Texas’ Tribute to Elvis

Elvis Presley never performed at Southfork Ranch, but the King’s dramatic flair surely influenced the fictional Ewing family and its glitzy North Texas estate. While Elvis and the Ewings are gone, Southfork lives on as a tourist destination and event center. March 4-6, Southfork will host Texas’ Tribute to Elvis, featuring 18 Elvis impersonators vying for the chance to represent Texas at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis. Along with contestant showcases, the weekend features various Elvis tribute shows, memorabilia sales, and discussions with Elvis associates, including his bodyguard, Sam Thompson; tour producer, Charles Stone; and backup singers The Holladay Sisters.

Sculpted in Steel: Art Deco Auto­mobiles and Motorcycles, 1929–1940

With its emergence in the 1920s, Art Deco design inspired wide-ranging innovations that emphasized a blend of industrialism and luxury. At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Sculpted in Steel: Art Deco Auto­mobiles and Motorcycles, 1929–1940, examines how automakers embraced Art Deco with a display of 14 stunning cars and three motorcycles, along with images and videos. The autos on display, with their sleek aerodynamics and chrome detailing and ornamentation, are unlike anything you’ll see on the road today. February 21-May 30.

Texas Irish

The Harp & Shamrock Society of Texas is quick to point out the Irish influence on early Texas, noting the 12 Irish-born and 30 Irish-descendant defenders of the Alamo. So it’s a lucky coincidence that Texas Independence Day and St. Patrick’s Day both fall in March. The San Antonio-based society celebrates Irish heritage March 12–19 with events including an Irish music festival at the Arneson River Stage; a River Parade; a St. Patrick’s Day Alamo wreath-laying; and the Harp & Shamrock Irish Festival on March 19 at the University of the Incarnate Word. The fest features a parade, Gaelic football and hurling, and traditional music, dance, food, and drink.

Texas Night Sky Festival

On March 5, the Texas Night Sky Festival in Dripping Springs offers a slate of activities that explore the attributes of nature at night, as well as ways to protect darkness from ever-encroaching artificial light pollution. Speakers include Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night, and Lakota descendants, telling traditional tales of the night sky. Demonstrations of citizen-science techniques for taking darkness readings and reducing glare complement children’s activities, a mobile planetarium, solar telescopes, and an astronomer-led star party—all in celebration of the beauty of the untainted night sky.

Photos: (from top) Courtesy Tees Events USA; Type C27 Aérosport Coupe, 1934, image © Peter Harholdt; courtesy Harp & Shamrock Society of Texas; Kevin Vandivier