Special activities continue this weekend
By Kathy Thomson
Several activities are planned for this Friday and Saturday, offering an assortment of entertainment options during the day, and of course, the final two performances of the 2018 Fort Griffin Fandangle will take center stage at the Prairie Theater both evenings.
Kids Corral
The shade of the Bank Park will be the site of a Kids Corral full of activities for children on Saturday, June 30, from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m.
“The Kids Corral went great last Saturday,” said Fandangle marketing director Meredith Robison. “We had around 20 kids, mostly from out of town.”
There is a $5 per child admission fee, but that includes the stick horse races, water gun shootout of animal targets, the bounce house, and a Fandangle bandana for them to color with fabric markers and take home as a souvenir.
Antic Spring
The Aztec Theater will be open at 3:00 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30 for a free live theater performance of Antic Spring.
The comedic one-act play was written by Albany native Robert Nail and will be performed by recent Albany High School graduates.
Admission to the play is free, the Aztec is air-conditioned, and donations for charity will be accepted at the door.
Quilt Show
The Whitney Theatre will also offer free entrance into the cool interior of a historic downtown building at 3:00 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, and those that stop by can browse through the annual quilt show sponsored by the Albany Study Club.
The show is open to the public from 3:00 until 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for a chance at this year’s raffle quilt can be purchased for $5 each or five tickets for $20, and are available from Study Club members, at the county library, or at the quilt show.
“We only had a few people come to the quilt show last Friday, but then we had a good group last Saturday,” said club president Carolyn Waller.
Quilt owners are asked to pick them up at the county library starting Monday, July 2.
Pet Parade
The Bank Park is the site of the annual Fandangle Pet Parade that takes place this Friday (tomorrow), June 29 at 5:00 p.m.
Pre-registration is encouraged, but entries are welcome until the parade gets underway.
Costumes are encouraged, but not required.
Prizes will be given in several categories.
For more information see the related article in this week’s edition of The Albany News, or call the Fandangle office at 325-762-3838.
Fort Griffin
Fort Griffin State Historic Site is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission prices are $4 for adults, $3 for children and seniors.
The weekly Horns and Tales Longhorn program will allow visitors at the cattle pens an up-close view of animals from the state herd at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 30, as they hear about the history and tales from the cattle drives and early ranching.
On Saturday, June 30, visitors can also head to the campground for Campfire Tales at 8:00 p.m.
“Enjoy sitting around a campfire on the Great Western Cattle Trail, listening to true accounts, tall tales, and even a few ghost stories,” said program specialist Eric Abercrombie.
OJAC
The staff at the Old Jail Art Center has invited everyone to join them for two special events on Saturday, June 30.
Native American dancers will perform at 1:00 p.m., and award winning editor Deborah Liles will lead a focus lecture about women ranchers in Texas during the Civil War from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
The OJAC is free to the public, and summer exhibitions are also available for viewing during normal museum hours.
For more information, call the museum at 325-762-2269.
Other Activities
Several additional activities are taking place this Friday and Saturday.
The Shackelford County Courthouse is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, but is closed on Saturday.
Downtown stores will be open most of the day, and the Flying A Car Museum will be open during the afternoons until 8:00 p.m.
The Picket House at the Bank Park will be open for viewing from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Longhorns from the state herd at Fort Griffin will be displayed on the Courthouse Square each afternoon from 3:00 p.m. until performance time.
Sandy Abel will perform a concert on Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church’s tracker organ from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
There will also be live music at the Icehouse both afternoons.
Food trucks are scheduled to be at the Bank Park from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The Fort Griffin General Merchandise Restaurant will have a barbecue buffet starting at 5:00 p.m.
The gates to the Prairie Theater open at 7:30 p.m., the calliope concert begins at 8:00 p.m., and the Fandangle starts at 8:30 p.m.
