The Running of the Wiener Dogs in Buda, Texas

by Celia Hayes

Let me say up front that we're still a little unsure of how to pronounce 'Buda' – although most of the people that we met there last weekend pronounced it 'B-yu-dah', which is fair enough. For those unfamiliar with the geography of South Texas, it is a once fairly independent and separate little community about an hour's drive north of San Antonio on IH-35, and close enough to Austin that it and the similar little community of Kyle are more or less bedroom slippers to Austin, as Boerne and Bulverde are now bedroom slippers to San Antonio.

We decided to go to support a friend who has a dachshund and who had a vendor booth for his bird feeders and ornamental lanterns, and because the…

Gone with the Wurst! 2011

Wurstfest in New Braunfels, Texas! Now thru November 13, 2011 

by Celia Hayes

Well, another first weekend after Halloween and where would we be, but up in New Braunfels, in Landa Park, enjoying ourselves amid oceans of beer and continents of sausages  . . .  and kettle-fried potato chips, meatballs-onna-stick, roast corn and sundry other fair food delights. Every year in November, New Braunfels exuberantly celebrates everything to do with sausage, beer, music, their German heritage, and funny hats, not necessarily in that order. Really, we have the impression that every public-spirited citizen and the members of practically every social club, community support organization and scholastic extra-mural…

Wursfest, New Braunfels, Texas

Follow me on Twitter @satx_randy

Wurstfest is a unique celebration rich in German culture and full of Texas fun located in beautiful New Braunfels, Texas! Enjoy good fun, food, special events and the finest in Alpine and Bavarian Style Entertainment. During the 10-day festival, you'll find a variety of entertainment, food and fun on the Wurstfest Grounds in Landa Park and many special events throughout New Braunfels and Comal County. The following information is provided to help answer the many questions our visitors have.

When is Wurstfest? Wurstfest always starts on the Friday before the first Monday in November.

2011: November 4th - 13th
2012: November 2nd - 11th
2013:…

We've Never Wondered About That . . .

by Celia Hayes

We did our usual ramble through the yearly San Antonio Herb Market this last weekend; It used to be much more down-home and funky when it used to be held under the oak trees in Aggie Park, but a couple of years ago it moved to tres upscale digs at the Pearl Brewery, which allowed us to hit the weekly Saturday farmer's market as well. It's been at least a year since we did the farmer's market at the Pearl. To our delight there were many new venders, and some of our old favorites, including the Kitchen Pride folks from Gonzales who sell mushrooms. My daughter loves mushrooms, and indulged in a whole bag of baby portabellas, we sampled some gourmet mozzarella, while she lamented once…

20 Herbs to Remember

Written by Randy Watson

The 20th Anniversary of the San Antonio Herb Market presents the "20 Herbs to Remember" ... at the Pearl Brewery Complex, 312 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio, TX. Saturday, October 15, 2011 from 9:00am to 4:00pm.

The 2011 San Antonio Herb Market. The free SAWS-sponsored event features cooking demos, lectures, and activities for the kids! Purchase fresh herbs and other plants, handmade soaps, olive oils, books and other products to delight your herbal senses. Visit with experts on organic gardening, and choose from an array of handmade gardening items to purchase for your patio, deck or yard.

The Herb Market is free and open to the public. Mark your calendars for this very special event!

Italian Feast at Christopher Columbus Italian Society Hall in San Antonio

This years festival and Italian dinner is over, but if you missed it, the Ladies Auxillary holds quarterly Italian dinners ...

So, who would have guessed that there is a thriving little Italian community tucked away in San Antonio  ... well, if you have passed by at speed on the IH-35 North, just where the highway passes Navarro and Santa Rosa, you would have caught a glimpse of a tiny, ornate brick church – the Church of San Francisco de Paoli, with the Columbus Hall right next to it and the beginnings of an ornate public square and gardens out in front. The church and the hall were built by a social and self-help society formed of Italian immigrants at the turn of the…

Christopher Columbus Day Celebration and Festival 2011

FREE ADMISSION, FREE PARKING

Written by Randy Watson

Ciao a tutti! Parla come mangi ... "Hello everyone! Speak how you eat."

Italian food is simple, natural, and just plain good. Come see what real Italian food is all about. Speaking Italian and eating Italian is the thing to do at the annual Christopher Columbus Day celebration; Sunday, October 9th, 2011 from…

Columbus Day Celebration at Christopher Columbus Italian Society

Genuine Italian Spaghetti and Meatball feast Sunday, October 10, 2010, 11-5

Hello everyone! It's Columbus Day weekend! Columbus Day is Monday, October 11, 2010. It is a Federal Holiday, so mail won't be delivered, US Government offices across America will be closed. Most bank doors won't be open. But, most Americans across the nation will be hard at work.

However, on Sunday, October 10, 2010 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, the Christopher Columbus Italian Society will be proudly hosting a celebration of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America in 1492. Head on over to the Italian Hall in San Antonio for a genuine Italian spaghetti and meatball feast…

Festival on the Hill

by Celia Hayes

One of the things that drew me to the house that I eventually bought when I was first house-hunting in San Antonio in the early 1990s was that although it was the smallest, square-foot-wise of all the houses that I looked at  . . .  and it backed on a wide green belt that ran between Nacogdoches and O'Connor Roads. My backyard might be only a little wider than the house frontage, and about twelve feet wide – but beyond the fence was the green belt, which made it seem all the larger. Over and beyond the back fence was a good few acres of green and rising ground, crowned by St. Helena's  . . .  one of those cubist modern shaped, in pale buff brick, which looks vaguely like a ship.

Over time, the Stahl…

Fiestas Patrias

by Celia Hayes

So – the rough translation is 'patriotic festival' – to observe and celebrate the independence of Mexico from Spain, and my daughter had happened to hear that there would be a more or less 'free' event scheduled at the Freeman Coliseum complex this weekend – so, what the heck? I've lived in the Texas borderlands for fifteen years, and grew up in another borderland – Southern California, where  . . .  to put it mildly, the Spanish and Mexican cultural influence is so strong, and so permeates the atmosphere so richly that you take it in without even realizing it, and only realize how powerful it has become when you go to someplace without it. As my daughter wondered, upon participating in a nationwide…