The Hill Country Hot Ticket
September 17-20, 2026
Third weekend of September, and you can finally sit on a patio after sundown without regretting it. Here's a handful of ideas for your weekend, from an 1875 dance hall to a Saturday morning ruck hike you can walk without a pack.
Live music and nightlife
Spring Branch: Anhalt Hall brings Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys to the floor this Saturday, September 19, from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM, doors at 6:00 PM. Nix has been carrying his father Hoyle's Western swing catalog for decades, and the Germania Farmer Verein built this hall in 1875, so you are hearing that music about as close to its original room as Texas allows. Tickets are sold in advance through the hall.
Insider tip: the turn is easy to miss after dark. From the 46 and 281 intersection, go west 4.1 miles toward Boerne, turn right on Anhalt Road, and stay on it to the very end, past the cattle guard. If you like the room, their Oktoberfest on October 18 is free.
Canyon Lake: Dam Red Barn has Above The Dirt Band on the stage this Saturday, September 19, at 8:30 PM. The Sattler Road bar runs family-friendly from noon to 7:00 PM and flips to 21-and-up after that, so the late set is the grown-up half of the day.
Insider tip: that 7:00 PM switch is not a suggestion. If you are bringing kids, eat early and be out the door before the band loads in.
Spring Branch: Rebecca Creek Distillery stacks four acts across two nights. Mark Berry plays Friday from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM with karaoke taking the stage until 11:30 PM. Saturday runs Ashley Moreno at 1:30 PM, Gentleman Joe Talbert at 5:00 PM, and Autumn Michele at 8:30 PM. Mario's Pizza is the food truck both nights.
Insider tip: Friday happy hour runs 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, which overlaps the first hour of Berry's set. Roll in around 5:45 and you get the cheap end of the menu and a seat that is not in the back.
Fischer: The Honeysuckle runs live music on the patio Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. It sits on the Devil's Backbone off FM 32, about fifteen minutes from Canyon Lake, and the kitchen leans Southern with a coastal streak: fried oyster po'boy, smoked ribeye, cast iron mac.
Insider tip: the downstairs bar takes 10% off your ticket, all day, every day. Same kitchen, same music, smaller check. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Local eats and drinks
Blanco: Old 300 BBQ sits at 318 4th Street, a block off the courthouse square, and smokes seven days a week. Friday and Saturday they run 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Sunday closes at 3:00 PM.
Insider tip: get there before 1:00 PM on Saturday. Brisket is the first thing to go and Sunday's short hours mean the pit does not get a second chance at it. Order the banana pudding whether or not you think you want dessert.
New Braunfels: Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar puts three free acts in the beer garden this weekend: Robert Irwin Saturday from noon to 3:00 PM, Hannah Swann Saturday from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and Andi Holleman Sunday from noon to 3:00 PM. The place occupies the ruins of an 1878 cotton gin under the Gruene water tower, on the bank above the Guadalupe.
Insider tip: get on the online waitlist before you leave the house, not after you park. Weekend waits run long, and the beer garden music is free whether or not a table ever opens up.
Community and events
Spring Branch: Guadalupe River State Park hosts the Veterans Mental Health Awareness Ruck Hike on Saturday, September 19, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The local VFW is onsite to talk with veterans and walk the trail alongside them. Two routes: a 1.1-mile loop and a 2.7-mile long course, and you can run as many laps as you want. Free with park admission: $7 for adults, free for kids 12 and under.
Insider tip: no registration, just show up at the Prairie Trailhead parking lot. Rucks are welcome but optional, and the suggested weight is 17.5 pounds, one pound for each veteran lost per day to mental health related illness. Veterans who stop by Headquarters afterward can pick up the Texas State Parks Veteran Pass, which is free entry to every state park from then on.
New Braunfels: The Comal County Fair and Rodeo opens Wednesday, September 23 and runs through Sunday, September 27 at 701 East Common Street. Livestock shows, carnival, parade, and the largest county fair in Central Texas. Not this weekend, but this is the week to sort out tickets.
Insider tip: Wednesday and Sunday are free admission for everyone, and students under 18 get in free with a school ID until 2:00 PM on Friday. If you are going for the carnival, the armband is $25 on Wednesday against $40 on Friday and Saturday.
The goal
Four nights, five towns, and nothing on this list requires a reservation. Pick one, go, and if the tip is good, tell somebody where you found it.
On the radar:
Twin Sisters Dance Hall, Blanco: the 11th Annual Raise the Roof Cook-Off and Festival, Friday September 25 and Saturday September 26. BBQ cook-off, horseshoes, 42 dominoes, and dancing both nights.
Anhalt Hall, Spring Branch: Oktoberfest on Sunday, October 18, noon to 6:00 PM. Free admission.
Alex / Hill Country Hot Ticket
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P.O. Box 4, Spring Branch, TX 78070