Compiled by Claire Williams
BREWS & WINE
Blackwater Draw Blackwater Draw is a great place to try new beers specially crafted in the heart of Downtown Bryan, such as their coffee porter specialty. Visit their taproom to taste new brews and take your favorites home with you. You can also find Blackwater Draw brews around Bryan College Station at grocery stores and other places. www.blackwaterbrew.com
Cheers to Craft Beer Downtown Bryan will host its fifth annual Cheers to Craft Beer event on July 20 from 4 to 7pm. The event features craft beer tastings inside of downtown retail stores and restaurants. It is a self-paced walking event. Each ticket includes a keepsake tasting glass and a map of all of the participating merchants in Downtown Bryan. www.downtownbryan.com
Downtown Uncorked Downtown Uncorked is a great place to sit back, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine with good company in Downtown Bryan. The knowledgeable staff assists you in picking out the perfect wine, beer, liquer flight, or cocktail to suit your taste. Reservations are available, but walk-ins are also welcome. Visit Downtown Uncorked on Facebook for more information.
Margarita Mayhem The Downtown Bryan Association invites you to participate in their month-long celebration, Margarita Mayhem. Downtown Bryan is the place to be for all of your events in the month of May, including Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, graduation, Memorial Day weekend, and more. Participating Downtown Bryan restaurants will feature a margarita and entree for the entire month. On May 18, Downtown Bryan will host the Margarita Mile, a self-guided mile walk through downtown that includes stops at participating restaurants where attendees can enjoy a margarita. www.downtownbryan.com
Messina Hof Messina Hof will host their Harvest Festival weekends starting July 27 through August 18. Each weekend consists of wine tasting, grape picking and stomping, winery tours, and mystery dinners. Check out the calendar of events on their website for additional events, such as cooking parties and daily wine bar specials. www.messinahof.com
New Republic Brewing Co. New Republic offers daily drink specials, beer mimosas on weekends, and live music Thursday through Saturday. Its environment is both kid- and dog-friendly, including their new kids corner with coloring books and games. The brewery usually has music scheduled on Friday and Saturday evenings and food trucks may be available some nights. www.newrepublicbrewing.com
Perrine Winery Perrine Winery is a family owned artisan winery. Their variety of award-winning wines ranges from reds and whites, refreshing fruit infused wines, and dessert wines, to bubbly wines on tap. Enjoy a tasting, glass, or bottle of wine over their meat and cheese plate or bring in your own food. www.perrinewinery.com
Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail The summer trail will happen during the first two weekends in July. There are eight member wineries from the area that are part of the trail, and they offer tastings, grape crushing and stomping, dinners, music, vineyard tours, and more. www.texasbluebonnetwinetrail.com
What’s the Buzz Coffee Co. While you can purchase coffee beans in store, you can also find brews from What’s the Buzz Coffee beans in some favorite spots around Bryan College Station such as The Village, HEB, Ronin, Kroger, 3rd on Main, and more. www.whatsthebuzzcoffee.com
CELEBRATIONS
Fourth of July Parade in Round Top On July 4, enjoy a blast from the past brought to you by Round Top Rifle Association. They will kick off the parade with speeches beginning at 10am, followed by a cannon blast at 10:30. The parade itself lasts for about an hour and is full of floats, horses, old carts, and more! After the parade, a barbecue meal will be available to enjoy until about 2pm. www.roundtoprifle.com
I Love America Fourth of July Celebration On July 4, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum will host the College Station Noon Lions Club Fourth of July Celebration at the George Bush Library Center at Texas A&M University. The museum will be open from 9:30am to 8pm with free admission for everyone all day. Concessions begin at 5:30pm and live music entertainment at 6pm. The Kids’ Zone, complete with games and bounce houses, will be open from 6 to 8:30pm. Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra will top the night off with a live performance at 8:45pm, followed by a fireworks show at 9:30pm. www.bush41.org
Juneteenth Freedom Walk On June 19 beginning at 9am, enjoy a 2.2-mile legacy walk from the Lincoln Recreation Center to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum to observe Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery. Storytelling will immediately follow the walk. It is a free event for all ages. www.cstx.gov
Juneteenth Heritage Celebration The Washington-on-the-Brazos Historic Site will host their third annual Juneteenth Heritage Celebration on June 22 from 10am to 4:30pm. This event celebrates the rich heritage and culture of the African American community of the Brazos Valley. There will be historic displays, exhibits, art, music, food, and guest speakers. The lineup includes several live musicians, such as the Brown Sugar Band and Brandi Pace. www.wheretexasbecametexas.org
FARMERS MARKETS
Bellville Farmers Market On the first Saturday of each month the Bellville Farmers Market takes place at the Jim Bishop Pavilion from 9am to 12pm. Vendors sell produce, eggs, artisan jewelry, live crawfish, and even organic frozen custard! www.bellvillefarmersmarket.com
Brazos Valley Farmers Market Each Saturday, Downtown Bryan hosts the Brazos Valley Farmers Market from 8am to 12pm. All products are locally sourced and locally grown. You can typically find plants, herbs, vegetable starts, baked goods, local produce, and food trucks. www.brazosvalleyfarmersmarket.com
Brenham First Fridays Farmer and Artisan Market Downtown Brenham hosts a farmers market on the first Friday of every month (except January)! Check out their variety of local goods and produce. www.downtownbrenham.com
The Farm Patch If you haven’t already, check out The Farm Patch, a fruit and vegetable stand in Bryan. Not only can you find a variety of delicious produce and food products, but they also offer beautiful flowers, plants, herbs, and seeds to start a garden of your own. www.thefarmpatch.com
The Local Market at Lake Walk In addition to the peaceful outdoor atmosphere at Lake Walk in Bryan, each Tuesday they put on The Local Market, where local vendors and food trucks offer unique goods and delicious food. This summer, the market will happen each Tuesday in May, but only the first Tuesday in June. www.lakewalktx.com/thelocal
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Bring the family out to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum to learn about the life and legacy of our country’s 41st president. Also, the library will be hosting the Movies by the Pond summer film series, beginning May 17 with a showing of Spy Kids. The festivities, featuring games, bounce houses, and much more begin at 7pm and the movies start just after sundown. The rest of the lineup is as follows: WALL-E on June 21, Zootopia on August 16, and The LEGO Movie on September 27. www.bush41.org
Grand Station Entertainment Grand Station is a great place for the whole family to enjoy. Whether you love bowling, virtual reality games, laser tag, or interactive arcade games, you are bound to find something fun. Grand Station is also a great place to host birthday parties, fundraisers, or just a night out with friends. www.grandstationent.com
Star of the Republic Museum The Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos does hands-on history activities every Saturday. Learn how to weave, make corn husk dolls, paper flowers, and much more at these events. The Texas-themed escape room, Runaway Scrape Escape Adventure, will be open on June 15, July 20, and August 17. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time to enjoy this exhilarating experience. www.starmuseum.org
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Eats and Beats Beginning June 14, Stella Hotel at Lake Walk in Bryan will be hosting a summer concert series. The concerts will take place on every other Friday from 7 to 10pm and have different food trucks available. Each date will host a new artist from a different genre, so the experiences will be new and exciting each time! www.lakewalktx.com
First Friday Walk the streets of Downtown Bryan on the first Friday of each month and enjoy live music, vendors and performers along the street, and fun specials. Shops stay open late and some host unique events. It is the perfect activity for the whole family on a Friday night. www.downtownbryan.com
Hot Nights, Cool Tunes Concert Series Head out to Brenham on Saturdays during July for their summer concert series. The concert begins at 7pm, and they will have a new performer each week. It is a great excuse to kick back, relax, and enjoy some live music! www.downtownbrenham.com
Starlight Music Series The Starlight Music Series is returning to Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater in College Station beginning May 4. The concerts take place on May 18, June 1, and June 8, with different performers each time. Concerts begin at 7pm and are free and open to the public. www.cstx.gov
Summer Sunset Concert Series Downtown Bryan will host their free concert series at the Palace Theater. The bands playing at the Summer Sunset Concert Series submitted video auditions earlier in the year. The top four bands are selected to play and will also be featured on KBTX’s Free Music Friday series. Concerts are free to the public and start at 8pm. Gates open at 7:30pm and drink concessions will be sold. The concerts will take place on June 14 and 28 and July 12 and 26. www.downtownbryan.com
PARKS AND RECREATION
Bryan Aquatic Center The Bryan Aquatic Center has an Olympic-sized heated pool, two waterslides, a public diving board, a beach entry area perfect for families, and plenty of space for the whole family to relax in the sun! The pool is open to the public throughout the year and is available for rent after hours on a first-come, first-served basis. www.bryantx.gov
Bryan Parks and Recreation Summer Camps For 11 weeks during the summer, Bryan Parks and Recreation will host Camp Hero at Sam Houston Elementary. Camp dates begin May 28 and end August 9. Kids can come from 7:30am to 6pm each day to enjoy fun camp activities and meet new friends. Each week has a different theme, such as superheroes, outerspace, Disney, carnival, and more. Registration is required. www.bryantx.gov
City of College Station Pools College Station has three outdoor, public pools that are great for the whole family. They are great for exercising, hosting a party, or just relaxing in the sun. Adamson Lagoon, Cindy Hallaran Pool, and the W.A. Tarrow Splash Pad are all great places to cool off during the heat of the summer. www.cstx.gov
Lake Bryan Don’t miss the Spring into Summer event at Lake Bryan on May 18! It will be a free family event complete with bounce houses, food trucks, and even alpacas. After the sun sets, there will be a showing of Finding Nemo on a giant screen. Lake Bryan will be a great place to be throughout the summer, especially with their new stand-up paddleboard and kayak rental vendors. There will even be live music at The Hook restaurant, which is reopening this summer. www.lakebryan.com
PLAYS AND MUSICALS
Breadcrumbs Brenham Unity Theatre presents Breadcrumbs, a studio series drama by Jennifer Haley. This story is about a young nurse’s aide helping a famous writer who is battling Alzheimer’s and is lost in a world of fairy tales. This show will run for two weeks, from May 9 to May 19. www.unitybrenham.org
Brighton Beach Memoirs Brenham Unity Theatre presents Brighton Beach Memoirs, a comedy by Neil Simon. It is one story in Simon’s autobiographical series about growing up in Brooklyn with a large family. This show runs for three weeks, from June 13 to June 30. www.unitybrenham.org
Mamma Mia! The Theatre Company presents Mamma Mia! This show is one of their most requested performances, and features hits from the band ABBA. This production runs from August 2-18. www.thetheatrecompany.com
A Pocketful of Rhymes Brenham Unity Theatre presents A Pocketful of Rhymes, a special children’s musical by Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy. Classic nursery rhymes are set to different 20th century American music, and tell stories from throughout history. This show will run for just one week, from July 25 to 28 on the main stage. www.unitybrenham.org
Sunday in the Park with George The Theatre Company presents Sunday in the Park with George, a show written by Stephen Sondheim that tells a fictional story of Georges Seurat painting the famous Sunday on La Grande Jatte. It is a beautiful story about art, family, innovation, and legacy, with performances running from June 21 to 30. www.thetheatrecompany.com
SING AND DANCE
Rockie’s Grill and Saloon Every Thursday night is college night at Rockie’s, as well as a night of dance lessons! Rockie’s is now open every day of the week, and they are introducing a Sunday brunch every week. You can be sure to find a fun night of live music no matter which night you go to Rockie’s. (979) 696-3030
Salsa Lessons at The Village Cafe Learn how to salsa dance at The Village in Downtown Bryan. Each Wednesday for just $8 you can enjoy an hour-long lesson beginning at 9pm, followed by social dancing! On Saturdays for $5 you can experience a mini lesson at 10pm followed by a night of salsa dancing. www.thevillagedowntown.com
SPORTS
Brazos Valley Roller Derby Come out to the Silver Wings Ballroom on June 8 at 6pm to support the Brazos Valley Roller Derby team. Tickets are $10 in advance, and $15 at the door. Veterans and kids under 10 get in for free. Additionally, every third Thursday of the month the Roller Derby team skates through Downtown Bryan. They meet in front of the La Salle at 6:30pm, and skate down to Blackwater Draw. Anyone on skates is welcome to join! www.brazosvalleyrollerderby.com
Games of Texas The Texas Amateur Athletic Federation’s 2019 Games of Texas will be July 25 through 29 at venues across Bryan College Station. Scheduled events include archery, boxing, flag football, golf, judo, lifeguard competition, pickleball, sand volleyball, skateboarding, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and Ultimate Frisbee. Learn more and register at www.taaf.com/GamesOfTexas.
TRIVIA NIGHTS
Harvey Washbangers Enjoy an exhilarating night of trivia every Tuesday beginning at 7pm. Each trivia night consists of six rounds plus a bonus round. They do not accept reservations, so get there early to ensure that you have a spot in the game. Bring your laundry, bring your friends, and bring all of your trivia knowledge. www.washbangers.com
O’Bannon’s Taphouse O’Bannon’s offers amazing drink deals and specials every night of the week. They also host fun events each week. On Wednesdays they have trivia nights, on Thursdays there is karaoke, and a happy hour on Mondays. Check out their daily specials and unique Irish teas and drinks. www.obannonstaphouse.com
P.O.E.T.S. Billiards and Bar Enjoy Jeopardy-style trivia every Monday from 10pm to 2am at P.O.E.T.S. Billiards and Bar! The trivia game is complete with a big projector, and is sure to be a night of great fun. www.poetsbilliardsbcs.com
Revolution Café and Bar Every Monday night is trivia night at Revolution Café and Bar starting at 9pm. Bring a team and enjoy a night of fun, games, happy hour drinks, and trivia questions. Visit @revolutionbcs on Facebook to find out more.
Rx Pizza Want to test your trivia knowledge and maybe win some prizes in the process? Rx Pizza hosts trivia nights and awards prizes in the form of gift cards to the winners! Trivia nights are on Thursdays at the Downtown Bryan location, and on Tuesdays at the South College Station location. www.rxpizza.com
The Corner Bar and Grill Don’t miss out on game nights at The Corner Bar and Grill! Each Thursday beginning at 10pm, they have rotating game nights, with games such as trivia, ping pong, and more! www.thecornerbcs.com
World of Beer Enjoy a night of drink specials and happy hour in addition to trivia nights every Wednesday at World of Beer. Trivia nights last from 7:30 to 9:30pm. Bring friends and test your t rivia knowledge! www.worldofbeer.com
