Steaks, grapes and fun, oh my!
The third annual Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival kicked off Friday evening and continued all day Saturday in historic downtown Bryan. Over 40 wineries and steak cook-off teams, along with other vendors, crowded the streets while people poured in from around the state.
"I heard about [the festival] on the radio and then looked it up online and it sounded like a fun thing to do with my mom," said Stephanie Hornby, senior education major.
Some of the wineries represented at the event included Messina Hof, Llano Estacado from Lubbock, the Landon Winery from McKinney, the Bernard Winery from Plantersville and Bruno and George from Sour Lake. All offered a glass of wine for $4 and sold it by the bottle to willing customers.
"I can't choose between the steak and the wine," Hornby said. "They were both excellent."
The steak cook-off winner was Team Farmers from Bryan, headed by Cory Shaffer. The Triple B Cookers of Missouri City, headed by Jim Follett, won Best in Show.
Besides the wine tasting and steak plates, people came to enjoy the many bands entertaining at the festival.
"[I came for] the wine and Robert Earl Keen, but Midnight Express was awesome," said Patrick Truitt, senior general studies major. "I love classic rock and even better, I love covers of classic rock."
Keen, lead singer of his country band, is an A&M graduate, Class of 1978. Other bands and singers included the Big Otis Show Band, Earl Thomas Conley, Kathy Ross, Grupo Laredo, Texas Twisters and Leannasauras Rex.
"The bands brought a nice variety of music to the event," Hornby said. "A little bit of something for people of all ages to enjoy."
Though some of the bands were interrupted by an occasional train, most of the vendors appreciated the music and the crowds the bands attracted to their tents.
"We just came out so people know we exist," said Michele Hasten, Class of 1992 from the 12th Man Kick-Off Team Foundation.
The 12th Man Kick-Off Team Foundation was founded by coach Jackie Sherrill and the men he brought onto the team in the 1980s. Hasten was selling the book "No Experience Required" and 12th Man t-shirts.
"All of the proceeds go to a scholarship fund for future students but we are trying to cater more to younger kids with the book so they know the tradition of Aggie football," Hasten said.
One of the more popular vendors was the candy company Brewster's Sweets from Corpus Christi that offered homemade chocolate and dipped nuts.
"The festival is great, we were here last year," said owner Jamie Gamez. "There's nothing much anyone can do about the heat, but we come out here more for the community than business. It's always a good time."
For those with less of a sweet tooth, fair favorites such as fried pickles, hot dogs and corn dogs were available.
"I got the spiral fries because they're my favorite carnival food," said Truitt.
The festival took up almost four blocks of downtown Bryan, stretching from William J. Bryan Parkway to 28th Street. Shuttles provided a park-and-ride service that bussed festival-goers from Blinn College to the corner of 26th Street and Main. The steak cook-off teams spanned the entire length of Bryan Avenue with grills and carts, making it the smokiest section of the event while the wineries were set up in a rectangular fashion across from the main stage on 28th and Main.
Although Texas Reds seems more like an adult activity, the festival was well-equipped for a family affair with the Kids' Zone, which offered a variety of activities from a climbing wall and mechanical bull to a moon walk and train rides.
"I like that they offered a kids' zone because it gave parents a chance to get out and also spend the day with their kids," Hornby said.
Another family favorite was the Grape Stomp, sponsored by the 4-H and Lion's Club of Bryan and judged by Candy 95. Contestants would squish grapes with their feet for a minute, wash off, and then squish again while their partners pulled out the juice from the barrel. This year's winning team was a pair of young men with the team name "Wu-Tang Texans."
"It was really funny watching the little kids slip around," said David Casper, senior music major.
The Texas Reds Festival has been growing in size and notice each year.
"Our goal is to make the Texas Reds a must-see event for the whole state," said an announcer on the main stage Saturday night.
The festival was seen as a unique opportunity for students providing a cultural experience and a "safe summer activity," according to Truitt.
"It offers students a chance to broaden their horizons if they don't normally go to things like this," Hornby said.
So, save the date for 2010's 4th Annual Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival on June 18-19.
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