Day Trips & Beyond: January Events Roundup
Start 2018 with some Texas travel
By Gerald E. McLeod, 7:00AM, Fri. Jan. 5, 2018
The January weather might be unpredictable, but don’t let it stop you from enjoying a parade, a night on the town, or a chance to discover something new.
From New Orleans to Shreveport the Mardi Gras season in Louisiana kicks off with parades and parties the last weekend of January and ending on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 13. In Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou in Lafourche Parish the celebration begins on Jan. 28 with the Krewe of Des Petite Lions parade through Golden Meadow and is followed up and down the bayou by 17 other parades. For a full listing of Mardi Gras parades and celebrations go to www.louisianatravel.com.
Humanities Texas has put together a traveling exhibit of photographs by Bill Wittliff taken during the filming of the Lonesome Dove miniseries. Based on Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about two aging Texas Rangers who take a stolen herd from the Rio Grande to Montana, the show first aired on CBS in 1989. The exhibit features 55 photographs that capture the expansive visuals of the original miniseries and traveling around the state to small-town museums.
Jan. 22-March 3, “Lonesome Dove” Exhibit, Bosque Museum, 301 S. Ave. Q, Clifton, 254/675-3820, www.bosquemuseum.org
Travel Notes:
In Kerrville the hot ticket in town is for something fun and Artrageous: An Interactive Art and Music Experience at the Cailloux Theater. The traveling troupe is street theatre at its finest mixing dance, music, storytelling, and painting a large original work of art. It's lively, it's entertaining, it's one night only.
Jan. 20, Artrageous, Cailloux Theater, Kerrville, 830/896-9393, www.caillouxtheater.com
Another thing that New Orleans and San Antonio have in common is that they are both celebrating their 300th anniversary in 2018. Each city will be commemorating the year with special events. To find out what’s going in NOLA go to www.2018nola.com. SAT’s celebratory tercentennial events can be found at www.sanantonio300.org.
Other January Events:
Stephen F. Austin Funeral Re-enactment
Jan. 6, Jones Creek, www.brazosport.org/event/stephen-f-austin-funeral-procession-re-enactment/2018-01-06
Sam Rayburn’s Birthday Open House
Jan. 6, Bonham, www.visitsamrayburnhouse.com
Science Mill Tours for Adults
Jan. 7, Feb. 5, Feb. 25, Johnson City, www.sciencemill.org
San Antonio Cocktail Conference
Jan. 10-14, San Antonio, www.sanantoniococktailconference.com
Kendall County Junior Livestock Show and Sale
Jan. 12-13, Comfort, www.visitboerne.org/calendar/kendall-county-jr-livestock-show-and-sale-0
Tom Green County Fair and Junior Livestock Show
Jan. 12-13, San Angelo, www.sanangelorodeo.com
Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
Jan. 12-Feb. 3, Fort Worth, www.fwssr.com
Drillers' Reunion: Spindletop’s 117th Anniversary Celebration
Jan. 13, Beaumont, www.spindletop.org
Thomas Burritt and James Dick in Concert
Jan. 13, Round Top, www.festivalhill.org
Boerne Market Days
Jan. 13-14, Boerne, www.visitboerne.org
MLK Grande Parade Midtown Houston
Jan. 13-15, Houston, www.mlkgrandeparade.org
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer"
Jan. 13-May 6, Waco, www.baylor.edu/mayborn
Buffalo Soldier Day
Jan. 14, San Antonio, www.texancultures.com
Martin Luther King Jr. March
Jan. 15, San Antonio, www.sanantonio.gov/mlk
Bastrop County MLK Celebration and Walk for Peace
Jan. 15, Smithville, www.smithvilletx.org
MLK Day Parade and Celebration
Jan. 15, Freeport, www.mlkcc.org
Fee-Free Day
Jan. 15, National Parks, www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm
Brackenridge Winter Carnival and Snow Day
Jan. 20, Edna, www.brackenridgepark.com/events/2018/brackenridge-winter-carnival--snow-day
Yaga’s Chili Quest and Beer Fest
Jan. 19-20, Galveston, www.yagaschiliquest.com
"Artrageous: An Interactive Art and Music Experience"
Jan. 20, Kerrville, www.caillouxtheater.com
Luckenbach Blues Festival
Jan. 20, Luckenbach, www.luckenbachtexas.com
Mario Flores and the Soda Creek Band
Jan. 20, Anhalt Dance Hall, Spring Branch, www.anhalthall.com
Hill Country Gem and Mineral Show
Jan. 20-21, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgrockhounds.org
Victoria Comic Con
Jan. 20-21, Victoria, www.victoriacomiccon.org
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra Concert
Jan. 21, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgmusicclub.com
“Lonesome Dove” Exhibit
Jan. 22-March 3, Clifton, www.bosquemuseum.org
Winter Outdoor Wildlife Expo
Jan. 23-27, South Padre Island, www.spibirding.com
“A Night with Janis Joplin”
Jan. 25, Orange, www.lutcher.org
Denton Black Film Festival
Jan. 25-28, Denton, www.dentonbff.com
Hill Country Indian Artifact Show
Jan. 27, Fredericksburg, www.hillcountryindianartifacts.com/artifact_shows.html
Chamber Rodeo
Jan. 27-28, Bulverde, www.bsbchamberrodeo.com
Celtic Fest
Jan. 27-28, San Marcos, www.toursanmarcos.com/events/arts/celtic-fest.html
World Class Bloodless Bullfights
Jan. 27, Feb. 10, Feb. 24, Feb. 25, La Gloria, www.fredrenk.com
"First Sculpture: Handaxe to Figure Stone"
Jan. 27-April 29, Dallas, www.nashersculpturecenter.org
Gerald McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his "Day Trips" column for more than 25 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page.
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
Gerald E. McLeod, May 1, 2025
Gerald E. McLeod, April 3, 2025
May 9, 2025
May 2, 2025
Day Trips, January events, Mardi Gras, Lonesome Dove, Bill Wittliff, Larry McMurtry
