THIS WEEK’S SPONSOR:
Good morning, Bastrop County! 🎉
This is a week that saves the best for the weekend, and the theme is celebration. For the first time, two of our towns are throwing full Hispanic Heritage festivals on back-to-back nights. Friday, downtown Bastrop turns into a street party for ¡Viva Bastrop!, with mariachi, a Selena tribute, folklórico dancers and a street dance under the lights. Saturday, Elgin answers with ¡Viva Elgin!, a charro bean cook-off you can taste your way through, a grito contest and a cultural market at Veterans Memorial Park.
There is plenty more stacked around them. Calvary Art Fest fills Friday evening and all day Saturday with 65-plus local artists and live music. Friday night football is home in Bastrop. And the Soul Circuit exhibit at the county museum is down to its final days, closing out Sunday with a free Austin Museum Day, so this is your last chance to see it.
We start quiet, with a Monday of city meetings and library programs, and build from there. Want more than just this week? Our Bastrop County events guide runs year round.
Missed us Thursday? Catch up here.
🗓️ Coming soon: the Bastrop County Fall Event Guide. We're pulling together a season-long roundup of the festivals, markets and fall fun happening all over the county. Hosting a fall-themed event you want included? Just reply to this email and we'll make sure it's on the list.
👥 Join the conversation
Thursday we will be announcing our August winner No. 28 gift certificate. She won it for sharing this newsletter and our facebook group with her friends! Check out the personalized link at the end to share our newsletter with friends! So join our Bastrop Current Community Group on Facebook and for recommendations, and share what they wandered into last weekend. Come join us and share your event.
🎊 This Week's Feature | A Hispanic Heritage Weekend, Two Towns, Two Nights
Hispanic Heritage Month runs September 15 to October 15, and this year Bastrop County is marking it out loud, on Main Street, two nights in a row.
Friday, September 18, downtown Bastrop hosts its first-ever ¡Viva Bastrop!, 6 to 10pm along North Main at Spring Street. It opens with mariachi and the national anthem at 6, then a Ballet Folklórico performance featuring Cedar Creek High School dancers. There is a Best Grito contest, a chancla-throwing challenge, a Kids Zone and a Mercado Hispano full of vendors and authentic food. A Tributo a Selena takes the stage from 7:15 to 8:45, and the night closes with a heritage march of quinceañeras, cadets and flags at 8:45 and a street dance from 9 to 10. It is free, downtown parking is free, and it is put on by Discover Bastrop and First National Bank.
Saturday, September 19, Elgin takes its turn with ¡Viva Elgin!, 4 to 9pm at Veterans Memorial Park on Depot Street. The centerpiece is a charro bean cook-off with a public tasting from 5 to 7, so you get to be the judge. There is a grito contest at 7:45, a tortilla-making station, live performances and La Cultura Market. Also free.
You could do one, or make a weekend of both. Either way, it is the kind of thing this county does well: neighbors, food, music, and a reason to be downtown after dark.
Friday: 🗓️ ¡Viva Bastrop!, Sep 18, 6-10pm, downtown Bastrop 🌐 Discover Bastrop
Saturday: 🗓️ ¡Viva Elgin!, Sep 19, 4-9pm, Veterans Memorial Park, Elgin 🌐 City of Elgin
🗓️ Bastrop County Events | September 14-20, 2026
Monday, 🗓️ September 14
🧘 Meditation Monday | 10:30am | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Start the week with a calm, guided meditation. Free. Smithville Public Library
🧵 Sewing Group | 1-3pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | A casual drop-in sewing circle, bring a project or just come see what everyone is making. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🗣️ Conversational Spanish | 1pm | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Practice Spanish with neighbors, all levels welcome. Free. Smithville Public Library
🎲 Tween Dungeons & Dragons | 4-5:45pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | An afternoon campaign for ages 11 to 14, no experience needed. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🌪️ Discovery | Weather Works | 4:30-5:30pm | Bastrop Recreation Center, 1008 Water St, Bastrop | The city's new fall youth program for ages 6 to 9. $5, twelve spots, and registration closes at noon that day. City of Bastrop Recreation
🏛️ Smithville City Council Meeting | 6pm | Smithville City Hall, 317 Main St, Smithville | Open to the public. City of Smithville
🏙️ State of the City Dinner | 6-8:30pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | City officials brief residents and business owners on economic development, infrastructure, public safety and growth. Watch the chamber page for registration. Bastrop Regional Chamber
🎱 Monday 8-Ball Tournament | 7:30pm | American Legion Post 533, 3003 Loop 150 E, Bastrop | Weekly double elimination, bar rules, money added to the pot, open to anyone. $10 entry. American Legion Post 533
Tuesday, 🗓️ September 15
🀄 Dominoes | 10am | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | A friendly weekly game of dominoes. Free. Smithville Public Library
🧶 Knitters | noon | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Bring your yarn and needles and knit in good company. Free. Smithville Public Library
🧱 LEGO Club | 3-4:30pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Open building for kids and families, bricks provided. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🚐 Care-A-Van | McDade | 6-7pm | McDade Watermelon Festival Grounds, 1143 Bastrop St, McDade | Free recreation brought out to rural neighborhoods, soccer, basketball, archery and reading tents, with Community Health Workers on site for SNAP, WIC and Medicaid questions. Free. Bastrop County Cares
🧶 Stitch-Craft Society | 6-8pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Knit or crochet with company, limited supplies for beginners. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🎤 Open Mic Night with Robert Kraft | 6-8pm | The Grace Miller "Gracie's", 706 Pine St, Bastrop | Third Tuesdays. Play a song or just come eat and cheer on your neighbors. Free. Bastrop Live Music Foundation
🃏 Elgin Chamber Lotería Fundraiser | 6:30-8:30pm | El Maguey Restaurant, 111 S Main St, Elgin | The chamber's first-ever Lotería night, regular menu available. $30 for five games, pre-purchase to hold a seat. Elgin Chamber of Commerce
🎤 Karaoke with Elijah | 7-11pm | 602 Brewing Co, 919 Main St, Bastrop | Every Tuesday. Free. 602 Brewing Co
Wednesday, 🗓️ September 16
🥕 Eden East Farm Stand | 9am-1pm | Eden East Farm, 1910 Main St, Bastrop | Produce, eggs and pantry goods straight off the farm, and you can walk the rows. Free to visit. City of Bastrop community calendar
🔤 Preschool Storytime | ABC Fun! | 10:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Stories, songs and rhymes for the preschool set. Free. Bastrop Public Library
📚 Little Bookworms | 10:30am | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Stories and songs for the littlest readers. Free. Smithville Public Library
☕ Coffee & Friends | Estate Planning | 3pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Attorney Mike Rinehart on wills, directives and what happens if you do nothing. Free. Bastrop Public Library
✍️ Writer's Group | 3pm | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Share your work and write alongside other local writers. Free. Smithville Public Library
Thursday, 🗓️ September 17
📖 Bilingual Storytime | 11:15am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Stories and songs in English and Spanish for little ones. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🍽️ Lunchtime with Judy | noon | American Legion Post 533, 3003 Loop 150 E, Bastrop | A community lunch open to all, come for the food and the company. American Legion Post 533
🥬 Elgin Farmers' Market | 4-7pm, live music 5-6pm | Veterans' Memorial Park, 109 Depot St, Elgin | Every vendor grows, raises or makes what they sell, from tomatoes to baked goods to soap, with live music midway through. Free. Elgin Farmers' Market
🗣️ Conversational Spanish | 4pm | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Practice Spanish with neighbors, all levels welcome. Free. Smithville Public Library
🍶 Sake Yutori Night | 5:30-8:30pm | Faire La Nouba, 110 Main St, Smithville | An introduction to sake for the curious, a little tasting, a little learning and good bites, including Brian's hot oil salmon. $30. Faire La Nouba
🏈 Cedar Creek Eagles Football | Home | kickoff 7pm | Cedar Creek High School, Bastrop ISD | The Eagles host a home game under the Thursday night lights. Bastrop ISD Athletics
Friday, 🗓️ September 18
🔤 Preschool Storytime | ABC Fun! | 10:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Books, songs and silly activities for preschoolers. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🦋 Family Nature Quest | 10:30am-12:30pm | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | Self-guided mystery-box nature stations, best for ages 4 to 10. $10. LCRA Parks
🧘 Chair Yoga | noon | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Gentle seated yoga for all abilities. Free. Smithville Public Library
🧶 Stitch-Craft Society | 3-5pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | Knit or crochet with company. Beginner supplies available. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🗣️ Conversational Spanish | 3pm | Smithville Public Library, 507 Main St, Smithville | Practice Spanish with neighbors, all levels welcome. Free. Smithville Public Library
🎨 Calvary Art Fest 2026 | "Art & Soul" | Day One | 4-8pm | Calvary Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 1028 Main St, Bastrop | The fourth annual show, 65-plus local artists, live music and refreshments. Free. Calvary Episcopal Church
🎂 Mini Cake Decorating for Tweens | 6-8pm | Elgin Recreation Center Studio, 361 N Hwy 95, Elgin | Grab a cake base, load up on toppings and show off your decorating skills, ages 11 to 14. All supplies provided. Free, pre-registration required. Elgin Parks & Recreation
🇲🇽 ¡Viva Bastrop! | 6-10pm | N Main St at Spring St, downtown Bastrop | The inaugural Hispanic Heritage festival: mariachi and the anthem at 6, Ballet Folklórico with Cedar Creek High School, a Best Grito contest and chancla challenge, a Selena tribute 7:15-8:45, a heritage march at 8:45, a Mercado Hispano, a Kids Zone and a street dance 9-10. Free. See our feature above. Discover Bastrop
🏈 Bastrop Bears Football | Home | kickoff 7pm | Bastrop High School, 1614 Cedar St, Bastrop | The Bears host a home game under the Friday night lights. Bastrop ISD Athletics
🎸 Microbus | 7-10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Classic rock covers on the downtown patio. Free. Copper Shot Distillery
🎃 Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park | Opening Night | 7pm-midnight | 149 Split Rail Lane, Smithville | The 20-acre haunted park in the woods outside Smithville kicks off its 2026 season. Recommended for ages 12 and up, tickets on their site. Scream Hollow
🎭 Disney's Newsies | 7:30pm | Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring St, Bastrop | The 1899 newsboys' strike, sung and danced, in a run through September 27. Everyone needs a ticket regardless of age, no children under 3. Bastrop Opera House
🎶 Bud Vargas | 7:30-10:30pm | The Grace Miller "Gracie's", 706 Pine St, Bastrop | Friday night live music with the kitchen open late. Free. The Grace Miller
🌟 Saturday, 🗓️ September 19 | The Big Day
💪 Men's Alliance Lost Pines Tribe | 7-8am | River Valley Christian Fellowship rear lot, 1224 State Hwy 71 W, Bastrop | A rugged outdoor workout and a real-world devotion around the fire, every Saturday. Free, all men welcome. Men's Alliance Lost Pines
🛒 Elgin VFW Flea Market | 7-10am | Elgin VFW Post 6115, 118 Old Sayers Rd, Elgin | Vendors from all over with antiques, collectibles and finds, every Saturday. Free to browse. Elgin VFW Post 6115
🥕 Eden East Farm Stand | 9am-1pm | Eden East Farm, 1910 Main St, Bastrop | Produce, eggs and pantry goods straight off the farm, and you can walk the rows. Free to visit. City of Bastrop community calendar
🥬 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10am-2pm | 1302 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Produce, pasture-raised meats, honey, breads and makers, every Saturday year-round. SNAP accepted. Free. Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market
🎨 Calvary Art Fest 2026 | "Art & Soul" | Day Two | 10am-8pm | Calvary Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 1028 Main St, Bastrop | The full day of the fourth annual show, 65-plus local artists, live music both days and refreshments. Free. Calvary Episcopal Church
🦋 Family Nature Quest | 10:30am-12:30pm | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 State Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | Self-guided mystery-box nature stations, best for ages 4 to 10. $10. LCRA Parks
🖍️ Small Hands Art Creative Club | 10:30-11:30am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | An art club for ages 3 to 10, advance registration required. Free. Bastrop Public Library
📕 Library Book Club | Frankenstein | 11am-12:30pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | This month's read is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🐴 Cattlemen's for Cancer Research Benefit | 11am-8pm | Rising Sun Vineyard, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | A day out at the vineyard with live music, raising money for cancer research. Rising Sun Vineyard
🀄 Mahjong | 3-5pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | A new third-Saturday adult program, come learn or play. Free. Elgin Public Library
🇲🇽 ¡Viva Elgin! | 4-9pm | Veterans Memorial Park, 109 Depot St, Elgin | A charro bean cook-off with public tasting 5 to 7, live performances, a grito contest at 7:45, a tortilla-making station and La Cultura Market. Free. See our feature above. City of Elgin
🏁 Cotton Bowl Speedway | Season Finale | gates 5pm, racing 7pm | Cotton Bowl Speedway, 1175 CR 202, Paige | The last night of the 2026 dirt season, with modifieds, stock cars and more. Cotton Bowl Speedway
🎸 Konzi Band | 7-10pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Indie and alt-rock on the downtown patio. Free. Copper Shot Distillery
🎃 Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park | 7pm-midnight | 149 Split Rail Lane, Smithville | Night two of opening weekend at the 20-acre haunted park outside Smithville. Recommended for ages 12 and up, tickets on their site. Scream Hollow
🎭 Disney's Newsies | 7:30pm | Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring St, Bastrop | Saturday evening of the run through September 27. Everyone needs a ticket regardless of age, no children under 3. Bastrop Opera House
🎶 Chris Max Band | 7:30-10:30pm | The Grace Miller "Gracie's", 706 Pine St, Bastrop | Saturday night live music. Free. The Grace Miller
Sunday, 🗓️ September 20
🛍️ Smithville Sunday Market | 10am-2pm | James H. Long Railroad Park, Main & 1st St, Smithville | Locally grown, homemade and handmade only, with live music. Free. Smithville Sunday Market
🏛️ Austin Museum Day | Free Admission & Final Day of Soul Circuit | 11am-2pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Free admission for the day, and the last chance to see the Soul Circuit exhibit before it leaves. Free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🎶 Kyle Reed Hemmen | noon-2pm | The Grace Miller "Gracie's", 706 Pine St, Bastrop | Sunday lunch music on the patio. Free. The Grace Miller
🍪 Sunflower Cookie Platter Class | 1-3pm | Sweet Tooth ATX, Elgin | Decorate a bright sunflower cookie platter step by step, no experience needed. Sweet Tooth ATX
🖌️ Teen Art Club | 2-4pm | Lost Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut St, Bastrop | A third-Sunday open studio for ages 13 to 18, with hands-on projects and room to find your own style. Free. Lost Pines Art Center
🎭 Disney's Newsies | Matinee | 2:30pm | Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring St, Bastrop | The Sunday matinee. Everyone needs a ticket regardless of age, no children under 3. Bastrop Opera House
🎃 Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park | 7-10pm | 149 Split Rail Lane, Smithville | The quieter Sunday night of opening weekend at the 20-acre haunted park outside Smithville. Recommended for ages 12 and up, tickets on their site. Scream Hollow
🖼️ All week
🤠 Soul Circuit | Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas | Monday through Saturday, 10am-5pm (last entry 4:30) | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | A traveling exhibition from Humanities Texas about the African American rodeo circuit and the Black cowboys and cowgirls who carried it on, including right here in Bastrop County. This is its final week, it closes after Saturday September 19, with one last free viewing on Austin Museum Day, Sunday the 20th. Included with museum admission, $8, kids 12 and under free, active military and veterans free. Bastrop County Historical Society
🔮 Planning Ahead
📬 In your inbox Thursday | Our Thursday issue lands with a fresh Featured Business of the Week and the back half of the week. Watch for it.
🎨 Fri Sep 25 | Autumn After Dark | Paint, Sip, Create | 6:30-8:30pm | Rising Sun Vineyard, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | Pick a fox, an owl or a pumpkin and paint it step by step, all supplies included. $30 a person, or 2 for $50 with code 2FRIENDS. Rising Sun Vineyard
🎮 Fri Sep 25 | Teen Anime Club | 5:30-6:30pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | A fourth-Friday hangout for ages 13 to 18. Free. Elgin Public Library
🧠 Fri Sep 25 | Trivia Night | doors 7pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | The library's adult trivia night, ages 18 and up. Free. Elgin Public Library
🥩 Fri Sep 25 | Prime Rib Night | 5-9pm | The Front Room, 116 Main St, Smithville | 8oz and 12oz cuts with two sides, last Friday of every month. Reservations 512-237-3626. The Front Room Wine Bar
🏆 Sat Sep 26 | REC RALLY 2026 | 8am-2pm | Elgin Memorial Park | Free-throw, pickleball doubles and cornhole doubles alongside the Elgin Cares community cookout. $10 per person per event, spectators free, ages 13 and up. City of Elgin
🎵 Sat Sep 26 | Music in the Museum | Bastrop Live | 12-1pm | Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St, Bastrop | Live, local music out on the museum's front porch, a free community concert. Bastrop County Historical Society
🔭 Sat Sep 26 | Star Party at Yegua Knobbs Preserve | 7-10:30pm | 1106 Johnnie Baker Rd, McDade | Dark-sky stargazing out in the eastern county, registration required for directions. Pines & Prairies Land Trust
🎸 Fri-Sat Oct 2-3 | Smithville Music Festival | 5th Annual | Downtown Main Street, Smithville | Twelve hours of live music across two days, free admission. Smithville Music Festival
🚂 Sat Oct 3 | Meet Me at the Depot | 9am-noon | Smithville MKT Depot, 102 NE 1st St, Smithville | The October installment of the new first-Saturday series. Free. Smithville Area Chamber
🍼 Oct 6-22 | Fall Community Baby Showers | 5-7pm | Elgin, Bastrop, Smithville, McDade & Del Valle | Free events for families with children ages 0 to 5, with resources, baby items, children's books and a community boutique. Dates by town. Bastrop County Cares
🍳 Tue Oct 6 - Nov 10 | Cook Learn Grow After-School Cooking | Colony Oaks Elementary, Bastrop | Six weeks of hands-on cooking for K-5, register through Bastrop ISD Community Education. $200 for six weeks. Bastrop ISD Community Education
🎄 Sat-Sun Oct 17-18 | Hometown Holiday Market | "A Pastel Christmas" | Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Clothing, holiday decor, gifts, handmade goods and gourmet food, hourly door prizes and pictures with Santa on Saturday. $8, a dollar off with a canned good, free parking. Texas Market Guide
🐷 Oct 22-24 | 39th Annual Elgin Hogeye Festival | Downtown Elgin | The best little pig gig in Texas. Free. City of Elgin
🎨 Sat Nov 7 | The Original Bastrop Art Fest | 10am-4pm | Lost Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut St, Bastrop | A day of local art, glass blowing, workshops and the gift shop at the art center. Lost Pines Art Center
🎁 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?
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? Hit reply and ask about sponsoring an issue or being our Business of the Week.
See you Thursday.
Marilyn - The Bastrop Current