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Good morning, Bastrop County! ☀️
This is a weekend of hellos and goodbyes. Three of our local places have birthdays: Cedar's Coppice turns one on Sunday with music from open to close, and out in McDade the Yegua Creek Brewery turns three and Rising Sun Vineyard turns seven on the very same Saturday, cake and all, right in the middle of the Grape Stomp. In the same breath, Tecuén in Bastrop and Hope Floats in Smithville are both closing for good on August 30, so if you have been meaning to go, this is the week. Add a free showing of The Lorax at Fisherman's Park, a full moon hike, and a rare market day out in Rosanky, and there is a lot here that costs little or nothing. One note before you make plans: a county burn ban took effect Monday and runs through September 14, so keep the fire pits cold. Grab a glass of sweet tea and let's dig in.
👥 Join the conversation
Neighbors are posting events, asking for recommendations, and swapping the good stuff over in the Bastrop Current Facebook group. Come say hello, and if you know something we should be covering, drop it in the group. Join the Bastrop Current community group
🎂 This Week's Feature | Three Birthdays, One Opening and Two Goodbyes
Some weeks the county hands you a theme whether you asked for it or not. Three of our places are blowing out candles, one just unlocked its doors for the first time, and two are serving their last customers. All of it in the same seven days.
🎉 Three birthdays in one weekend
Cedar's Coppice turns one. Shelby White opened at 709 Chestnut Street on August 30, 2025, a date she chose because it was her late father's birthday. They are marking it twice: a disco party Saturday from 4 to 8pm, then the birthday itself Sunday from 8am to 6pm with live music open to close, face painting until 1pm, plus raffles and giveaways all day.
Yegua Creek Brewery turns three and Rising Sun Vineyard turns seven, on the same Saturday, on the same property out on Edmonson Ranch Road in McDade. They are calling it a double celebration and there will be cake: $3 beers, $7 wings, free raffles and limited brewery shirts, with The LTD's playing 4 to 7pm right in the middle of the Grape Stomp.
🍳 And one brand new arrival
The Toasted Yolk Cafe opened Monday out at Sendero. They warmed up the weekend before with a two-morning preview that raised money for Bastrop County Cares, which is a pretty decent way to introduce yourself to a town. It is an all-day brunch spot, and the patio is pet friendly.
📍 853 State Hwy 71 W, Suite 150, Bastrop
🌐 thetoastedyolk.com | 📰 Community Impact📍 853 State Hwy 71 W, Suite 150, Bastrop
🧡 Two goodbyes | Tecuén and Hope Floats close August 30
While three of our places celebrate, two others are serving their last customers. Both close for good on Sunday, August 30.
Tecuén opened in Burleson Crossing on August 17, 2024. Emanuel Peña and Yuri Corral named it after Tecuena, a small island on Lake Pátzcuaro in their home state of Michoacán. For two years they made: scratch-made paletas, hand-folded sweet and savory crepes, espresso pulled from beans grown in Chiapas, and had a children's play area in view of the seating, which made it the rare coffee shop where parents got to drink their coffee hot.
📍 717 State Hwy 71 W, Suite 600, Bastrop
🌐 tecuen.com | 📰 Community Impact has the story
Hope Floats has been the ice cream and bakery stop just off Main in Smithville, the kind of place you walk to after dinner. They are closing the same day.
📍 109 NW 2nd Street, Smithville
🌐 hopefloatscafe.com
If either of these places has ever been part of your week, go this week. Saturday is your best shot at both, since Sunday is a short day and the shelves tend to empty out on a last day. Buy something, tip well, and tell them thank you. Small towns keep the places we show up for.
🙏 And one more, for your prayers
Chinese Dragon on Highway 71 in Bastrop is closed for the time being. The reason has not been made public. If they have fed your family over the years, keep them in your prayers this week. We will let you know the moment we hear they have reopened.
🔥 Burn ban in effect through September 14
Bastrop County Commissioners Court adopted an outdoor burning ban effective 5pm Monday, August 24, and it runs through Monday, September 14 unless the court lifts it sooner.
The order covers the unincorporated areas of the county and prohibits igniting, or causing the ignition of, any combustible or vegetative material outdoors. Violating it is a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500. Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management
🗓️ Bastrop County Events | August 27 - September 2, 2026
Today | Thursday, 🗓️ August 27
👶 Tiny Tales & Sensory Play | 11am-1pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Storytime plus hands-on sensory play for infants and toddlers, with free baby items while supplies last. Free. Bastrop County Cares
🥬 Elgin Farmers' Market | 4-7pm | Veterans' Memorial Park, 109 Depot St, Elgin | Farmers, ranchers, bakers and makers. SNAP EBT accepted. Elgin Farmers Market
🍕 Family Pizza Night | 4-9pm | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Their flyer promises $10 pizzas and $5 beer, with grilled shrimp tacos as the kitchen special. Yegua Creek Brewery
🧁 Teen Thursday: Cupcake Wars | 4:45-6:15pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | A decorating showdown for ages 13 to 17. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🧶 Bring Your Own Craft | 6-8pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Bring whatever you are working on and make it alongside other makers. Free. Bastrop Public Library
Friday, 🗓️ August 28
📚 Preschool Storytime & Mother Goose Rhymes | 10:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Stories, rhymes and songs for the youngest readers. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🌿 Family Nature Quest | 10:30am | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | A guided family walk with discovery built in, offered most days this week. $10 per person. LCRA Parks
🧵 Stitch-Craft Society | 3-5pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Knitting, crochet, macramé, embroidery, all of it. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🥩 Prime Rib Night | 5-9pm | The Front Room, 116 Main St, Smithville | 8oz and 12oz cuts with two sides. Reservations 512-237-3626. The Front Room Wine Bar
🎱 Birthday Bingo Night | starts 6pm | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Their last-Friday bingo, with a free loaded nacho bar. Cards are $5 each or three for $10. Rising Sun Vineyard
🎸 Sidetracked | 7-10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Sixteen-year-old Jonah Tarver on guitar and vocals with Austin's Marcus Tharpe. Free. Copper Shot Distillery
🏈 5th Quarter at Swayze's | after the game, kitchen open until 11pm | Swayze's Burger House, 205 NE Loop 230, Smithville | Where Tiger Nation lands after the home opener. All ages, family friendly. Swayze's Burger House
🌕 Full Moon Night Hike | 8:30pm | Bastrop State Park, 100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop | A ranger-led hike to watch the moon come up and see the trails after dark. Free with park entry. Texas Parks & Wildlife
🎬 Movies in the Park | The Lorax | gates 8:30pm, movie at 9pm | Fisherman's Park, 1200 Willow St, Bastrop | Blankets, lawn chairs, and food and refreshments from onsite vendors. Free. City of Bastrop Parks & Rec
🌟 Saturday, 🗓️ August 29 | The Big Day
🍳 The Armory Men's Breakfast | 8am | First Baptist Smithville Fellowship Hall, 305 Hudgins St, Smithville | Breakfast, fellowship and encouragement. All men welcome. Free. Smithville Area Chamber
🦫 Beavers, Birds and Butterflies of Buescher Lake | 9am | Buescher State Park, 100 Park Road 1E, Smithville | A lakeside wildlife walk with a beaver watch. Free with park entry. Texas Parks & Wildlife
🥬 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10am-2pm | 1302 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Produce, pasture-raised meats, honey, breads and makers, every Saturday year-round. Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market
🌻 Market Day at Barefoot Flower Farms | 10am-2pm | 2989 TX-304, Rosanky | A rare Rosanky market day out at the flower shop on the highway, with new vendors joining this month. Barefoot Flower Farms
🎣 Fishing Knots | 10-11am, come and go | Bastrop State Park, 100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop | Learn to tie two knots you will actually use. Free with park entry. Texas Parks & Wildlife
🩺 Manage Your Diabetes with Nurse Nikki | 11am-noon | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Practical day-to-day blood sugar strategies. Elgin Public Library
🍷 Walk Around Tasting | noon-2pm | Pluto's Wine Bar, 924 Main St, Bastrop | More than 25 wines to try before you buy, with the experts on hand. $25, or $10 for wine club members. Pluto's Wine Bar
🎂 Hoppy Birthday | Grape Stomp & Double Anniversary | grape stomp 1-5pm, The LTD's 4-7pm | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Yegua Creek turns three and Rising Sun turns seven on the same day. Stomp grapes in a bucket and print your footprint on a t-shirt, then stay for $3 beers, $7 wings, free cake and raffles. Grape stomp is $20 per t-shirt, everything else is free to attend. Yegua Creek Brewery
🎶 Cottletown | 2-4pm | The Front Room, 116 Main St, Smithville | Michael Redmond and Walter Winslet on Americana, folk and originals. The Front Room Wine Bar
🍇 Donovan Hand | 2-5pm | Frontier Cellars, 157 Hector Rd, Smithville | A Smithville winery you may not know yet, and the music is indoors in the air conditioning. Frontier Cellars
🦋 Pollinator Camouflage Craft | 2pm | Bastrop State Park Interpretive Center, 100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop | Build a camouflaged pollinator and learn how critters use adaptation to survive. Free with park entry. Texas Parks & Wildlife
🕺 Cedar's Coppice One-Year Disco Party | 4-8pm | Cedar's Coppice, 709 Chestnut St, Bastrop | The night-before disco party for their first birthday. Cedar's Coppice event
🎤 Stand-Up Comedy | Scott Hardy | 7pm | Film Alley Bastrop, 1600 Chestnut St, Bastrop | The headliner behind Ellen's Nana Gladys Hardy. Ticketed, ages 17 and up with ID, two-item minimum. Film Alley Bastrop
🎸 Dom Cours & Co | 7-10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Southern rock from a Texas son and military veteran, a last-Saturday regular. Free. Copper Shot Distillery
🎵 Ben Zuniga & Phil Hurley | 7:30-10:30pm | The Grace Miller "Gracie's", 706 Pine St, Bastrop | Two guitars, no cover listed, and a kitchen open late. The Grace Miller
Sunday, 🗓️ August 30
🎂 Cedar's Coppice First Birthday | 8am-6pm | Cedar's Coppice, 709 Chestnut St, Bastrop | One year to the day since Shelby White opened the doors, on a date she chose because it was her late father's birthday. Music all day: Matthew McNabb 9-11am, Kristen Taylor 11:15am-1:15pm, Dennis Jay 1:30-3:30pm, and Dalton Dunn closing it out 4-6pm, plus face painting until 1pm, raffles and giveaways. Cedar's Coppice event
🛍️ Smithville Sunday Market | 10am-1pm | James H. Long Railroad Park, Main & 1st, Smithville | Locally grown, homemade and handmade only, with live music. This is the last 10-to-1 market of the summer, and September moves back to 10am-2pm. Free. Smithville Sunday Market
🌿 Family Nature Quest | 10:30am | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | Guided family walk. $10 per person. LCRA Parks
🥞 Weekend Brunch | 11am-2pm | Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Migas, breakfast tacos and pancakes at $8, an omelet at $12, every Saturday and Sunday. Yegua Creek Brewery
🎶 Live Music with Phil Hurley | 2-5pm | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Americana on the vineyard porch, leashed pets welcome. Free. Rising Sun Vineyard
🎸 Nathan Colt Young | 4-6pm | Smithville Brewing Company, 661 NW Loop 230, Smithville | Their weekly Sunday set, with $5 frozen slushies alongside. Smithville Brewing Company
Monday, 🗓️ August 31
🏛️ Interpretive Center Open | 8:30am-2:30pm | Bastrop State Park Historic Golf Shelter, 100 Park Road 1A, Bastrop | New exhibits inside the restored CCC-era shelter. Free with park entry. Texas Parks & Wildlife
🧘 Mind, Body, Spirit & Meditation with Patti | 9-10am | Elgin Recreation Center, 361 N Hwy 95, Elgin | Slow-flow yoga, breath work and meditation. Elgin Recreation Center
⚖️ A Matter of Balance | 1pm | Bastrop Recreation Center, 1008 Water St, Bastrop | A fall-prevention program for older adults. Registration required. City of Bastrop Parks & Rec
🍷 Bottle Night Monday | 5-9pm | Pluto's Wine Bar, 924 Main St, Bastrop | Every bottle over $75 is 40% off, plus $8 wines and $5 sangria and beer. Pluto's Wine Bar
💃 Zumba with Juanda | 6-7pm | Elgin Recreation Center, 361 N Hwy 95, Elgin | Salsa, merengue, reggaeton and hip-hop, cardio disguised as a party. Elgin Recreation Center
🎳 Bastrop Social Club Bowling Night | 6-8pm | Film Alley, 1600 Chestnut St, Bastrop | A come-meet-your-neighbors bowling night, adults 18 and up. Bowling Night event
Tuesday, 🗓️ September 1
🦁 Smithville Noon Lions Club | noon-1pm | Quinto Patio, 114 NE 2nd St, Smithville | Weekly service club meeting, and anyone curious is welcome to sit in. Free to attend, lunch on you. Smithville Area Chamber
📦 Tween Tuesday: Cardboard Creations | 4:30-5:30pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | September's build for ages 9 to 12 is anything you can make out of cardboard. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🚐 Care-A-Van | Elgin | 5-7pm | Thomas Memorial Park, Elgin | Free recreation for the kids while parents connect with Community Health Workers about SNAP, WIC, Medicaid and workforce programs. Free. Bastrop County Cares
🧶 Stitch-Craft Society | Evening | 6-8pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Knit or crochet with company, limited supplies for beginners. Free. Bastrop Public Library
✍️ Writers Group | 6:30-8pm | Cedar's Coppice, 709 Chestnut St, Bastrop | The weekly Tuesday gathering for people who are actually writing the thing. Cedar's Coppice
Wednesday, 🗓️ September 2
🩺 The Source Mobile Women's Clinic | 9:30am-3:30pm | Elgin Recreation Center, 361 N Hwy 95, Elgin | Free women's health services onsite, including pregnancy testing, ultrasound confirmation and well-woman exams. First Wednesday of every month. Free. City of Elgin
📚 Preschool Storytime | Dog Days | 10:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Books, silly songs and activities about our furry best friends. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🤠 Lunch & Learn with Mayor Ishmael Harris | noon-1pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Bastrop's mayor on his family's generations-deep connection to the Texas Juneteenth rodeo circuit, paired with the Soul Circuit exhibit. Correction: the event is free, but lunch is not provided | bring your own lunch, and the museum provides dessert and drinks. Reserve a ticket. Bastrop County Historical Society
Want your business in 5,000 Bastrop & Cedar Creek or Elgin homes the way Ph.D. Pool Care will be? Hit reply and ask about our shared postcards or visit: https://spotlight.bastropcurrent.com/
🔮 Planning Ahead
🖼️ Through Sat Sep 19 | Soul Circuit: Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Sarah Bird's photographs of Black cowboys and cowgirls on the Texas Juneteenth rodeo circuit. Monday through Saturday, 10am-5pm, museum admission. Bastrop County Historical Society
🌶️ Fri Sep 4 | FAME Friday: Salsa Showdown | 6-9pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Local restaurants and food trucks compete in a salsa contest to open Hispanic Heritage Month, with People's Choice sampling 7:30-8:15pm and free make-and-take crafts including a succulent bar and Talavera stencil art. No street closure and no market this time. Free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🎭 Sep 4-27 | Disney's Newsies | Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring St, Bastrop | Opening night Friday September 4 at 6:30pm. Everyone needs a ticket regardless of age. Bastrop Opera House
🔭 Fri Sep 4 | Community Stargazing | 8:30pm | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | Free, which is rare out there. LCRA Parks
🏍️ Sat Sep 5 | 4th Annual POW/MIA Recognition Day Motorcycle Run | registration 9am, kickstands up 10am | American Legion Post 533, 3003 Loop 150 E, Bastrop | $15 per rider and $10 per passenger, with a complimentary breakfast and 50/50 tickets along the route. American Legion Post 533
🚂 Sat Sep 5 | Meet Me at the Depot | 9am-noon | Smithville MKT Depot, 102 NE 1st St, Smithville | A new first-Saturday series with local storytellers, vintage games, classic cars and live music. Free. Smithville Area Chamber
🌶️ Sat Sep 5 - Sun Sep 6 | Hatch Green Chile Festival | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, McDade | Two days of New Mexico cooking with Hatch chiles by the pound, plus Trick Myers Saturday 4-7pm and Los Funky Monkeys Sunday 2-5pm. Rising Sun Vineyard
🏁 Sat Sep 5 | Race Night at Cotton Bowl Speedway | gates 5pm, racing 7pm | 1175 CR 202, Paige | $20 adults, $10 for kids 7 to 12. Cotton Bowl Speedway
🛍️ Thu Sep 10 | Sip, Shop & Stroll | SIP-tember Nights | 5-7:30pm | Downtown Elgin | In-store specials and live music downtown. Free. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🌙 Sat Sep 12 | Nocturn Night Market | 5-10pm | ACC Elgin campus, Elgin | Artisan vendors, food trucks, music and a whole lot of glowing lights. Free. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🍽️ Sat Sep 12 | Feed the Need Gala | 6-10pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Dinner, live entertainment and an auction. Tables are filling. $125 a seat, $800 for a table of eight. Feed the Need Missions
🔬 Mon Sep 14 | Discovery: Weather Works | 4:30-5:30pm | Bastrop Recreation Center, 1008 Water St, Bastrop | The city's new fall youth program kicks off for ages 6 to 9, with the 10 to 12 group meeting Sep 28. $5, and registration closes at noon that day. City of Bastrop Recreation
🧠 Fri Sep 25 | Trivia Night at the Elgin Library | doors 7pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | The library's first-ever trivia night. Free, ages 18 and up, with a drink and a snack included. Elgin Public Library
🧹 Sat Oct 3 | Smithville Community-Wide Garage Sale | 8am-3pm | All over Smithville | Fifty-plus sales in one day. Hosting a sale is $15 and registration closes Sep 30. Smithville Area Chamber
🎁 August Referral Prize | $50 to Numero 28
Share your unique referral link below with one friend who would love a weekly dose of Bastrop County, Texas. Every referral through your link is an entry to win a $50 gift card to Numero 28, the Italian wood-fired pizzeria and vineria on Main Street in Bastrop. Our August winner gets drawn this Monday, so there is still time.
How Did We Do?
Before you go
If you've got a flyer, an event, or a Bastrop County business worth featuring, hit reply. We read every email.
See you next Monday.
Marilyn - The Bastrop Current