Gruene Music and Wine Fest brings more good times to historic Texas venue

Going Gruene

Wine, music, and super-old dance halls are the best offerings of Central Texas. Texas’ oldest dance hall, in fact, Gruene Hall, is bringing both wine and music together at the36th Annual Gruene Music and Wine Festfrom October 6 to 9.

In collaboration with KNBT 92.1 FM Radio, ticket and drinks sales from the four-day event in New Braunfels will benefit United Way of Comal County, which in 2021 received nearly $148,000 from the event.

Other festival costs are covered by sponsors (JP Morgan Chase & Co., New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, and Texas Hill Country Wineries, to name a few). Visitors can participate in wine and beer tastings in between watching live shows at Gruene Hall and The Grapevine wine bar, another one of the event’s sponsors.

On Thursday, October 6, attendees will gather in the Grapevine Garden for tastings from Llano Estacado Winery, Becker Vineyards, Hilmy Cellars, and an unnamed brewery. Admission is free, and tastings are managed with drink tickets in increments of $5 per drink, which decrease to $4 when purchased in larger quantities. There will be live music and giveaways, followed by a ticketed performance from Josh Abbott Band at Gruene Hall.

Friday’s events are already sold out, but could inspire an itinerary for another day in Gruene, visiting the historic Gristmill River Restaurant right next to the dance hall. One of the draws to this day’s tickets was a “Great Guitar Auction,” followed by a performance from Pat Green.

Back at the Grapevine Garden on Saturday from noon to 6 pm, is a new event that mirrors Thursday’s tasting, this time with six wineries: Lost Draw Cellars, Fiesta Winery, Texas SouthWind Vineyard & Winery, Texoir, Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards, and Messina Hof. Josh Baca & The Hot Tamales and The Johnathans will play visitors through the six-hour tasting and into a ticketed concert by the Lost Gonzo Band, founded in 1972.

Sunday unplugs for a string of acoustic performances from 2 pm to 9 pm at Gruene Hall. The lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but Mattson Rainier of KNBT will emcee the all-day, 21-and-up show. The event ($40) promises “some of Texas’ best songwriters.”

When the festival was in its nascent years, it only filled one day, raising $450 for the United Way. The gigantic non-profit conglomerate claims a mission to “advance the common good,” which in Comal County includes support to several kids’, medical, and Christian groups. It also supports multiple food banks and resources for victims of domestic violence.

In general, tasting events are free and tickets can be pre-purchased online, or at the event. Concert tickets must be purchased ahead of time and may sell out. For more information and purchase links, visit gruenemusicandwinefest.org.

Courtesy of Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza

Wood-fired pizza chain with cool pour-your-own taproom smokes into Frisco

Pizza News

A new pizza concept is making its Texas debut: Called Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom, it's a fast-casual chain founded in Minnesota endowing Frisco with a location in a 5,000-square-foot space at the Stonebriar Mall. According to a release, it'll open in fall 2022.

Smokin' Oak specializes in pizza, with dough made in house. Their ovens reach about 900 degrees to produce pizzas in about two minutes.

But their other signature is their self-pour tap wall, with beer, wine, and cider. Diners get an RFID (radio-frequency identification) bracelet with a built-in chip that identifies the wearer. You tap your wristband against the drink of your choice to activate the tap. Pour size ranges from one to 16 ounces, allowing the opportunity to try different beverages.

According toFranchising Magazine, this self-serve model is convenient for customers who don't like waiting for refills, with up to 20 percent of their guests coming just to have a drink.

Another plus is flexibility: You can be in and out in 15 minutes or linger at the self-pour taproom as long as you like.

Their culinary profile has only the mildest hint of gourmet, with a heavy emphasis on meat. For example, their "Classic" pizza has sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, red onion, and mozzarella. Five of their 13 options have bacon.

Other pizza options include:

San Marino: prosciutto, goat cheese, mozzarella, spinach, garlic, crushed red pepper, crushed tomato sauce
Smokey Dokey: BBQ sauce, chicken, applewood bacon, red onion, cilantro, mozzarella
Buffalo Chicken: chicken, buffalo sauce, banana pepper, mozzarella, green onion, bleu cheese dressing, raspberry sauce

There are a couple of sandwiches and salads, and two "starters": stuffed cheese bread or garlic cheese bread.

The chain currently has five locations open, with five more in the works, including Austin, which will open in early fall, and another penciled in for Dallas, location still TBD.

Photo by Melissa Gaskill

A quintessential Texas road trip to Shiner beckons with beer and barbecue

Texas travel

A koozie in the gift shop at the Spoetzl Brewery demands, “Eat Meat. Drink Beer.” That pretty much sums up any good journey to Shiner, a town about 80 miles southeast of Austin that’s home to roughly 2,000 souls and the famed brewery that produces iconic Shiner beers.

For the meat, options abound along the route to Shiner. For lunch, consider a stop in Lockhart for some of Central Texas’ best barbecue. There’s Smitty’s Market, where the line starts right next to the open pit and the ’cue is served on sheets of paper, old-school style, like all the best Texas barbecue. (Smitty’s also serves Shiner beer, but the eatery only takes cash, so come prepared.)

Other celebrated Lockhart options include Black’s Barbecue and Kruez Market. There’s also City Market (it’s cash only here, too) and Luling Barbq, literally across the street from each other in the town of Luling.

The beer part of this adventure, naturally, happens most deliciously in Shiner. Czech and German immigrants founded a brewery here in 1909 after discovering artesian water. Bavarian Kosmos Spoetzel bought the operation, named it for himself, and continued using traditional methods as its brewmaster from 1914 to 1950. Today, Spoetzel is one of the largest independent craft brewers in the country, selling beers in all 50 states and Mexico, every drop of it brewed here.

That water is key, says Jimmy Mauric, current brewmaster.

“Beer is 93 percent water, so the local water makes Shiner special,” he explains. “The water is pristine, not chlorinated, and we use the well water only for our beers and seltzers.”

Other ingredients used at the brewery include roasted barley malt grain, a special blend of hops, and three types of yeast, including two proprietary strains. For its seasonal beers, the brewery sources special ingredients, like peaches and dewberries, locally as much as possible.

A tour of the brewery is a must. Tour packages start at $15 for guests 21 and older, $10 for guests younger than 21, and run approximately every hour, from 11 am Monday through Saturday and 1 pm Sunday. The last tour is at 4 pm every day.

You’ll be treated to a history video, a stop by a kitchen where the guide explains the beer-making process, a peek at shiny copper fermenters, and a wall of caps from all retired employees since the company started recording keeping. Plus, you’ll get a brief visit to a mock fermentation tank to check out a creative video on that process and the tiny yeast that power it.

A viewing deck overlooks the massive bottling line where the iconic brown bottles travel on moving conveyor belts, piling up like traffic on I-35. The last stop is a classic honky-tonk-style bar, walls covered with historic photographs and a display case of the different seasonal special beers the brewery has released throughout the years.

The tour ends with beer tastings — which you will definitely crave by this time — and visitors can purchase a pint (or two) of their favorites while enjoying a respite at one of the onsite picnic tables on the sprawling lawn outside.

Other local must-visit stops include Howard’s, at 1701 N. Avenue East, which looks like the typical corner gas station convenience store in every small town, but actually offers many wonders, including beers on draft and a charming biergarten out back that often features live music.

Choose from several hundred beers at Antiques, Arts and Beer, each served with complimentary peanuts and popcorn. The historic 1911 building features tin and barnwood walls, art and antiques, and, out back, a pet-friendly covered deck.

Shiner’s Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church is worth a photo stop. The red brick Romanesque Revival-style church, dedicated in 1921 and listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, features a dramatic altar backed by a painted mural, statues, and stained-glass windows. Take a look inside, and feel free to offer up a prayer of thanks for Shiner beer.

Courtesy of Wurstfest

Live your best Wurstfest in New Braunfels with these top tips for the German celebration

Ein Prosit

Once again, the Hill Country is alive with the sound of accordion music. Wurstfest, the annual German heritage festival celebrating food and beer, is back until November 14, attracting Texans and tourists alike to New Braunfels.

In recent years, over 200,000 people have packed into the miniature Germanic town on the festival grounds for something akin to a hyper-focused amusement park mixed with a Renaissance fair. On Sunday, November 7, it was like nothing ever happened to the quaint little village.

Something did happen, of course. Not only did the pandemic contribute to the cancellation of Wurstfest 2020, but so did fires in 2019. According to the Austin-American Statesman and San Antonio’s KENS5, the venue spent over $10 million repairing damages. The triumphant return was apparently not to be slowed by vaccine cards or negative tests. There were no COVID-19 precautions to be seen, but this seems like the norm outside of major Texas cities these days.

The attractions at Wurstfest are straightforward: a food and beer market, a craft market, multiple stages graced by numerous polka bands, and a small carnival. At any given point between 11 am and midnight, an attendee’s mission is to procure a beer, scope out a place to sit, and respond to the toast shouted periodically from every stage: Oans, zwoa, drei, g’suffa! It’s expanded since its 1961 inception (by the city meat inspector to celebrate the culinary staple), but the core elements remain the same.

At a small demonstration on Sunday, two men in lederhosen outside one of the beer halls made sausage and explained the ingredients involved. One spectator in a low-commitment dirndl with a loose bodice looked horrified to learn that the casing holding together Wurstfest’s namesake is hog intestine.

Although there is no shortage of wurst from various vendors around the festival, there seems to be no distinguishable difference between them except how they’re served. On a bun with sauerkraut and mustard seemed like a sensible way to do it, but with potato pancakes and sour cream was much more indulgent. Visit two vendors to create a potato pancake sandwich with a goulash filling, but don’t let the Germans see you getting suspiciously Polish (the Polish, in turn, call it Hungarian), and thank us later.

Keeping a beer in hand throughout (and a glass of water nearby!) is central to the entire experience. When asked what one does if they come when gates open and leave when they close, one festivalgoer responded blankly, “You just drink.” Those who feel more discerning (no pressure) should try the Warsteiner Dunkel, a roasted barley malt with a lot of body, a smooth, dark taste and a little yeasty sharpness in each sip.

The Paulaner Oktoberfest is lighter, both more sweet and more sour, and grain-forward. Save your drink tickets and go with the Shiner Oktoberfest over the Spaten equivalent, which is a good choice for people drinking more to assuage FOMO than taste beer.

For dessert, stop by one of the pastry stands by Naegelin’s Bakery, which claims to be the oldest such institution in Texas, at 142 years old. One member of the staff recommended an eclair, but the cream horn felt more novel. She was right; the cream horn tasted of dense pastry and powdered-sugar-heavy buttercream, but the eclair was light and spongy. Neither is particularly German when compared with the many strudel options available from Naegelin’s, but no one is stopping you from getting one of everything. Just save room between the pretzels, nuts, and fried fare.

Going in, it seems that hours of nonstop Central European folk music would get tiring, and it almost did. While the bands, like the food vendors, weren’t fully distinguishable to most casual listeners, each had its quirks, and none played just one type of music. One moment audiences heard a waltz, then polka, then yodeling, then an AC/DC cover.

The Alex Meixner Band played three alternating sets, the Grammy-nominated frontman head-banging over his accordion, working undoubtedly harder than anyone else on festival grounds all day, musician or otherwise. The Alpine Village band played just as many sets, and closed out the night with a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep,” you know, that old oompah standard.

There’s still time to road-trip it to Wurstfest, which runs through Sunday, November 14. Weekday hours are 5 pm to various closing times, depending on the day. Check hours, find travel information, and pre-purchase tickets ($18 online, $20 at the gate) at wurstfest.com. Sunday tickets are buy one, get one free. Prost!

The German heritage festival runs through November 14.

Courtesy of Wurstfest

The German heritage festival runs through November 14.

Courtesy of Martin House Brewing Company

Texas' beloved Twang inspires spicy new craft beer from DFW brewery

Flavor Bomb

Those who like a little zing in their beer have a salty San Antonio-based business to thank for Martin House Brewing Company's newest beer sensation.

Twang, a family-owned flavor factory known for creating “the original beer salt” and other spicy drink boosters, has teamed up with the Fort Worth craft brewery to release a new beer inspired by Twang, called Twang-a-Rang.

Twang-a-Rang, which Martin House describes as tasting like “a sweet mango candy with a spicy chili finish,” is brewed in Fort Worth and is now available at select retailers and bars throughout DFW and Texas, while supplies last.

“San Antonio has shown us so much love over the recent years, that it really is special to be able to team up with Twang and start a new friendship,” says Shugg Cole, Martin House Brewing’s director of marketing, in a release. “We are looking forward to many more flavors of Twang-a-Rang and many more hangouts with our new San Antonio family.”

Brewed with mango flavoring, mango puree, and a blend of salts and spices, Twang-a-Rang has an alcohol content of 6.5 percent and emulates the sweet and spicy flavor of Mango Chili Twangerz, which inspired the beer.

“Twang is really excited to be a part of this collaboration with Martin House Brewing Company,” says Edmundo Macias, Twang’s director of marketing. “This is a great opportunity to come together with another Texas brand to create something that’s unique but also tastes great. We encourage consumers to dress the beer with Mango Chili Twangerz to give it a Latin twist.”

Twang-a-Rang is available at select retailers and bars that already carry Martin House beers, including select H-E-B stores, Total Wine, Spec’s, and Trader Joes; it is sold in six-packs for $10-$12.

Fitzhugh Brewing/Facebook

6 intoxicating breweries and distilleries to spirit away to in nearby Dripping Springs

Dripping with drinks

Dripping Springs bills itself as the Wedding Capital of Texas, complete with a trademark on the phrase. The growing community near Austin also brags about its official International Dark Sky designation, a draw for stargazers. While there may be no official recognition for an abundance of wineries, distilleries, and breweries — trust us — this area has boozy bona fides.

As summer fades into fall (yes, please!), here are three distilleries and three breweries in Dripping Springs offering plenty of reasons to stop by.

Booze

Desert Door Distillery
Sotol is tequila’s smoother cousin. This distillery makes it from sotol plants wild-harvested in West Texas and uses it to make ranch water, margaritas, and bespoke cocktails. A covered outdoor seating area with misting fans is kid- and dog-friendly. Enjoy live music, limited editions of sotol, and farm-to-table inspired dishes from the Eden West food truck, open Thursday 4-8 pm, Friday and Saturday noon-8 pm, and Sunday noon-6 pm. Distillery hours are Thursday 3:30-8 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am-8 pm, and Sunday noon-6. 211 Darden Hill Rd., 512-829-6129.

Dripping Springs Distilling
In 2005, the Kelleher brothers built the first distillery in the Texas Hill Country and in 2007, sold their first bottle of Dripping Springs Vodka. The venture became Dripping Springs Distilling in 2018, offering vodka, gin, bourbon, tequila, and other spirits. A new location with a bar; visitors center; event venue; and spacious, oak-studded grounds, complete with a kids’ play area and water bowls for the pups, opened in August. After a pandemic-related hiatus, distillery tours and tastings are back by reservation or walk-up ($21.65 per person). Venue operations manager Kristi Quick reports plans for Sunday tours with Austin Tour Company, featuring this and two other area stops. The distillery plans to roll out fall cocktails in October, with seasonal touches such as warming spices and hot drinks. Also in the works: Sunday brunch. The distillery is open Thursday through Sunday 10:30 am-5 pm. 5330 Bell Springs Rd., 512-858-1199.

Treaty Oak Distilling
On 28 shady acres, tour the production facility, dine at Alice’s Restaurant, sip cocktails, or sample spirits in the Rickhouse Bar or tasting room, or grab a picnic table under the oaks. Bring the dog and the kids (there’s a play area for the little ones). A $25, 45-minute guided tour and tasting includes $5 off any bottle, up to two bottles. Tours run Saturday noon-5 pm every hour. Live music happens on Friday and Saturday. Nab one of 10 spots in the Single Barrel Select program that includes behind-the-scenes tasting and barrel samples, a personalized bottle of cask-strength Ghost Hill Texas Bourbon, a barbecue plate, and a 40 percent discount on food, beverages, and merchandise all day. The entire facility is open Friday and Saturday noon-9 pm, and Sunday noon-6 pm. 16604 Fitzhugh Rd., 512-400-4023.

Beer

Beerburg Brewing
Hops don’t grow well in Texas, but Beerburg sources all its other brewing ingredients from the state, with a Wildcraft Series featuring Texas-foraged plants. Seasonal offerings for fall include a mesquite bean and pecan brown ale. Taqueria la Violeta offers a variety of regional Mexican street food, including tacos and house-made ice creams. Enjoy it all on a large deck and tree-shaded beer garden. Live music jams every Friday and Sunday, and local artwork is on view in the lounge. Beerburg is open Thursday and Friday 3-8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday noon-8 pm. 13476 Fitzhugh Rd., 512-265-0543.

Fitzhugh Brewing
Here, the possibilities abound. Choose to spend your day in an expansive indoor space, on the covered patio, or in the large outdoor beer garden with shaded picnic tables, a playscape, and a stage. Co-owner Kerbey Smith and brewer Nathan Rice make beers for everyone, not just aficionados. Rice brews styles from Barbados to Belgium, all piped straight to the bar taps. (It doesn’t get fresher than that!) Food by PEJ Kitchens (the sister company of longtime Austin smokehouse Pok-e-Jo’s) features tender riffs on barbecue, from smokehouse nachos to burnt ends, pork ribs, and sausage — and one of Austin’s most inventive charcuterie boards. Events range from those featuring baby goats to kids’ nights, four-course dinner and beer pairings, and a one-year anniversary party planned for October 16 that will include music, raffles, and bottle releases. Fitzhugh is open Thursday and Friday 4-8 pm, Saturday 11 am-9 pm, and Sunday noon-7 pm. 15435 Fitzhugh Rd., 512-648-0653.

Jester King
The picnic tables in the pole barn, beer garden, pasture, canopy, goat barn, and grotto are first-come, first-served here, but there are a lot of them and most offer glorious shade. In addition to a rotating cast of unique beers, including one brewed with 100 percent Texas ingredients (very impressive since Texas-grown hops are a challenge), Jester King makes wine and cider using its own groundwater and Texas grapes and fruit for wine and Texas apples for cider. Food options include fresh-made pizzas, barbecue, and sides. Walk the mile-plus nature trail and the grounds on your own, or reserve a Goat Experience or Goat Walk with the herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats ($10 per person) or a tour ($5 per person). Jester King is open Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 pm, Friday 3-10 pm, Saturday noon-10 pm, and Sunday noon-9 pm. Reservations are encouraged. 13187 Fitzhugh Rd., 512-661-8736.

Find even more Dripping Springs options here.

Indulge in the charm — and tasty brew and barbecue offerings — at Fitzhugh Brewing.

Fitzhugh Brewing/Facebook

Indulge in the charm — and tasty brew and barbecue offerings — at Fitzhugh Brewing.

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Spring break staycation ideas zip into this week's 5 most-read Dallas stories

This week's hot headlines

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. 10 new ideas for a FOMO-free spring break staycation in Dallas-Fort Worth. It’s spring break time across North Texas. For families who did NOT jet off to ski the slopes or head to the beach, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in Dallas-Fort Worth. We once called this "staying home." Now it's a "staycation!" Here are 10 new ideas for fun things to do, even into the weekend.

2. Dallas police arrest man caught on camera dumping German shepherd. On March 11, the Dallas Police Department Animal Cruelty Unit arrested Ramiro Zuniga, 41, and charged him with Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animals – Abandon, an A Misdemeanor charge. An investigation determined that on March 8, Zuniga intentionally abandoned a dog in the 9000 block of Teagarden Road.

3. Big day for music fans with news of a dozen concerts coming to Dallas. For summer concert lovers in Dallas, Monday, March 13 brought a bounty of good news with a big round of tours coming through Texas in 2023. In a single day, details were revealed for tours featuring Drake, TLC, Christopher Cross, Steve Miller Band with Cheap Trick, and Coheed & Cambria.

4. Truck Yard reopens on Dallas' Greenville Ave with famed frogs on the roof. An outdoor hangout on Dallas' Greenville Avenue has reopened with a new nostalgic feature: Truck Yard, which helped usher in the backyard trend that is now de rigeur in the food & beverage world, reopened at 5624 Sears St., AKA across from Trader Joe's, with $2 million in renovations that include an installation of the famed Tango Frogs sculptures.

5. Shop in East Dallas dedicated entirely to pickles closes its doors. A one-of-a-kind shop in East Dallas dedicated to pickles has closed: Pickletopia, a shop at 4812 Bryan St. that sold pickles of all kinds, closed its doors at the end of 2022, and according to its owner, is unlikely to return.

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars with cool cocktail specials

Where to Drink

It's always good to support your local watering hole but sometimes the heart wants something else, and even better when it's something cheap. For our March edition of where to drink, we spotlight five drinking opportunities around Dallas that include a seasonally-focused happy hour, a one-day drink special, a new happy hour for the summer, and a new happy hour at an Arts District hotel bar.

Here's Where to Drink in March:

Jinya Ramen Bar
The Dallas location of this sophisticated national Japanese chain joins in on their national "Hanami Hour," which honors the Japanese custom of celebrating cherry blossom season. Starting March 22, they'll be offering a special combo of Nigori Sake and a Spicy Tuna and Salmon Cone for $18. Not exactly sure what that has to do with cherry blossoms? Maybe lost in translation. But a sake special is always a yes. March 22-April 5

New Artisan Distillery
On March 30, the makers of Roxor Gin & Botanical Bourbon are launching a budget-friendly new program for the spring/summer, with a weekday happy hour featuring $5 gin and bourbon cocktails, because gin and bourbon is what they make. Stick around for trivia, karaoke, and a Friday Piano Series on their in-house Steinway Piano. Fancy! The March 30 opener debuts with Trivia Night from Sporcle, whom they say is the leading trivia company in the U.S., and who are we to disagree. Monday-Friday 4-7 pm

Nobu Dallas
Japanese restaurant-bar at the Hotel Crescent Court is part of an international sushi chain from celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa that opened in Dallas in 2005 with a celebrity-packed event that included co-owner/investor Robert DeNiro jetting into Dallas to attend. It was exciting! Their happy hour, launched in 2019, has a special name — Tanoshi Hour — and is a killer deal. It features three specialty cocktails, $10 each, that include a lychee & elderflower martini. Plus sake and wine by the glass for $8, Japanese beer for $6, and a menu of snacks including sushi, tacos, and chicken wings, also $10 each. Available in the bar area only, Monday-Friday 5-7 pm

Pyramid Lobby Bar
The bar at the Fairmont Dallas hotel in the Dallas Arts District has a new Texas Happy Hour, with delicious bites and great deals on brews and other beverages, plus live acoustic country music by Tyler Hammond on Thursdays 5-8 p.m. The drink lineup includes $6 Texas draft beers, $10 glasses of wine (house Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Prosecco), and $12 margaritas and Texas mules. Appetizers are $8 and include sweet potato fries, shishito peppers, lamb sliders, and chicken fried deviled eggs. Monday-Friday 2-6 pm, Thursday 11 am-12 am

Sky Blu Rooftop Bar
Design District venue is hosting a cheap-drinking day on March 24 from 4 pm-2 am with a quartet of classic cocktails — the Aperol Spritz, Manhattan, Negroni, and gin martini — for $10. It's just for that day and it's a Tuesday, and you also need to pay $10 for valet. As discount drink experiences go, this one is not the best. But hey, rooftop views, and a discount is a discount. March 24, 4 pm-2 am

Hill Country nature preserve steps up conservancy efforts with new wildlife plans

CONNECT WITH MOTHER NATURE

A Hill Country park is getting some new features and wildlife this year. The Horseshoe Bay Nature Park, located 60 miles northwest of Austin (about three-and-a-half hours from Dallas), will be expanding its conservancy this year through the use of new signage, bee populations, and owls.

The 11-acre park was doomed to become a high-density development by investors until the local community gathered to create HSB Park Inc., a nonprofit organization that would save the land instead. The park opened to the public last year and has since evolved from its fragile state to a place where residents can get closer to nature.

In its first year of operation, the park planted $1,500 worth of Texas wildflower seeds, such as Indian blanket, sleepy daisy, standing cypress, and more. The park also received a $17,571 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) to install 15 interpretive signs with QR codes around the park.

Since its opening, naturalists were able to identify over 235 species of plants and wildlife in the area, which would have never been possible without the local community’s dedication to conservation. Bird watchers identified several native Texas birds such as herons, orchard orioles, bluebirds, and northern cardinals.

Horseshoe Bay Nature Park’s plans for 2023 are to install new signage educating visitors about the park’s wildlife geology, water conservation, and plants along a half-mile walking trail.

They also plan to introduce honey bees throughout the region and work towards attracting screech owls to two constructed owl boxes.

More information about the park can be found on their website.

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