Compiled by Jamie O’Toole
Ride Your Bike
Enjoy the great outdoors in one of College Station’s 52 parks. Biking can be a fun way to stay fit or a relaxing way to get some fresh air, and multiple parks offer biking trails, including Bee Creek Park, Lick Creek Park, Wolf Pen Creek Park, and Lemontree Park. For a complete list of parks and park services, visit www.cstx.gov.
U Paint-It
Fun for kids and adults alike, U Paint-It is a ceramics studio where guests can paint their own personalized pottery. Open Tuesdays and Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., U Paint-It is the perfect place to create one-of-a-kind gifts for family, spend the afternoon with friends or celebrate a birthday. For more information about studio fees and special offers, visit www.upaintit.com or call (979) 695-1500.
The Children’s Museum of Brazos Valley
With the mission to provide a child-centered, hands-on, interactive environment for learning and discovery, The Children’s Museum of Brazos Valley offers daily events and a wide variety of summer camps for children of all ages. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday and camps run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday weekly from June 2 to June 27 and July 7 to August 8. For more information, visitwww.cmbv.org, and to register for camps, call (979) 779-5437.
Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History
The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History hosts tours, lectures, and classes to achieve its mission to protect and preserve natural and cultural history while encouraging responsible stewardship of all natural and cultural resources. The museum’s galleries include fossil exhibits, sculptures, antique farming equipment, a discovery room with live animals, and more, as well as a handful of rotating exhibits. For more information on special exhibits and summer camps, visit www.brazosvalleymuseum.org or call (979) 776-2195.
Brazos Valley African American Museum
Committed to maintaining the integrity of black art and artifacts, the Brazos Valley African American Museum chronicles the tragedies and triumphs of African Americans throughout history. The museum aims to portray the struggles and accomplishments of African Americans to build a strong cultural foundation in the younger generations and also displays the histories of local schools, churches, and families. For more information, call (979) 775-3961 or visit www.bvaam.org.
Brazos Valley Derby Girls
With a motto like “Skate fast, die pretty!”, there is never a dull moment with the Brazos Valley Derby Girls. This distinct group of women seeks to rejuvenate their community through athleticism and sportsmanship and benefit local non-profits and charitable organizations through their donations and services. They are earning their place as certified WFTDA league as they compete in their 4th season this year. Home games are held at VFW Post 4692. More information on schedules and teams can be found at www.brazosvalleyderbygirls.com.
Starlight Music Series
Once again the Starlight Music Series is back at College Station’s Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. Pack a picnic, bring along your favorite blanket or chair, and come enjoy the entertainment under the stars. The gates open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free to the public.
May 24- The Cody Johnson Band
Toe-tapping beats make it hard not to want to get up and dance along to this upbeat blend of rock and country. The Cody Johnson Band plays honest-to-goodness music, inspired by Johnson’s Texan roots and full of his Southern charm.
June 7- Matt Wertz
After selling more than 75,000 albums and touring with well-known artists such as One Republic and Ben Folds, this singer and songwriter knows how to win over a crowd with his unique, soulful pop music.
For more information, visit www.cstx.gov/starlight.
First Fridays in Historic Downtown Bryan
On the first Friday of every month, Downtown Bryan is the place to be. Stores and restaurants stay open late and the streets come to life with live arts and cultural activities and demonstrations. Every Friday is unique, but special events often include movie showings in Sale Park, free concerts at the Grand Stafford Theater, and the chance to catch a bite to eat from one of an array of local food trucks. For more information on specific events, visit www.downtownbryan.com.
Monthly Market Days
The first Sunday of each month is Downtown Brenham’s Monthly Market Day, featuring local farmers and vendors with a wide selection of fresh produce and artisan products. Every month is a new experience, with seasonal items and other fun activities. Encouraging people to stay local and buy only the best, this farmer’s market is a must on the list of summer stops. For more information about the market and booths available, visit www.homesweetfarm.com.
Pleasant Hill Winery’s 13th Annual Crush For Fun
Get ready to get purple at Pleasant Hill Winery’s Crush for Fun grape stomp. For only $25 for adults and $15 for kids, this “Pleasant” experience includes purple feet and a special T-shirt as proof of a stomping good time. Tours of the Winery and tastings are also available at additional cost. Crush for Fun takes place on the weekends of July 19 and 20, July 26 and 27, August 2 and 3, and August 9 and 10. For more information about times and activities, visit www.pleasanthillwinery.com.
Windy Winery’s Harvest Grape Stomp
Purple is the color to be at Windy Winery’s Harvest Grape Stomp. Festivities include hay rides and grape picking and stomping, as well as wine tastings and a chance to get a picture with Desi and Lucy, and all activities have fees. The Harvest Grape Stomp takes place on the weekends of July 19 and 20, July 26 and 27, August 2 and 3, and August 9 and 10. For more information about cost and activity times, visit www.windywinery.com.
Chappell Hill Lavender & Wine Fest
Come and celebrate at the Annual Lavender & Wine Fest for a free day of fun down at the lavender farm. Chappell Hill Lavender Farm and Windy Winery team up to throw the quintessential countryside festival, complete with featured tastings, vendors, crafts, live music, lavender cuisine, and more. The festival takes place Saturday, August 9. For more information, visit www.visitbrenhamtexas.com.
Round Top Music Festival
The Round Top Music Festival is a 6-weekend long event and features orchestral and chamber music performed by internationally distinguished artists and young musicians. Performances are held in the Festival Concert Hall and Edythe Bates Old chapel every weekend from June 7 to July 12, with additional masterclasses and chamber music offered throughout the week. For specific concert dates and times, visit www.festivalhill.org.
16th Annual Austin County Fair Summer Music Fest
Get ready for some Southern-style fun at the Austin County Fair Summer Music Fest on Saturday, July 21. New events this year include the Cowboy Golf competition as well as miniature hay hauling, chicken scramble, goat tying, and goat ribbon pulling. There will also be mutton busting, a bean bag tournament, kick ball tournament, and BBQ cook-off. The cook-off begins Friday night with a Chef’s Choice and Margarita contest, as does the kick ball tournament, both of which are free to attend. The music will begin Saturday at 6 p.m. with the Country Showdown, part of a country music talent search sponsored by KTEX 106.1. The music will continue with country stars Cody Johnson at 9:00 p.m. and Kevin Fowler at 11:00 p.m. The gates open at 3 p.m. Saturday and tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the Austin County Fair office, as well as the day of the event for an increased rate. Children 12 and younger are free. For more information, visit www.austincountyfair.com or call (979)-865-5995.
Unity Theatre Presents Deathtrap
Holding the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway, Deathtrap features the story of Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers. As he struggles to overcome a "dry" spell, a possible break in his fortunes occurs upon receiving a script from a student in the seminar he has been conducting at a nearby college. Sidney immediately recognizes the thriller as a potential Broadway hit and devises a plan with his wife's help. He offers collaboration to the student, an idea the younger man quickly accepts and suspense mounts steadily as the plot twists and turns until the play’s final moments. Performances run May 22 through June 8, on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. For more information on tickets and special preview nights, visit www.unitybrenham.org.
StageCenter Community Theatre Presents The Complete History of America (abridged) and You Can’t Take It with You
The Complete History of America (abridged) is a thrill ride through American history. "Experts" will take the audience back to the discovery of the new world and, in just 90 minutes, cover all the major events of American history from the kooky duo Lewis and Clark, to the First and Second World War. Three performers offer their teachings and opinions as they guide the viewers through the great and proud tradition that is the Complete History of America....abridged. The performances run May 8 through 10, May 15 through 17, and May 22 through 24 at 7:30 p.m.
The Sycamores may seem mad at first, but it doesn’t take long to realize that if they are mad, the rest of the world is madder. But in contrast to the delightful Sycamores, there are the unhappy Kirbys. You Can’t Take it with You is a romantic comedy in which the young and attractive Tony Kirbys falls in love with Alice Sycamore, but throws their marriage into question when he brings his parents to dine at the Sycamore house on the wrong evening. Though the parents don’t see eye-to-eye, Tony knows the Sycamores live the right way with love and care for each other and that his own family is the one that's crazy. In the end, Mr. Kirby is converted to the happy madness of the Sycamores, but only after a visit by the ex-Grand Duchess of Russia, Olga Katrina, who is currently earning her living as a waitress, of course. The performances run July 17 through 19, July 24 through 26, and July 31 through August 2 at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stagecenter.info.
Brazos Valley Troupe Presents Little Shop of Horrors July 25 through 27 and July 31 through August 2. For more information and tickets, visit www.bvtroupe.com.
The Theatre Company Presents Shrek the Musical and Legally Blonde the Musical
Shrek, the Musical is based on the Oscar winning DreamWorks film and brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favorite ogre to life. Full of all-new songs, great dancing, and breathtaking scenery, the musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale, and all irreverent fun for everyone. Performances run June 20 through 22 and June 27 through 29 at 7 p.m. on Fridays and both 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
In Legally Blonde, the Musical, Harvard’s beloved blonde takes the stage by storm in a whirl of pink and glam. This fun, upbeat musical about self-discovery is based on the adored movie and stays true to form with a peppy score and playful book. Legally Blonde, the Musical is ridiculously enjoyable from start to finish. It runs from August 8 to 10 and from August 15 to 17 at 7 p.m. on Fridays and both 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.theatrecompany.com.
This Is Water Theatre Presents the regional premiere of Spake and world premiere of A Real Boy
Spake begins with the collapse of a church, mid-funeral, in a small Siberian village that is home to the last speakers of an obscure language. The last except for Cornell student Nicholas, who is left to carry the legacy of his family’s language. As he works with a professor to document his mother tongue, Nicholas sets off a chain of events involving everything from famed serial killers to mysterious spells and even the dead come back to life. The show runs May 22 through 24 and May 29 through 31. The location and show times are still to be determined.
Set in a world where humans and puppets live side-by-side, A Real Boy tells the story of two puppets who can’t seem to agree on how to raise their human son, Max. When Max starts to grow strings, his kindergarten teacher decides to take over as his parent so that he will stay a real boy, a decision that sparks conflict with Max’s parents and shines the national spotlight on them all. The performances run July 24 through 26, August 7 through 9, August 14 through 16, and August 21 through 23. The location and show times are to be announced. For updates on locations and performance times, visit www.thisiswatertheatre.com.
