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BASTROP — The Bastrop Museum & Visitor Center is inviting residents and visitors to celebrate the season with a series of festive and educational events that highlight the town's history, culture and traditions.
Holiday Traditions Exhibit
The museum’s Holiday Traditions Exhibit explores the diverse ways cultures around the world celebrate this time of year.
Featuring Diwali, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan and even Festivus, the exhibit showcases how communities honor their beliefs and heritage.
“This is such an exciting time of the year no matter how you celebrate,” said Jill Barrow, the museum’s interim director. “So please come celebrate with us and learn more about various holiday traditions — international and local.”
The exhibit opened on Wassail Night, Nov. 30, and will run through Jan. 6. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free, 904 Main St.
Letters to Santa
Children of all ages can share their holiday wishes with Santa by dropping letters in his official magical mailbox at the Bastrop Museum & Visitor Center.
For those without their own stationary, the museum provides special paper inside its Holiday Traditions Exhibit.
“This is a magical tradition for the children of Bastrop County, and it’s an honor for the museum to be selected by Santa Claus himself to be his official mailbox location,” said Rachel Hatch, the museum’s public relations manager.
This tradition is brought to the community by Downtown Bastrop and the city of Bastrop. The mailbox will be available during the museum’s free admission hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lost Pines Symposium This annual event offers a deep dive into Bastrop's historic architecture, including private tours, guest speakers and scavenger hunts that highlight the preservation of structures significant to the area’s minority communities.
“With Bastrop being the ‘most historic small town in Texas,’ our annual Lost Pines Symposium is a great opportunity to get an in-depth insight into some of Bastrop’s most beloved and historic buildings and homes,” Events Manager Nancy Wood said.
The symposium will take place from Dec. 12-14 at both the Bastrop Museum & Visitor Center and Kerr Community Center, 1308 Walnut St. Admission options include all-inclusive passes or single-day tickets, with times varying each day.
Rendezvous Holiday Gala
This annual gala will feature line-dancing, a live DJ, a buffet with a carving station and a silent auction to benefit the Bastrop County Historical Society and Museum.
“This is a night to celebrate the remarkable homeowners of the Holiday Homes Tour with delectable food and drinks, lively dancing, a fantastic silent auction, a fun photo booth and plenty of holiday merriment,” Sherri Gilmore said, president of the Bastrop Historical Society.
The Gala gets started at 6 p.m., Dec. 13, at the Bastrop Convention Center, 1408 Chestnut St. Admission is $100, with various sponsorship options available.
Holiday Homes Tour This year’s Holiday Homes Tour features five historic homes and the early 20th-century Kerr Community Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visitors will explore the lives of Bastrop’s diverse residents, from 19th-century German immigrants to modern-day heroes.
The tour will take place Dec. 14, from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $25, with tickets available online.
For tickets and more details, visit bastropcountyhistoricalsociety.
com.
