Kendalia Dance Halle at the Hill Country crossroads southwest of Austin
celebrates its first anniversary again after 93 years. The classic Texas dance
hall was built in 1903, but Tom and Glenda McKinney have been holding dances
there every Saturday night for a year since last February 15.
Come hell or high water, Tom, his wife Glenda, waitress Brenda Self, the
family dog Freckles, and an army of friends and neighbors put on a Saturday
night show and a Sunday afternoon jam session. The McKinneys took over the
dance hall after the owner grew tired of booking dance bands once a month.
“This place is just too beautiful to be closed up,” Tom said. A retired welder
from South Texas who had dabbled in country bands, he saw the historical
significance in keeping the old dance hall open. With the dance hall’s most
recent reincarnation, it has become a community center again, with the parents
gliding across the well-worn dance floor while the kids enjoy the playground
out back.
After a San Antonio newspaper writer complained that there was no place for
local bands to play, Tom sent him a letter saying he would give any band a
chance to play if they would work for the gate. “My phone rang off the wall for
three days,” he said. “I’m booked solid through July.” Tom books the kind of
country dance bands that he likes and tries to create the kind of family
atmosphere that he enjoys.
Occasionally he books a polka band or a Cajun band. “When we have the Cajun
band we fix up a mess of gumbo,” Tom said. They also have barbecue sandwiches,
nachos, sausage wraps, and of course plenty of cold drinks.
If measured by square footage, the dance floor is probably bigger than the
area taken up by picnic tables. Tom knows that the building will easily hold
140 people, because that’s the biggest crowd he’s ever had.
The corrugated tin over a wooden frame building with windows that fold out to
catch the evening breeze was built as a venue for a local German brass band,
Nichlas Syrint Musical Club. Except for a small patch, the entire dance floor
is the original from 1903 and worn smooth by thousands of shuffling feet.
Kendalia had a population of 100 in 1940 and 50 years later only 76 people
lived at the junction of FM473 and FM3160. George Kendall, one of the founders
of the New Orleans Picayune, owned a ranch here and gave his name to the
town and Kendall County. Rough ranch land still surrounds the settlement that
has a dentist, school, convenience store, and the dance hall.
About an hour south of Austin, the dance hall is 15 miles from Blanco and 22
miles from Boerne. Campers and recreational vehicles are welcome behind the
dance hall.
The Sunday afternoon jam sessions begin at 2pm and last until everybody goes
home. The Saturday night dances begin at 8:30pm and go until 12:30am. Coming up
are Johnny Lyons & the New Notes, Feb. 22; Tom takes the stage with Classic
Country, Mar. 1; the Kliensteins, a New Braunfels polka band, Mar. 8; South
Texas, Mar. 15; the Cajun band Swamp Angels, Mar. 22; Geronimo Trevi�o
and his band will be recording a live album on a rare Friday night dance, Mar.
28; and Swinging Country from San Antonio, Mar. 29. For more information, call
Tom or Glenda at 888/262-2609.
Coming up this weekend…
Land of Leather Days in Yoakum salutes the leather industry, Feb. 21-22.
512/293-2309.
Austin Community Night at the San Antonio Spurs game, Feb. 24. 210/554-7700.
Coming up…
A Celebration of Whooping Cranes and Other Birds in Port Aransas, Feb. 27-Mar.
2. 800/45-COAST.
Kendalia Chili Cookoff benefits the Kendalia VFD with music all weekend at the
dance hall, Apr. 26. 888/262-2609.
Day Trips, Vol.1, a book of the first 100 day trips from this
column, updated and expanded, is available for $6.95, plus $3.05 for shipping
and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, 1712 E. Riverside Dr., Box 156, Austin, TX
78741.
This article appears in February 21 • 1997 and February 21 • 1997 (Cover).
