Good morning, Bastrop County! 🤠
Twelve miles southwest of Bastrop, where FM 20 crosses FM 535, a few hundred people are about to throw the biggest party in the county. Rockne is 150 years old this year, and the community is marking it the way it has marked everything since 1876. There is a parade Saturday morning, and a whole lot of fried chicken on Sunday.
I am going out to Rockne to enjoy the parade Saturday. And because Saturday mornings are chock-a-block full in Bastrop County, I am doing both: the 35th Annual Homecoming Parade at 10:30, then straight over to Smithville to catch the tail end of Meet Me at the Depot and poke around downtown. More on that plan below.
Everything else fills in around it. Disney’s Newsies opens Friday at the Opera House, Hatch chiles roast all weekend in McDade, Lost Pines Art Center throws Art After Dark Saturday, and Labor Day Monday is quiet on purpose. One housekeeping note: the county burn ban is still in effect through September 14, so keep the fire pits cold. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and let’s dig in. Want more than just this week? Our Bastrop County events guide has the major events of the year.
Missed us Monday? Catch up here.
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Our Bastrop Current Community Group on Facebook is where neighbors drop flyers, ask for recommendations, and share what they wandered into last weekend. Come join us.
⛪ This Week’s Feature | Rockne Turns 150
In 1876, seven farm families in the Walnut Creek settlement got tired of the ride to Mass. They gathered instead at Phillip Goertz’s house and had a priest come to them. That was the beginning. The next year Goertz and his wife Catherine, along with Michael and Rebecca Wolf, gave the land for a church. It burned in 1891. They built another one and dedicated it in 1892. The one standing today went up in 1940 on the same ground.
That is 150 years, and this weekend the community is celebrating it. Sacred Heart in Rockne and St. Mary’s in String Prairie are both marking a century and a half as parishes.
⚡ The name is the best story in the county
The place has been called Walnut Creek, then Lehmanville, then Hilbigville after the man who opened a store there in 1922. Then in 1931 Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne died in a plane crash in a Kansas wheat field, and the news reached this German Catholic farming community out on the prairie. The schoolchildren voted to rename their town after him. The adults let them. It has been Rockne ever since.
It is not an incorporated town. It has no post office, though on March 10, 1988, it opened one for exactly one day, long enough to issue the Knute Rockne commemorative stamp. That is the kind of place this is.
🎺 Saturday | The 35th Annual Homecoming Parade
Saturday, September 5.
Lineup is at Red Rock Grocery, 1945 FM 20, at 9:00am. Judging at 9:30.
The parade steps off at 10:30am and runs down FM 20 into Rockne.
Registration is open to everyone, so if you have a tractor, a float, a horse, a classic car or a good dog, get in it.
A cook-off follows at VFW Post 2527.
Questions go to Kathy Carriger at 512-581-1959.
After the parade the Rockne Museum and Hilbig Park next door to the church at 4065 FM 535 is open noon to 4pm Rockne Museum & Hilbig Park
🍗 Sunday | The Homecoming Bazaar
Sunday, September 6 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4045 FM 535, Bastrop, and this is the one people drive in from three counties for.
Fried chicken and sausage dinner with all the trimmings, 11am to 2pm | $15 adults, $8 children under 10, served in Holtman Hall
Auction at 1:30pm, plus a raffle | stubs to the raffle table by 1:00
Bingo, 1 to 4pm
Games and refreshments from noon | bear stand, ring toss, fish pond, Plinko, cake booth, shaved ice, popcorn and pickles, chicharrones and nachos, the country store, the wheel of colors
Activity center | obstacle course, bouncy house, bean bag toss, lollipop pull, tattoos, cotton candy. Wristbands $10 for unlimited, or $1 for 2 tickets
Live music 4 to 8pm from The Czechaholics, the South Central Texas polka band that has been playing church picnics since 2002
Mass that weekend is Saturday 5:00pm and Sunday 8:00am, with a Spanish Mass at 10:30am. Full details and the weekly bulletin are on the parish site. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rockne
🚂 And a morning on the depot porch
If you read Monday’s issue you already know about Meet Me at the Depot, Smithville’s new free first-Saturday gathering at the MKT Depot and Railroad Park, 102 NE 1st Street, 9am to noon. Porch stories, railroad memories, classic cars, trolley rides, checkers and dominoes, somebody picking a guitar, iced tea from the concession stand.
On Saturday I’m hoping to make both the parade at 10:30 in Rockne, and Smithville’s Meet Me At The Depot and spend an hour browsing downtown Smithville. It is about half an hour between them. If you cannot make this one, Meet Me At The Depot comes back October 3 and November 7. Smithville Area Chamber
🔥 Burn ban still in effect through September 14
The outdoor burning ban Bastrop County Commissioners Court adopted August 24 runs through Monday, September 14 unless the court lifts it sooner. It covers the unincorporated areas of the county and prohibits igniting any combustible or vegetative material outdoors, a Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500. Keep the fire pits and burn barrels cold. Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management
🗓️ Bastrop County Events | September 3-9, 2026
Today | Thursday, 🗓️ September 3
🧶 Fiber Arts & Friends | 10am - 12pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Bring your knit, crochet or stitch project and craft in good company. Free. City of Elgin
🔬 S.T.E.A.M. | 10 - 11am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Hands-on science, tech, engineering, art and math for curious kids. Free. City of Elgin
📖 Bilingual Storytime | 11:15am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Stories, songs and rhymes in English and Spanish for little ones. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🥬 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
🎮 Teen Thursday | Video Game Free Play | 4:45 - 6:15pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Drop-in gaming for ages 13 to 17. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🦪 Buck-a-Shuck | 5 - 9pm | Pluto’s Wine Bar, 924 Main St, Bastrop | Dollar oysters on the half shell with any beverage purchase. Pluto’s Wine Bar
🚐 Care-A-Van | Lost Pines Elementary | 6 - 7pm | 151 Tiger Woods Dr, Bastrop | Free family resource stop with books, activities and local referrals. Bastrop County Cares
🎸 Live Music | Kris Collins | 6 - 9pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | A live acoustic set on the Main Street patio. Copper Shot Distillery
🤝 Free Community Support Group | 6 - 7:30pm | Smithville Community Clinic, Smithville | A free, welcoming weekly peer support group open to all. Smithville Area Chamber
Friday, 🗓️ September 4
☕ Coffee Talk with Tana from To The Point | 9 - 10am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Free coffee, pastries and conversation with a Main Street business owner. City of Elgin
🐶 Preschool Storytime | Dog Days | 10:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Books, songs and silly activities about our furry best friends. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🧸 Little Learners | 10:30 - 11:30am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Storytime plus a craft for ages 4 to 6. Free. City of Elgin
🍷 Apéro Hour | 3 - 5pm | Pluto’s Wine Bar, 924 Main St, Bastrop | Weekend happy hour with oysters, filet sliders and drink specials. Pluto’s Wine Bar
🧶 Stitch-Craft Society | 3 - 5pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Knit or crochet with company. Beginner supplies available. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🎶 Live Music | Mike Pierce | 4 - 7pm | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Dinner and live music out on the vineyard. Yegua Creek Brewery
💃 FAME First Friday | Salsa Showdown and Flores de Papel | 6 - 8pm | Bastrop County Museum, 904 Main St, Bastrop | A salsa contest, People’s Choice sampling, live music and a free paper-flower craft table to open Hispanic Heritage Month. Free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🎭 Disney’s Newsies | Opening Night | 6:30pm | Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring St, Bastrop | Opening night of a run that carries through September 27. Everyone needs a ticket regardless of age. Bastrop Opera House
🎮 Tween Invasion | 7 - 8:30pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | First-Friday games and surprises built just for tweens. Free. City of Elgin
🎸 Live Music | Ben Zuniga Band | 7 - 10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Americana roots meet rock and roll on the patio. Copper Shot Distillery
🏈 Cedar Creek Eagles vs. Navarro | 7:30pm | Cedar Creek High School, Cedar Creek | The only Bastrop County varsity home game this Friday. Tickets are mobile only, no gate sales. Bastrop ISD Athletics
🎶 Live Music | The Nite Shift | 7:30 - 10:30pm | The Grace Miller “Gracie’s”, 706 Pine St, Bastrop | A live band and a kitchen open late. The Grace Miller
🌟 Saturday, 🗓️ September 5 | The Big Day
🚜 Rockne Homecoming Parade | Lineup | 9am lineup, 9:30am judging | Red Rock Grocery, 1945 FM 20, Red Rock | Registration is open to everyone. Contact Kathy Carriger, 512-581-1959. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rockne
🌱 First Saturday Farm Tour & Plant Walk | 9am coffee, 9:30am - 12pm tour | Elm Forest Farm, Synergy Dr, Bastrop | A guided tour, native and medicinal plant walk, and seed exchange. RSVP required. Rhizome Revival
🏍️ 4th Annual POW/MIA Recognition Day Motorcycle Run | registration 9am, kickstands up 10am | American Legion Post 533, 3003 Loop 150 E, Bastrop | A memorial ride honoring POW and MIA service members. American Legion Post 533
🚂 Meet Me at the Depot | 9am - 12pm | Smithville MKT Depot, 102 NE 1st St, Smithville | Porch stories, classic cars, trolley rides, vintage games and live music. Free. See our feature above. Smithville Area Chamber
🥬 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10am - 2pm | 1302 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Produce, grass-fed beef, eggs, honey, plants and makers. Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market
🐍 Snake Awareness & Appreciation | 10:30 - 11:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Meet local species, bust the myths and learn what to do if you cross paths. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🎺 35th Annual Rockne Homecoming Parade | steps off 10:30am | FM 20 into Rockne | The 150-year parade, with a cook-off to follow at VFW Post 2527. Free to watch. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rockne
🌶️ Hatch Green Chile Festival | Day One | from 11am | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Fresh Hatch chiles roasted by the pound, New Mexico cooking, games, raffles and live music into the evening. Free to attend. Yegua Creek Brewery
🧘 Yoga & Wine in the Vineyard | 11am - 12pm | Rising Sun Vineyard, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | A 45-minute all-levels class with a glass of wine or beer after. $20. Yegua Creek Brewery
🏛️ Rockne Museum & Hilbig Park Open | 12 - 4pm | 4065 FM 535, next to Sacred Heart, Bastrop | The community’s own archives, including the wing on Wurges, Germany. Rockne Museum & Hilbig Park
🎤 Live Music | Bruce Smith | 2 - 4pm | The Front Room, 116 Main St, Smithville | An Austin singer-songwriter in the Dylan and Knopfler tradition. The Front Room
🎸 Live Music | Troy Stone | 2 - 5pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | An afternoon acoustic set on the Main Street patio. Copper Shot Distillery
🃏 Magic at the Library | 3 - 5pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | A drop-in afternoon of gaming and Magic: The Gathering. Free. City of Elgin
🏁 Race Night at Cotton Bowl Speedway | gates 5pm, racing 7pm | 1175 CR 202, Paige | South Texas Dirt Trucks and Southern Winged Modifieds, plus Factory Stocks and Sport Compacts. Cotton Bowl Speedway
🎨 Art After Dark | Members Showcase Opening | 6 - 8pm | Lost Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut St, Bastrop | The members show opens, with spotlight artist Louise Placek on glass at 7pm and live music from Ariel Bush. Free. Lost Pines Art Center
🎤 Live Music | Tish & The Mizzbehavins | 7 - 10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Old-school soul groove to close out Saturday night. Copper Shot Distillery
🎶 Live Music | Suzanne’s Band | 7:30 - 10:30pm | The Grace Miller “Gracie’s”, 706 Pine St, Bastrop | A live band to close out Saturday night. The Grace Miller
Sunday, 🗓️ September 6
🛍️ Smithville Sunday Market | 10am - 2pm | James H. Long Railroad Park, Main & 1st, Smithville | Locally grown, homemade and handmade, with live music. September is the first month back to the 2pm close. Free. Smithville Sunday Market
🍗 Rockne Homecoming Bazaar | dinner 11am - 2pm, games from noon, bingo 1 - 4pm, auction 1:30pm, music 4 - 8pm | Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4045 FM 535, Bastrop | Fried chicken and sausage with all the trimmings, an auction, bingo, a full activity center for the kids, and The Czechaholics till dark. $15 adults, $8 children under 10. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rockne
🌶️ Hatch Green Chile Festival | Day Two | 11am - 6pm | Rising Sun Vineyard at Yegua Creek Brewery, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Day two of the chile weekend, with roasting by the pound and live music in the afternoon. Free to attend. Yegua Creek Brewery
🎶 Live Music | Huston Sonhouse | 12 - 2pm | The Grace Miller “Gracie’s”, 706 Pine St, Bastrop | A Sunday-midday set at Gracie’s. The Grace Miller
🍷 Apéro Hour | 3 - 5pm | Pluto’s Wine Bar, 924 Main St, Bastrop | Oysters on the half shell, filet sliders, naan and drink specials. Pluto’s Wine Bar
Monday, 🗓️ September 7 | Labor Day
🚫 Closed today | all day | Countywide | Bastrop Public Library, the Bastrop Recreation Center and Smithville city offices are all closed for the holiday. Elgin has no programs scheduled. City of Bastrop
🎖️ Blue Star Museums | Final Day | 10am - 5pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Last day of free admission for active-duty military families, and the museum is open on the holiday. Bastrop County Historical Society
💙 Divorce Support Group | Trust and Vulnerability | 6 - 7:30pm | Smithville Community Clinic, 1011 Alley A Ste C, Smithville | A free monthly group. Drop in for one session or the whole series. Smithville Community Clinic
Tuesday, 🗓️ September 8
🤸 Stretch Yourself Healthy | 7:45 - 8:45am | Elgin Recreation Center, 361 N Hwy 95, Elgin | Simple moves for flexibility, balance and fall prevention. City of Elgin
👶 Baby Bookworms | 10:30 - 11am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Stories, songs and bonding time for the library’s tiniest readers. Free. City of Elgin
👟 Fit For Us | 11am - 1pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | A free monthly fitness class for moms and kids 2 to 5, with a healthy-eating lesson and snacks. Bastrop County Cares
📗 Afternoon Book Club | 2 - 3pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Discussing “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans over tea. Free. City of Elgin
🛠️ Tween Maker Space | 5 - 6pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Build, create and get hands-on with something new every second Tuesday. Free. City of Elgin
🚐 Care-A-Van | Stony Point Park | 6 - 7pm | Stony Point Park, Bastrop | A free pop-up family resource stop with books, activities and local referrals. 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
🏛️ Elgin City Council Budget Workshop | 6:30 - 7:30pm | City of Elgin | A public workshop on the coming budget. City of Elgin
Wednesday, 🗓️ September 9
🇲🇽 Bebé Bilingüe | 10:30 - 11am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Cuentos y stories, canciones y songs for little ones. Free. City of Elgin
🎲 Senior Game Day | 12 - 3pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | An afternoon of games, laughter and friendly competition. Free. City of Elgin
🧻 Airrosti Foam Rolling Workshop | 1 - 2pm | Bastrop Recreation Center, 1008 Water St, Bastrop | Learn to use a foam roller for flexibility and pain relief. Registration required. City of Bastrop Parks & Rec
☕ Coffee & Friends | The Food Pyramid | 3pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Coffee, conversation and a nutrition talk from Texas A&M AgriLife. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🏛️ Smithville Budget Workshop #4 | 5pm | Smithville City Hall, Smithville | The fourth public workshop on the city’s coming budget. City of Smithville
🍷 Wine Not? Wednesdays + Live Music | 5 - 10pm | Store House Market & Eatery, 813 Main St, Bastrop | Live music and half off select bottles every Wednesday evening. Store House Market
🌿 Fall Foraging | Edibles and Medicinals Plant Walk | 6:30 - 8:30pm | Elm Forest Farm, Synergy Dr, Bastrop | A guided plant walk opening Rhizome Revival’s six-week Fall into Herbalism series. $25. Rhizome Revival
🔮 Planning Ahead
📬 In your inbox Monday | Our Monday issue lands with a fresh feature and the full week ahead. Watch for it.
🖼️ Through Sat Sep 19 | Soul Circuit: Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas | Mon - Sat, 10am - 5pm | Bastrop County Museum, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Sarah Bird’s photographs of Black cowboys and cowgirls on the Texas Juneteenth rodeo circuit. Included with admission. Bastrop County Historical Society
🛍️ 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 | Cowboy Heritage Day | 11am - 2pm | Bastrop County Museum, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Live demonstrations, historic artifacts, cowboy stories and songs. Children 12 and under free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🌙 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. Feed the Need Missions
🤠 Sat Sep 19 | 9th Annual Boots & BBQ Fundraiser | check-in 5pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibition Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | A ticketed dinner catered by Billy’s BBQ with live and silent auctions, hosted by the Bastrop County Republican Party. Ticket sales close September 12. Bastrop County Republican Party
🧠 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. Elgin Public Library
🚂 Sat Oct 3 | Meet Me at the Depot returns | 9am - 12pm | Smithville MKT Depot, 102 NE 1st St, Smithville | The October installment of the first-Saturday series. Free. Smithville Area Chamber
🧹 Sat Oct 3 | Smithville Community-Wide Garage Sale | 8am - 3pm | All over Smithville | Fifty-plus sales in one day. Registration closes Sep 30. Smithville Area Chamber
🐗 Oct 22 - 24 | 39th Annual Hogeye Festival | Downtown Elgin | BBQ pork cook-off, Cow Patty Bingo, live music all day, and the car and bike show. City of Elgin
🎄 Dec 11 - 13 | Sherwood Celtic Yuletide Festival | Sherwood Forest Faire, 1883 Old Hwy 20, McDade | Live Celtic music, Highland games, artisans, mead and ales, camping and visits with Santa. Sherwood Forest Faire
🎁 September 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 September winner drawn at the end of the month.
How Did We Do?
✝️ Verse of the Week
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4
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See you Monday.
Marilyn - The Bastrop Current