Shiner Market Days keep getting bigger and better

You won’t have to be the new kid in town, some outlaw man desperado or the girl from yesterday to notice that there’s a lot going on in Shiner this weekend, not least of which is Shiner Downtown Market Days, now held every third Saturday each month.

First off, for those who realized I just incorporated four song titles by the Eagles into that opening sentence, thank you, my man, because it’s nice to know such efforts truly aren’t wasted time. I send you all the best of my love. No doubt, too, you’re probably wondering why, exactly, I might do such a thing.

(That's three more, for those keeping count.)

Before we deal with that, however, I need to say a few words to—well, you know—that "other" crowd, those who have no notion of what I speak: Take it easy. It'll be OK. But move on along, if you don't mind. Nothing to see here, folks. It’s already gone. Takes a certain kind of fool, I guess.

(Thrice more. YES!)

And in answer to the big WHY, here goes: When the organizers of Shiner’s Downtown Market Days paid a visit to last week’s city council meeting in Shiner, they shared how they had put together a stellar lineup of live musical acts for this weekend.

Chris Rybak and his polka-playing cohorts kick things off Saturday morning, with performances scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 16, followed by Blake Hermes and Reed Gearson with an acoustic act you won’t want to miss from 1-4 p.m. To close things down with a street dance from 5-8 p.m. (drum roll, please) B’Maries and crew have brought in a knock-your-socks-off classic rock tribute band from the Houston area who call themselves the Texas Eagles.

They bill themselves as tribute band to the Eagles—you know, Don Henley, Glen Fry, Joe Walsh, THOSE Eagles—and they'll be firing off all your old favorites, live and on stage, for an old-fashioned street dance in beautiful downtown Shiner.

Life’s been good to us! (Last one, I promise…)

In addition, organizers said they’ve gotten calls from tons more food trucks and dozens more vendors. Plus, they’ve got tons of kids’ activities planned throughout the day, so be sure and bring the little ones, too.

As promised when they first brought their market vision to town earlier this summer, it just keeps getting bigger and better with each passing month.

Those planning to attend this weekend will likely want to know this, too: Because a wedding has been scheduled Saturday afternoon at nearby Shiner Central Station—depending on which Eagles tune might play at any given moment, because I imagine songs like Lyin’ Eyes, Love in the Fast Lane, Witchy Woman or Get Over It possibly sending the wrong sort of message at something like a wedding—but because of that wedding, planners decided to move the main performance stage, with city council's blessing, over to the First National Bank side of Avenue E (Highway 90A).

Where, precisely, that stage gets set up was still up in the air last week but looking for it on the bank side of the highway, along Shiner's Seventh Street.

Be careful, too, getting around Shiner that morning, as hundreds of cyclists are expected to take to the city's streets as part of SpoetzlBrewery’s 100-mile Great Austin to Shiner Pedal (GASP, for short). That's also happening Saturday in Shiner, with the bike race's finish line and a Shiner-fueled afterparty both set over at the brewery, where there's an entire other celebration happening most weekends, complete with a full line-up of live music acts.

Plus, if you dig live entertainment, you won't want to miss Shiner Music Fest, taking place Saturday, Oct. 30, in Shiner's gorgeous Green-Dickson Park. Tickets for that event, hosted by the Shiner Lion's Club, are on sale now, and gates open at 2 p.m. on the day of.

Until, take it to the limit, folks. Let that peaceful easy feeling wash on down because, in the long run, love will keep us alive, right here in our own little hole in the world. See you all Saturday night!

(OK, I lied. Because, somehow, I snuck 11 more Eagles songs in there. Can it be true? Better make that 12, which combined with the 11 from earlier, makes for a whopping 33 song references in single story. Somebody, stop me!)