Tour The Alamo City

Now is a great time to visit the seventh-largest U.S. city and home of the Alamo, four-time NBA champs the Spurs and some of the state's best Tex-Mex cuisine.

With its predominantly Mexican-American population, some say it's the closest you can get to Mexico without crossing a border. This article --written in Austin-- has a great list of places to visit in San Antonio, aside from the fabulous River Walk.

Raiders of the Lost Wurst

Circle Arts Theatre in New Braunfels is approaching the final curtain of its 40th anniversary, however, the staff of the little theatre with a big heart look ever forward. Members of the community and regional theatre, located in Landa Park, are gearing up for its annual production during the 10 days of Wurstfest.

“Every year, we do something new. This time it’s ‘Raiders of the Lost Wurst,’” said Joy Lindsey, vice president of the theatre’s board of directors. “We’ve also done ‘Star Wurst'.”

Austin Record Convention

The largest sale of recorded music in the USA. More music and related memorabilia available here, at one time, than anywhere else. Ranging from the 78's of the 1930s to the latest compact discs of today, over one million 78s, 45s, LPs, CDs, cassettes, posters and collectibles (probably even a few 8-track tapes!) are in the auditorium. Over 300 different dealers from all over the USA and Europe are spread out over 50,000 square feet of floor space. The show is so big that to see everything takes most of the weekend, so if you're in a hurry we have search announcements at 12, 2, and 4 o'clock from the concession area to help in locating specific items.

The location in Austin, "Live Music Capital of the World", is a beautiful city that is great fun to visit has aided in the popularity of the event. Be sure to save some energy for an evening visit to any of the many clubs around town and check out the live music scene for which Austin is world famous.

Oktoberfest Fredericksburg

The sound of oompah, the aroma of sizzling bratwurst, and the cries of Gemütlichkeit once again herald the arrival of Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, Texas, October 3, 4 & 5, 2008. For three full days, the whole world is invited to sing, toast and dance at one of Fredericksburg’s favorite festivals, celebrating its 28th Anniversary! A celebration of Fredericksburg, Texas' German heritage.

Oktoberfest attracts many visitors just for the shopping opportunities. Over 45 juried artisans from across the state fill two big tents, offering their best arts and collectibles. Many find it the ideal opportunity to start their holiday shopping with many unique, handmade gift items.

[Off the FunBelt but inside the Tourism District Of Texas.]

Tubers In Low Water

Tubers on the Guadalupe River could be floating in some shallow waters as flows out of Canyon Lake into the river are scheduled to slow significantly. The drop is because a fish-friendly agreement with Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited expired on Tuesday.

International Accordion Festival

October 11 & 12 at La Villita near the beautiful River Walk in old San Antonio. This year experience the music of internationally-renown Panamanian pindin master Osvaldo Ayala, Serbian Roma world music dynamos Kal, the amazing Americana duo of Joe Ely and Joel Guzman, the border-crossing and genre-bending Rupa and the April Fishes and the remarkable return of legendary conjunto master Paulino Bernal.

On Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 10pm, enjoy free festival offerings on multiple stages throughout the historic grounds of La Villita (3 blocks south of the Alamo on South Alamo Street). Dance to more than a score of ensembles playing music from around the world.

2008 special programs include the Roma Accordion Convergence – a meeting of gypsy accordion masters from Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, sharing their musical expertise and traditions.

San Antonio Tops In Texas Tourism

According to Expedia Travel Trendwatch, San Antonio is the third fastest-growing leisure destination in the country. In addition to its cultural significance, it also offers the top two tourist attractions in Texas — The Alamo and River Walk. Other tourist stops mentioned: riverside hotels, Hill Country resorts, theme parks including Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio and museums, including the new Smithsonian-affiliated Museo Alameda, which tells the story of Latinos in the Americas.

Travel + Leisure magazine also named the Alamo City as one of the most affordable vacation cities in the nation, saying "vacation dollars go farther in this South Texas retreat."

Fire Fest - 51st Annual

Beautiful downtown Buda this Friday and Saturday: cookoff, art fair, live music in the city park.

Ultimate Firefighter Challenge starts at 9 a.m. Oct. 4 with more than 100 contestants competing in events like the "Hose Hoist and Forcible Entry" + entertainment including Stoney LaRue and Cross Canadian Ragweed. Advance tickets on sale $10 Friday, $15 Saturday.

DinoLand Is Here

Visitors during the 3-month DinoLand Exhibit in Ausitn will travel back in time, coming face to face with thirty life-like dinosaur models of every shape and size. These prehistoric creatures will take up temporary residence along the new Escarpment Trail (near the Hartman Prehistoric Garden). From the fierce, 33-ft. Daspletosaur (cousin to the T-Rex) to a herd of tiny carnivores – Compsognathus (Compies in the movie, Jurassic Park) – these scientifically accurate dinosaur models were created by Guy Darrough, a renowned paleontologist, and owner of Lost World Studios.

Guy’s dinosaurs have traveled to botanical gardens and nature centers around the country, but to only one other botanical garden in Texas – San Antonio Botanical Garden.

ACL Sunday Schedule

Last day of Austin City Limits Festival, check performance times above. And remember you can listen or watch on the web --click here.

This Austin blogger reports: a bit dusty but a cold beer or ice tea offsets the heat; it's been wonderful live music dream come true, so far.

Longhorns Vs. Razorbacks

Austin --Horns & Hogs: Today marks the fourth time that Texas and Arkansas have hooked up since the old Southwest Conference days. They played for 60 consecutive years before the Hogs bolted for the SEC in 1991 — when some of the players on the field today were just 1 year old.

Arkansas' departure put the the SWC on life support, and it died five years later, giving way to the Big 12.

Texas is Arkansas' most-played opponent, and the Longhorns lead the overall series 55-21. But Arkansas has won two of the last three.

ACL Fest LIVE On Web

If you can't be in the Live Music Capitol Of the World this weekend you can watch the Austin City Limits Festival concerts in Zilker Park via live TV on the web + checkout ACL updates at Twitter --or listen to ACL radio!

Austin City Limits Festival Roundup

Welcome to the first day of the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival. Get ready to watch music and stay hydrated, possibly not in that order. The above roundup link will fill you in on where to be when. Get ticket info at the official ACL Festival website.

A Day At The Farm

New Braunfels: Lines of wide-eyed, eager toddlers will stretch through Sunday, as families and schools flock to the Comal County Fair’s “A Day at the Farm.” .

The annual tradition --the famous fair is 115 years old-- gives area children a chance to touch and interact will all manner of barnyard animal, including calves, goats, piglets and hundreds of baby chicks.

“The kids just love it. We’ve seen children bring their children back years later.”

ACL Fest Picks

Austin City Limits Festival --Fri, Sat, Sun --samples:

Patty Griffin (4:30 p.m. AMD); Bobby Bare Jr.(4:40 p.m. BMI). I'm torn between the Austin homegirl and the rocker. Griffin is a songwriter's songwriter and her voice can find 40 different shades of heartbreak, but there's not much there that, you know, rawks. Bare Jr. does very much rock, blending country roots with indie rock guitars.

Dinner: You may be at Hot Chip (5:30 p.m. AT&T Blue Room) or Jenny Lewis(5:45 p.m. WaMu). I will be at a food stand. Or, rather, in line at a food stand.

David Byrne (6:30 p.m. AT&T): One of the belles of the ball, for my money. The former Talking Heads frontman goes back to the Afro-funk that made him (and, to a certain extent, producer Brian Eno, who is not at ACL) famous. Expect plenty of "Once in a Lifetime," "I Zimbra" and possibly very, very unfortunate dancing.

+ Much, much more....

See Seaworld, Si!

A great time to visit Seaworld in San Antonio, less crowded and lower temperatures.

Comel County Fair

The 115th installment of the Comal County Fair in New Braunfels kicks off today and runs through the weekend. Friday is the Fair Parade, when most of the community will line San Antonio Street to watch the floats go by, beginning at 10 a.m.

Thousands are expected to descend upon New Braunfels before it wraps up Sunday, some to win prizes, others to ride rides, but all here to enjoy five days of festivities at Texas’ largest county fair.

Brackenridge Ups Greens Fees

Officials with San Antonio Muni Golf Association said greens fees at the course, almost completely remodeled as part of a $4.5 million, eight-month project, will be increased to $75 on weekdays and $85 on weekends after its grand reopening Dec. 1.

Brackenridge, which opened in 1916, will be the showcase of the city's six 18-hole municipal courses, now labeled the Alamo City Golf Trail. The 113-acre layout, tucked hard against U.S. 281 just north of downtown, has been restored to a semblance of the original design of legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast.

“It's a very, very special place, I can't help but believe that it will get national recognition. It will be a flagship golf venue for all of Texas.”

[Perfect golf weather and many anxious to try to revitalized Brackenridge course.]

Fantastic Fest Returns

In just four years, the niche-culture extravaganza that is Fantastic Fest has established itself as a prime destination for the geekiest and die-hardiest of genre movie fans.

Organizers have trawled the globe for the goriest, funniest, strangest, most whatever-est titles they could find to bring to Austin. They will show these curious specimens today through Sept. 25 at the Alamo Ritz, Alamo South and other venues, including an actual dank cave.

Water Recreation Capitol Of Texas

The next week of FunBelt weather with forcast highs of 92 in sunny skys is perfect for outdoor enjoyment and relaxation. Canyon Lake is the perfect one-stop.

Landa Park Cleanup

Fall houscleaning: It wasn’t the usual passenger load on the miniature train Tuesday as it churned through Landa Park.

The regular haul of families enjoying a day at the historic 48 acres of trees and winding streams was replaced by dozens of concerned residents searching for ways to save the one of the city’s premier attractions.

The New Braunfels Garden Club spent its first meeting of the year riding the rails, pointing out the wear and tear Landa Park has had to endure from more than a century’s worth of visitors.

The Garden Club, celebrating its 75th year, has made preserving and restoring Landa Park its mission. They estimated that to completely restore and make changes to preserve Landa Park could cost between $6 million and 8.5 million.

San Antonio Parks Cleanup

Fall housecleaning: In a sign of community cooperation, the Toyota Motor Corp. manufacturing plant and seven of its on-site suppliers will work together on a two-week, citywide cleanup project.

The goal is to plant trees as well as paint over graffiti, clean up brush and pick up trash at 17 parks and city facilities. Some 340 people will volunteer more than 17,000 hours of labor valued at more than $270,000, according to a city estimate.

The drive will take place during the weeks of Sept. 22-26 and Oct. 6-10, which the city on Thursday designated as Toyota Green Clean-Up Weeks, District 7 Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Justin Rodriguez said.

Hotel Crunch --Sept.27

Hurricane Ike forced the rescheduling of the Longhorn - Razorback football game to the worst possible date: same weekend as Austin City Limits music festival, which will attract more than 60,000 fans – about half of them from out of town.

Many area hotels already were full because of the ACL event, which in past years has been held on a weekend when the UT Longhorns aren't playing at home. And some hotels are still temporary homes for Hurricane Ike evacuees.

That means no room at the inn for thousands of UT fans who come from out of town to home games.

Even the Arkansas Razorbacks lost out on 120 prime downtown hotel reservations. The new accommodations for the Sept. 27 game: the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Bastrop, 26 miles from the stadium.

Texas Music Museum

New exhibit -- Texas Country Classics:

Audiences around the world know the Western Swing of Bob Wills, the Honky-Tonk of Ernest Tubb and Lefty Frizzell, the Country Pop of Jim Reeves and Kenny Rogers, the Progressive Country of Willie and Waylon and the “New Traditional” Country of George Strait and Clint Black. These Country Music stars, and many more, are the focus of this Austin exhibit, which features rare photographs, biographies, artifacts, and live performance video, all celebrating the history of Texas Country music.

Luminaria: Bigger & Brighter

The second annual Luminaria: Arts Night in San Antonio, scheduled to take place March 14, will have a bigger footprint and a bigger budget.

The basic elements remain the same: Luminaria will once again be a citywide, daylong affair culminating in a blowout downtown. The downtown events will spotlight virtually every artistic discipline — including dance, visual arts, music, theater and film — in storefronts, on stages and in the streets radiating from Alamo Plaza.

The budget for the whole thing will be about $800,000, which is about twice the budget for the first edition. The event's debut drew more than 100,000 people downtown.