Festivals on parade

New museum exhibition showcases quirky, colorful Texas festivals

This regal pig is from Elgin's Hogeye Festival.

Photo courtesy of the Bullock Texas State History Museum

The Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin is offering new perspectives from 27 annual celebrations around the state in an exhibition called Texas Festivals, open now through September 27. The collection is a Texana collector's dream, with objects ranging from a pearl-wearing pig to a lumberjack mask to lavish San Antonio Fiesta gowns.

Although the Capital City is known for relatively newer fests like Austin City Limits Music Festival or South by Southwest, many of the artifacts on display in Texas Festivals emphasize more old-fashioned and country traditions: lots of farm imagery and pageantry. Some of them are contemporary, while others reach back to give context about the state's festival history.

The exhibition, presented in English and Spanish, gets curious about what makes a festival, and what different festivals say about their respective towns. Some answers can be gleaned by looking at the artifacts — a Tyrolean hat (Alpine cap) from Wurstfest in New Braunfels or a trophy from the Luling Watermelon Thump — while others are less self-explanatory.

Other objects on display include:

Sandfest in Port Aransas: A sculpture made for the exhibit using sand from Port Aransas
The Art Car Parade in Houston: An art car honoring Stevie Ray Vaughan
Fiesta San Antonio: Regalia from "royal courts"
Texas Citrus Fiesta in Mission: More court fashions
Various festivals: Mascots from Texas Onion Fest in Weslaco, the Hogeye Festival in Elgin, and the Texas State Forest Festival in Lufkin

The Luling Watermelon Thump has celebrated the locally grown crop since 1954. Photo courtesy of the Bullock Texas State History Museum

To help organize curators' and visitors' thoughts on the matter, the exhibition is divided into three sections that ask different questions, like "How do festivals create community?" There will also be more musing in a short documentary about how festivals are planned, and more sources will be organized in another collection of video clips.

Interactive activities will invite visitors to decorate the train of a gown like the intricate masterpieces that would be worn at Fiesta San Antonio, create a festival by filling in blanks from a word cloud, and, for young kids (ages 2-5), play with food truck-themed toys.

“For the Bullock Museum’s 25th anniversary, we wanted to create an exhibit that brought people together in a celebratory way,” said senior curator Kathryn Siefker in a press release. “We developed several concepts and then asked Museum staff to vote for their favorite. The idea of Texas festivals was the unanimous winner. As we dug into the research, we realized how fitting the exhibit truly is. Festivals celebrate the best parts of Texas — its people, economy, cultural heritage, and pride."

Texas Rose Festival gown A visitor looks at a gown and train from the Texas Rose Festival in Tyler. Photo courtesy of the Bullock Texas State History Museum

Whether Texans stop by the exhibition in person, they can see the artifacts online at TheStoryOfTexas.com/artifacts. There are 815 items listed, with only 155 of them currently on display at the museum.

The Bullock Museum is located at 1800 Congress Ave in Austin. Admission is $17 for adults and $11 for youth (4-17 years), with discounts available for seniors, military, and students.

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ON THE ROAD

6 must-try restaurants for your next Texas Hill Country getaway

Salt Lick BBQ/ Facebook

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While wine gets the majority of the attention in the Texas Hill Country, something has to soak it all up, and the region is also home to some of the state's best eats.

From legendary barbecue and famous desserts to elegant bistros serving elevated fare, these six Texas Hill Country restaurants are among our favorite detours. Add them to your next weekend getaway itinerary.

The Dodging Duck Brewhaus, Boerne
Named for Cibolo Creek's most famous waddlers, this Boerne gastropub has an international menu that ranges from blistered shishito peppers to fish and chips. But flowing beer calls for a sturdy foundation. Get your ducks in a row with a beer sampler paired with hearty German fare like huge Bavarian-style pretzels or a spicy bratwurst.

Old City Hall Restaurant & Bar, New Braunfels
Housed in a, well, old city hall, this graceful New Braunfels newcomer is now more of a hub of languorous date nights than municipal intrigue. Still, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t inspire a few debates. Should the appetizer be the lighter smoked crab dip with farm-fresh crudité or the indulgent truffle fries paired with a frosty gin martini?

Old City Hall in New Braunfels has our vote. Old City Hall/ Facebook

Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood
Sure, some Texans obsess about post oak versus mesquite, but this Driftwood barbecue joint is not for barbecue cultists. While the famous circular smoker is mostly just for show, the all-you-can-eat family meal is still a rite of passage. For $33.95, guests can munch on beef brisket, sausage, pork ribs, and all the Texas fixings.

The Blue Bonnet Cafe, Marble Falls
This Marble Falls charmer, open since 1929, is famed for sky-high meringues that tower as high as five inches. Pie, however, is just the start. Almost all of the fare is a little oversized, from a Dagwood club to a hefty Wednesday meatloaf special. The stripped-down interior isn’t much to look at, but that doesn’t mean your eyes won’t be popping.

Vaudeville Fredericksburg At Vaudeville, come for the shopping; stay for the bistro cuisine.Vaudeville/ Facebook

Vaudeville Bistro, Fredericksburg
It’s a boutique. It’s a wine bar. It’s a stylish brasserie. Much like its namesake, Fredericksburg's Main Street stunner likes to lay on the variety. Start with Spanish-style grilled octopus, then head to the showstopping rack of lamb. The curtain call is a chocolate chunk pecan cookie almost richer than the dark chocolate pot de creme.

Calivence, Fredericksburg
This Fredericksburg winery's biggest surprise isn’t the bright Cab Franc. The property also hosts a charming bistro serving French-Californian fare. Housed in an 1869 Sunday house, the quaint spot serves pairing-friendly dishes like crostini, oysters, and a Thai steak salad with a minty chutney. And, of course, there's an absolutely killer crème brûlée for dessert.

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