¡Ay, caramba! Feliz Cinco de Mayo

For the first year ever, Gruene Historic District is joining in on the fun of Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Cantina del Rio! On Friday and Saturday, stop by for $3 Sangria and Margaritas and $2.50 Mexican Beers until 7 pm.

On Sunday, the official Cinco de Mayo, we will have a live mariachi band from 2-5 pm, along with food and drink specials all day long! We hope to see you there!

 

 

Not only will we have food and drink specials all weekend at Cantina del Rio, we also wanted to showcase a few signature Cinco de Mayo-themed drinks at the other restaurants in Gruene Historic District. We hope you'll come celebrate with us!

 

Cantina del Rio Premium Margarita

1 3/4 oz Don Julio Tequila

1/2 oz Patron Citronage

5 oz Lime Juice or Margarita Mix

Shake well and enjoy!

Mozie's Mojito

1.5 oz Bacardi Silver Run

1.5 oz Fresh Mint Leaves

2 Lime Wedges

Soda

Muddle mint and lime together in the bottom of the glass. Add rum and stir. Then fill glass with soda and top with mint spring. Ahh!

The Girstmill's House Specialty Margarita (Yields 1.6 gallons)

1 Bottle Tequila (whichever brand you prefer)

1 Cup Triple Sec

3 Cups Fresh Squeezed Lime

2 Cups Sugar

4 Cups Hot Water

Mix sugar with hot water until combined, then add in lime juice, triple sec and tequila. Stir vigorously. Enjoy!

 

5th Annual Lone Star Music Awards

Accepting the award on behalf of Gruene Hall is booking agent Tracie Ferguson.

Gruene Hall Named Best Music Venue

Gruene Hall was recently named the Music Venue of the Year in the 5^th Annual Lone Star Music’s esteemed awards. The winners for each category were voted on by the public, and winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony and concert on Sunday, April 28^th at The Texas Music Theater in San Marcos, TX.

This is the fourth year that Gruene Hall has won Music Venue of the Year. The frist year of the awards did not have a Music Venue category. Other nominees for Music Venue of the Year were Billy’s Ice in New Braunfels, TX, Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK, Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos, TX, John T. Floore’s Country Store in Helotes, TX, Luckenbach Dancehall in Luckenbach, TX and Texas Music Theater in San Marcos, TX.

The nominees for each of the 15 categories were selected by a pool of 130 industry professionals and 20 “super fans” selected by applicants in contest conducted on Facebook by Lone Star Music. The nominees were then released to the public for voting.

Other notable winners this year included “Goodbye Normal Street” by the Turnpike Troubadours for Album of the Year, “Good Lord Lorrie” by the Turnpike Troubadours for Song of the Year, Cody Canada of The Departed for Musician of the Year and Robert Earl Keen for Best Live Act of the Year and the Hall of Fame Award. A full listing of winners can be found at www.lonestarmusic.com.

 

Entertainment at the Awards Ceremony included performances by The Departed, Robert Earl Keen, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dustin Welch and John Fullbright, Rob Baird, Jason Eady, Courtney Patton and Shinyribs. It was a fun night of music!

Gruene Hall is a true Texas tradition. The 6,000 square foot, open air dance hall has remained much the same since its start. The wood floors, antique advertisements on the walls and rustic stage provide perfect examples. A favorite music venue for artists and patrons alike, the overriding attraction from the late ‘70s has always been the magic and intimacy created between the audience and performer due to the close proximity of the stage to the dance floor. The booking direction is focused on singer-songwriters and artists who play original material, and the Hall stage has proved to be a fertile ground for many former “new talents” such as George Strait, Hal Ketchum and Lyle Lovett. For a lengthier list of artists who have played the Hall, please visit our website. For information, call (830) 606-1281 or visit www.gruenehall.com.

LoneStarMusic.com was founded in 1999 by diehard Texas music fan, Chad Raney, as a one-stop-shop for fans to find music from both well-known stars to rising artists. Since its origin, it has been a huge success, and a retail store located just steps away from Gruene Hall and a magazine have been added to supplement the original website. In 2009, Lone Star Music changed ownership. Zach and Megan Jennings purchased the company and have helped it flourish in the years since with involvement in Austin’s SWSX Music Festival and a 300% increase in circulation of the magazine. The Lone Star Music Awards were also added to the company’s ventures in 2009. Voting takes place mainly electronically, but paper ballots are also available in each copy of the Lone Star Music Magazine.

Viva Fiesta in Gruene!

It’s mid-April in South Texas, and to San Antonio and the surrounding areas, that means one very important thing – Fiesta! While the week-long tradition in downtown San Antonio has different meanings to different people, the one common thread is that it offers citizens an excuse to gorge on delicious Tex-Mex classics, celebrate San Antonio’s rich heritage, and most of all, party for a whole week!

1891 marked the first year of Fiesta when a group of citizens decided to honor the heroes of the Alamo and Battle of San Jacinto with the 1^st Annual Battle of Flowers parade. Since that first parade, the celebration has expanded to include three different parades, multiple members-only organizations, parties and festivals.

While New Braunfels and Gruene are both 30 miles north of the party’s center, aspects of the San Antonio celebration still affect parts of life in Gruene. Here’s how:


The crowds at NIOSA

A long-time favorite of many San Antonians is NIOSA, or Night in Old San Antonio, which will be held from April 23^rd to 26^th.  Since its inaugural year in 1948, NIOSA has grown into a mammoth Fiesta event orchestrated by over 16,000 volunteers who stage and man the annual four-night enterprise each April. The historic, downtown village of La Villita takes center stage as 85,000 visitors now come through the gates during NIOSA.

Cooking Anticuchos at NIOSA

Between Shypoke Eggs (a large chip with white and yellow cheeses melted on top to resemble an egg), puffy tacos, beer and fried jalepeos, everyone has their favorite booth at NIOSA. It just so happens that the owner of Mozie’s in Gruene and Josephine Street Café in San Antonio, Pat Molak’s, favorite Fiesta food were the Antichuchos, the marinated steak shish-k-bobs, he got once a year during Fiesta. 

Volunteers at NIOSA sell more than 18,000 of these formerly NIOSA-exclusive treats each year, and finally, Molak decided it was time people got to experience Anticuchos year round, instead of just during the week of Fiesta. Since their introduction on the menu, the Anticuchos have been a hit. Now available as an appetizer served with chips and creamy avocado ranch dip, or on top of chipotle pasta at Mozie’s, the perfectly marinated Anticuchos are a popular choice at both restaurants.

So whether you’re reminiscing during the non-Fiesta months, or celebrating from afar, we invite you to come in and try a bite of San Antonio history!

Top 5 Outdoor Activities!

Spring is here, and for Texans, that means spending as much time outdoors as possible before the weather gets unbearably HOT! We've rounded up the 5 best outdoor activities for spring - enjoy!


1. Wine Tasting at The Grapevine
Three free samples of wine or craft beers – need we say more? Well, there is more. Not only does The Grapevine offer free samples of wines and craft brews daily, but they also offer the ideal outdoor setting to relax and enjoy a bottle or pint once you find your favorite. Whether you relax on the front porch and watch the buzzing streets of Gruene or grab a seat at our wine barrel tables in the garden, you can’t beat the scenery. The Grapevine now has live music from 3 to 6pm each Saturday in the garden, so you can have your music, and drink your wine too. :)

2. Picnic on the Guadalupe
There’s no better way to appreciate the great outdoors than to grab a picnic basket, quilt and bottle of wine and head down to the river for a lunch al-fresco. What to pack for the picnic? Try the Chicken Salad from Mozie’s. It’s so delicious that you can eat it by itself, but it’s also great on a sandwich – perfect for a picnic! You can call it in, or give it a whirl yourself, here’s the recipe:

Mozie’s Chicken Salad
Makes enough for 10-15 people depending on serving size
4 lbs. Chicken Breast, cooked and diced
3 Hardboiled Eggs, chopped
2 Cups Diced Celery Stalks
2 Cups Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Coarse Black Pepper
4 Tbsp Dill Relish
1 Tsp Salt
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Goes well on a sandwich, or as a snack with crackers.

3. Dine at the Gristmill
Whether you’re waiting for your table in the beer garden with a Perfect Patron Margarita and live music, or already seated with friends overlooking the Guadalupe River on a beautiful spring day, the Gristmill River Restaurant& Bar offers the best food in the best setting in Central Texas. From a light Spinach Salad to fresh trout or a filling chicken fried steak with onion rings, the menu is as expansive as the restaurant. Once housed in the ruins of an old cotton gin, the Gristmill has expanded over the years to a multi-level restaurant that caters to all tastes in the nine different seating areas.


4. Do the Doggie Dip
Spring temps may not be warm enough for you to venture into the cold water, but chances are it will be just perfect for your furry friend. Grab your closest canine companion and let him jump in! Landa Park in New Braunfels is even having a Doggie Dip Day at their Aquatic Complex on Saturday, April 27^th.  Hey, dogs love the spring weather, too!! 

5. Enjoy the Flowers
From bluebonnets lining the highways to the planters full of bright orange Snap Dragons outside Gruene Hall or freshly bloomed Mountain Laurels, the flowers around Texas in the spring time urge people all over the state to venture outdoors and “smell the roses.” Gruene takes great pride in the keeping up with the Jones’ when it comes to landscaping – from our No Parking signs to storefronts, we want everything to look as fresh as a daisy! Whether you need the perfect spot for a photo session or just want to enjoy the aromas of spring blooms, Gruene is the color of spring!