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Round Top
June 4–July 16, 2017
For such a small town—a 2010 census revealed just 90 full-time residents—Round Top is home to an unlikely music series. Every summer since 1971, the Round Top Music Festival has curated a world-class series of classical concerts, considered one of the most well-curated music festivals in the nation, housed since 2007 in the acoustically stunning Festival Concert Hall. This year, 90 applicants were accepted to perform the six-week program out of hundreds of applicants from more than 23 countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Nigeria, Japan, and Finland. And each week, the orchestra will train with guest conductors hailing from across the globe as well—China, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Israel, Serbia, and Austria in addition to the United States. The worldly festival owes its existence to founder and artistic director James Dick, who will perform Beethoven’s “Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano” on June 10 and Chopin’s “Concerto No. 1” on July 15.
Photo: J. Griffis Smith
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Lockhart
June 8–10, 2017
Now in its 45th year, the city’s largest annual festival attracts some 30,000 people each year on the second weekend of June for this celebration of the West. Visitors are encouraged to dust off their cowboy hats and put on their boots to get in the spirit for the events, which includes a full rodeo, a grand parade, gunfight reenactments, cowboy breakfasts, and live music from the Bellamy Brothers, Reckless Kelly, Nathan Colt Young, and Justin Trevino. And seeing as it’s set in the Barbecue Capital of Texas, the festivities wouldn’t be complete without a cook-off, June 2–3.
Photo: Will van Overbeek
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Austin
June 8–11, 2017
If you thought nothing else could shut down Austin like South by Southwest, you’ve likely never been in town during the Republic of Texas Biker Rally—billed as the largest ticketed motorcycle rally in the nation with riders of all types drawn to the capital city for a weekend of camaraderie, camping, and concerts. For the 22nd annual event, the city will close off 54 square blocks as more than 200,000 people—and some 40,000 bikers—head to Congress Avenue for a huge kick-off party, during which an 11-mile parade downtown gets a friendly police escort (on motorcycles, no less). The ROT Rally will see its largest music festival yet with more than 30 bands slated to perform throughout the weekend, including Joe Ely, Billy Joe Shaver, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Yeah, it’ll definitely be loud. But decked out in their denim and leather glory, these bikers are a pretty spectacular sight to see.
Photo: Will van Overbeek
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Palo Duro Canyon State Park
June 2–August 19, 2017
Cutting through the heart of the Panhandle, the second-largest canyon in the country—falling behind that grand one in Arizona—holds a rich history in its deep walls. And every summer for more than five decades, it has set the stage for TEXAS, an outdoor musical drama that aims to tell the stories of the Native Americans and 19th-century pioneers who struggled to claim it. Over the years, the musical has seen more than 4,000 cast and crewmembers; many in this year’s iteration have been performing the same character for decades. It’s theater for the people—especially the outdoor-loving Texans who otherwise might not feel comfortable going into a traditional theater to see a musical production. But more than anything, it plays out the drama of Texas history in a setting like no other.
Photo: Will van Overbeek
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