAYFREDERICKSBURG: Rockbox Theater. Renowned variety, music, and rock ‘n roll show, great family fun. 866-349-6688.EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAYWIMBERLEY: Live Music. Linda’s Fine Foods. www.lindaallencatering.com.EVERY SATURDAYAUSTIN: Austin Farmers Market. Re-public Square. 512-236-0074.AUSTIN: Sunset Valley Farmers Market. Barton Creek Mall. 512-280-1976.COMFORT: Comfort Area Farmer’s Market. 8 am to 1 pm. Comfort Park on Highway 27.COMFORT: Wine Tastings at High’s Café. 4 pm to 7 pm. www.highscafeand-store.com.DRIPPING SPRINGS: Texas Music and

Wine. www.solaroestate.com.FISCHER: Jackson Open Air Market. Lo-cal artists and farmers, food, fun and en-tertainment. 9 am to 5 pm. 6341 Farm Mar-ket 32. 830-935-2781. NEW BRAUNFELS: Canyon Trail Chuck-wagon Supper and Cowboy Music Show. Evening of song and hearty dining. 830-626-8200, 888-408-7245.WIMBERLEY: Tours of Jacob’s Well. Hear the stories about floods and scuba divers, experience beauty of spring that started town. 10 am. www.jacobswellspring.org.WIMBERLEY: Arnosky Family Farms Market. Fresh flowers, veggies, cheeses, more. Ranch Road 2325 and Highway 165. 830-833-5428.BANDERA: Market Days. 830-796-4447.BANDERA: First Saturday Book Sale. Public Library. 9 am to 1 pm. 830-796-4213.FIRST SATURDAYDRIPPING SPRINGS: Low Cost Pet Vac-cinations. At Tractor Supply on Highway 290. 512-858-7229.WIMBERLEY: Market Days. (March through December). Everything you can’t live without at Lions Field. 7 am to 4 pm. www.shopmarketdays.com.FIRST AND THIRD SATURDAYWIMBERLEY: Toastmasters Public Speaking and Leadership Club. 10:30 am. Visitor’s Center. 512-913-4804.SECOND SATURDAYCASTROVILLE: Market Trail Days. Houston Square. 830-539-2316.THIRD SATURDAYMARBLE FALLS: Bluegrass, Country and Western, and Gospel. 6 pm to 10 pm. Boys and Girls Club. 830-898-1784.

EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAYROUND MOUNTAIN: Tours at West-cave Preserve. [email protected] SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AUSTIN: Tours of Bright Leaf Natural Area. www.brightleaf.org.DECEMBER 1CONCAN: Mimosas and Thanksgiving Sale at Cowgirl Loca. Stop by this fun boutique for a little holiday cheer. Cow-girlLoca.com.DECEMBER 1-8WIMBERLEY: Wimberley Players present “You’re a Good Man, Char-lie Brown.” Based on the Comic Strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Shultz. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday mati-nee at 2:30 pm. Wimberley Playhouse. www.wimberleyplayers.org.DECEMBER 1-24SEGUIN: Seiler Christmas Tree Farm. Cut your own tree. Open weekends 9 am to 6 pm, weekdays 4 pm to 6 pm. Turn right on Elm Creek Road at Smithey’s Store, follow signs on Jakes Colony road. 830-401-4590, 830-379-3468. DECEMBER 1-29SAN ANTONIO: Smithsonian travel-ing exhibit, Native Words, Native War-riors, at the Institute of Texan Cultures. Exhibit tells the story of soldiers from more than a dozen tribes who used their Native languages while in service in the U.S. Military. www.TexanCultures.com. DECEMBER 1-31WIMBERLEY: EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens’ Trail of Lights. Sunday

through Thursday 6 pm to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 6 pm to 10 pm. www.emi-lyann.org.DECEMBER 1 – JANUARY 1, 2014JOHNSON CITY: Hill Country Christ-mas Drive Thru Lights Display. More than half a million lights illuminate this display nightly. Enjoy lights from the warmth of your car as you listen to our very own radio station that plays non-stop Christmas music. 512-955-1706, www.hillcountrychristmaslights.com.MARBLE FALLS: Walkway of Lights Open 6 pm to 10 pm (weather permitting). Lakeside Park. www.marblefalls.org 830-693-4449.DECEMBER 1-30SAN MARCOS: Santa’s Ranch Drive Thru Christmas Light Park. 100 displays and animations. Open Sunday to Thurs-day from 6 pm to 10 pm, Friday and Satur-day 6 pm to 11 pm. santasranch.net.DECEMBER 1 - JANUARY 5FREDERICKSBURG: Eisbahn. Enjoy outdoor ice-skating at the Marktplatz. www.skateinfred.com.DECEMBER 4WIMBERLEY: Tree Trimming and Cook-ie Exchange. Janelle Flocke demonstrates German tradition of creating ornaments with gingerbread molds. Make your own ornaments, materials provided. Admission is three dozen cookies to be enjoyed during the program and then to exchanged. Sign up, space is limited. 6 pm. Wimberley Village Library. Call Car-olyn at 512-847-2188.



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December 7th & 8th

DECEMBER 4-7SAN MARCOS: Sights and Sounds of Christmas. Enjoy an ice skating rink, giant snow globe, carnival, holiday mu-sic, the town of Bethlehem, and special appearances by Mr. and Mrs. Claus. San Marcos Plaza Park. www.sights-n-sounds.org.DECEMBER 5KERRVILLE: Symphony of the Hills Concert. Cailloux Theater. www.sym-phonyofthehills.org.NEW BRAUNFELS: Wassailfest. Stroll through holiday lights and sample was-sail from local merchants. 6 pm to 9 pm. Downtown. www.nbtexas.org.DECEMBER 6AUSTIN: Seton Southwest Hospital Volunteers’ Holiday Bazaar — “A Mid-night Clear.” Wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres while strolling the bazaar to live music. Silent auction, yule tree and private shopping featured. Tickets $20 each or two for $35. 6:30 pm to 9 pm. 7900 Farm Market 1826. 512-324-9018. BANDERA: Shopper’s Jubilee. See the

arrival of Mary and Joseph and lighting of Christmas decorations. Walk along Main Street, enjoy strolling musicians and merchants’ open houses. www.ban-derabusinessassociation.com.FREDERICKSBURG: Lighted Commu-nity Christmas Parade. Lighted night parade signals start of the holidays. Main Street. www.fredericksburg-texas.com.DECEMBER 6UVALDE: Stargazing Party. 7:15 pm at Fort Inge Park. 830-934-2271.DECEMBER 6-7BOERNE: Dickens on Main. Features live music, pet parade, lighted Weih-nachts Parade at 6 pm Saturday, more. Downtown. www.dickensonmain.com.DECEMBER 6 & 7, 13 & 14JOHNSON CITY: First United Method-ist Church Annual Christmas Program. Show for all ages and a great part of any-one’s Christmas. Five free shows each night, starting at 6 pm (last show at 8:30 pm). Each show lasts about 10 minutes. Children are welcome to pet the animals

after each show. Plus, large display of na-tivity scenes, free refreshments (cookies, hot chocolate and coffee). For more infor-mation, call 830-868-7414 or visit the web site at www.fumcjctx.orgDECEMBER 6-8WIMBERLEY: Community Chorus Concert. Chapel in the Hills. Email [email protected] 6-15FREDERICKSBURG: Holiday Wine Trail. Get your tickets online to receive a grapevine wreath to decorate with or-naments from 32 participating wineries on this self-guided tour. www.texaswi-netrail.com.DECEMBER 7BANDERA: Cowboy Campfire Christ-mas. Caroling, Christmas stories and a live nativity with camp coffee and hot chocolate. Bandera City Park. www.ban-deratexasbusiness.com.BANDERA: Holiday Parade. Welcome Santa to town at 11 am on Main Street. www.banderatex.com.COMFORT: Live Music with Mike Blake-ly at Hill Country Pottery. 1 pm to 4 pm. Live music, local wine poured by Sing-ing Water Vineyards, live pottery dem-onstrations, and reveal of newest pottery creations. 738 Farm Market 473. www.HillCountryPottery.com, 830-446-2957.DRIPPING SPRINGS: Wesley Gallery Holiday Jewelry Trunk Show. Visit with the artists, enjoy refreshments, a glass of wine and shop for Christmas gifts. Anne Dee Thierry brings an expanded selec-tion of her Pieces of Bali to show along with new designs from Debbie Scott, Julie Speir, Lee Carrell, Marianne Mitch-ell, Zanna James and March Mattingly. www.wesleygallery.com, 888-806-0678.DRIPPING SPRINGS: Christmas on Mercer Street. Downtown. Arts, crafts, food vendors, more. Don’t miss the tree lighting at 6:15 pm. More information at www.cityofdrippingsprings.com, drip-pingspringstx.org.DRIPPING SPRINGS: Hill Country Holi-day Gift Tour. Purchase ticket to partici-pate, receive a holiday shopping bag to fill with special gifts at each stop along the way. 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets at Cham-ber of Commerce, 509 Mercer Street. www.drippingspringstx.org. JOHNSON CITY: 30th Annual Hill Country Toy Run. Starts at the Johnson City Courthouse at 9 am (arrive early for social time with coffee and donuts), the Bikers Toy Run heads west and swings through Fredericksburg, through Llano to of Cherokee, picking up bikers along the way. With Santa and a sleigh full of presents, the children of the Cherokee Home will be wide-eyed and smiling as Christmas joy is delivered and the mo-torcycle enthusiasts spend the afternoon with them. Event open to all. No fee. Motorcycle encouraged. Kevin Martin at 830-868-4007 or Lisa Lusk at 830-868-7693. www.jcpigroast.org/HillCountry-ToyRunAssoc.JOHNSON CITY: Timeless Christmas. LBJ Boyhood home will be lamp lit, an opportunity to experience family life at the Johnson’s house as it was during the 1920s. Walk the short trail to the Johnson Settlement to experience a late 830-868-

7128 ext. 231, www.nps.gov/lyjo.WIMBERLEY: Market Days. Everything you can’t live without at Lions Market Pavilion. www.shopmarketdays.com.DECEMBER 7-8BOERNE: Oma’s Christmas Craft Fair. Find the perfect gift at Kendall County Fairgrounds. www.kcfa.org.BUDA: Buda Fest. Enjoy arts and crafts and live music all weekend, plus a 10 am parade Saturday. Downtown. www.bu-dafest.org. GRUENE: Christmas Market Days. Gru-ene Historic District. 10 am to 5 pm. www.gruenemarketdays.com.DECEMBER 7-8, 14-15, 21-22JOHNSON CITY: Johnson City Court-house Ornament Sale. Find ornaments, crafts, bird houses, postcards, bumper stickers and local cookbooks for sale. Blanco County Courthouse. 830-868-7010.DECEMBER 7-23AUSTIN: “The Nutcracker.” Presented by Ballet Austin at the Long Center. www.balletaustin.org.DECEMBER 8WIMBERLEY: 2nd Annual Holiday Extravaganza supporting Wimberley HS Project Graduation 2014. Noon to 6 pm at the Wimberley Community Cen-ter. Vendor Booths selling lots of holi-day gift items. Pictures with Santa, $5 sitting fee includes free photo. $3 ad-mission gives you one chance at raffle drawings throughout the day. Contact [email protected] for more in-formation.DECEMBER 9AUSTIN: Conspirare Christmas Con-cert. Holiday concert with singer-song-writer Ruthie Foster combines many musical genres into one experience. The Long Center. www.conspirare.org.DECEMBER 12DRIPPING SPRINGS: Wine and Cheese Art Opening at Brenham House Art and Antiques. 6 pm to 10 pm. 16746 Fitzhugh, just east of Ranch Road 12. 832-260-2526.SAN MARCOS: Destination’s Annual Andrews Sisters Revue Christmas Show at the Public Library. 8 pm. 625 East Hop-kins Street. 512-393-8200 for more infor-mation.DECEMBER 12-14, 19-21CANYON LAKE: CRRC North Pole Vil-lage. Pint sized Christmas village for kids, live Nativity, hay ride and more. 830-964-2324, www.crrcofcanyonlake.org.DECEMBER 13-14FREDERICKSBURG: The Christmas Journey. Drive-through presentation of the Christmas story is depicted in mul-tiple scenes, all with live characters and animals. Bethany Lutheran Church. www.bethanyfredericksburg.com, 830-997-2069.GRUENE: Jerry Jeff Walker. Live music at Gruene Hall. www.gruenehall.com.DECEMBER 14AUSTIN: Central Texas Medical Orches-tra, featuring Andrew Sords, Violin, and Guest Artist Sara Hickman. Dr. Robert Radmer, Conductor benefitting the Mul-tiple Sclerosis Society. 7:30 pm LifeAus-tin Church 8901 West Highway 71. Tick-ets online $25. www.CTMOrchestra.org



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signs on Jakes Colony Road

Open 9 am - 6 pm weekends and 4 pm to 6 pm weekdays

DECEMBER 14BURNET: Christmas at Old Fort Croghan. Families dressed in pioneer attire wel-come visitors to celebrate the season as people did in the 1800s. www.fortcroghan.org. 512-756-8281.FREDERICKSBURG: Tannen-baum Ball. Elegant evening with catered meal, live enter-tainment, dancing and auc-tion. St. Mary’s Event Center. www.pioneermuseum.net, 830-990-8441.DECEMBER 14FREDERICKSBURG: Christ-mas Party Dance at Pat’s Hall. Music begins at 8 pm. www.patshall.com, 830-997-7574.GRUENE: Jingle Bell Run/Walk. 9 am in Historic District. 830-708-2991. SATTLER: Canyon Lake Christmas Parade. Santa’s ar-rival in Canyon Lake includes a flyover by the CENTEX Wing Commemorative Air Force. 11 am. www.clnoonlions.com, 830-964-2461.STONEWALL: 44th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting. LBJ State Park. www.nps.gov/lyjo.WIMBERLEY: 6th Annual Winter’s Eve: A Christmas Festival. Meet Santa and enjoy live music, food, holiday cheer and late night shopping with merchants open ‘til 10 pm. Look for the big tent on the Wimberley Square. www.wimber-leymerchants.com, 512-847-3333.WIMBERLEY: Gypsy Moon. Live music at Linda Allen’s Fine Food. 7 pm to 10 pm.DECEMBER 14-15WIMBERLEY: “Night of Alleluias.” A Enjoy this holiday Christmas Praise Con-cert presented by First Baptist Church of Wimberley. Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 10:45 am. Free admission, childcare for kids under 5 available. www.fbcwimber-ley.com.DECEMBER 17-24AUSTIN: Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. Shades of old Austin are reflected at this market with eclectic gifts and live local entertainment. Palmer Events Center. www.armadillobazaar.com.LUCKENBACH: Luckenbach Christ-mas Ball. Celebrate the season in a his-toric dance hall with a concert by Gary P. Nunn. www.luckenbachtexas.com. DECEMBER 21-22DRIPPING SPRINGS: Ballet Southwest Academy presents “The Nutcracker.” Enjoy this family friendly version of the holiday classic at the Austin Waldorf School Performing Arts Center. 512-288-8282, www.balletsouthacademy.com.BOERNE: Cowboy Christmas at En-chanted Springs Ranch. Celebrate the magic of the season at this holiday western wonderland including kids’ ac-tivities, animals, wagon rides, arrest-a-guest, puppet shows, skits, music, carol-ing, food, photos with Santa and much more. www.enchantedspringsranch.com, 830-249-8222.STONEWALL: Becker Vineyards Boxing Day Celebration. Reading of “A Christ-

mas Carol” by Charles Dickens in front of the fireplace, holiday hors d’oeuvres and Yuletide music. 10 am to 5 pm. www.beckervineyards.com.DECEMBER 26FREDERICKSBURG: Zweite Weih-nachten. Enjoy the German tradition of “Second Christmas” with delicious food, live music and fellowship. 2 pm to 5 pm. Gillespie County Historical Society Social Hall, 312 West San Antonio Street. 830-997-7928.DECEMBER 27GRUENE: Cory Morrow in Concert. www.gruenehall.com.DECEMBER 28FREDERICKSBURG: Candlelight Fever at the Pioneer Museum. Tour historic buildings decorated for the holiday sea-son, and enjoy live music and refresh-ments. www.pioneermuseum.net.DECEMBER 28GRUENE: Roger Creager in Concert. www.gruenehall.com.DECEMBER 31FREDERICKSBURG: New Year’s Eve Party at Pat’s Hall. Music and dancing starts at 8 pm. www.patshall.com.FREDERICKSBURG: New Year’s Eve USO-Style Hangar Dance. Wear your best 1940s-inspired outfit and enjoy swing dance lessons and live music by Bill Smallwood and The Lonestar Swing Orchestra. Hangar Hotel. 830-997-9990.LUCKENBACH: New Year’s Eve Cel-ebration. Music by Drew Womack, plus enjoy breakfast tacos and champagne at midnight. Advance tickets are required. Luckenbach Dance Hall. www.lucken-bachtexas.com.JANUARY 1, 2014FREDERICKSBURG: Black-Eyed Pea and Cornbread Cook-Off. Comfort food at Torre di Pietra Vineyards. www.texas-hillcountrywine.com.

Gary P. Nunn plays the Luckenbach Christmas Ball December 21. Photo courtesy Gary P. Nunn.

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