- The 2010 Lost Pines Christmas Weekend opens with a warm Bastrop
welcome, Christmas treats and choral music at the new City Hall, a building
that evokes a 19th Century train station and salutes, in design and location,
the role that trains played in Bastrop’s development. The City Hall Open
House runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and is a convenient starting point for a short
stroll down Chestnut Street to Main Street’s restaurants and shops, a stroll
that provides a great view of the 41 bronze medallions—19 of which
commemorate moments, people and places in Bastrop’s rich history—inset
in the sidewalks along the way. www.cityofbastrop.org
- While taking in Main Street, stop by the Bastrop Fine Arts Guild Winter
Market at 1009 Main. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the market
showcases one-of-a-kind creations of local artists...painting, glass,
pottery, metalwork, jewelry and more and the Guild’s Fine Arts Gift Shop
is the perfect stop for that special gift. www.bastropfineartsguild.com
- Enjoy the River of Lights—120 lighted seasonal displays and music—on the
Colorado River river walk, a one-half-mile stroll, immediately west of Main
Street. Stairs leading down to the river walk may be found west of the
intersection of Main and Pine Streets; barrier free access is available at the
Farm Street entrance to Fisherman’s Park. Created in 2002 by the Bastrop
Chamber of Commerce around displays purchased by community
organizations and individuals, the River of Lights is a favorite with locals and
visitors of all ages. www.bastropchamber.com
- A short walk up Main Street will take you to the First United Methodist
Church, now celebrating its 175th anniversary. Between 6:30 and 8:30
p.m., the church—at 1201 Main—will perform its traditional Live Nativity, a
tableau of the birth of Jesus Christ, featuring live people and recorded
music. Refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall.
www.fumcbastrop.org
- Feel the energy build as locals and visitors gather in the early evening on the
lawn before the brightly lit Bastrop County Courthouse, waiting for the switch
to be thrown on the County’s towering Christmas tree and “Christmas
Around the County” to begin. The lighting comes complete with choral and
instrumental music of the season, performed by musicians from Elgin,
Smithville, McDade, Cedar Creek, Shiloh, Paige, Stoney Point and elsewhere
in the county. The lighting and musical performance will run from 6 to 8 p.m.
804 Pecan Street. www.co.bastrop.tx.us
- “The Christmas Carol Rag”—a new, wildly funny and deeply moving twist on
a Dickens classic—is the historic Bastrop Opera House’s special production
for Christmas 2010. Set in New York City in 1911, the musical score
celebrates Victor Herbert, George M Cohan and familiar carols of the season
as Evelyn Scrooge, sweatshop tyrant of the garment districts, learns the
Christmas message. The play begins at 7:30 p.m. The Opera House, at 711
Spring Street, is just a few steps off Main Street. Further information and
tickets ($5 - $12) are available online. www.bastropoperahouse.com
- Reserve your spot, take along a lawn chair or blanket and take in the
galactic light show at Stargazing in the Roughs, down the road at McKinney
Roughs Nature Park. A park astronomer will take you on a visual tour of
the Milky Way that’s truly out of this world. Behold the wonder of the
cosmos through the Dobsonian telescopes and venture beyond the
boundaries of this planet. Learn about the constellations and marvel at the
beauty and mystery of the universe in this spectacular free program,
running from 9 to 10:30 p.m. www.lcra.org/mckinneyroughs
- The day begins right with a good breakfast…and kids of all ages (but especially
the wee ones) will delight in sharing Breakfast with Santa, at the Hyatt Regency
Lost Pines Resort and Spa. Hotel staff is still working out the details with Santa;
check back later! www.visitlostpines.com
- The Bastrop Public Library Open House will hold an Open House for the
community and visitors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. And it’s not all punch and
treats: in the morning, kids 12 and under will do Christmas crafts and, in the
afternoon, classical harpist Monica Miller will perform holiday music. More
information will be available, as the date draws nearer. 1100 Church Street.
www.bastroplibrary.org
- While taking in Main Street, stop by the Bastrop Fine Arts Guild Winter
Market at 1009 Main. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the market showcases
one-of-a-kind creations of local artists...painting, glass, pottery, metalwork,
jewelry and more and the Guild’s Fine Arts Gift Shop is the perfect stop for
that special gift. www.bastropfineartsguild.com
- Enjoy the River of Lights—120 lighted seasonal displays and music—on the
Colorado River river walk, a one-half-mile stroll, immediately west of Main
Street. Stairs leading down to the river walk may be found west of the
intersection of Main and Pine Streets; barrier free access is available at the
Farm Street entrance to Fisherman’s Park. Created in 2002 by the Bastrop
Chamber of Commerce around displays purchased by community organizations
and individuals, the River of Lights is a favorite with locals and visitors of all
ages. www.bastropchamber.com
- A short walk up Main Street will take you to the First United Methodist
Church, now celebrating its 175th anniversary. Between 6:30 and 8:30
p.m., the church—at 1201 Main—will perform its traditional Live Nativity, a
tableau of the birth of Jesus Christ, featuring live people and recorded
music. Refreshments will be served in the Fellowship Hall. www.
fumcbastrop.org
- Bastrop Holiday Homes Tour- between noon and 5 p.m., the Bastrop County
Historical Society throws open the doors on its annual Holiday Homes Tour,
sampling old Bastrop's historical treasures. Tour stops span architectural
styles and periods, encompass both private and public structures, and form
a composite image of Bastrop past and present. The tour is self-guided,
allowing visitors to see each location at their own pace. Docents will be on
hand at each site to point out key features, to recount the structure's history
and historical importance, and to answer questions. For further information
and tickets ($15, children under 12 accompanied by a ticketed adult are
admitted at no charge), www.BastropHolidayHomesTour.com
- “The Christmas Carol Rag”—a new, wildly funny and deeply moving twist on
a Dickens classic—is the historic Bastrop Opera House’s special production
for Christmas 2010. Set in New York City in 1911, the musical score
celebrates Victor Herbert, George M Cohan and familiar carols of the season
as Evelyn Scrooge, sweatshop tyrant of the garment districts, learns the
Christmas message. The play begins at 7:30 p.m. The Opera House, at 711
Spring Street, is just a few steps off Main Street. Further information and
tickets ($5 - $12) are available online. www.bastropoperahouse.com
- And then it’s on to the annual Christmas Street Market. Find one-of-a-kind
handcrafts, great stocking stuffers, and perhaps your very own present from
Santa in downtown Bastrop between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Stores will be open,
streets will be closed to provide shoppers full run of Bastrop’s wonderful
specialty shops and more than 125 kiosks. The Market sprawls over three
blocks of historic downtown, and includes a special Main Event Holiday
Bazzar in the Lumberyard Music Hall (1109 Main Street). The holiday stage in
the 900 block of Main Street will provide music and entertainment to round
out a day of shopping. www.bastropdba.org/christmas.html & www.
bastropbusinesswomen.com/marketdaysa.htm & http://www.facebook.
com/#!/pages/Bastrop-Main-Event/154815614529213?ref=ts
- If there’s a budding naturalist in your family, McKinney Roughs Nature
Park—a short drive from Bastrop—is the destination today. This Junior
Naturalist program, running from 10 a.m. to noon, is designed with children
in mind, helping them cultivate a deeper understanding of the natural world
using the methods and techniques of a true naturalist. Through fun outdoor
art projects, games and activities they’ll hone their observational skills and
learn to employ field research fundamentals like journaling and tracking.
Tickets are $10 per child; pre-registration is required call (512) 303-5073 or
email outdoorprograms@lcra.org.
- McKinney Roughs Nature Park is also the site of a Card Cache Scavenger Hunt, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Participants will use a trail map to wind their way through the Roughs’ beautiful trail system in search of
special boxes, containing cards from which the scavenger will build a “hand”. Back at headquarters,
players will compare hands; prizes will be awarded to the best hand, worst hand, or somewhere in
between. No skill required for this free program, but great times will be shared. For families and people
of all ages; children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required call
(512) 303-5073 or email outdoorprograms@lcra.org. www.lcra.org/mckinneyroughs
- The Lumberyard Music Hall, one of Bastrop’s live music venues, invites all to
its Holiday Open House and Music Festival, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Performers include Bastrop Community Chorus, Bastrop Community
Orchestra, Bastrop Community brass choir and the Academy Jazz Players.
1109 Main Street. www.facebook.com/pages/Bastrop-TX/The-Lumberyard-
Music-Hall
- Bastrop’s 1832 Farmers Market--from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1302 Chestnut—
celebrates the season with locally grown produce, cooking demonstrations,
food sampling, recipe handouts and door prizes.
www.bastrop1832farmersmarket.org
- Holiday Open Houses on Main Street —between 4 and 8 p.m., dozens of
downtown merchants will remain open to extend a warm Christmas
wassail, goodies and welcome to visitors. Chances are more than good
that Santa will drop in as well (Psst! Bastrop is known to be one of his
favorite stops). www.bastropdba.com/Christmas.html
- Lighted Christmas Parade—more than 125 entries—from fanciful floats
to fire trucks, from dancing Honey Bears to dignitaries, from Santa’s
helpers to the man himself—will light up the Main Street night for this
annual parade. Produced by the Downtown Business Alliance, this joyful
Bastrop tradition literally lights up the Bastrop Christmas festivities. The
parade begins at 6 p.m. and this year will celebrate “Christmas Around
the World”. www.bastropdba.com/Christmas.html
- There’s still time to visit the Bastrop Fine Arts Guild Winter Market at 1009
Main. Open from 1 to 5 p.m. this day, the market showcases one-of-a-kind
creations of local artists...painting, glass, pottery, metalwork, jewelry and
more and the Guild’s Fine Arts Gift Shop is the perfect stop for that special
gift. www.bastropfineartsguild.com
- Catch the Sunday 2:30 p.m. matinee of “The Christmas Carol Rag”—a new,
wildly funny and deeply moving twist on a Dickens classic and the historic
Bastrop Opera House’s special production for Christmas 2010. Set in New
York City in 1911, the musical score celebrates Victor Herbert, George M.
Cohan and familiar carols of the season as Evelyn Scrooge, sweatshop
tyrant of the garment districts, learns the Christmas message. The Opera
House, at 711 Spring Street is just a few steps off Main. Further information
and tickets ($5 - $12) are available on line. www.bastropoperahouse.com
- At 7 p.m. the Opera House reopens for a special Bastrop Presbyterian
Fellowship Christmas Concert, featuring the GraceNotes Vocal Ensemble
(16 voices) and the Pro Musica Handbell Choir (14 ringers) from Covenant
Presbyterian Church in Austin. The event is free; reservations are
required, and donations to local charities are accepted. 711 Spring Street.
www.bastropoperahouse.com
- Enjoy the River of Lights—120 lighted seasonal displays and music—on
the Colorado River river walk, a one-half-mile stroll, immediately west of
Main Street. Stairs leading down to the river walk may be found west of the
intersection of Main and Pine Streets; barrier free access is available at
the Farm Street entrance to Fisherman’s Park. Created in 2002 by the
Bastrop Chamber of Commerce around displays purchased by community
organizations and individuals, the River of Lights is a favorite with locals
and visitors of all ages. www.bastropchamber.com
- Sunday morning offers time for reflection…either in attending one of the
many local churches having services on Sunday—and each extending a
warm welcome to visitors—or by communing with nature among the
legendary Lost Pines of Bastrop State Park, a beautiful pine forest
preserve great for walkers, hikers and bicyclists.
Celebrate the 2010 Lost Pines Christmas weekend—December 9 through 12—in one of Texas’ most
historic places, a National Trust “Distinctive Destination” and home to the legendary Lost Pines.
- The Colorado River Singers, under the direction of Fred Ratliff, is planning a
special performance this evening: a cappella traditional Christmas carols
arranged by Norman Luboff, Robert Shaw, John Rutter and Anita Kerr. The
concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be held at the First United Methodist
Church at 1201 Main Street.
- While taking in Main Street, stop by the Bastrop Fine Arts Guild Winter
Market at 1009 Main. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the market
showcases one-of-a-kind creations of local artists...painting, glass,
pottery, metalwork, jewelry and more and the Guild’s Fine Arts Gift Shop
is the perfect stop for that special gift. www.bastropfineartsguild.com
- Enjoy the River of Lights—120 lighted seasonal displays and music—on the
Colorado River river walk, a one-half-mile stroll, immediately west of Main
Street. Stairs leading down to the river walk may be found west of the
intersection of Main and Pine Streets; barrier free access is available at the
Farm Street entrance to Fisherman’s Park. Created in 2002 by the Bastrop
Chamber of Commerce around displays purchased by community
organizations and individuals, the River of Lights is a favorite with locals and
visitors of all ages. www.bastropchamber.com
- The stuff of dreams—Clara’s dream, more precisely: the Sugar Plum Fairy,
Dancing Snowflakes, the Snow Queen and the Nutcracker Prince come to life
as D’ette & Co.Dancers perform “The Nutcracker – for Children by
Children”. This Christmastime favorite and one of Tchaikovsky’s most
beloved compositions will take to the stage at 2 p.m. in the Jerry Fay Wilhelm
Center for Performing Arts, 1401 Cedar Street. For ticket information, visit
www.detted.com or call (512) 292-3772.
- How about some movies? Short narrative films presenting an offbeat take
on the Christmas season will be showcased in the “Off Kilter Christmas
Fest” on Sunday afternoon. Produced by Upstart, Inc.—a local nonprofit
promoting visual literacy, providing Bastrop Community Access Television
programming, and serving as a laboratory for film making—the festival will
run from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Media Art Center, 1800 Linda Street. For further
information, visit http://www.upstartbastrop.com/off-kilter-xmas-film-fest
.
