5 for FRIDAY: May 31-June 2

The summers in Brenham/Washington County can slow down the pace of life for a little bit, but that's okay! We don't mind because it gives us all more time to enjoy the fun! Here's your weekend rundown for May 31-June 2, 2013...

5 for FRIDAY:

1) Floats-n-Flicks is Friday night at Blue Bell Aquatic Center in Brenham. A twist on "Movie in the Park," the City is combining movie night and swimming into one fun evening. Bring the family for a good time out! www.CityofBrenham.org

2) Live music! There are several places you can go to enjoy a good tune, dinner and a drink to relax after a long week of hustle and bustle. Nathan's in Brenham is hosting Allison & Friends; Burton Cafe has Gene Hackemack on the accordian; Buffalo Creek hosts Josh Ward Band in Bellville. More Details

3) I Hate Hamlet is playing for one more weekend at Unity Theatre in Brenham. Performances are Fri & Sat at 8pm and Sun at 4pm. www.UnityBrenham.org

4) Support your local farmer! There are several options this weekend for you to get fresh veggies and other local items. Farmer's Market at Discount Trees of Brenham on Saturday from 9-5; Farmer's & Artisan's Market in Downtown Burton on Saturday from 9-noon; Home Sweet Farm Market in Downtown Brenham on Sunday from 11-4.

5) Explore! What have you not seen before? We have a few new shops in Downtown Brenham - Heaven's Door, The Cottage, American Man Cave - a  variety of unique treasures to be found! And if you don't want to shop, that's okay! We have plenty of other activities to keep you busy.

Brenham/Washington County can be a fun place to... hang out, meander through, drive around, stroll along - whatever your pleasure is, we've got an option for you! Come on over and  STAY.  PLAY.  GETAWAY.  :-)

Round Top Festival Institute

Established in 1971 by pianist James Dick, Round Top Festival Institute is a beautiful wonder just down the road from downtown Round Top. Among the 210-acre campus is an 1,100-seat concert hall of visual and acoustic beauty unrivaled in Texas - truly a work of art!

The two-concert season in 1971 has grown into more than 30 concerts during June and July each year. The August-to-April Series, the International Guitar Festival, the Theatre Forum, The Poetry Forum, and the Herbal Forum bring the total number of year-round events to more than 50.

Students from conservatories and universities in the United States and abroad pursue their musical studies at Round Top under the guidance of an international faculty. While the number of Festival-Institute alumni is in the thousands, the project manages to give each student the personal attention that has been a hallmark of its program: it is both a festival and an institute, where students and faculty perform for appreciative and large audiences. The concerts are broadcast through a yearly program titled “Live from Festival Hill” over public radio stations from coast to coast.

The campus is also used for conferences, meetings and retreats. The Festival Concert Hall, completed in April 2007, is one of the best in the country, acoustically speaking and strikingly beautiful. It is used for recordings. Major business groups, museum administrators, music critics, law firms, and numerous university and professional organizations have held conferences and retreats here. A series of distinguished museum lectures is presented at Festival Hill each year. The campus, famed for its gardens, rare trees, herbal collections, cascades, fountains and unusual landscaping, is a destination for visitors from all over the world. An outreach program of public services concerts featuring students and faculty extends the benefits of the Festival-Institute to the surrounding community.

You can find video clips of past performances on their YouTube channel, but here is an example of the incredible talent you can be witness to at Round Top Festival Institute.

Round Top's annual six-week summer Festival begins June 2 with opening concerts June 8. Public can buy tickets for the season or individual concert tickets at www.FestivalHill.org. Do yourself a favor - GO and ENJOY! The cost is very economical for witnessing such an incredible display of talent.


*Some text is borrowed from www.FestivalHill.org

5 for FRIDAY: May 24-27, 2013

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone! We hope you have a fun time with your family and friends, wherever you are! :-)

Here's your weekend rundown for May 24-27, the top 5 things to do in Brenham/Washington County, TX.

1) Happy Hour at R-Place from 5-8pm tonight (Friday). Great food, $2 long necks, 50% off most wine bottles, and just plain fun. R-Place is around the corner from Washington-on-the-Brazos on FM 1155. They are also having some yummy-good BBQ this weekend with all your favorite BBQ sides, so stop by for lunch or dinner on Saturday. www.rplacetexas.com

2) Take the family to Washington-on-the-Brazos to see the old-school toys we wrote about earlier this week. Visitors are encouraged to play with the exhibit of 16 large-scale versions of popular historic folk toys from around the world, including “Jacob’s Ladder,” “Whimmy Diddle,” “Bird on a Pole,” “Acrobat,” “Tight Rope Walker” and “Pecking Chickens.” The toys from times gone by are crafted from wood and are reminiscent of traditional folk art. While some of the designs date back as far as 300 years, these handcrafted versions stand as tall as six feet. Exhibit opens Saturday and will be on display through August 31. www.BirthplaceOfTexas.com

3) Go swimming at Brenham Aquatic Center for only ONE DOLLAR! Saturday from 10-5. The outdoor ice cream themed pool is perfect for families with small children. Attractions include: a Popsicle Walk, Sundae Slide, and our Big Yellow Slide. Concession stand, beach volleyball, picnic tables, lockers and restrooms are available.

 
4) Gay Hill Farmer's Market opens Saturday from 9-5 at Discount Trees of Brenham located at 10050 HWY 36 North. Fresh produce and hand made goods, all 100% local. And on Sunday you can visit Home Sweet Farm Market in Downtown Brenham from 11-4!

5)  Support our Veterans, plus all those currently in service to our country, on Monday.

5th Annual Memorial Day Celebration
10:30am-12pm

5455 Sample Lane, Chappell Hill, Texas 77426

Please join the Chappell Hill Community Cemetery for their 5th Annual Memorial Day Celebration – "Honoring Those Who Serve”. The program will begin at 10:30 a.m. Keynote Speaker will be Sgt Thomas E. Wilborn, USAF Vietnam Era Veteran.

www.chappellhilltx.com

Memorial Day Tribute

11am

Verteran's Memorial Plaza, Fireman's Park, Brenham, TX 77833

A Memorial Day Service will be held at the Veteran's Memorial Plaza at 11am. A BBQ lunch will be served from 11:30-1pm. Tickets for lunch are $9 and can be purchased at the door.

979-836-2254
www.legionpost48brenhamtx.org


Other events this weekend include live music Friday night at The Burton Cafe and Nathan's BBQ, performances of "I Hate Hamlet" at Unity Theatre Fri-Sun. Check our website for more information. www.VisitBrenhamTexas.com!  Whatever you do this weekend, have fun and be safe! :-)

300-Year-Old Toys

New exhibit to bring nostalgic fun to Star of the Republic Museum

‘Toy Time’ features 16 giant, interactive folk toys with designs dating back 300 years

Star of the Republic Museum administered by Blinn College will bring toys from yesteryear to the Brazos Valley this summer with an exhibit that tumbles, slides, rocks, dances and spins.

Acrobat toy exhibit at Star of the Republic Museum

Visitors are encouraged to play with the exhibit of 16 large-scale versions of popular historic folk toys from around the world, including “Jacob’s Ladder,” “Whimmy Diddle,” “Bird on a Pole,” “Acrobat,” “Tight Rope Walker” and “Pecking Chickens.” The toys from times gone by are crafted from wood and are reminiscent of traditional folk art.

While some of the designs date back as far as 300 years, these handcrafted versions stand as tall as six feet. 

The exhibit will open in time for Memorial Day weekend (May 25) and run through Sept 30. It was designed by Tom Wilson of Museum Productions. Designed by craftsman and former furniture maker Tom Wilson of Museum Productions, the toys represent Wilson’s nearly 40-year hobby making folk toys for his children and friends.

“This is a highly interactive exhibit,” said Wilson, former exhibit director at SciWorks Science Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. “You’re pulling and jumping, and even if you’re not participating it’s fun to watch the kids. About 25 or 30 people can be physically involved with the exhibit at one time, so when a class comes through they can all participate.”

Pecking Chickens toy exhibit at Star of the Republic Museum

Wilson has exhibited the larger-than-life toys in Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, but the Star of the Republic exhibit marks the first time he has taken “Toy Time” west of the Mississippi River. He said he wanted to create an exhibit that evokes a simpler period, when children could entertain themselves without video games and electricity.

“Nowadays it’s hard to find a toy that’s not electronic,” Wilson said. “When we get feedback, the kids tell us they’re skeptical at first, but they really enjoy themselves. These toys are just as fun now as they were 100 or 200 years ago.”

Star of the Republic Museum is located at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site off state Highway 105.  It was created by the Texas Legislature and is administered by Blinn College as a cultural and educational institution. Daily museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 936-878-2461 or visit www.starmuseum.org.

5 for FRIDAY: May 17-19, 2013

Happy Friday, everyone! So it's the weekend and you're looking for something to do, right? Here's your "5 for FRIDAY" rundown, plus a few others to get your weekend started off right...

1) What's better than BBQ? BBQ served alongside some great live music, of course! Head over to Nathan's BBQ and make a night of it - dinner, drinks, and foot tappin' to some good tunes.

2) Unity Theatre's most recent play, "I Hate Hamlet" is playing Fri at 8, Sat at 8, and Sun at 4. The box office in Downtown Brenham would be happy to help find you a couple of seats for this weekend!

3) Go shopping! Downtown Brenham probably has some new shops since you were here last. Heaven's Door features great handmade gifts like soap & lotion, embroidered towels, writing pens, antique jewelry, and many more. American Man Cave is all about the man in your life - motorcycles, cigars, and plain cool stuff. The Cottage hosts beautiful home decor and accessories, gifts for the women, TrollBeads, and plenty of other great treasures. Those are just a few of our great shops Downtown.

4) Windy Winery is having a Winemaker's Party Saturday night - call them to reserve your seat! Only $20 and you'll get a great BBQ dinner and live musical entertainment.

5) Ever wonder how news traveled in the 1800s? Well wonder no more! Washington-on-the-Brazos will be presenting "Send the News" on Sunday at 11, 1 and 3.

Other fun things happening can be found on our website - just click on date you're interested on the mini calendar and you'll be taken to a full listing of all that's going on!