QUOTE
Holiday warmup
From Houston's Nutcracker Market to the annual Bigfoot gathering to the Ranch Hand Breakfast, November is packed and ready to go places calendar
By June Naylor - Special to the Star-Telegram
Nov. 7-11
San Antonio -- New World Wine & Food Festival. Celebrating its eighth year, this gourmand's dream party honors food and drink from across Texas, as well as Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. This year's fete stars the wine and food of Argentina, headlined by a black-tie dinner on Friday night at the Omni La Mansion del Rio. Other events through the weekend include a river cruise from the Hyatt with hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants; a cocktail session with Heather John, senior editor at Bon Appetit magazine; and a grand tasting with chefs and winemakers from across the country. A family-friendly event, Totally Tejas, winds up the festivities at Rio Cibolo Ranch on Sunday, with hayrides, storytelling, and food and craft demonstrations. www.nwwff.org or 210-822-9555.
Nov. 8-11
Houston -- Nutcracker Market. Begun as a fundraiser for the Houston Ballet in 1981, this shindig has snowballed into a four-day shopping extravaganza filling the Reliant Center. More than 66,000 customers spent more than $11.2 million last year on goods from international merchants peddling their home decor, gourmet foods, apparel, accessories, toys, garden items and -- yes! -- nutcrackers during the massive holiday shopping spree. But there's lots more to the weekend, such as a $150-ticket preview party on Wednesday evening, the Saks Fifth Avenue Fashion Show and Luncheon (from $130) on Thursday, priority shopping hours on Thursday and Friday mornings ($35) and the Macy's Fashion Show and Holiday Brunch on Friday (from $80). Save the Galleria for Sunday. www.houstonballet.org, 713-535-3231.
Nov. 10
Jefferson -- Texas Bigfoot Conference. Skeptics and believers alike will gather at Jefferson High School to hear tales of sightings of Bigfoot, also nicknamed the Cypress Swamp Monster, the Woolly Booger and Sasquatch. Organizers say this annual get-together of "cryptozoologists" will feature a lineup of researchers who for decades have studied this mysterious creature -- reportedly spotted around Jefferson over the years. Among them: Jeffrey Meldrum, associate professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University and author of Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science (Forge Books, $27.95); W. Henner Fahrenbach, retired zoologist from Beaverton, Ore.; and Kathy Strain, archaeologist for the National Forest Service. $15 admission. www.texasbigfoot.com, 214-616-2220.
Nov. 17
Kingsville -- Ranch Hand Breakfast, King Ranch. At the world's most famous ranch, the whole community rallies around one of the largest annual events in South Texas. Always the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the event feeds some 4,000 people each year, including lots of winter Texans from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon and Canada, plus plenty of German visitors, too. The event raises money for La Posada de Kingsville, the yuletide celebration in downtown Kingsville. The traditional cowboy breakfast menu includes scrambled eggs, sausage, refried beans, flour tortillas, biscuits and plenty of cream gravy. Live music and demonstrations of team roping are part of the deal, all for just $6 for ages 4 and up. www.king-ranch.com, 800-333-5032.
Nov. 17-18, Nov. 23-25
Gruene -- Old Gruene Market Days and Photos With Cowboy Kringle. Perfectly timed for the holidays, the bucolic German burg on the north side of New Braunfels offers its giant monthly shopping fair, with some 100 vendors selling handcrafts and fabulous packaged Texas foods. The fair, Nov. 17-18, is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you can relax afterward over a chicken-fried steak at the Gristmill or a barbecue plate at Janie's, both in the cute village; www.gruenemarketdays.com. The weekends of Nov. 17-18 and Nov. 23-25, bring the kids to have pictures taken with Cowboy Kringle, the Hill Country version of Santa Claus; ask about the Christmas-card packages. Inquire about lodging packages in Gruene, too. www.gruenetexas.com or 830-629-5077.
Nov. 23-25
Waco -- Homestead Heritage Traditional Crafts Village, a 510-acre working farm at Brazos de Dios, is having its annual Craft and Children's Fair for the holiday season. Bring the kids to find out how hand tools are used in woodwork, blacksmithing, pottery and soap making, as well as to see brick-oven bread baking, horse farming, sheep shearing, butter and cheese making, timber framing and lots more. Kids and young adults can learn to make jump-ropes and toy boats, for starters. Hay rides will be offered, and music will include bluegrass and gospel performances. You can buy corn, wheat and other grains freshly ground in the gristmill, and foods made on-site. Admission is free; parking is $5 per car. www.homesteadfair.com or 254-754-9681.
Nov. 24
Austin -- Chuy's Christmas Parade. Starting at the Capitol at 11th Street and Congress Avenue at 11 a.m., this parade brings in the holidays with marching bands, classic cars and fabulous floats, such as the Cat in the Hat, Bob the Builder and Tweety Bird. It also benefits kids in need through a program called Operation Blue Santa, so bring a toy to donate. www.chuysparade.com, 888-439-2489.
June Naylor, 817-390-7818 june@junenaylor.com
From Houston's Nutcracker Market to the annual Bigfoot gathering to the Ranch Hand Breakfast, November is packed and ready to go places calendar
By June Naylor - Special to the Star-Telegram
Nov. 7-11
San Antonio -- New World Wine & Food Festival. Celebrating its eighth year, this gourmand's dream party honors food and drink from across Texas, as well as Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. This year's fete stars the wine and food of Argentina, headlined by a black-tie dinner on Friday night at the Omni La Mansion del Rio. Other events through the weekend include a river cruise from the Hyatt with hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants; a cocktail session with Heather John, senior editor at Bon Appetit magazine; and a grand tasting with chefs and winemakers from across the country. A family-friendly event, Totally Tejas, winds up the festivities at Rio Cibolo Ranch on Sunday, with hayrides, storytelling, and food and craft demonstrations. www.nwwff.org or 210-822-9555.
Nov. 8-11
Houston -- Nutcracker Market. Begun as a fundraiser for the Houston Ballet in 1981, this shindig has snowballed into a four-day shopping extravaganza filling the Reliant Center. More than 66,000 customers spent more than $11.2 million last year on goods from international merchants peddling their home decor, gourmet foods, apparel, accessories, toys, garden items and -- yes! -- nutcrackers during the massive holiday shopping spree. But there's lots more to the weekend, such as a $150-ticket preview party on Wednesday evening, the Saks Fifth Avenue Fashion Show and Luncheon (from $130) on Thursday, priority shopping hours on Thursday and Friday mornings ($35) and the Macy's Fashion Show and Holiday Brunch on Friday (from $80). Save the Galleria for Sunday. www.houstonballet.org, 713-535-3231.
Nov. 10
Jefferson -- Texas Bigfoot Conference. Skeptics and believers alike will gather at Jefferson High School to hear tales of sightings of Bigfoot, also nicknamed the Cypress Swamp Monster, the Woolly Booger and Sasquatch. Organizers say this annual get-together of "cryptozoologists" will feature a lineup of researchers who for decades have studied this mysterious creature -- reportedly spotted around Jefferson over the years. Among them: Jeffrey Meldrum, associate professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University and author of Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science (Forge Books, $27.95); W. Henner Fahrenbach, retired zoologist from Beaverton, Ore.; and Kathy Strain, archaeologist for the National Forest Service. $15 admission. www.texasbigfoot.com, 214-616-2220.
Nov. 17
Kingsville -- Ranch Hand Breakfast, King Ranch. At the world's most famous ranch, the whole community rallies around one of the largest annual events in South Texas. Always the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the event feeds some 4,000 people each year, including lots of winter Texans from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oregon and Canada, plus plenty of German visitors, too. The event raises money for La Posada de Kingsville, the yuletide celebration in downtown Kingsville. The traditional cowboy breakfast menu includes scrambled eggs, sausage, refried beans, flour tortillas, biscuits and plenty of cream gravy. Live music and demonstrations of team roping are part of the deal, all for just $6 for ages 4 and up. www.king-ranch.com, 800-333-5032.
Nov. 17-18, Nov. 23-25
Gruene -- Old Gruene Market Days and Photos With Cowboy Kringle. Perfectly timed for the holidays, the bucolic German burg on the north side of New Braunfels offers its giant monthly shopping fair, with some 100 vendors selling handcrafts and fabulous packaged Texas foods. The fair, Nov. 17-18, is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you can relax afterward over a chicken-fried steak at the Gristmill or a barbecue plate at Janie's, both in the cute village; www.gruenemarketdays.com. The weekends of Nov. 17-18 and Nov. 23-25, bring the kids to have pictures taken with Cowboy Kringle, the Hill Country version of Santa Claus; ask about the Christmas-card packages. Inquire about lodging packages in Gruene, too. www.gruenetexas.com or 830-629-5077.
Nov. 23-25
Waco -- Homestead Heritage Traditional Crafts Village, a 510-acre working farm at Brazos de Dios, is having its annual Craft and Children's Fair for the holiday season. Bring the kids to find out how hand tools are used in woodwork, blacksmithing, pottery and soap making, as well as to see brick-oven bread baking, horse farming, sheep shearing, butter and cheese making, timber framing and lots more. Kids and young adults can learn to make jump-ropes and toy boats, for starters. Hay rides will be offered, and music will include bluegrass and gospel performances. You can buy corn, wheat and other grains freshly ground in the gristmill, and foods made on-site. Admission is free; parking is $5 per car. www.homesteadfair.com or 254-754-9681.
Nov. 24
Austin -- Chuy's Christmas Parade. Starting at the Capitol at 11th Street and Congress Avenue at 11 a.m., this parade brings in the holidays with marching bands, classic cars and fabulous floats, such as the Cat in the Hat, Bob the Builder and Tweety Bird. It also benefits kids in need through a program called Operation Blue Santa, so bring a toy to donate. www.chuysparade.com, 888-439-2489.
June Naylor, 817-390-7818 june@junenaylor.com
