Dripping Springs, Texas

June 2016discover Published by the Hill Country Sun

For advertising, call 512-484-9716 or email julie@hillcountrysun.com

Alex Dormont named Hero of Western Swing

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Hot Texas Swing Band. LEFT TO RIGHT Selena Rosanbalm, Cat Clemons, Alex Dormont, Karen Biller, Eric Hokkanen and Scott Benner. Photo courtesy Hot Texas Swing Band.

By LaureL robertson

Dripping Springs residents will be proud – but hardly surprised – to hear that our own Alex Dormont,

leader of the popular Hot Texas Swing Band, was recently recognized as a “Liv-ing Hero of Western Swing” by the Cow-town Society of Western Music. Alex re-ceived his award at a banquet in Mineral Wells from none other than Leon Rausch, of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys fame.

Everyone in Dripping Springs already knows Alex as a “Hometown Hero” for generously sharing his musical talent with the community he has called home for the past 32 years. As a member of The Rank Strangers, the Dripping Springs All-Stars, The Hot Texas Swing Band, or playing alongside Johnny Gimble or Beryl Armstrong, Alex has performed at virtually every fundraiser and special event the town has had since 1984. From

the first Founders Day Festival (and each one since), to the annual Friends Foun-dation Barbeque at the Salt Lick and the Pound House Pioneer Day fall festivals, Alex has always volunteered to entertain the crowd and support the non-profits’ fundraising efforts.

These days, he can be found every second Wednesday playing at the Drip-ping Springs Farmers Market and, for the past ten years, entertaining the residents at Hill Country Care twice a month.

Alex began his musical career play-ing with the Ace in the Hole Band, whose members included one George Strait. “That was before George was famous,” Alex recalls. “We used to ride to our gigs at Cheatham Street Warehouse and the Broken Spoke in George’s car, ‘cause it was nicer than mine.” In the late ‘80s, Alex joined the band of Jimmy Day, who See ALEX DORMONT, page 2

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had played steel guitar with the likes of Elvis, Hank Williams, Ray Price, Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson.

Now as leader of Hot Texas Swing Band, Alex is meeting mounting success-es each year. Over the past four years, he and his band have won Top Male Vocal-ist, Top Female Vocalist, and Song of the Year awards from the Academy of West-ern Artists; had an original song (“Ain’t Dead Yet” ) hit number one on the West-ern Way Top 10 Western Swing Album chart; been nominated for Best Western Swing Group in the 2016 Americpoli-tan Music Awards; consistently placed in the Top 10 Jazz Bands on the Austin Chronicle’s Best of Austin poll; and been honored by the Cities of Dripping Springs and Austin, who both declared Hot Texas Swing Band Days in 2014. The group was also featured in the March 2016 issue of Texas Highways.

More importantly, they’ve developed a loyal following among fans of Western Swing dancing. Hot Texas Swing Band’s own brand of “Hard-Drivin’ Western Swing from Austin, Texas” regularly fills up dancefloors from San Antonio to Hico, Bryan to Bulverde. This month they can be heard at Twin Sisters Dancehall near Blanco June 4 and at the Grand Stafford Theater in Bryan June 18. Or, catch them at Gruene Hall near New Braunfels July 6. The rest of the time, they’re busy playing regular gigs at The Domain I and II, Cen-tral Market Westgate and The Elephant Room in Austin; at Cypress Creek Café and Ino’z Brew and Chew in Wimberley - to name just a few.

Every summer, HTSB takes to the road to enjoy cooler climes and share their Texas Swing Music with the folks of New Mexico and Colorado. Vacationing

Central Texans might catch the group in late July/early August playing venues in Santa Fe, Taos, Pagosa Springs, Gunnison – and at several stops along the way.

“I play Western Swing Music because I love it. I’m proud to be honored with the award from the Cowtown Society of Western Music, because it will open doors for other bands and help spread the word about Western Swing Music – the Official State Music of Texas,” Alex says.

FYI • For more information about Alex Dormont and the Hot Texas Swing Band, including a list of their upcoming performances, visit the web site at www.hottexasswingband.com. They can also be found on Facebook.

Alex Dormont ABOVE AND BELOW was awarded the “Living Hero of Western Swing” award by the Cowtown Society of Western Music. Photos courtesy Alex Dormont.

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JUNE 2016

By LaureL robertson

From painting landscapes to baking goodies, creating things is making art, believe Amy Kirk and Kathy Hill,

creators of Dripping Springs Market Days. Their new venture opened to enthusiastic crowds this past April at Dripping Springs Ranch Park Event Center, and will now become a seasonal event with the premier of their new Summer Market on June 18.

In the comfort of the air-conditioned and spacious Special Events Room at the Ranch Park , 50 vendors will display their unique creations, from primitive art, stained glass, pottery, furniture, and jew-elry – to costumes and wedding dresses, iron works, basket weaving, wood carv-ings and more! There will also be purvey-ors of wine, homemade jellies, jams, and soaps.

The only limitation on the eclectic and imaginative mix available at the market is that the seller must be from the Central Texas area and have made the goods them-selves, says Amy.

The afternoon will be full of live mu-sic from Jerry Kirk, Tommy Mojica and the Dripping Strings, Tommy Elskes, Lily Por-ter on violin, and Joel Johnson and Jerry Hill.

Yapa Empanadas will serve their pop-ular Chilean-style pocket sandwiches and The Sweet and Spicy Texan will offer their Hawaiian/Mexican Fusion and comfort food. Fancy Eats and Sweets will serve cookies, cupcakes, brownies and other baked goods. Along with free admission, the event will offer free coffee and water all day.

A portion of the proceeeds from the June event will benefit Dripping Springs’ own Helping Hands, Inc. More Dripping Springs Market Days are planned for Sep-tember 17 and November 26 at the Ranch Park Event Center.

FYI • Dripping Springs Market Days Summer Artisan Market will be Saturday, June 18 from 10 am to 5 pm in the Dripping Springs Ranch Park Event Center. Admission is free; food and drink will be available at the event. For more infor-mation, visit Dripping Springs Market Days Facebook page or call 512-761-1852.

Summer Market features handmade goods June 18

Fibers from McRanch of Dripping Springs. Photo courtesy Dripping Springs Market Days.

Masterpiece Glass of Austin stained glass. Photo courtesy Dripping Springs Market Days.

Whimsical art from Sweet Thyme Design. Photo courtesy Dripping Springs Market Days.

Paper Heirlooms art. Photo courtesy Dripping Springs Market Days.

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By LaureL robertson

Where will you be this June as the sun’s rays shine directly down on us during the Summer Sol-

stice? Those in the know will be celebrat-ing the heavenly event at Sol’stice Gar-dens in Dripping Springs.

Sol’stice Gardens, the Hill Country’s premier native plant and fine art desti-nation, will host a Solstice Garden Party on Saturday, June 18 from noon on, says owner and sculpture artist Chris Smartt. There will be live music by The Round-ers, food and drink, along with displays of imaginative garden art sprinkled throughout the decorative gardens cov-ering Sol’stice’s three acres on Highway 290. In the old stone house-turned-show-room, visitors will find an eclectic mix of fine art, décor and craft items. Many of the displaying artists will be on hand to show their works.

Depending on the crowd, the party may go late, Chris says, “and there’s no telling what could happen.” The looming Cheshire cat sculpture smiling overhead beckons visitors down a wonderland path lit by twinkling lights - a likely setting for spotting Alice and the Mad Hatter sip-ping tea at a table deep in the shadows.

All the fine art and much of the gar-den art at Sol’stice are from local and Hill Country artists. Chris says his goal at

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Sol’stice is to bring local art to the com-munity. “We carry items that are unique, very well made, and not mass-produced. Most of our products are entirely hand-crafted and most are one-of-a-kind,” Chris says.

Kinetic art (“shiny, spinny wind art,” explains Chris) is everywhere, enliven-ing the gardens and outdoor settings at Sol’stice. As a natural complement to its garden art, Sol’stice stocks hard-to-find native and adapted nursery plants and large specimens of regional cacti. Master gardener Irene Anderson offers landscape design, nursery and container gardening services.

FYI • Sol’stice Gardens Expressions Summer Solstice Party will be Saturday, June 18, beginning at noon. Sol’stice Gardens is located at 900 Highway 290 West in Dripping Springs. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, noon to 5 pm. For more information, visit their website at www.solsticegardens.com, call 512-858-7263, or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Birdbath/Harper’s bowl. Photo courtesy Sol’stice Gardens.

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Hypertufa pot with bonzia cedar. Photo courtesy Sol’stice Gardens.

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SOL’STICE GARDEN PARTY, from page 4

The delighful and eclectic Sol’stice Gardens, located at 900 Highway 290 West, will be the site of a Summer Solstice Garden Party June 18. Photo courtesy Sol’stice Gardens.

Chris Smartt, owner and resident sculpture artist of Sol’stice Gardens, with his creation, aka “Sissy.” Photo courtesy Sol’stice Gardens.

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EVERY MONDAY• Rotary Club Meets. 11:45 am at Flores Restaurant, 2440 East Highway 290. 11:45 am. www.drippingspringsrotary.org.• Boy Scout Troop 280 meets at St. Martin de Porres Church Hall. 512-904-0444, drippingsprings280.mytroop.us. • Karaoke Night at Hudson’s on Mercer. 7:30 pm. www.hudsonsonmercer.com.FIRST and THIRD MONDAYS• Dripping Springs Lions Club meets. 6:30 pm at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. Sharon at 512-923-8360.SECOND MONDAYS• Group of Dripping Springs (GODS) Moms meets . Dripping Springs Methodist Church 9 am to 11:15 am. 512-894-0581.

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FOURTH MONDAYS• Art ists of Dripping Springs. Gatherings at area studios. 512-894-0394.• Gen. Ben McCulloch 2435, UDC meets at the Veterans Hall, 27500 Ranch Road 12 at 7 pm. Sharon Hudson at 512-858-7177.EVERY TUESDAY• Dripping Springs Toastmasters. 6:30 pm at Pioneer Bank, 100 Creek Road. Visitors welcome. www.dstoastmasters.com.• Dripping Springs Property Tour. 512-579-7711, dshometour@gmail.com.• Hill Country Community Band Rehearses at Chapel in the Hills, Wimberley. 7 pm to 8:30 pm. 512-517-3111.

• Open “Mike” Night with your host Mike Waits at Hudson’s on Mercer. Sign ups at 6:30 pm, show starts by 7:30 pm. Each artists can perform up to three songs (time permitting.) www.hudsonsonmercer.com.SECOND, TH IRD , FOURTH TUESDAYS• Dripping Springs Boy Scout Troop 101 meets. Dripping Springs United Methodist Church. 7 pm. Tom Chenault, 512-707-7488.SECOND TUESDAYS• Friends of the Dripping Springs Community Library. 11 am. 512-771-3217 or friendsofdslibrary@gmail.com for information and volunteer opportunities.EVERY WEDNESDAY• Dripping Springs Farmers Market. The Triangle (Highway 290/ Ranch Road 12) 3 pm to 7 pm. cityofdrippingsprings.com.• Open Mic at Mercer Street Dance Hall hosted by Nick Gatewood. www.mercerstreetdancehall.com.SECOND WEDNESDAY• Free Alzheimer’s Support Group meets at Arveda Alzheimer’s Family Care. RSVP to 512-637-5400. www.arvedacare.com.EVERY THURSDAY• Hill Country Jam at Mercer Street Dance Hall with Doug Moreland. Free admiss ion. 7 :30 p m . www.mercerstreetdancehall.com.• Thyme and Dough Bistro Nights with live music, dinners and decadent desserts. 6 pm to 9 pm. 512-894-0001.FIRST THURSDAYS• Dripping Springs American Legion 7 pm. 512-858-5637.• Nonfiction Addiction Book Club meets at the Dripping Springs Community Library from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. New members are always welcome. dscl.org, 512-858-7825.• First Thursday. Participating businesses offer special events from 5 pm to 9 pm. www.drippingspringstx.org.FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY• Lions Club meets at 131 East Mercer Street. 512-858-5159.SECOND THURSDAYS• Knights of Columbus, Council 11695, meets at the St Martin de Porres Parrish Hall on Post Oak Road, at 7:30 pm. Preceded by a pot luck dinner.THIRD THURSDAYS• Dripping Springs Cookoff Club. 6:30 pm in the VFW Hall in Dripping Springs. ryoncrew@yahoo.com.• Dripping Springs VFW meets. 27500 Ranch Road 12. 7 pm. 512-858-5637.• Thirsty Thursday. Poets, musicians,

songwriters, storytellers share work. Sponsored by City of Dripping Springs and New Life Lutheran Church. 7 pm, Dripping Springs Ranch Park. 512-858-2024.FOURTH THURSDAY• Photographers of Dripping Springs (PODS). Dripping Springs Community Library. 6:30 pm. 512-524-7897. EVERY FRIDAY• Men’s Breakfast at Fitzhugh Baptist Church. 6:30 am. 512-913-4808.EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY• Dance Lessons at Mercer Street Dance Hall. 7:30 pm. mercerstreetdancehall.com.SECOND & FOURTH SATURDAY• Pet Adoption Sponsored by Thundering Paws Animal Sanctuary. Tractor Supply. 512-402-9725.EVERY SATURDAY & SUNDAY• Live music and food at Twisted X Brewing Company. 23455 West Ranch Road 150. 512-829-5323, www.TexMexBeer.com.JUNE 3-4• Red Arena RoundUp at Dripping Springs Ranch Park.JUNE 4• Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition. Mercer Street Dance Hall. www.mercerstreetdancehall.com. • Red Arena Roundup. Free family fun with bounce houses, games, petting zoo, mini horses. Plus barbecue, raffles and silent auction under the covered arena at Dripping Springs Ranch Park across from Dripping Springs Elementary. Proceeds benefit programs at RED Arena, empowering individuals with disabilities through horses. REDarena.org. JUNE 17• Gary P. Nunn at Mercer Street Dance Hall. www.mercerstreetdancehall.com. JUNE 18• Sol’stice Garden Party. Celebrate summer with live music by The Rounders, food and drink, along with displays of imaginative garden art sprinkled throughout the decorative gardens (See story, page 4). Begins at noon. ww.solsticegardens.com.• Dripping Springs Market Days Artisan’s Market. 10 am to 5 pm at Dripping Springs Ranch Park. cca.drippingspringstx.org.JUNE 23• Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon. 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Terrace Club. cca.drippingspringstx.org.JUNE 24• Tish Hinojosa. Mercer Street Dance Hall. www.mercerstreetdancehall.com. JULY 9• Tomato Roundup at the Triangle. (See story, page 7.) cityofdrippingsprings.com.

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Homegrown tomato fans - the wait is almost over! On Saturday, July 9, Dripping Springs fifth annual

Tomato Roundup will gather together the best homegrown tomatoes in north-ern Hays County for everyone’s tasting pleasure. Tomato growers, whether farm-ers or home garden variety, are invited to compete for prizes and bragging rights throughout the rest of the year.

This year, the Tomato Roundup will move to the Triangle in Dripping Springs - the park bordered by Highway 290, Ranch Road 12 and Mercer Street (also the site of the regular Dripping Springs Farmers Market each Wednesday afternoon).

At the Saturday morning Tomato Roundup, there will be a Tomato Tasting tent (in case of rain), prepared food to eat, live music to enjoy, games to play and in-formation from the Hays County Master Gardeners on how to grow the best toma-toes in Central Texas.

The stars of the show will be the amaz-ing array of garden-fresh, vine-ripened to-matoes – from the smallest, sweetest cher-ries to the largest, juiciest slicers, to the richest, most flavorful heirlooms.

Gardeners from all over the Dripping Springs area are invited to bring their fin-est tomatoes to compete for prizes in five categories: cherry, yellow, heirloom, red slicers and Romas. For just $1/category, the public can taste all the entries and vote for their favorites.

A panel of professional chefs, city of-ficials and other distinguished taste buds will be on hand to render their verdict on the perfect tomato. First, second and third place prizes for both Judges’ Favorites and People’s Choice will be awarded in all five categories. Best in Show will be honored with the “The Harley Clark” award, in memory of Dripping Springs’ well-known and well-loved tomato-growing wizard.

The Tomato Roundup is sponsored annually by the City of Dripping Springs and organized by its Farmers Market Committee. Generous business and indi-vidual sponsorships help make the event possible. Sponsors, judges and volunteers for this year’s event are currently being sought.

FYI • Dripping Springs Tomato Roundup will be Sat-urday, July 9 from 9 am to 1 pm at the City Triangle (High-way 290, Ranch Road 12 and Mercer Streets). For more information, visit the web site at www.cityofdrippingsprings.com, click on the “Farmers Market” tab, or call the city at 512-858- 4725.

Tomato Roundup at the Triangle July 9

Tasting tomatoes at the Tomato Roundup. Photo courtesy Tomato Roundup.

Tomato lovers delight in the Roundup July 9. Photo courtesy Tomato Roundup.

Gardeners from all over the Dripping Springs area are invited to bring their finest tomatoes to compete for prizes at the Tomato Roundup July 9. Photo courtesy Tomato Roundup.

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