This week is sponsored by
Ph.D. Pool Care has kept Bastrop County pools clear since 2016. Weekly service with all chemicals included, no contracts, and same-day emergency equipment repair. Call 512-945-2121 for a free quote.
Good morning, Bastrop County! 🤠
The Bears head back this morning, which makes today the last of the three first days of school across the county. After that the week belongs to you. The Central States Dwarf Car Nationals run three straight nights on the dirt out in Paige, the Bastrop County Museum opens its collections and research library for the Day of Giving, downtown Elgin stays open late for Sip, Shop & Stroll, and our featured spot in Elgin is back open after a quiet spring. Want more than just this week? Our Bastrop County events guide runs year round.
One housekeeping note before you scroll: Bastrop County Best voting closes at midnight Monday, and we would love your vote.
Last week we ran down all three first days of school and previewed the racing out in Paige, catch up here if you missed it. Let's dig in.
👥 Join the conversation
Our Bastrop Current Community Group on Facebook is where neighbors drop flyers, ask for recommendations, and share what they stumbled into last weekend. Come join us.
🍔 Business of the Week | Millie's on Main | Elgin
When Stacy and Cody Mauck, both born and raised in Elgin, finished restoring an early-1930s Gulf gas station at 212 N Main Street, they let their three boys name the place. The boys picked Millie, the family's border collie. She was fourteen years old, and she came to the ribbon cutting on a leash, right at the front of the crowd, when the doors opened on New Year's Eve 2023 to about a thousand of their neighbors.
The building tells the rest of the story. The old service station became the food and ice cream counter, a 1950s automotive bay turned into party seating, and a 1970s connector holds the bar. Every paint color and window went through historical commission review, and roughly 95% of the subcontractors came from the greater Elgin area. The vintage Texas signs on the stage wall came out of Cody's father's collection, and a few were dug up on the property during construction.
Here is the news: Millie's went quiet for a stretch this spring and reopened in late May under managing partner Jose Salazar, who runs it day to day with his wife Magdalena. The old food-truck setup is gone. It is a full restaurant and bar now, with servers, a bartender, and a kitchen turning out birria. The canopy out front still reads EAT · DRINK · PLAY on one side and BEER · BURGERS · ICE CREAM on the other, and that remains an honest description: there is a playscape for the kids, a sweet shop with Blue Bell and sno-cones, a courtyard of picnic tables under umbrellas, and live music, karaoke, and trivia on the stage.
If you have been driving past wondering whether they were open, they are.
What to order
Millie's Birria Queso, scratch-made queso with their birria, pico, and jalapeños, served with chips, $13
Jose's Texas Loaded Fries, waffle fries under cheddar, bacon, pico, jalapeños, sour cream, and green onion, $10
The Birria Quesadilla with consomé for dipping, $16, or the full Birria Tacos plate, $20
Bubba's Burger on brioche with a side, $14, or Flash Fried Wings in buffalo, garlic parmesan, lemon pepper, or hot honey, $10 for six
A Millie's Margarita, $12, and Funnel Cake Fries for the table, $8. Kids 12 and under eat for $6 to $8 with a side and a drink
Visit Millie's on Main
📍 212 N Main Street, Elgin, TX 78621
📞 512-659-4491
🗓️ Wednesday 5pm to 10pm, Thursday 4pm to 10pm, Friday 4pm to 11pm, Saturday noon to 11pm, closed Sunday through Tuesday
🌐 milliesonmaintx.com | Facebook | Instagram
🗳️ Vote for Bastrop Current | Voting closes Monday
Bastrop County Best is the county's reader-choice awards, and this is the last week to vote. Voting closes at midnight Monday, August 17. Bastrop Current is on the ballot under Marketing, Media, Design & Promotional Services, and if this newsletter has been useful to you, we would be grateful for your vote.
While you are in there, vote for the shops, restaurants, and people who make this county home. Most of them are small businesses, and it costs you nothing but a couple of minutes.
🗓️ Bastrop County Events | August 13 - 19, 2026
Today | Thursday, 🗓️ August 13
🔔 First Day of School | Bastrop ISD | all day | Bastrop | The Bears are back. Watch for buses and give yourself an extra ten minutes, and grab our free 2026 Back to School Guide if you have not yet. Bastrop ISD
🍕 Crust Pizza Co. | Opening Weekend | Thursday through Sunday, 11am - 9pm Thu and Sun, 11am - 10pm Fri and Sat | 853 State Hwy 71 W, Suite 158, Bastrop | The Chicago-style thin crust spot opened its Bastrop doors Wednesday out at Sendero, so this is their first weekend. Thursday is half-off beer, and they do cauliflower crust and vegan cheese if you want them. 512-678-9300. Crust Pizza Co.
🥬 Elgin Farmers' Market | 4 - 7pm | Veterans' Memorial Park, 109 Depot St, Elgin | Produce, meats, and baked goods, with live music. SNAP accepted. Elgin Farmers Market
🏁 Dwarf Car Nationals | Practice Night | grandstands 5pm | Cotton Bowl Speedway, 1175 CR 202, Paige | Three nights of dirt racing open with practice, the night you can watch the crews work. Cotton Bowl Speedway
🛍️ Sip, Shop & Stroll | Supplies to Rise! Edition | 5 - 7:30pm | Downtown Elgin | Shops open late with a back-to-school theme. Free. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🎶 Sound Bowl Meditation with Erin Nicole | 5:30 - 6:30pm | Lost Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut St, Bastrop | An hour of crystal sound bowls. Bring a mat, blanket, and pillow. $35. Lost Pines Art Center
🥂 Alive After 5ive | 5:30 - 7pm | Pluto's Wine Bar, 924 Main St, Bastrop | The Chamber's monthly after-hours mixer, hosted by UX Web Co. Free. Bastrop Regional Chamber
🌱 Smithville Community Gardens Meeting | 5:30 - 6:30pm | Smithville Recreation Center, 106 Gazley, Smithville | Free and open to anyone who wants to dig in. Smithville Area Chamber
🎸 Carter Hampton Live | 6:30 - 8:30pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | A solo acoustic set to start the weekend early. Copper Shot Distillery
Friday, 🗓️ August 14
🎂 Frontier Bank 2-Year Anniversary | 10am - 5pm | Frontier Bank, 107 NW Loop 230, Smithville | A free all-day party with TJ's snow cones from 1pm, custom cookies, games with prizes, and Buckaroo Bucks for Kids Club members. Smithville Area Chamber
🐍 Wildlife Explorer | 1:30pm | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | Throw an atlatl, start a fire without matches, and meet a live snake and turtle. $25. LCRA Parks
🏁 Dwarf Car Nationals | Night One | grandstands 5pm, opening ceremony 7pm | Cotton Bowl Speedway, 1175 CR 202, Paige | The first full race night. Kids 6 and under free, military and seniors discounted with ID at the gate. Buy tickets
🏈 Elgin High School Meet the Teacher Night | 6:30 - 7:30pm | Old Wildcat Stadium, Elgin | High school families meet teachers out at the stadium. Free. Elgin ISD
🎸 Stray Dog & The Wolves | 7 - 10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | High-energy Austin blues on the Main Street patio. Copper Shot Distillery
🌟 Saturday, 🗓️ August 15 | The Big Day
✏️ Back to School Market at Bastrop Beauty House | from 9am | 398 Old Austin Hwy, Bastrop | A first-week-of-school market with local vendors and self-care. Free to browse. Event page
🥬 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10am - 2pm | 1302 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Produce, grass-fed beef, eggs, honey, plants, and makers, every Saturday year-round. Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market
🏺 Texas Antique and Pottery Show | 10am - 3pm | Paige Community Center, 117 Main St, Paige | Rare Texas stoneware and antiques, including pieces never offered for sale before. Event page
🏛️ Bastrop County Historical Society Day of Giving | 11am - 2pm | Bastrop County Museum, 904 Main St, Bastrop | The second annual behind-the-scenes day. Go inside the Collections, tour the Research Library, and see what is coming next. Donation-based admission. Bastrop County Historical Society
🧩 Puzzle Tournament | 1 - 3pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | First 10 teams to arrive compete, same puzzle, fastest solve wins. Free. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🎤 Phil Hurley Live | 2 - 4pm | The Front Room Wine Bar, 116 Main St, Smithville | A veteran touring guitarist and an afternoon glass of wine on Main Street. The Front Room Wine Bar
🏁 Dwarf Car Nationals | Championship Night | grandstands 5pm, opening ceremony 7pm | Cotton Bowl Speedway, 1175 CR 202, Paige | Championship night, with Sport Compacts by Montalvo Motorsports on the card. Buy tickets
🎸 Robert Parker Jr. | 6:30 - 9:30pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | A rising Austin guitarist who bridges American roots and psychedelic jam. Copper Shot Distillery
Sunday, 🗓️ August 16
🛍️ Smithville Sunday Market | 10am - 1pm | James H. Long Railroad Park, Main & 1st, Smithville | Locally grown, homemade, and handmade, with live music. Free. Smithville Sunday Market
🥃 National Rum Day | 11am - 5pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Rum-forward cocktails all afternoon. Copper Shot Distillery
🐍 Wildlife Explorer | 1:30pm | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | Atlatl throwing, fire building, and live animals. $25. LCRA Parks
🕊️ The Restored Mother | Somatic Grounding & Sound Bath | 6 - 7:30pm | Main Street Yoga, 918 Main St, Bastrop | An evening built for tired mothers, from postpartum through the school-run years. Main Street Yoga Bastrop
Monday, 🗓️ August 17
🗳️ Bastrop County Best 2026 | Voting closes at midnight | The 23rd season of the county's reader-choice awards ends tonight. Last chance to back your favorite local shops, restaurants, and people. Bastrop Regional Chamber
⚖️ A Matter of Balance | 1pm | Bastrop Recreation Center, 1008 Water St, Bastrop | A fall-prevention program for older adults. Registration required. City of Bastrop Recreation
✏️ Prime Timer Craft | Sketching for Beginners | 2 - 4pm | Elgin Recreation Center, 361 N Hwy 95, Elgin | A beginner sketching class for older adults, materials provided. Free, pre-registration encouraged. City of Elgin
🏛️ Special Called Planning & Zoning Commission | 5:30pm | Smithville City Hall, 317 Main St, Smithville | Open to the public. City of Smithville
Tuesday, 🗓️ August 18
🚐 Care-A-Van | McDade | 5 - 7pm | McDade Watermelon Festival Grounds, 1143 Bastrop St, McDade | Free soccer, basketball, archery, and reading tents for the kids while parents meet Community Health Workers about SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and workforce programs. Bastrop County Cares
🎉 Neighbors of Elgin Launch Social | 5:30 - 7pm | Elgin Chamber of Commerce, 23 N Main St, Elgin | The first issue of the Neighbors of Elgin magazine lands, with finger foods, wine, desserts, and a copy to take home. Free. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🎤 Open Mic at Gracie's | 6 - 8pm | The Grace Miller, 706 Pine St, Bastrop | The Bastrop Live Music Foundation's monthly open mic. Perform or just listen, full menu available. Free. Bastrop Live Music Foundation
🏛️ Town Hall | Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade | 6pm | Smithville City Hall, 317 Main St, Smithville | ESG representatives walk through the coming plant upgrade and take resident questions. City of Smithville
🏛️ Elgin City Council Regular Meeting | 6:30 - 7:30pm | Elgin City Hall, 310 N Main St, Elgin | Open to the public. City of Elgin
Wednesday, 🗓️ August 19
📖 Reading Ranger with Ranger Madalyn | 10:30 - 11:30am | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Buescher State Park's Ranger Madalyn guest-reads at Little Bookworms, with a craft to take home. All ages, free. Buescher State Park
📚 Bébé Bilingüe Story Time | 10:30 - 11am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Free bilingual early-literacy story time for ages 0 to 5. City of Elgin
👶 Toddler Time | 11am - 1pm | Bastrop County Community Center, 15 American Legion Dr, Bastrop | Play-based fun for ages 2 to 5 and their grownups, with AgriLife parenting sessions and resource giveaways. Free, registration required. Bastrop County Cares
🔮 Planning Ahead
🤠 Through Sat Sep 19 | Soul Circuit: Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas | Bastrop County Museum, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Sarah Bird's photographs of Black cowboys and cowgirls on the Texas Juneteenth rodeo circuit. Bastrop County Historical Society
🛍️ Aug 22 - 23 | 9th Annual Main Street Market | Sat 10am - 5pm, Sun 11am - 4pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Two days of vendors and makers, with hourly door prizes. Texas Market Guide
🥩 Fri Aug 28 | Prime Rib Night | 5 - 9pm | The Front Room Wine Bar, 116 Main St, Smithville | Reservations 512-237-3626. The Front Room Wine Bar
🍶 Sat Aug 29 | Grape Stomp | 1 - 5pm, with The LTD's playing 4 - 7pm | Rising Sun Vineyard, McDade | Stomp grapes the old-fashioned way. Rising Sun Vineyard
🎭 Sep 4 - 27 | Disney's Newsies | Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring St, Bastrop | The Opera House opens its fall season. Bastrop Opera House
🚂 Sat Sep 5 | Meet Me at the Depot | 9am - 12pm | Smithville MKT Depot, Smithville | A first-Saturdays series bringing the historic depot to life. Smithville Area Chamber
🍽️ Sat Sep 12 | Feed the Need Gala | 6 - 10pm, dinner at 7pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Feed the Need Missions has served free weekly meals across Central Texas since 2010. This is their one night a year: formal dress, dinner, live entertainment, and a silent and live auction. $125 a seat or $800 for a table of eight. Feed the Need Missions
🐗 Oct 22 - 24 | 39th Annual Hogeye Festival | Downtown Elgin | Mark the calendar now. City of Elgin
🎁 August Referral Prize | $50 to Numero 28
Share your unique referral link below with one friend who'd 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, with our winner drawn at the end of August.
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.
Want your business in front of Bastrop County next week the way Ph.D. Pool Care is this week? Hit reply and ask about sponsoring an issue.
See you next Thursday.
Marilyn - The Bastrop Current