Hill Country Happenings: Memorial Day Weekend 2016

Memorial Day isn’t just about a long weekend. Sure, it’s nice to take the day off to relax and BBQ, but taking stock in what this day is all about should be at the top of our list. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for all the men and women who have died fighting to defend our country.

It originated in 1868 as Decoration Day, where family and friends of those who died in the Civil War would go to the graves of their loved ones and decorate it with flowers. Today, we not only take the time to remember those who have paid the ultimate price in battle, but we also celebrate the freedoms that these brave soldiers who have protected them.

This Memorial Day Weekend, there is a lot going on in the Hill Country. Thank you to everyone in the armed forces for all that you do!

Friday, May 27, 2017

Photo: 11th Street Cowboy Bar

Bandera Stompede Memorial Day Weekend Celebration Blow-out Memorial Day Weekend Celebration at 11th Street Cowboy Bar with live Country Music at its best all weekend! Tonight features Jake Penrod, Johnny Lee and the Roadrunners, and Jeannie Seely. $35 Day Pass, $100 Weekend Pass. Fun starts at 5 p.m. 11th Street Cowboy Bar, 307 11th St., Bandera, Texas. 11thstreetcowboybar.com

Fredericksburg Jaycees Crawfish Festival Get your hands on some mouthwatering helpings of red beans and rice, boudin, gumbo, and, of course, crawfish. For those who don’t like (or can’t have) crawfish, the festival will offer hamburgers, corn dogs, and plenty of German sausage – what Fredericksburg is known for. Food and fun for all ages. Children’s area for kids of all ages and arts and crafts of all kinds. Plus, there is a rock-climbing wall to challenge the young and the old. $5-$25. May 27 – 29, 2016 from 11 a.m. – midnight. Marktplatz, 126 W Main St, Fredericksburg, Texas. fbgcrawfish.com

Photo: Kerrville Folk Festival

Kerrville Folk Festival Celebrating it’s 45th anniversary, The Kerrville Folk Festival is the longest continuously running music festival of its kind in North America, running for 18 straight days and nights each May and June. It’s a place where those just developing their skills have the opportunity to play their music along- side master craftsmen. The festival is chock-full of activities such as workshops, canoeing, bike rides, and camping. Ticket prices vary per day. May 26-June 12, 2016. Quiet Valley Ranch, 3876 Medina Hwy, Kerrville, Texas. kerrville-music.com 

PRCA Memorial Day Rodeo and BBQ Cook-off Bandera is the Cowboy Capital of the World so it only seems fitting to hold a professional rodeo over Memorial Day Weekend. There will be loads of vendors, kids activities, and, of course, a rodeo. Adults $12, Children 6-12 $6, Children 5 and under are free. May 27-29, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Mansfield Park, Hwy 16, Bandera, Texas. banderaprorodeo.org

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Bandera Stompede Memorial Day Weekend Celebration Blow-out Memorial Day Weekend Celebration at 11th Street Cowboy Bar with live Country Music at its best all weekend! Start the day’s celebrations hanging out to watch the Funtier Days Parade. Then, be ready to enjoy some amazing music from the Bret Mullins Band, TG Sheppard, Tommy Hooker, and Jake Hooker and the Outsiders. $35 Day Pass, $100 Weekend Pass. Fun starts at 11 a.m. 11th Street Cowboy Bar, 307 11th St., Bandera, Texas. 11thstreetcowboybar.com

Lago Fest Live music, food, beer garden, vendors and a sailboat race from the Austin Yacht Club. Free. 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. Bar K Park, 6608 Bar K Clubhouse Ct, Lago Vista, Texas.

Photo: Facebook/Wimberley Memorial Day Rodeo

Wimberley Memorial Day Rodeo Watch a rodeo put on by Open Pro Lester Meier Rodeo and benefit the local Wimberley 4-H club? You can’t go wrong with this event. Guaranteed to be fun for the whole family and the event offers great food and vendors. Adults $10, children $5, babies and toddlers are free. May 28-29, 2016 from 7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Wimberley VFW Arena, 401 Jacobs Well Road, Wimberley, Texas.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Bandera Stompede Memorial Day Weekend Celebration Blow-out Memorial Day Weekend Celebration at 11th Street Cowboy Bar with live Country Music at its best all weekend! Today features Country artists Junior Gordon, Marty Haggard, and Jeff Woolsey and the Dancehall Kings. $35 Day Pass, $100 Weekend Pass. Fun starts at 2 p.m. 11th Street Cowboy Bar, 307 11th St., Bandera, Texas. 11thstreetcowboybar.com

Monday, May 30, 2016 (Memorial Day)

Bandera Stompede Memorial Day Weekend Celebration Blow-out Memorial Day Weekend Celebration at 11th Street Cowboy Bar with live Country Music at its best all weekend! Today features Country artist Rex Allen McNiel and the Ram Tough Band. $35 Day Pass. Fun starts at 1 a.m. 11th Street Cowboy Bar, 307 11th St., Bandera, Texas. 11thstreetcowboybar.com

Chris Berardo & The DesBerardos Memorial Day Show Rock out on Memorial Day to some good ol’ fashioned Country Americana in Luckenbach. Throw in a little folk rock and blues and you’ve got one heck of a show! Free. 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Luckenbach Texas, 412 Luckenbach Town Loop, Fredericksburg, Texas. luckenbachtexas.com

Photo: Pacific War Museum

Memorial Day Observance Pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate price for our country in this formal observance. Free. Begins at 10 a.m. National Museum of the Pacific War, 500 E Austin, Fredericksburg, Texas, in the Memorial Courtyard. pacificwarmuseum.org