Day Trips: Historic Dance Halls
Waltz across Texas with the stars in my eyes and you in my arms
Fri., July 29, 2016
Two-stepping is more than a dance in Texas; it's a way of life. Whether you're a boot-scootin' wiz or just getting your Texas rhythm, one of these historic dance halls would be a fine place for a little dance practice.
Schroeder Hall, about 15 miles northeast of Goliad, is about as authentic and historic a Texas dance hall as you can get. From the road the dance hall looks like an old barn. Inside, the barn wood of the cavernous club is worn smooth by generations of dancers. The Saturday night music is white-bread country with a good mix of South Texas conjunto. Most of the bands ride the regional circuit, with the occasional national act like Merle Haggard's son Marty, who's coming later this year. Spend the night in Victoria or Goliad, both about an equal distance from the dance hall.
Less than an hour's drive from Austin, Twin Sisters Dance Hall on U.S. 281 south of Blanco has dances on the first Saturday of the month. Built in 1879, the rusting corrugated-tin dance hall presents some of the top dance bands in the area. Seven miles to the west of U.S. 281, Kendalia Halle is on summer vacation, but the dance floor opens again this September with Gary P. Nunn. There are several bed & breakfast accommodations in the area around the two dance halls, and Blanco is close by, rather than risking a long drive home.
For more info on historic Texas dance halls, see www.texasdancehall.org.
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