Brazos River Music Festival & Exploring Granbury

March 24, 2006

On Friday we headed down to Granbury for the Brazos River Music Festival on Saturday.  Friday night we ate at the Cotton Patch Café (3.5 stars; good chicken fried chicken and a catfish/shrimp combo at very reasonable prices; very friendly people and great service – 817 579-6461).  We spent the night in the 377 RV Park which is on 377 (could that be why it’s called the 377 Park?) about 5 miles north of downtown -- 817 579-1315. 

Before we left, we tried our hardest to find some fun bar with live music for Friday night – we even tried Texas Outside and we were shocked to find that Texas Outside didn’t have a suggestion – and the reason it didn’t was because there aren’t any!  The best we could do was a small restaurant with a guitarist – sounded great if you wanted a romantic dining experience, but that was not what we were looking for.  We wanted a fun Honky-Tonk.

Saturday was General Granbury’s Birthday Party in the Granbury town square.  Some of the events included: arts and crafts, a climbing wall for kids, the annual bean and rib cook off (some great brisket!), a parade, the outrageous outhouse race (dang, we missed it – sounds like fun), live music, and a cakewalk.   It only took a few hours to take all of that in, so there was still time to spend some money in many of the quaint shops around the Granbury square. 

The Brazos River Music Fest started on Saturday at 1:00 (ended at 12:00 PM) and the $25 per ticket went to a good cause – The Boys and Girls Club of Hood County.  This is a great music festival (4 stars out of 5 -- click here to read about some other great festivals) with lawn chair seating in a small park along a creek.  The crowd is a wide mix of people of all ages and the music has always been great.  This year’s bands included: Kyle Hutton, Tracie Lynn, Ryan Turner, Randy Brown, Sonny Burgess, Eleven Hundred Springs, Stoney LaRue, Tommy Alverson, the legendary Billy Joe Shaver, and Randy Rogers Band.  Very good time!  You should plan on attending next year if you like outdoor Texas music.

On Sunday, we explored more of the shops, had a great brisket sandwich from one of the previous day’s cook-off winners, and then played golf at Pecan Valley Golf Course (6.3 – click here to read the review).

Downtown Granbury is a great place to spend relaxing few hours.  The Granbury Courthouse Square became the first in Texas to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. It has been described as "one of the most complete examples of a late 19th century courthouse square in Texas." The readers of Texas Highways magazine voted Granbury as "The best Town Square in Texas," in 1998. 

Four blocks of quaint shops, restaurants, and more surround the Courthouse.   Mrs. Texas Outside loves a shop called Almost Heaven and buys another one of their wooden ducks every time we are in town. She now has a complete duck family with the adoption papers for the new teenager and baby stating their names as Felix and Franklin.  Roger (one of the friendliest guys in town), the Almost Heaven shopkeeper, can help you with the adoption of any of his ducks or other good stuff in his shop.

When you have a free weekend, visit Granbury and try the following for a good time:

• Stay at the Arbor House Lakeside Inn  – a very nice B&B across from Lake Granbury and 3 blocks from the Square.  Arbor House was voted one of the Top 5 B&Bs in North America for “Best Weekend Escape” – I can see why, it is very cool.
• That evening, for old time sake (or to show the kids what we used to enjoy) take in the Brazos Drive-in Theatre, which has been around for 50 years and is one of only 10 remaining drive-ins in Texas.  Bring the kids, blankets, lawn chairs, and portable radios and sit under the stars and watch the movies and eat in the 1950’s original style concession.  What fun -- and only $18 for a carload and a double feature on Friday or Saturday night. 
• Saturday morning, head to the town square, stop for coffee in a 50’s style ice cream shop, and browse the shops (shops) around the square.  Enjoy lunch on the secluded outdoor patio at Stringfellows.
• That afternoon, if you have a boat cruise Lake Granbury – swim or fish (good striped and sand bass as well as catfish) the Brazos River as it winds though Granbury.  
• If you don’t have a boat, consider visiting some of the local wineries in Granbury -- D’Vine Wine (you can make your own wine using your tastes and ideas) or Barking Rocks Winery.
• That evening get tickets for the Granbury Opera House (800 547-4697) (we saw a musical here that we really loved - full of dancing and great music and suitable for all ages) or Granbury Live which showcases professional family entertainment – both of which are located on the square. 
• On Sunday, play Hidden Oaks (rated 4.5) or Harbor Lakes (rated 7.3) -- the reviews are listed here.

Have a good time.