SEPTEMBER 201 4 SUNRAYS | 61
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
Editor’s note: This is the last in a series of
articles highlighting nearby locations that
would make for a fun day trip. Through-
out this summer, resident writer Sandy
Nielsen has taken us to sites worth visit-
ing and within a day’s drive from Sun
City Texas. Have a safe trip—whenever
and wherever you go!
T
he barn-like structure with the
tin roof, open rafters, and fold-
down sides for ventilation hasn’t
changed much in the 136 years since it
was built. But the worn wooden floors
and the 1930s to 1940s advertising signs
hung around the walls have seen more
than their share of music legends being
born and returning again and again to
appreciative audiences.
This unique, legendary building is
Gruene Hall, part of the Gruene Historic
District in Gruene, Texas, just outside of
NewBraunfels—about an hour and a half
south of Sun City Texas.
(Helpful hint: In
order to “talk Texan,” newcomers should
learn to pronounce this town’s name, like
“green.”)
Henry Gruene and other Ger-
man immigrant families started cotton
farming here along the banks of the Gua-
dalupe River in the 1870s, establishing a
cotton gin, a school, and a general store,
along with the dance hall. The latter has
since become the oldest continuously op-
erating dance hall in Texas.
Boll weevils and the Great Depression
spelled the end of the cotton industry in
this part of Texas, and therefore the de-
cline of the town until a revival in the
1970s and its addition to the National
Historic Register in 1975.
Though the town had its share of ups and
downs, the dance hall and the music play-
ing from it never seemed to fade—leg-
ends such as Lyle Lovett, George Strait,
Hal Ketchum and many others can trace
their careers back to humble beginnings
in Gruene Hall. Bo Diddley, the Dixie
Chicks, Jerry Lee Lewis, Garth Brooks,
and Willie Nelson are just a few of the
others who have performed here, and a
dance scene from John Travolta’s 1996
film
Michael
was filmed in this hall.
On a recent spring day, 56 Sun City
Texas residents took advantage of a CA-
sponsored outing to Gruene Hall to enjoy
the “Gospel Brunch with Texas Twist,”
presented to sold-out audiences every
second Sunday of the month. Sounds of
jazz gospel, rock ’n roll gospel, and cow-
boy gospel from two different bands filled
the old hall and the hearts of the audi-
ence, while a Texas brunch catered by the
nearby Grist Mill restaurant filled their
stomachs. Enthusiastic toe-tapping and
clapping worked off whatever excess calo-
riesmight otherwise have been a problem.
A break before the return bus trip allowed
participants to browse the two dozen
unique stores. Also at home in Gruene
are a half-dozen restaurants, as well as
river outfitters for tubing and paddling
excursions on the Guadalupe or Comal
rivers, and a wine-and beer-tasting venue.
For information on upcoming mu-
sic events at Gruene Hall, visit www.
gruenehall.com.
Gruene:
A Texas Classic
By Sandy Nielsen
Gruene Hall, about an hour and half from Sun City Texas, south on Interstate 35, is the “oldest continually run dance hall in
Texas.” This Texas legend has hosted musicians like Lyle Lovett, George Strait and the Dixie Chicks, among many others.
PHOTO BY SANDY NIELSEN
