Tag Archives: Music

GrapeFest 2013 – The Largest Wine Festival in the Southwest

Disclaimer: I did receive free general admission tickets in return for this post. All opinions are my own.

In the past, I’ve been a huge fan of the events in Gvine, Texas but this one has got to be my number one favorite! GrapeFest is an annual festival that exemplifies the wine industry in this area. Whether you are looking for a family friendly, couples getaway, girls weekend or even if you live in the area, this is a great event to check out!

Obviously, this event is for wine lovers (hence “GrapeFest”) but it incorporates so much more! An amusement park for the kids, live music, beer tent, champagne tent, an immense amount of food, vendors, unique stores and restaurants and it is situated right down Main Street in one of my favorite towns in the country. (To provide perspective, have you ever seen those Hallmark movies where it seems like these people are from the coziest, small town ever where everyone is incredibly nice and you think to yourself, “I want to go there!”… this is how I describe Grapevine!)

Throughout GrapeFest, magnifying glasses were placed on street lights. This was actually a scavenger hunt for the festival! If you completed the hunt (via cell phones), you would be entered to win a prize after GrapeFest. Pretty fun! You can also see the (people) traffic at the festival Saturday afternoon. Perfect weather and just the right amount of folks! It was amazing!

PicMonkey Collage5

GrapeFest also had a ton of exhibits going on throughout town. One of my favorite and most interesting spots to check out is Vetro. This is a glass blowing studio where they make a ton of beautiful art pieces. They held an open house where visitors could walk in and check out their craft. Pretty interesting!

The Wine!

As mentioned, Grapevine is known for being a wine destination. With a ton of different wineries and tasting rooms situated throughout town, you will have a difficult time running out of options!

GrapeFest hosted a free bus for wine tours to three different. Amy and I took this option up as one of our “must’s” for the day. Cross Timbers Winery was our first stop (below). What was even more interesting is that this winery is located at a historical site in town and is also apparently haunted. Mixing all things into one!

Although there are wine tasting options set up throughout the festival, the real tasting happens at the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic. I later referred to this as “Speed Dating with Wine”…. and it was the greatest event ever!

If coming to GrapeFest, this is an absolute must! For an additional $20, be sure to put the ultimate wine tent on your to do list! With various hour and a half time slots set up throughout the weekend, your mission is to explore various wines from throughout the state. You will be given a commemorative glass and a booklet describing the wines available from the wineries (each set up at a different booth). At the end of your time slot, fill out a form and select your favorite wines from throughout the day!

A list of the winners can be found, here.

At first, I was a little discouraged that I had an allotted schedule of time to try out what was available but it’s really a smart move. There’s plenty of time. Amy and I (arrived a little late) but ended up trying 60 wines in about an hour and fifteen minutes (30 each, we tried each others). The lines move quickly and it’s a great experience chatting with those around you to compare what you liked best!

Next up, was a little old fashion grape stomping! (Yes, we moved from the wine tent to the grape stomp contest!) We learned there is a trick to this, but I’m not going to share it considering – what fun would that be?! It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a video of ourselves doing this but it was a lot of fun! Be sure to sign up early, it’s a popular event!

The festival proceeds well into the evening, where the crowds pick up and things really get interesting. With five different stages set up throughout the entire day, entertainment is always plentiful. The headlining band on Saturday was Le Freak, a local cover band who really captured the crowd!

GrapeFest is an incredible festival for all ages and groups of folks. There’s so many events that go on throughout the weekend, I didn’t come close to listing them all (so be sure to check out their website)! This was perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had at a festival. If you have an opportunity to check out the event, I highly suggest it. You can’t go wrong!

Have you ever attended GrapeFest? I’d love to hear what you thought of the event!

Texas Music Scene – Magnolia Motor Lounge

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Nothing compares to the music scene in Texas. To say that I love it, is an understatement. Singers, songwriters, musicians alike, mix together like one big family (many are actually family). Some of the best nights can be found sitting around with good friends (or even solo) enjoying the company of the folks on stage and listening to them talk about what inspired a certain tune. It doesn’t always have to be dancehalls and honkytonks, sometimes, a small venue is where it’s at. Case in point – Sunday evening at Magnolia Motor Lounge in Ft. Worth.

Saturday afternoon, I received an email stating William Clark Green had just announced a show at Magnolia Motor Lounge in Ft. Worth for Sunday. Honestly, I don’t usually go out on Sunday nights but I’m loving his music right now and thought what the heck (staying out late always sounds good until the next morning, right?). Sunday evening came, I met up with a friend (really thinking I was only going to stay until 10 so I could get some sleep) and we were ready to see WCG. What we got in return was an unbelievable show.

Walt Wilkins, Tommy Alverson, Owen Temple, William Clark Green

Honestly, I’m surprised the place wasn’t packed to the brim. To the folks that weren’t there, you really missed out. Each artist took a turn telling a story about an experience and then played a tune. To see, listen and be there in the moment with them on stage was phenomenal. It ended with Walt Wilkins “Poetry”, the perfect way to end the evening. It’s definitely an experience that goes down in my top 10!

If you have time to check out these guys or swing by one of their shows, don’t pass it up! If you have seen them, you probably have a good idea what I’m talking about.

Support the Texas music scene, there’s absolutely nothing like it!

One of the Greatest Towns In Texas

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Luckenbach, TX. Population: 3

By far one of my favorite places in this state. I light up whenever I talk about it and there’s not even that much there. Maybe that’s why I love it so! Maybe it’s because of the song. I’m not sure.

If you ever find yourself on Highway 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City, do yourself a favor and take a little detour. You’ll turn off 290, drive about ten minutes up the road and be careful not to miss your turn. You’ll find the general store (with a bar in the back), the dancehall and outdoor stage. Deep in the heart of Texas.

The general store has a lot of items that you can purchase. People come here from near and far, for good reason. This place is awesome! I mean, there’s even a cat that roams around, I like to think it’s the soul of one of original people from Luckenbach.

Luckenbach is incredibly unique. There are pictures, money, signatures, stickers, hats and pretty much anything you can think of covering the walls, ceilings and floor in the bar. It’s pretty awesome just checking out everything there and each time you go, there’s something new. (I stopped by twice on this trip. Once obviously wasn’t enough.)

While I was in the general store, a couple people were talking about the history of the town. Apparently, years ago, the town went up for sale. A local rancher purchased the town as it was a middle point between himself and a few friends. They used it as a place to get together in between their ranches and catch up, enjoy some tunes and have a few cold ones.

Had to get a picture with the bartender! When in Luckenbach, drink a Shiner. It’s the Texas way.

My first time visiting Luckenbach was a few years ago. When we had stopped, we asked the bartender who he had seen walk thru there. They pointed us to a man who was sitting on a bar stool and said “You should ask him. He’s been here a while.”. Well, this man had a patch on one eye and proceeded to tell us that Kenny Chesney was there the week prior, he had seen them all, George Strait, Willie and the list went on and on. To be a fly on the wall.

(Above) This band was playing in the dancehall on Saturday night.
(Below) This band was playing on the outdoor stage on Sunday morning.

Even the armadillos get in on the fun!
If you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop by. If you’ve been, I’d love to hear about your experience!

Texas Tuesday link up with Amanda from Princess of the Panhandle and Crystal from Masons Mama. This is a chance for any blogger to participate in a post on the greatness of Texas! There’s so much to explore!