The Hill Country Hot Ticket
September 24-27, 2026
Cook-off weekend in Blanco, a Journey tribute in Spring Branch, and the first stretch of evenings all year where standing outside at nine at night is the point. A handful of ideas below.
Live music and nightlife
New Braunfels: Gruene Hall runs four straight days. Whitey Morgan and the 78's play Thursday, September 24, doors at 7:00 PM, $35. Wade Forster headlines Friday and again Sunday, $25 each night. Creed Fisher closes Saturday at 10:30 PM, doors at 8:00 PM, with Coby Rotan and The Naturals opening, $25 plus fees.
Insider tip: the daytime shows are free and nobody talks about them. Dan Whitaker plays Saturday 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Bo Phillips takes 1:00 to 5:00 PM, and Lee Mathis and The Brutally Handsome Band run Sunday 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Friday Afternoon Club, 4:00 to 7:00 PM, is free too.
Spring Branch: Screaming Goat Yard and Tap puts Radio Journey on the yard stage Friday, September 25, at 7:00 PM, tickets through the venue. Thursday is all-you-can-eat catfish with live music at 7:00 PM for $20, Saturday at 6:00 PM is the Aggies and LSU watch party, and NFL Sunday Ticket runs all day Sunday.
Insider tip: the kitchen is New Orleans, not Texas. Gumbo, crawfish etouffee, a whole muffuletta, beignets. Brunch runs every single day from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. And there are actual goats out back, so bring a couple of dollars for feed if you have kids with you.
Spring Branch: Bourbon and Branch has Carbon 14 on the stage Friday, September 25, and Hitmen 8.0 on Saturday, September 26. The bar sits at 4476 US-281 North, Suite E, and Saturday runs from noon to 1:00 AM, the longest night on that stretch of highway.
Insider tip: watch for the Bourbon Bell. They ring it at random times for a random special, so a cheap round is mostly a matter of being in the room when it goes off. Keep an ear up.
Canyon Lake: High Cotton Texas Tavern runs Jenn's Music Bingo every Friday at 7:00 PM, including September 25. There is a cash pot plus prizes, and the music theme changes every week, so knowing last week's round does not help you much.
Insider tip: they run the week's announcements through Instagram rather than the website, so @highcottontexastavern is the place to look before you head out. Bingo fills the main bar, and the Cigar Shack is a few steps away if you want room to breathe between rounds.
Local eats and drinks
Blanco: Uptown Blanco sits at 317 Main Street in a restored historic building facing the old courthouse, and serves brunch Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Saturday the kitchen keeps going until 9:00 PM.
Insider tip: Sunday is brunch only, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and that is the whole day. If you are coming off a late Saturday at the cook-off, set an alarm or you will miss it.
Blanco: Milam and Greene Whiskey keeps its tasting room at 208 Carlie Lane, across from the Blanco River Inn, open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 7:00 PM. Distillery tours are bookable in advance through their site.
Insider tip: closed Sunday, and that catches people every time. The tasting room shuts at 7:00 PM sharp on Saturday, which is right about when the dance starts up the road.
Community and events
Blanco: Twin Sisters Dance Hall hosts the 11th Annual Raise the Roof Cook-Off and Festival, Friday September 25 and Saturday September 26. Gates open Friday at 4:00 PM with a silent auction, market vendors, and a margarita contest, then Fast Movin' Train plays the dance 8:00 to 11:00 PM, $15 adults and $5 for kids 11 and under. Saturday gates open at 9:00 AM, free until 5:30 PM: BBQ cook-off, horseshoe and washer tournaments, 42 dominoes, a classic car and antique tractor cruise-in, and the Boot Scootin' Kids Corner. Generations Band, Zydeco Blanco and Bobby Mack, and Logan Papp and the Countyline Band carry the evening, $20 adults, $15 students, $5 kids.
Insider tip: the Saturday daytime side is free until 5:30 PM, so you can watch the cook-off, throw washers, and leave before the ticket ever comes up. Old 300 BBQ runs the food truck, and no outside coolers, beer, or snacks come through the gate. Twin Sisters is a 501(c)(3) and the money goes to keeping the hall standing.
Bulverde: Tejas Rodeo Company runs its Saturday Night Rodeo on September 26 at 401 Obst Road, with live country music and dancing after the last event. The arena is covered, so it goes rain or shine, and Mutton Bustin' is open to kids 4 through 7. The season runs every Saturday through the last weekend in November, so there are about nine left.
Insider tip: eat first. Tejas Steakhouse and Saloon opens at 5:00 PM Saturday and takes reservations, and the KC steak is what the place is known for. If you plan on more than three or four of these before Thanksgiving, the season pass pays for itself.
The goal
Five towns, four nights, and one weekend where the free hours are the good hours. Pick one, go, and tell somebody where you found it.
Alex / Hill Country Hot Ticket
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P.O. Box 4, Spring Branch, TX 78070