The weekend, distilled. Your insider's guide to live music, food, and events across Bulverde, Spring Branch, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, and Blanco. Roger Creager is turning another year older at Texas's oldest dance hall, a 40-year-old saloon on McQueeney Road is keeping the honky-tonk tradition alive, and there is plenty of Hill Country weekend to fill in between.
Live Music and Nightlife
Gruene Hall - New Braunfels
New Braunfels: Roger Creager's Birthday Show takes over Gruene Hall for three straight nights this weekend. Thursday kicks it off at 8:00 PM with opener Joni Jack and general admission at $25. Friday brings Ray Johnston opening at 8:00 PM, and Saturday closes it out at 9:00 PM with Gatlin Johnson on the opener slot. Friday and Saturday are both sold out. If you missed tickets, Gruene Hall still has free daytime sets all weekend, including Lee Mathis & The Brutally Handsome on Saturday from 1:00 to 5:00 PM and Shay Domann on Sunday evening from 6:30 to 9:30 PM.
Insider tip: Thursday night is the only ticketed show with seats still available. Doors open at 7:00, and the GA floor fills from the front, so arrive early if you want to be close. If you are here for the free music, the Saturday afternoon double-header of Paige Price into Lee Mathis is the insider play: same stage, same cold beer, no cover.
New Braunfels: Watering Hole Saloon & Dancehall, the largest air-conditioned dance hall in New Braunfels, has live country music every night through Sunday. Thursday brings Whiskey 2 Step at 8:00 PM, Friday features the Russ Brown Band at 8:30 PM, and Saturday night belongs to the Rick Rice Band at 9:00 PM. Cover is $5 cash Thursday through Saturday. Sunday shifts gears with a '69 Woodstock tribute show starting at 3:00 PM, a full salute to the Summer of Love, with a $10 cover.
Insider tip: This dance hall has been holding it down on McQueeney Road for 40 years and remains one of the few spots in the area where you can two-step on a real wood floor under serious air conditioning in July. The Sunday Woodstock tribute is the sleeper pick of the weekend: a change of pace from the usual country lineup and worth the drive for something different.
The Honeysuckle - Fischer, TX
Fischer: The Honeysuckle is a bar and grill on FM 32 that blends Southern comfort food with Hill Country hospitality and live music on the patio every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. The kitchen runs a menu built around cast iron mac and cheese, smoked ribeye, fried oyster po'boys, and craft cocktails.
Insider tip: The downstairs bar runs a standing 10% off your tab, all day, every day. Reserve a table through their site before you head out, because this spot fills up fast on summer weekends. Open Wednesday through Sunday.
Local Eats and Drinks
Southern comfort food at The Honeysuckle
Spring Branch: Throwbacks on 46 is the go-to weekend hangout at The District on 46, with a 28-tap craft beer wall, a full-service bar, shaded outdoor seating, and live music on the outdoor stage every Friday and Saturday night. Whether you are looking for a pregame spot or a cold draft under the oaks, this is the stop.
Insider tip: Wednesdays are trivia night with Brain Brew Games, complete with prizes, and Thursdays are karaoke night inside. If your weekend starts on Thursday, this is where to kick it off.
Bulverde: Vine in the Village is downtown Bulverde's wine bar, set inside a 1911 building on Bulverde Road. World wines by the glass or bottle, tapas, pizza, and live music in the evenings make this one of the most relaxed spots in town for a summer night out.
Insider tip: Wine club members get their own cubby stocked with two bottles and an engraved glass waiting for them behind the bar. Even without the membership, the historic building and the evening music are worth the stop.
Community and Events
Canyon Lake: The Canyon Reel and CRRC are hosting Family Movie Night this Saturday, July 25. Doors open at 5:00 PM, and Ferdinand rolls at 6:00 PM inside the CRRC Recreation Center at 125 Mabel Jones Drive. Admission is $1 at the door, and the concession stand will be open. Bring blankets, pillows, or camp chairs since seating is on the gym floor.
Insider tip: This is one of the cheapest family nights out in the Hill Country. A dollar gets you in, and you can make it a full Canyon Lake evening by catching the movie first and hitting the lake afterward for sunset.
On the Radar: The Black Keys bring their band to Whitewater Amphitheater this Saturday, July 25, at 7:30 PM. This one is sold out, but if you have tickets in hand, you are in for one of the biggest shows of the Hill Country summer. Parking is cash only and there is no re-entry, so come ready to stay.
The Goal
We keep these updates brief so you can spend less time on your phone and more time enjoying the Hill Country.
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See you out there.
Alex
Hill Country Hot Ticket