Did you know the legendary Texas dance hall turns 140 years old this year?
Story by Shawna Holly
For a dance hall to be nearly as old as the state of Texas itself is what most would consider remarkable. For that same dance hall to have never been inoperable in the entirety of its existence (yes, even through multiple wars, Prohibition, and the Great Depression) is nearly unbelievable.
Yet that is exactly what you’ll find in Gruene, an incorporated town within the larger Hill Country city of New Braunfels.
Gruene Hall, Texas’ oldest continually run and arguably most famous dance hall, is still largely in keeping with what was built in 1878–in all its tin-roofed, non-climate-controlled glory. Kristen King, social media coordinator for the hall (and pretty much the entire town of Gruene), tells us that even in its 140th year, “It’s all pretty much the same. The current owners, who purchased it in 1974, made minimal repairs and changes keeping everything as close to original as possible. The front façade has had no changes other than a paint job every now and then and signage. The building is the original building, floor, walls, etcetera. After all, the Gruene slogan is ‘Gently resisting change since 1872,’ and we mean it!”
Live music of the singer-songwriter variety is what Gruene Hall is most known for, and you’ll still find it there seven days a week.
“Once the current owners purchased the Hall in the 70s, music again became a focus,” Kristen explains. Since then, the hall has supported and hosted a slew of Texas singer-songwriters as well as national and international recording artists. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, the hall gave artists like Jerry Jeff Walker, George Strait, Lyle Lovett, and Hall Ketchum a place to showcase their music on a regular basis. Even today, our live music schedule is full of Texas musicians and up and coming singer-songwriters.”
According to Kristen, the crowd at Gruene Hall varies from night to night, but includes a mix of regulars, tourists, and bucket-listers.
“You’ll often see the locals on weeknights, at Friday Afternoon Club, and on Sundays. They’re our ambassadors of sorts, as they always bring visiting family and friends to the hall. In that same regard, you get non-local regulars; those that make annual trips to shows whenever their favorite artist plays or for some of our annual events. We have groups that come every year to hear Jerry Jeff Walker, from all ends of the country! They’ve been hearing him at the hall since the late ‘70s, so even after moving away, they come back whenever he plays. The folks who attend those events are regulars, but not in the traditional sense.”
While we’ve been told that there’s no official 140th anniversary celebration this year, there is a grand party planned for 2020, to celebrate the Hall’s 45th anniversary under current ownership and its return to offering live music. In the meantime, there are plenty of long-standing annual traditions and concerts to choose from if you’re looking to experience the hall for yourself.
“One of our favorite summer traditions, now in its 23rd year, is Two Ton Tuesdays [through August 21]. We’ve also had 22 years of Americana Music Jam and this year is the 32nd Annual Gruene Music and Wine Fest [October 4 -7]. Of course, there’s always Hair of the Dog Day on January 1 as well. The list just goes on and on!”
Of course live music isn’t the only draw for Gruene fans. Nearby you’ll find the Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar, Mozie’s, Cantina Del Rio, The Grapevine wine tasting room and bar, and gifts, antiques, and trinkets galore at Cotton Eyed Joe’s and Gruene Antique Company (all of which are historic Gruene Hall sister-properties).
It’s safe to say that if a day trip or weekend getaway to the Hill Country is in your near future, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a destination more steeped in Texas History and full of true Texas charm than the little town of Gruene–and the 140th birthday of the oldest and most famous dance hall in Texas might just be the perfect excuse to hit the road!
Shawna Holly is a Boerne wife, mom, and blogger who shares her family’s adventures through life and the Texas Hill Country at SowingSeedsTx.com.
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