Day Trips & Beyond: November Events Roundup

It’s an age-old question: Who makes the best barbecue?

For the HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown, Nov. 17, more than a dozen barbecue joints will present their vision of the perfect Texas barbecue dish for ticket holders to sample. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)

For one day a year, pitmasters from Houston and Austin go pork butt to shoulder clod for bragging rights and the audience gets to sample each entry. Held this year on the grounds of Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston, the Third Annual HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown pits such heavy barbecue hitters as Micklethwait Craft Meats and Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue from Austin against Reveille Barbecue Company and Tejas Chocolate + BBQ from Houston, with a couple of joints from outside of the regions as control participants. In all, there will be more than a dozen top barbecue joints competing for bragging rights. The Houston and Austin chefs will be looking to get back the trophy from last year’s winner Bodacious BBQ of Longview. A limited number of tickets are still available for $70.
Nov. 17, HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown, Houston, www.eventbrite.com/e/hou-atx-bbq-throwdown-2019-tickets-73565120255

Built in 1897, the limestone Williams Creek School has a metal room added in 1922. It was consolidated with the Stonewall school district and closed in 1950. LBJ studied here for a year. The school will hold an open house on Nov. 16. (Photo by Gerald E. McLeod)

Once a month the Friends of the Gillespie County Country Schools opens one of the county’s surviving historic schools. It’s a chance to take a peek into the past of rural education. The German community around Fredericksburg strongly supported the schools and the classes were often taught in their native tongue. Usually one or two rooms, the schools frequently had one teacher to teach all grades. State-mandated consolidation of the school districts closed the rural institutions beginning in 1949. Of the 44 rural schools once in the area, only a dozen buildings survive. This month’s open house is at the Williams Creek School in Albert where President Lyndon B. Johnson attended classes in the 1920s. The distinctive two-room schoolhouse has the advantage of being next door to the very cool and historic Albert Dance Hall and Icehouse on FM 1623 south of Stonewall.
Nov. 16, 11am-4pm, Williams Creek School Open House, Albert, 830/685-3321, www.historicschools.org/williams-creek-school.html

Travel Notes:

San Antonio has a new art museum and this one makes innovative strides in presenting contemporary works of local and international artists. Ruby City, opened Oct. 13, was the vision of the collector, philanthropist, artist, and hot sauce heiress Linda Pace before she passed away. Part of the museum campus includes Chris Park, a large green space. The inaugural exhibition is presented in three parts: "Walking Dream," "Isaac Julien: Playtime," and "Jewels in the Concrete." All exhibitions are free to the public.

Speaking of San Antonio, Sebastián, the sculptor who created La Antorcha de la Amistad/Torch of Friendship in downtown at Losoya and Commerce streets, has placed 100 art pieces at 20 locations around town. "Sebastián in San Antonio: 50+ Years/20+ Sites/100+ Works" will be on public display through the end of May 2020.

Fans of Downton Abbey will want to make their way to Ashville, N.C., to see the "Downton Abbey Exhibition" at the Biltmore Estates, Nov. 8 through April 7, 2020. The show features costumes and sets from the original television series. Cora Crawley’s story was not unlike that of Consuelo Vanderbilt, the American heiress who married the Duke of Marlborough in order to help save the family’s English estate.

For the daytrippin’ gardeners, here’s a note from the Lady Bird Wildflower Center: Mid-November is the best time to sow your wildflower seeds. Bluebonnet seeds can be planted between Sept. 1 and Dec. 15.

Other November Events:

Texas Arbor Day
Nov. 1, Plano, www.tfsweb.tamu.edu/arborday

Boerne Handmade Market
Nov. 1-2, Boerne, www.boernehandmademarket.com

Bob Wills Fiddle Festival
Nov. 1-2, Greenville, www.bobwillsfiddlefest.com

Día de los Muertos at the Pearl
Nov. 1-2, San Antonio, www.atpearl.com

CASI Terlingua International Chili Championship
Nov. 1-2, Terlingua, www.casichili.net/terlingua-273604-982679.html

The Frank X. Tolbert and Wick Fowler Terlingua International Chili Championship
Nov. 1-2, Terlingua, www.abowlofred.com

Fall Festival of Roses
Nov. 1-3, Independence, www.antiqueroseemporium.com

Round Top Wine Fest
Nov. 1-3, Round Top, www.exploreroundtop.com/winefest

Wurstfest
Nov. 1-10, New Braunfels, www.wurstfest.com

Texas Furniture Makers Show
Nov. 1-Dec. 13, Kerrville, www.kacckerrville.com

Día de los Muertos Festival
Nov. 2, Corpus Christi, www.diadelosmuertoscc.com

LeftyFest
Nov. 2, Corsicana, www.corsicanapalace.com

Texas Veggie Fair
Nov. 2, Dallas, www.texasveggiefair.com

Día de los Muertos Festival
Nov. 2, Denison, www.smalltownbigart.com

Pollinator Palooza
Nov. 2, Quintana, www. brazoriacountytx.gov/departments/parks-department/special-events

Seabourne Nature Fest
Nov. 2, Rosenberg, www.txmn.org/coastal/event/seaborne-creek-nature-fest-2019-11-02

Father of Texas Celebration
Nov. 2, San Felipe, www.historicaustincounty.com/event/father-of-texas-celebration-colonial-texas-heritage-day

Utopia Arts & Crafts Fall Fair
Nov. 2, Utopia, www.visituvaldecounty.com

Market Day
Nov. 2, Wimberley, www.shopmarketdays.com

Rockport Film Festival
Nov. 2-3, Rockport, www.rockportartcenter.com

Big Bend Ranch State Park 10th Anniversary Fiesta
Nov. 3, Presidio, www.tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/fort-leaton/fiesta

Street Tacos & Shrimp Boil Social to Benefit Green Bexar Farms
Nov. 3, Saint Hedwig, www.chefcooperatives.com

“Annexation: Celebrating Texas Statehood”
Nov. 5-Dec. 3, Corsicana, www.pearcemuseum.com

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival
Nov. 6-10, Harlingen, www.rgvbf.or

Texana Chili Spill
Nov. 7-9, Edna, www.texanachilispill.com

Asia Society’s Night Market
Nov. 8, Houston, www.asiasociety.org/texas/events/american-first-national-bank-night-market-2019

Aliento a Tequila/Tequila Tasting
Nov. 8, San Antonio, www.texancultures.com

24fps International Short Film Festival
Nov. 8-9, Abilene, www.24fpsfest.com

Scottish Gathering and Highland Games
Nov. 8-9, Salado, www.saladomuseum.org/scottish-gathering-and-highland-games

Art and Wine Festival
Nov. 8-9, Winnsboro, www.winnsboroonlineguide.com/wfam_fineartmarket

EDGE: The Texas Monthly Festival
Nov. 8-10, Dallas, www.texasmonthly.com/event/edge-of-texas-festival-2019

Kid ‘N’ Ewe and Llamas Too Fiber Arts Festival
Nov. 8-10, Kerrville, www.kidnewe.com

Concert in the Cave – Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Nov. 9, Boerne, www.cavewithoutaname.com

Open Day at Davis Mountains Preserve
Nov. 9, Fort Davis, www.nature.org

Heritage Syrup Festival
Nov. 9, Henderson, www.depotmuseum.com

Red, White and Bourbon
Nov. 9, Hye, www.garrisonbros.com/events/red-white-and-bourbon-2019

Art Center Market
Nov. 9, Rockport, www.rockportartcenter.com

Heroes and Hot Rods Veterans Weekend
Nov. 9-10, Bastrop, www.bastropareacruisers.com

Luminaria
Nov. 9-10, San Antonio, www.luminariasa.org

Veterans Day Weekend
Nov. 9-11, Fredericksburg, www.pacificwarmuseum.org

International Risotto Festival
Nov. 10, Houston, www.risottofestival.com

East Texas Pipe Organ Festival
Nov. 10-14, Kilgore, www.easttexaspipeorganfestival.com

Free Entrance Day
Nov. 11, National State Parks, www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/11-19-2018-fee-free-days.htm

Lone Star Film Festival
Nov. 13-17, Fort Worth, www.lonestarfilmsociety.com

UTOPIAfest
Nov. 14-16, Burnet, www.utopiafest.com

Heirloom Rubber Stamp and Paper Arts Festival
Nov. 14-16, New Braunfels, www.heirloompro.com/product/new-braunfels-texas

REEL East Texas Film Festival
Nov. 14-17, Kilgore, www.reeleasttexas.com

Houston Cinema Arts Festival
Nov. 14-18, Houston, www.cinemahtx.org

Pioneer Days
Nov. 15-16, Cleburne, www.jcchisholmtrail.com

Winter Wonderland
Nov. 15-16, Wimberley, www.wimberley.org

Historic School Open House – Williams Creek (Albert)
Nov. 16, Fredericksburg, www.historicschools.org

Bird Banding
Nov. 16, Lake Jackson, www.gcbo.org

Heritage Day
Nov. 16, New Braunfels, www.texashandmadefurniture.com

The Polar Express Train
Nov. 16-Dec. 28, Palestine, www.texasstaterailroad.net

House Concert – Backtrack Vocals
Nov. 17, Fredericksburg, www.fredericksburgmusicclub.com

HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown
Nov. 17, Houston, www.eventbrite.com/e/hou-atx-bbq-throwdown-2019-tickets-73565120255

Charreada de la Revolucion
Nov. 17, San Antonio, www.sacharros.org

Festival of the Cranes
Nov. 20-23, San Antonio, N.M., www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147616772

Come and Taste It
Nov. 21, Gruene, www.grapevineingruene.com

Alpine Artwalk
Nov. 22-23, Alpine, www.artwalkalpine.com

Fall Foliage Driving Trails
Nov. 22-Dec. 7, Palestine, www.visitpalestine.com/events/2018/fall-foliage-driving-trails

Ranch Hand Breakfast
Nov. 23, Kingsville, www.king-ranch.com/visit/special-events

Boerne Fall Antiques Show
Nov. 23-24, Boerne, www.visitboerne.org/calendar

“High and Dry: Photography Exhibit
Nov. 28-Jan. 31, Lubbock, www.depts.ttu.edu/international/events/2019/highdry.php

Sun Bowl Thanksgiving Parade
Nov. 28, El Paso, www.sunbowl.org

Dickens on Main
Nov. 29-30, Boerne, www.boernedickensonmain.com

International Peace Market/Mercado de Paz
Nov. 29-Dec. 1, San Antonio, www.esperanzacenter.org

Texas Christkindl Market
Nov. 29-Dec. 22, Arlington, www.txchristkindlmarket.com

Concert in the Cave – Sounds of the Season
Nov. 30, Boerne, www.cavewithoutaname.com

Christmas in Comfort
Nov. 30, Comfort, www.comfort-texas.com

Holiday Lights:

Santa’s Wonderland
Nov. 8-Dec. 30, College Station, www.santas-wonderland.com

Santa’s Ranch
Nov. 8-Jan. 4, New Braunfels, www.santasranch.net

Holiday at the Dallas Arboretum
Nov. 13-Dec. 29, Dallas, www.dallasarboretum.org/events-activities/holiday-at-the-arboretum

Nature in Lights
Nov. 16-Jan. 6, Temple, hood.armymwr.com/calendar/event/nature-lights/2719466/33097

Iceland/Festival of Lights
Nov. 16-Jan. 12, Galveston, www.galveston.com/holidaymagic

Christmas Tree Lighting
Nov. 22, Corsicana, www.visitcorsicana.com

Walkway of Lights
Nov. 22-Jan. 1, Marble Falls, www.marblefalls.org/walkway

Holiday Lighted Parade and Courthouse Lighting Ceremony
Nov. 23, Kerrville, www.kerrvilletexascvb.com/events/2019/annual-holiday-lighted-parade

Festival of Lights
Nov. 23, Lake Jackson, www.lakejackson-tx.gov/222/Festival-of-Lights

Christmas on the Ranch
Nov. 23-Dec. 23, Boerne, www.christmas.donstrangeranch.com

Parade of Lights
Nov. 24, Fort Worth, www.fortworthparadeoflights.org

Whistle Stop Christmas
Nov. 25-Dec. 31, Cleburne, www.whistlestopchristmas.com

Holiday Village
Nov. 25-Jan. 1, Brownsville, www.holidayvillagebrownsville.com

Christmas in the Park
Nov. 25-Jan. 1, Cuero, www.cuerochristmasinthepark.org

Lighted Yule Trail
Nov. 27-Jan. 1, Luling, www.lulingmainstreet.com

Old West Christmas Light Fest
Nov. 28-Dec. 25, Boerne, www.christmaslightfest.com

Christmas on the Creek
Nov. 28-Jan. 1, Lampasas, www.visionlampasas.org/events.html

Dancing Lights of Mill Pond Park
Nov. 28-Jan. 5, San Saba, www.sansabatexas.com

Christmas on the Square
Nov. 29-Dec. 31, Frisco, www.visitfrisco.com

Starry Starry Nights Lighted Christmas Park
Nov. 29-Dec. 31, Llano, www.llanostarrystarrynights.com

Lights Spectacular
Nov. 29-Jan. 5, Johnson City, www.johnsoncitytexas.info/lights-spectacular.html

Holiday Lights on the River Walk
Nov. 29-Jan. 13, San Antonio, www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/events/holiday-lights-on-the-river-walk1

Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting
Nov. 30, Jefferson, www.visitjeffersontexas.com

Merry Wells Christmas Festival and Lighted Parade
Nov. 30, Mineral Wells, www.merrywells.org

Trail of Lights
Nov. 30-Dec. 28, Wimberley, www.emilyann.org/trailoflights.html

Holiday Light Stroll
Nov. 30-Dec. 31, Bastrop, lostpines.regency.hyatt.com

Lanterns and Lights
Nov. 30-Jan. 1, Galveston, www.galveston.com/holidaymagic

Bastrop River of Lights
Nov. 30-Jan. 3, Bastrop, www.visitbastrop.com/event/bastrop-river-of-lights/4/

Sights & Sounds of Christmas
Dec. 4-7, 11-14, San Marcos, www.sights-n-sounds.org