Granite Shoals 50th Bash underway
At the Granite Shoals 50th Year Bash, runners began signing in at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 23, and took to the Leo Manazano Hike Bike and Run Trail with its Olympic silver medalist namesake at 9 a.m. By mid-day an estimated 2,000 visitors were coming and going among exhibits, games and musical performances.
The Highland Lakes Elementary School (HLES) Choir performed at opening ceremonies that ended with a 10 a.m. release of hundreds of ballons in the city's signature green and blue colors. Art of HLES student art created the appearance of stained glass in city hall windows.
The musical festival tent saw John Arthur Martinez in an acoustic set with Brazilian percussionist Luiz Coutinho de Souza and Chris Reeves on Spanish Guitar still on stage at 2 p.m., with performances to follow from the Chris Reeves Band, Wake Eastman with Tejas, the Wilson String Band and a return of John Arthur with Tejas at 6 p.m.
Music reaches far across the children's activities and down to visitor parking, accessed at an entrance across Ranch to Market Road 1431 from the Granite Shoals Fire Department, and east to the booths of the festival midway. Fans with umbrellas enjoyed seating in front of the bandstand most easily.
Granite Shoals City Hall is welcoming visitors to review the art work of Highland Lakes Elementary School students and take a peek at an exhibit on the city's history that fills city council chambers on the second floor.
More than 40 craft and food booths are filling Quarry Park, 2201 North Phillips Ranch Road, just off Ranch to Market Road 1431, a seven minute from Marble Falls or Kingsland. The Saturday festival is all about family fun and the whole Highland Lakes community is invited to return Sunday for the Community-wide Service of Thanksgiving.
