Attractions
The Texas Opry: THEATER’S STAR IS SHINING BRIGHT OVER NORTH TEXAS
Over the past 22 years the “Opry’s” in North Texas as well as all over Texas have come and gone according to economic factors of their times. In 1992 when Jerry and Marilyn Carter first opened the Texas Opry Theater in Weatherford as a standard “Opry Show” every Saturday night the ticket prices were $8 each and the entertainment was aspiring singers of all ages. The musicians in the band would back up each artist on 2 songs each and the two hour show would consist of sometime 10 different singers.
Marilyn Carter remembers the show bringing in as many as 475 patrons to sit and listen to the local and regional amateurs sing their cover songs. The Opry circuit in North Texas consisted of as many as 10-12 theaters such as The Texas Opry (sometimes known as “The Weatherford Opry”), The Grapevine Opry, Cross Timbers Opry, The Burleson Jamboree, Johnny High’s Country Music Revue, The Mesquite Opry and many others in small towns across Texas. Over the years all but a few have closed their doors as cost increased and the patronage aged beyond their abilities to attend a show every Saturday night.
At this time the only ones remaining are The Texas Opry Theater in Weatherford and The Grapevine Opry. The matriarch of the Opry business was Johnny High in Arlington but he passed away in 2011, and the new owner of the building and the business is taking the show a different direction as is The Texas Opry and The Grapevine Opry.
The original Texas Opry Show ran weekly from 1992 to 1995 then re-opened in 2002 with a monthly Live Music show featuring name entertainment from Nashville and Branson. Entertainers such as Ray Price, Don Williams, Connie Smith, Gene Watson, Hank Thompson, Moe Bandy, John Conlee, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson and many, many more entertained on its stage. To read more pick up the May 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
On The Road With Dave Alexander
Rarely will you find an event center that includes a music venue, a steakhouse and a wildlife refuge all rolled into one.
Oak Meadow Ranch has been welcoming guests for over two decades with one thing in mind, your complete happy experience.
The Chef Dinner and Exotic Animal Experience includes a four-course meal followed by a hands-on experience with exotic animals.
You can catch up with Dave at the Birthplace of Western Swing Festival in Fort Worth, Texas on November 7, or at the Irving Symphony Orchestra in Irving, Texas on November 9. To read more about his experience at Oak Meadow Ranch, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print.
To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Lindsey Monk
On Aug. 22, 2024 at 11:40 p.m., the Remington fire jumped the line in Wyoming to burn towards Montana at a high rate of speed. The fire burned 194,459 acres and over 41 miles from one end to the other in a span of two days. Livestock producers will be feeling the effects for years to come.
Pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Hannah Claxton | Editor
The GO TEXAN program is a Texas Department of Agriculture initiative dedicated to showcasing and supporting Texas based busi- nesses. During the State Fair of Texas, held in Dallas each year, the program puts together the GO TEXAN pavilion. Within the pavilion, presented by Southwest Dairy Farmers, visitors have the opportunity to sample and shop Texas-based products, learn more about agriculture and participate in family-friendly activities.
In 2023, more than $1 million in revenue was generated across nearly 67,000 products sold. Businesses with products produced or processed in Texas are invited to apply to join the program, and can visit http:// www.gotexan.org/JOIN to apply.
When visiting the State Fair of Texas, make sure to visit the GO TEXAN pavilion to support businesses driving agricultural commerce and explore Texas agricultural commodities outside of North Texas.
The State Fair of Texas is held each year in the fall, and is considered to be the first of the “majors” shows for many students involved in showing livestock. Cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, and even llamas all have a class to enter at the fair.
For those not showing livestock, over a hundred creative arts classes are available to enter. Canned goods, photography, quilts, paintings, and butter sculptures are all displayed throughout the fair’s duration. Another contest judges a variety of antique collections and keeps them on display throughout the duration of the fair.
It’s not the State Fair of Texas without world-renowned food. The Big Tex Choice Awards contest has solidified the State Fair of Texas as the top Fair for great food creations. Each year, State Fair concessionaires fry up tasty and unique foods for a chance to become a finalist in the annual Big Tex Choice Awards competition.
The 2024 Finalists in the Savory category are: Dominican Fritura Dog (by Justin Martinez), The Drowning Taquitos (by Tony & Terry Bednar), Hippie Chips (by Rose and Tom Deschenes), Hot Chick-In- Pancake Poppers (by Palmer and Amanda Fortune), Texas Fried Burnt End Bombs (by Nick and Vera Burt).
In the Sweet category, the 2024 Finalists are: Nevins Nutty Bar- Laska (by Tami Nevins Mayes & Josie Mayes), Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon On A Stick (by Isaac Rousso), Strawberry Pop-Tarts Beignettfle (by Justin Martinez), Texas Sugar Rush Pickles (by Heather Perkins), and Tropical Two-Step Punch (by Binh Tran).
Livestock & contests schedule of events is available in the September issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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