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| Thanks to all the participating businesses and individuals who make Lost Pines Christmas the finest Holiday destination in Texas! Bastrop Main Street Program, All Rights reserved. 2010-2011 City of Bastrop, Texas mainstreet@cityofbastrop.org Web Design: www.morzartoriginals.com |
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- Walk on the Wild Side! Take an interpretive hike—from 10 a.m. to noon—at the McKinney
Roughs Nature Park, a wonderful nature preserve a short drive from Bastrop. A park
naturalist will bring together a unique blend of human and natural history to tell the story of
the Colorado River. Discover how the river influences animal, plant and human life along its
banks. After your hike, visit the McKinney Roughs’ Visitor’s Center gift shop to view live
native animals and interactive exhibits. Bring a picnic lunch and make it a nature day! Free
and open to adults and children (8 years old and up), the hike is limited to the first 20
participants. Clubs or groups of more than five people should schedule a private hike. Pre-
registration is required. Register online at www.lcra.org/outdoorprograms.
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- It’s Texas Outdoor Adventure Day at McKinney Roughs Nature Park, a short drive from
Bastrop. Like the first explorers of Texas, “TOAD” participants will travel down the
Colorado River, navigate through the woods, and climb to great heights for a day of
excitement, adventure and good food. The day begins at 9 a.m. with the challenge course
where we will get vertical on the rock-climbing wall and zip line. Next, everyone becomes
an explorer as we use Global Positioning System (GPS) units to navigate the McKinney Roughs
hiking trails back to enjoy our campfire lunch. We top it off with a splash—a raft trip down
the Colorado River! Open to adults and children age 7 and up; children 12 and under must
be accompanied by an adult. $45 per person. Pre-registration is required; register online
at www.lcra.org/outdoorprograms.
- Bastrop’s 1832 Farmers Market Winter Celebration--from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1302
Chestnut—marks the season with locally grown produce, cooking demonstrations, food
sampling, recipe handouts and door prizes. www.bastrop1832farmersmarket.org
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- 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.
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- 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 more than punch and treats: in the morning,
kids 12 and under will do Christmas crafts—graham cracker “gingerbread” houses—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.
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- 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. The Guild’s Fine Arts Gift
Shop is the perfect stop for that special gift and promises to have a broad selection of
unique items costing less than $100. www.bastropfineartsguild.com
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- 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 of the six sites 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. Tickets are $15; children under 12
accompanied by a ticketed adult are admitted at no charge.
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- D’Ette & Company dance students from throughout the area will take to the stage and “Light
up the Holidays”…displaying their talents and various dance styles, at 2 p.m. in the Jerry Fay
Wilhelm Center for Performing Arts, 1401 Cedar Street. For ticket information, visit www.
dettedancers.com or call (512) 292-3772.
- How about the movies? Short narrative films presenting an offbeat take on the Christmas
season will be showcased in the “Off Kilter Xmas Film Fest” on Saturday and Sunday
afternoons. 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 3 to 5 p.m. at the Upstate Media Art Center, 1800 Linda
Street. $5 donation requested.
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| Upstart Media Arts Center |
- Shop, Rock and Stroll through the evening hours as downtown shops and restaurants welcome
visitors and serve up seasonal cheer and treats. As you stroll Main Street, be sure to check out
- “FestiviTREES” …wonderfully imaginative handcrafted Christmas trees on display in many
shops and each one made of recycled materials. Be sure to vote for your favorite!
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- 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
winds its way down Main Street about 6:15 p.m. This year’s parade will celebrate Bastrop’s
frontier heritage with “A Western Christmas” and will salute Bastrop’s Citizen of the Year,
Man of the Year and Woman of the Year as parade marshals. www.bastropdba.org
- More visions of Sugarplums? Yes, and Dancing Snowflakes, a Mouse King and a Nutcracker
Prince as well. The historic Bastrop Opera House, at 711 Spring Street (a few steps east of
Main), offers a delightful adaptation of this beloved story and musical score in its production
of “The Nutcracker”. Splendid lyrics and a simplified score combine to capture the magic
and fantasy of the original story in a musical format to delight the whole family. The
performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs approximately one hour. Tickets, at $5 per person,
are available online and at the Opera House. www.bastropoperahouse.com
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- Enjoy the River of Lights—120 lighted seasonal displays and music—on the Colorado 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
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- A matinee is just the ticket! Check out the historic Bastrop Opera House, at 711 Spring
Street (a few steps east of Main) and its 2:30 p.m. matinee performance of “Believe—Music
from the Heart for Christmas”. Conceived and directed by David-Anthony Burger, this
musical review is sure to keep you in the holiday spirit. Further information and tickets are
available online at www.bastropoperahouse.com.
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- Take a hike among Bastrop’s legendary Lost Pines — join a Bastrop State Park ranger for this
one-mile hike and discover that life still remains in the forest heavily damaged by wildfire
this summer. You’ll hike through the burned area of the park and find green spots where
plants and animals still make their homes. Sign in at the park entry (a $4 fee for adult hikers)
and meet at the park pool by 1 p.m. Wear good walking shoes and bring drinking water;
moderate difficulty; all ages allowed. For further information contact Katie.Raney@tpwd.
state.tx.us or visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/bastrop.