Day Trips & Beyond: May Events Roundup
Warm up for summer with frozen margs and fests around Texas
By Gerald E. McLeod, 4:22PM, Thu. May 1, 2025
May means it’s time to take mom on a day trip to celebrate the birth of the frozen margarita.
Corpus Christi bridge. The last of the cranes are coming down as the construction of the new Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi enters the home stretch. Five years behind schedule, the bridge will have its official ribbon cutting on Saturday, May 10. Festivities will be held in the main parking lot of the Solomon Ortiz Center, 402 Harbor Dr., with the new cable-stay bridge in the background. The public will be allowed on the bridge soon after the ribbon cutting. When it opens the structure will be the longest cable-stay, concrete-segmental bridge in the U.S., and the largest man-made structure in South Texas.
Ground was broken for the bridge in August 2016, but was halted in 2018 when a bridge in Florida designed by the lead engineering company collapsed. Construction wouldn’t resume until 2022. The new Harbor Bridge replaces one built in 1959. With cables hanging in two up-side-down V from 538-foot towers like some giant string instrument, this one is expected to last 170 years. It will carry three lanes of U.S. 181 in each direction with a shared lane for bicyclists and pedestrians on each side. At 205 feet above the ship channel, the 1,661-foot-long main span will allow larger ships to enter the Port of Corpus Christi once the old bridge is removed.
May 10, Harbor Bridge Ribbon Cutting, Corpus Christi, harborbridgeproject.com
Travel Notes:
Beginning of a new era. It was announced on April 4, at Fall Creek Vineyards' 50th anniversary party, that Susan Auler had sold one of the oldest wineries in Texas to Sergio Cuadra and a group of investors. Susan and her late husband, Ed Auler, started the winery in Tow on the banks of Lake Buchanan northwest of Austin in 1975. From cattle ranching families, the couple had discovered on a trip to Europe the similarities between French and Texas Hill Country terroir. Their winery was a pioneer in the modern Texas wine industry, and mentored many of vintners that followed. After Ed passed away in 2023, Susan and her son, Chad Auler, ran the winery. A rancher and investor, Chad was co-founder of Deep Eddy Vodka and has been associated with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville since 2015. From Chile, Sergio Cuadra was the director of winemaking at Fall Creek, and has been with the Aulers since 2013. The tasting room in Tow is currently closed, but the wines can be sampled at the lovely hospitality room in Driftwood at 18059-A FM 1826.
Happy birthday, margarita. It is that most special time of the year, when we celebrate the birth of the frozen margarita. Credit for the creation of that most wonderful of frozen concoctions goes to Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez. On May 11, 1971, he loaded a Slurpee machine with a 1930s tequila cocktail recipe, and singlehandedly popularized tequila and Mexican food. You can still go to Mariano’s Hacienda in Dallas. In 2005, the original margarita machine was placed in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Tex-Mex longevity. One of the first Mexican restaurants in Houston to add a frozen margarita machine was Molina’s Cantina. Founded in 1941, the third-generation restaurant is known for its long-lasting original menu items, and the innovations it has brought to the Houston culinary landscape. I’m sure it didn’t have anything to do with it, but a few weeks after we featured Molina’s in Day Trips, the Texas Historical Commission honored the restaurant with the prestigious Texas Treasure Business Award. The oldest family-owned eatery in H-Town was recognized not only for its longevity, but for its impact on the community.
Other May Events:
Jump to a region: | Big Bend | Gulf Coast | Hill Country | Panhandle | Piney Woods | Prairies & Lakes | South Texas
BIG BEND
Camels at Fort Lancaster
The state changed the historic site’s name to Fort Lancaster and Battlefield to reflect the fact that it was the only U.S. Army fort in Texas attacked by Native Americans. It was also the base of operation for the Army’s Camel Corps experiment. The camels return along with soldiers and pioneers from 9am to 3pm.
May 3, Sheffield, thc.texas.gov/events/camels-fort-lancaster
Marfa International
The annual art fair brings together a diverse and talented pool of artists from across the state including bright new stars and established masters.
May 15-26, Marfa, www.marfainvitational.com
GULF COAST
Rockets2025: Southeast Texas
High school students design and build rockets, then you can watch them be launched, lifting a one-pound payload one mile high, or exceeding the speed of sound. The program was developed at Fredericksburg High School and is now active in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event is free, and anyone entering the launch site must register and sign a waiver in advance.
May 9-10, Anahuac, www.systemsgo.org
Spring Kite Fly
Bring your own kite or just come to the beach to see all of the other flying contraptions at mile marker 13.
May 10-11, Port Aransas, www.facebook.com
Jazzy Sundays in the Park
Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs to the Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park in May and early June for an afternoon of family-friendly live music celebrating the rich tradition of jazz.
May 11, 18, 25, June 1, Houston, buffalobayou.org/jazzy-sundays-2025
HILL COUNTRY
Fiesta Jam
It's three evenings of free music in Johnson Park featuring Asleep at the Wheel, Ruben Ramos, and the Texas Song Search Finalists.
May 1-3, Marble Falls, fiestajam.org
Rockets2025: Hill Country
High school students design and build rockets, then you can watch them be launched, lifting a one-pound payload one mile high, or exceeding the speed of sound. The program was developed at Fredericksburg High School and is now active in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event is free, and anyone entering the launch site must register and sign a waiver in advance.
May 1-3, Fredericksburg, www.systemsgo.org
Thomas Michael Riley Music Festival
The Texas troubadour brings a bunch of his rowdy pals to the historic old ghost town for two days of singin' and pickin’.
May 2-3, Luckenbach, www.thomasmichaelriley.com
Old Jail Museum Tours
Take a one-of-a-kind tour of the 1887 Kendall County Historic Jail that was used for a century.
May 10, 24, Boerne, www.ci.boerne.tx.us/1962/Old-Jail-Museum
Market at the Farm
Join a two-day celebration of all things local, agricultural, and community-driven. Immerse yourself in the lively music while savoring offerings from a variety of food trucks, and explore a wide selection of vendors showcasing their passion and expertise.
May 16-17, Luling, www.sunny-hill-flower-farm.com
Kerrville Folk Festival
For more than 50 years the festival has called music lovers to the Quiet Valley Ranch to celebrate the art of the song at the outdoor theater and around the campfires.
May 22-June 8, Kerrville, www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org
Fredericksburg Jaycees Crawfish Festival
Make a day of it in Market Square with lots of music, arts & crafts vendors, food, beverages, and juicy crawfish.
May 23-25, Fredericksburg, www.fbgcrawfishfestival.com
PANHANDLE
Unearthing Archer County
An archaeological investigation held at the 1910 jail will be open to the general public revealing the findings. Archaeologists will give a lecture and presentation regarding the jail’s historical importance, culminating in an evening of libations, food, and music.
May 10, Archer City, www.theacmac.org/events
Goodnight Invention Convention
Historic sites and museums bring together inventions in their collections from 1836 and 1929, some that changed the world and some that didn’t.
May 10, Goodnight, thc.texas.gov/events/goodnight-invention-convention
PINEY WOODS
Red Brick Bluegrass Festival
Free and open to the public, this family-friendly music festival runs from noon to 9pm.
May 3, Nacogdoches, redbrickbluegrass.com
Wiggy Thump
Hometown band Whiskey Myers hosts an evening of “wiggy thump,” which could mean “crazy and loud,” but you’ll have to show up to find out for sure.
May 10, Palestine, www.whiskeymyers.com
PRAIRIES & LAKES
Scarborough Renaissance Festival
Enter a 16th-century English village for a day of fun, turkey legs, and lords and ladies.
Weekends, May 3-26, Waxahachie, www.srfestival.com
Maifest
This 135-year-old festival kicks off on Friday afternoon, and then after the Saturday morning parade, the music with an oompah beat goes until midnight.
May 2-3, Brenham, www.brenhammaifest.com
”Music America: Iconic Objects From America’s Music History”
This unique exhibit contains nearly 100 objects representing the best of American music, telling the story of how music has informed, interpreted, and inspired our national identity since it was founded nearly two and a half centuries ago. The exhibit was curated by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University is West Long Beach, New Jersey.
May 5-Jan. 5, 2026, College Station, www.bush41.org
Lee County Fair
Step right up to a world of lights, sounds, and smells as American as antique carousels.
May 15-17, Giddings, www.leecountyfairtx.com
Central Texas AirFest
Experience a day of supersonic jets, gravity-defying aerobatics, and parachutists.
May 16-17, Temple, www.ctxaf.com
Bluff SchuetezenFest
Tour the Kreische Brewery Historic Site, enjoy the German food and music, and take part in the family activities and demonstrations.
May 17, La Grange, www.bluffschuetzenfest.org
Texas Monthly Taco Festival
The magazine’s “50 Best Tacos of Texas” goes live. Betcha can’t eat just one.
May 31, Grand Prairie, www.texasmonthly.com
SOUTH TEXAS
San Antonio Asian Festival
Take the family and enjoy a day of vibrant performances, delicious food, cultural demos, crafts, and family fun at Civic Park at Hemisfair.
May 24, San Antonio, www.asiancentersa.org
Gerald McLeod has been traveling around Texas and beyond for his "Day Trips" column for more than 30 years. Keep up to date with his journeys on his archive page and follow him on Facebook.
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 22, 2025
Gerald E. McLeod, April 3, 2025
May 23, 2025
May 16, 2025
Day Trips, frozen margaritas, Molina's Cantina, Harbor Bridge, Fall Creek Vineyards, Mariano's, Mariano Martinez, Rockets2025, Scarborough Renaissance Festival
