Christmas in the Texas Hill Country is a special kind of experience, and no place makes it more of a blast for the whole family than historic Gruene. With special events happening throughout the holiday season, your family can enjoy the cooler months warming up in a community that’s bursting with fun, festivities, and all the holiday finery you can imagine!
Every weekend, from mid-November through December 22, 2019, kids can get pictures with Gruene’s own special version of Santa. Cowboy Kringle Photos create a Christmas memory that will last a lifetime! These unique visits to Historic Downtown Gruene are paid by a countrified Claus, in the breezeway between The Grapevine and Gruene General Store. Your kids and even your pets can get in on the action! Picture packages are available, in addition to Christmas cards as well as other items of special order. As well, a portion of the proceeds from the photo sessions benefit Communities In Schools of South Central Texas. For a full list of dates and times at historic Gruene, and additional details, visit the link provided here.
Photo: Facebook/Two Tons of Steel
Also taking place this month, the Two Ton Tuesday Thanksgiving Show happens on November 26, 2019. Get to Gruene Hall, where rock-a-billy band Two Tons of Steel will be gearing up to get you out on the dance floor! Doors will open at 7:30 in the evening, or if you’re up for learning something new, you can get in on the swing dance lessons happening at 6 p.m. These are perfect for beginners and experienced dancers alike, and they’ll help you put one foot in front of the other for a rip-roaring good time!
Photo: Jim Flynn/Gruene Historic District
If that doesn’t get you into the holiday spirit, the Gruene Town Lighting is happening December 7, 2019. Cowboy Kringle will be making an appearance that night, riding into town on horseback, and he’ll light up historic Gruene with Christmas lights galore! He’ll also be handing out candy canes to kids along the way. The fun will continue with great live music, and for those wishing to feel a little more Christmas cheer, wine will be available for purchase, as well as a show at Gruene Hall that evening. Following the lighting ceremony, guests and visitors can do their Christmas shopping at the many charming shops found in the Gruene Historic District, kicking off the season in style!
Photo:
Facebook/Texas Hill Country
Also happening December 7, 2019, the 18th Annual Gruene Pony Express Ride takes place at 10 a.m. The Gruene Historic District will welcome the Pony Express riders from the Heritage Trail Ride Association of New Braunfels, carrying a “Christmas Greetings” message from the Governor of Texas. A pop-up temporary post office will also be set up next to Gruene Outfitters to cancel stamps for mailing. So bring your Christmas cards to have their stamps canceled with the 2019 commemorative stamp representing historic Gruene!
Photo: Facebook/Gruene Market Days
Those looking to continue their shopping (and perhaps check off everyone on their Christmas list!) should check out Gruene Christmas Market Days happening on December 7 and 8, 2019. Featuring more than 100 vendors and artisans selling handcrafted gifts and goods, this event is sure to have something for everyone. Take advantage of free parking and great entertainment during your shopping trip! For details on vendors and more event information, visit the link provided here.
Photo: Facebook/Gruene Market Days
After all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season has passed, there’s still more to look forward to! On New Year’s Eve, Gruene Hall will open its doors at 7 p.m. for an event you don’t want to miss. Vincent Neil Emerson will open at 8 p.m. for a special performance by Charley Crockett, on stage at 10 p.m. An event ticket purchase will include free tamales and popcorn, and champagne splits will also be available for purchase. Come on out and open a new decade at one of Texas’ oldest and most successful dance halls!
Photo: Facebook/Gruene Hall
If you feel like the start of 2020 is going to be the same old thing, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Hair of the Dog Day happens at Gruene Hall on January 1, 2020. This free show (with limited capacity) features two performances. The Guy & Jeska Forsyth Band will be on stage from 12 – 4 p.m., following which Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros will play from 4 – 8 p.m. Start the new year off on the right foot (preferably dancing in a new pair of cowboy boots) in this 6K-square-foot dance hall, with its practically untouched original layout and high pitched tin roof. You can usher in a new decade, in true Texas Hill Country style in Gruene, where Christmas cheer and New Year’s revelry mix with historic Lone Star State spirit!
