This is a great way to spend a Sunday. Where else can you enjoy a perfect 70 degree day in the…read moreAustin area hill country, walking around with a plate and a glass, sampling the delicious goat tacos from Judges Hill, Antelope sliders and Wild Boar Chili from Wild Bubba's Wild Game Grill, and made to order smores with champagne marshmallows and chocolate chipotle pecan bark from Delysia, all while sipping on the a fabulous Sauvignon Blanc from Casa La Postolle or a fabulous Tempranillo from Fall Creek? The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas Cowboys + Gauchos event. The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas really did this up right, complete with cowboy boots and old style country music and a Latin tango beat to boot. The music from Tango Nostalgia made me wish I was in an Argentina Tango house with a rose in my mouth channelling my inner tango goddess, but I may need lessons first. I enjoyed Cafe Jose's Pork slices topped with a mango sauce and cilantro rice and beans. Zocalo was serving up an excellent melt in your mouth pork ribs and Agua Fresca. Live Oak BBQ had a tasty skirt steak and sausage. August Escoffier had a fantastic set of sides including apple jicama slaw, corn bread, potato cakes and beans. And if that were not enough, there was fabulous pork and yucca from La Sombra. Just when you thought it was safe to be free of the meat fest, there was a rack roasting an elk, another with a goat, a roast pig and lots of ribs and sausage on the fire. Alamosa, Becker, Fall Creek, McPhereson, Llano, Duchman and Spicewood were representing the Texas wine contingent. Gauchezco, Casa LaPostolle, Terrazas brought in the Latin America wines. E&J Gallo was also represented. The best part of this event, there were no long lines. The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas only planned to sell 350 tickets, so it was a comfortable day for all, and Mother Nature blessed us with perfect weather in a perfect setting. Yelp was there with yard games, bags, chap stick and other great swag to round out the fun. This is a gem of an annual event to add to your must do activities. It comes complete with an affordable festival price tag of just $50 ($40 for Wine and Food Foundation members).

I thought this festival was a lot of fun and I can't wait to see what else they make of it next…read moreyear! You walk up to the check-in table and if your name is on the list you get to go in with your wine glass and barbecue plate in hand. It all felt very fancy considering whole animals were being roasted on pits just fet away. Also, for what it's worth, I thought the disposable plates with a slot to hold your wine glass were ingenious. I am definitely on the look out for them for my next backyard barbecue! So, head in and find several amazing local bbq joints 'cue-ing up some incredible meat, potatoes, cole slaw and other goodies. The food just never seemed to quit. And the people cooking were all to willing to chat you up and tell about their goods. And the alcohol didn't quit either! Several local wineries and some delicious local craft beer rounded out a delightful afternoon for me!

I was in charge of hosting a fall company event for my work and I chose the Dripping Springs…read morePumpkin Festival. What intrigued me was that there were so many activities occurring at once for all ages. The company work event was not just for the adults, but also for kids and elders. Entry fee was $15 for ages 4 and up. $0 for babies 0-3, and $0 for elders 65 and older. The entry fee was reasonable for all of the activities that the festival had to offer but some activities had an additional fee. There was a little train ride, a petting zoo, and numerous vendors selling clothes, jewelry, etc. My team loved the food and drink options, my favorite was Pecos Petes! They sold a massive mug/cup for $25 and allowed refills all day. Pecos Petes had a selection of root beers, teas, and lemonade. The cup was a very cute memento as the back of it had the Dripping Springs pumpkin festival on it. There were swings and a talented bubble artist who kept the kids entertained for hours! The pumpkin festival was filled with numerous photo-ops for families and friends. My favorite was the horseshoe toss along with the lasso toss! Overall, we had a great company party, it was nice to be in such a festive environment. I am glad that parts of the festival had trees and tents to provide shade as it got pretty hot out there. A downside was the parking. On the website, they do stress that the parking is an issue and they even offer coupon codes for ride shares, so at least they are trying to make the public aware.

Very impressed with the pumpkin festival!…read more We have three kids that range from 4yrs to 8yr and 10yrs. While our youngest was on the rides and swings, our older boys could play patch pong and football next by. There were so many activities for all ages. They even had this kernel pit where they could all play. My son who is on the spectrum loved it. There is also a throwing ax spot that also has soccer balls so they loved kicking those too on the bull's eye. Then there was a feeding birds and feeding goats section. So much to do and we didn't even do it all. There was also a craft market and food trucks. Such a nice setup. And later in the day there is music and shows which we missed. There are a bunch of spots to take photos with skeletons and lots of pumpkins and gourds to buy at reasonable prices. You pay $15 to enter and parking is free. Then you pay for certain things like train ride, face painting and animal feed which our youngest wanted. All in all a great experience and our kids said they loved it - unprompted.

This was my first, and sad to say, my last time doing this festival. A friend who had been a few…read moretimes before highly recommended it and when I balked at the $40 (plus a $3.50 processing fee) "pre-event discount price" with the at the door price being $50, he assured me it was well worth it because there were so many great food and wine vendors, you get your money's worth. This was absolutely NOT the case! Firstly, this whole thing just seemed disorganized at best and I am sorry, but for $50 ($40) they could have gotten a much nicer location than a dusty, stiflingly hot cattle stockyard! As for what you get for $40, 6 drink tickets and 10 food tickets when drinks and food run you anywhere from 1 ticket for a meager barely 1oz pour for most of the wines to several tickets for very small portions of the food, you barely get $10 worth of food and drink! You can purchase ticket for $1 a piece, which is most definitely not worth the portions or pours you receive. As for the vendors/vintners at the festival, there were not nearly as many as you would expect for the price point and the layout was just haphazard. Also, there were several vendors that were out of food by the time we got there just after 2pm...the "festival" was supposed to go until 6pm...so how the heck were vendors running out of things w/4hrs left!?! The only highlight, for me at least, was the grape stomp, but even then, they ran out of tshirts to "stamp" with your grape-soaked footprints. In any case, my $43.50 would have been better spent and enjoyed at an actual local restaurant where I could have gotten multiple full pours of wine and actual food instead of leaving this joke of a festival hungry, overheated, more sober than when I arrived, and feeling like I had just been scammed somehow. Lesson. Learned. I am honestly shocked this "festival" has lasted 10yrs let alone one!

I had a lovely time as the guest of a coworker. However, I felt like the overall value wasn't quite…read morethere for this event. Drink and food tickets went way too fast when some places asked for multiple tickets for less than an ounce of wine or a small sample of food. The actual value was about $1 per ticket. There were also some vendors that were somewhat rude or rushing. The whole point is to get business by having people try your product, right? Well there's some wineries I'd think twice about giving my money to after their lack of friendliness. The options for food was more limited than I expected and many ran out of food even though we got there just an hour after the event started. There are lots of raffles going on and free koozies and pens galore. The arena was stuffy inside and though fresh near the doors you ran the risk of also eating dirt. The music was good but there needed to be more sitting areas to relax and open a bottle of wine. I will definitely go back next year, but I do hope to see more offerings.

We visited the Founder's Day Parade this year for the first time and it was so much fun! The…read morevendors only take cash, so you do have to have cash with you but everyone was so nice and the food stands all had great food. The carnival was a blast as well! We had so much fun riding rides and enjoying the atmosphere. This only happens once a year but it's worth saving the date for each year, without a doubt.

I've compiled a list of some things that are imperative for a local celebration:…read more Fried Oreos Boiled Crawfish Parade Beer Roasted Corn Live Music Sunscreen (which I didn't have this weekend) Kid leash Carnival BBQ Cook off Alka-Seltzer An average of 25,000 people head just west of Austin to celebrate all that is Dripping Springs, Texas. My highlights included sampling my first ever Pork Bomb. It pays to know everybody in the cook off sampling everything including salsa, brisket, chicken, chili, and the above mentioned pork log wrapped in bacon and then smothered in Jack Daniels BBQ sauce. See my last entry for my essentials list. Hope to get all my Yelp friends out next April!

Deep Eddy Vodka is one of my all time favorite vodkas. Who knew that I'd get to visit their actual…read moredistillery one day? The space is huge, staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the vodka flavors were unbelievably good. We had the opportunity to check out their newest, chocolate espresso which I predict will be a major hit. I plan to return for a longer stay and enjoy their outdoor space to eat, drink and soak up some warm Texas sun.

This has been on my list to visit and today was the day as we were celebrating our friend's 40th…read morebirthday!! I also didn't realize how much ample space this tasting room was! I originally thought it was just the front area with some double seating, oh no, there was a whole inside area wide open! So great!! There was also outside seating with yard games as well! They also had a van that converted into a photobooth so you can take pictures and send them to yourself for free, amazing! They had games where you can occupy some time with friends while drinking some cocktails. There's a merch shop out in front if you are fancing grabbing some shirts or any sort of thing! Loved their drinks - had their Espresso Martini and was definitely a fan of their Spicy Ranch Water! Service was also great, can't complain about that! The food did take a little longer for it to be ready which was a little annoying since I only ordered their queso with chips and their pork belly tips. Parking: seemed pretty easy from when we first got there, but I can assume it can be a little hard once it's busier.

She great and friendly! She brought her own table and set up equipment and art work was great!read more

Jasper was the most special addition to my son's 3rd birthday party. His balloon art was a treat…read morefor the kids and parents alike. As the party went on, the balloons became more and more creative, it was so much fun to see what would be coming next! Scheduling and booking was a complete breeze. Jasper arrived right on time, setup quickly and got to work. It would be hard to imagine a better experience. I would recommend him for any event that needs a bit of fun and whimsy.

Stop 1 on our wing tasting tour. Fall creek vineyards. The was my first time at this winery. We…read moretasted 5 wines - 3 whites and 2 reds. 1. Rousanne 3/5 2. Chardonnay 4/5 3. Sauvignon Blanc 5/5 4.Pinot noir 4/5 5. GSM private Reserve 3/5 Sharla our somolier was very knowledgeable about grape growth, wine composition and wine pairings. Our tasting room was horseshoe shaped, which made visiting very easy. Fall creek had other tasting rooms throughout the winery.. The vibe was super chill.

This was our first time visiting this winery during our October Texas Wine Passport tour. I very…read moremuch enjoyed the comfortable decor and plentiful seating in the air conditioning. Stephen did a nice job introducing the wines to us and we appreciated that he brought each tasting to the table for us. We preferred the reds. Our favorite was the Pinot Noir.

This is a great little getaway in the hill country. The cabins are blessed with a distinct lack of…read morepseudo-victoriana, novelty items, and clutter. Instead they are comfy, funky, and have awesome views. The warm baked goods in the morning are awesome, as is the fresh milk and juice. As we were staying in fall, the lovely pool was ice-cold. But the views around the property are awesome, and we had a great many pretty birds flitting around our bedroom window. Easy access to Johnson City, Wimberly, and other Hill Country destinations, plus reasonable prices makes this place a sure bet for future weekends.

I am still a bit skeptical that my friend's SUV just happened to die just down the street from a…read morefarm that has dog friendly cabins that my "friend" just happens to know the owners of?? But, I fully enjoyed my unexpected stay here so I am letting it slide. We stayed in the Casa Verde Cabin that included a fenced in yard for my dogs = sweet! For the humans it was even better: beautiful hand painted sinks and mirrors, luxury linens, super comfy mattress, awesome indoor/outdoor shower, breakfast treats delivered at our door before 9AM! Our cabin had a nice sitting area with Direct TV and a small kitchenette w/ a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker and a beautiful patio to enjoy a warm cup of coffee on. I left with a bottle of Paws Pup Wash an all natural Flea, Tick and Mosquito repellent wash with 100% of the profits going straight to PAWS shelter and the Humane Society! This is my kind of place!! They also have a BEAUTIFUL POOL and offer Cooking and Yoga classes that I would LURVE to return for! If your vehicle happens to break down in Dripping Springs on a Saturday night - I highly recommend this place to wait out your needed vehicle parts!

Exploring Austin's Hill Country was one of the best decisions we made when visiting friends in…read moreTexas. There was not enough time to go on a wine tour, so I had to figure out which winery to visit. I wasn't familiar with the area and randomly chose Driftwood Estates, which was a surprising highlight of the weekend! Was this real life?! Was I dreaming?! Standing on top of the hill, I was in deep admiration of the panoramic, gorgeous, and breathtaking views! It made me forget about busy city life and I only wanted to appreciate the beauty of nature and all its glory on such a perfect day (while sipping on a glass of wine)! I really did feel like I was in another world - filled with serenity, solitude and relaxation! We did a tasting and enjoyed the reds, which were more on the dry side, but I didn't mind because I prefer dry red wines. I definitely recommend the Sangiovese and Alamo Red. The bar area was a little crowded that day, so we didn't get to interact too much with the staff to learn more about their other wine offerings. There is a store next to the bar area. You can buy cute wine themed souvenirs for family and friends back home. They also have a small cafe - you can get some light bites and head outside, find your perfect cozy spot, and enjoy those breathtaking views! (Caution: There is plenty of parking at the winery, but please be careful and drive slow because of the bumpy gravel road).

As an Austin Tour Guide I take people out to the Hill Country all the time for wine, beer,…read moredistillery tastings, and barbecue. I've got my favorites and I generally stick with them. Occasionally I'll stop into a new (to me) place and see what they have to offer. On a recent trip, the clients requested Driftwood Estate Winery because they had read a review and wanted to try it. Personally, I am not a fan of their wine but I made a reservation for the 6 of them at 11am and we drove out there on a quiet Thursday. There was only one other car in the parking lot. We walked along the path to the main entrance, admiring the views of the Hill Country from their beautiful and expansive patio. When we approached the desk, one of the more enthusiastic women in our group said, "We're here to taste some wine!" An exceedingly unfriendly elderly lady who looked like the most miserable person on the planet, scowled, "You need a reservation! You can't just come here without a reservation!" (Really? And there's only 1 other car in the parking lot?) Everybody was a little surprised by her attitude and there was a brief uncomfortable pause before I stepped in and assured her that the group had a reservation and gave her the name. They were whisked off to a table by another woman as the first woman muttered something unpleasant under her breath. Long story short-- my guests were less than impressed (with the greeting, the tasting room and the wine) and I can assure Driftwood Vineyards that they've lost at least a couple thousand dollars in any future business from my company. If they haven't already noticed, new wineries are thick on the ground in Driftwood/Dripping Springs. Driftwood Estates is a hard pass. My guests enjoy Fall Creek and Bell Springs much much more.