The Civil War Trail

Far from the battlefields of the Southeast, a little-known but influential chapter of the Civil War unfolded on the Texas-Mexico border as Rebels and Yankees fought for control of valuable cotton-trading routes. On February 28, developers of the new Rio Grande Valley Civil War Trail will celebrate the launch of the trail with a history symposium at UT-Pan American in Edinburg (free and open to the public). The trail offers a bilingual website, brochure, and podcasts that trace some 60 historic sites, such as the Port Isabel Lighthouse (above) and Palmito Ranch—site of the final Civil War land battle, which recognizes its sesquicentennial in May. www.utpa.edu/civilwar-trail.

Eddie Durham Jazz Celebration

Texas State University will honor the legacy of San Marcos-born jazz pioneer Eddie Durham February 6 with the Eddie Durham Jazz Celebration. Born in 1906, Durham started his career in San Marcos with the Durham Brothers Orchestra. By the 1930s, he was writing, arranging, and performing big-band jazz for the likes of The Count Basie Orchestra and Glenn Miller. The free 7:30 p.m. event features a big-band concert and a talk by jazz historian Dan Morgenstern. On February 7, Texas State hosts the Hill Country Jazz Festival, culminating with a show by the Texas State Jazz Ensemble.

Kwahadi Dancers of Amarillo present Winter Night Ceremonials

For the 50th consecutive year, the Kwahadi Dancers of Amarillo will present their Winter Night Ceremonials on weekends in late January and February. Made up mostly of teenagers, the Kwahadi Youth Dance Theater interprets the traditional dances of the desert farming people of the Southwest for the performance, titled “Tyuonyi: A Journey in Time.” The performances, held at Amarillo’s Kwahadi Museum of the American Indian, cost $9 for adults and $5 students. Call 806/335-3175.

Audubon’s Beasts

The naturalist John James Audubon (1785-1851) is best known for his effort to illustrate and catalog the breadth of America’s bird species. Later in life, he embarked on a similar project for mammals with his book Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, featuring hand-colored prints of creatures like bison, raccoons, and wolves. In Fort Worth, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art displays some of these prints in Audubon’s Beasts, which runs January 15-August 2.

Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering

February 27–28, the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering is a two-day event celebrating the oral tradition of the working cowboy in poetry, stories, and music. Enjoy more than 50 performers in the classrooms and on the stages of Sul Ross State University in Alpine.

For more on the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering, read Texas Highways Associate Editor Matt Joyce’s story about the annual event.

Mardi Gras Galveston

Texas’ largest Mardi Gras celebration starts with the beads. Revelers will toss more than 3 million strands of beads at Mardi Gras! Galveston, and that’s just the beginning of the elaborate celebration, with parades, headliner performances, family events, feasting, and other festivities that come with hosting Mardi Gras island style. February 6–17.

Death by Chocolate

Death by Chocolate is the premier fundraising event for Keep Longview Beautiful. The affair will be held on February 14, 2015, at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center from 7 p.m.–11 p.m. Enjoy a decadent evening of chocolates, wine, and savory hors d’’oeuvres.

Photos: (from top) J. Griffis Smith; Courtesy Texas State University School of Music; Courtesy Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council; John James Audubon, printed by John T. Bowen, Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Canyon of the Eagles
A nature-based destination resort nestled within a 940-acre nature preserve in the Texas Hill Country’s Upper Highland Lakes Region.