Hey neighbor 👋
In this week’s extra Spotlight issue we're pointing the spotlight at Smithville. There's craft beer and live music brewing out near the airport, a Father's Day party at the taproom, a downtown book signing, and the Sunday market back at Railroad Park. Across the county, Bastrop Juneteenth marks its 40th anniversary with a parade, a Freedom Festival, and a street dance, and the data center town halls give neighbors a chance to ask questions in person.
Let's dig in.
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Our Bastrop Current Community Group on Facebook keeps growing | neighbors are posting events, photos, and local finds every day. Got something happening in your corner of the county? Come share it with us.
🍺 Featured Business of the Week | Smithville Brewing Company | Smithville
Craft beer, live music, and room to breathe | Smithville, Texas
Drive out toward the Smithville municipal airport and you'll find three acres of Texas sky and a family-owned brewery that has quietly become one of the best hangouts in the county. Smithville Brewing Company was built on a simple idea: make beer people actually want to drink, and create a place where everybody feels welcome. On a warm evening, with a cold pour in hand and a band playing, they've pretty well nailed it.
This is a brewpub in the truest sense | the beer is brewed on site, and there's a full kitchen turning out the kind of food that goes with a pint. The taproom pours craft beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options too, so the designated driver and the kids aren't stuck with water. Sunday afternoons bring live music from 4 to 6pm, and this Sunday they're throwing a Father's Day party | a fine excuse to bring Dad out for a beer and a burger.
A few things worth ordering:
🍔 Hamburgers | hot from the kitchen, the house favorite
🍕 Wood-fired pizza | made to share at a picnic table
🧀 Loaded nachos | piled high, built for a crowd
🍺 A flight of house brews | sample what's on tap before you commit
Visit Smithville Brewing Company
📍 661 NW Loop 230, Smithville, TX 78957
📞 512-934-4891
🗓️ Wed-Thu 4-9pm | Fri 4-10pm | Sat 2-10pm | Sun live music 4-6pm (closed Mon-Tue)
🌐 smithvillebrewing.com | Facebook | Linktree
📚 Summer Reading Is Here at Smithville General Store
Looking for an easy summer routine the kids will actually look forward to? Smithville General Store, 108 NE 2nd St, has launched its summer reading program in historic downtown Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas.
Story Time runs every Tuesday from 11:30am to Noon, with a fresh theme each week. Then every Thursday from 10am to 3pm, drop in for a themed craft. Kids fill out a reading log each week to win prizes like the store's house-made popsicles and even a stuffie.
It is a sweet, low-pressure way to keep little readers engaged all summer, pair it with a coffee from the bar, and support a local shop while you are at it.
🗓️ Tuesdays 11:30am-Noon (Story Time) | Thursdays 10am-3pm (craft)
📍 Smithville General Store, 108 NE 2nd St, Smithville
🌐 Smithville General Store on Facebook
🗓️ This Week in Smithville | June 15-21, 2026
Tuesday, June 16
📚 Tuesday, June 16 | Story Time — Smithville General Store | 11:30am to Noon. This is their first story time of the summer, with weekly themed activities.
Wednesday, June 17
📚 Reading Ranger with Ranger Madalyn | 10:30am | Smithville Public Library, 201 Main St, Smithville | A Buescher State Park ranger reads themed books with a craft. Free, all ages. TPWD
🏛️ County Town Hall | Cedar Creek Data Centers | 6-8pm | Smithville Recreation Center, 106 Royston, Smithville (enter on south side) | Ask questions directly to project representatives. See below.
Thursday, June 18
📚 Thursday, June 16 | Themed Craft — Smithville General Store | 10a-3p. Drop in weekly themed activities.
🤝 Smithville June Chamber Mixer | 5-7pm | Quinto Patio, 114 NE 2nd St, Smithville | A relaxed networking evening for Smithville business and community members, hosted by Fayette Memorial Funeral Home. Free. Smithville Chamber
Saturday, June 20
📖 Book Signing | Rob Espenscheid | 10am-4pm | Mosaic Art & Home, 218 Main St, Smithville | Local author Rob Espenscheid signs "The Rise of the Mad March," a novel about a groundbreaking early-1970s punk band. Free. Smithville Chamber
Sunday, June 21 | Father's Day
🛒 Smithville Sunday Market | 10am-1pm | James H. Long Railroad Park, Main & 1st, Smithville | Locally grown, homemade, and handmade goods plus live music, rain or shine. Smithville Market
🍺 Father's Day Party with Live Music | 4-6pm | Smithville Brewing Company, 661 NW Loop 230, Smithville | Treat Dad to live music, craft beer, and $5 Sunday slushies at the brewery. Smithville Brewing
🏛️ Have questions about the data centers?
Bastrop County has arranged three town hall meetings with EdgeConneX, the company planning three data center campuses spanning nearly 1,500 acres in the Cedar Creek area. Residents can ask questions and voice concerns directly to project representatives about water usage, infrastructure, and community impact.
🗓️ Tue June 16 | 6-8pm | North Bastrop County Community Annex, 704 Bull Run, Elgin
🗓️ Wed June 17 | 6-8pm | Smithville Recreation Center, 106 Royston, Smithville
🗓️ Thu June 18 | 6-8pm | Bastrop County Community Center, 15 American Legion Dr, Bastrop
All three meetings cover the same information | pick whichever is closest. More details from Community Impact
🔮 Around the County | Planning Ahead
🎉 Fri Jun 19 - Sat Jun 20 | Bastrop Juneteenth turns 40 | a Carnaval-themed banquet Friday 7pm, then Saturday's 10am Freedom Parade down Main Street, the Family Freedom Festival at Fisherman's Park, and a 7pm street dance. Bastrop Juneteenth
🏛️ Mon Jun 15 | Bastrop State Park Interpretive Center open 8:30am & 12:30pm at the Historic Golf Shelter, 100 Park Rd 1A | new educational exhibits. TPWD
🍱 Wed Jun 17 | Free Summer Meal Box Distribution 11:30am-12:30pm at Jewel Hodges Park, 1200 Linden St, Bastrop | for kids and teens, no sign-up. Runs every other Wednesday through July 29.
😂 Sat Jun 20 | Comedy at Film Alley with Gibbs Saad "The Comegician," 8pm, 1600 Chestnut St, Bastrop. Film Alley
⚡ Through Aug 1 | Spark Your Imagination exhibit runs all summer at the Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main St | hands-on electricity and history for families. Historical Society
🤠 Thu Jun 25 - Sat Jun 27 | 57th Annual Elgin Western Days | parade Saturday 10am downtown. Elgin Chamber
🎆 Sat Jul 4 | Bastrop's Big BANG! Celebration at Fisherman's Park 6-9:30pm, and Smithville's all-day "Americana" 250th Birthday Bash with 9pm fireworks. Smithville July 4th
🍉 Thu Jul 9 - Sat Jul 11 | 78th McDade Watermelon Festival | parade, BBQ cook-off, melon auction, and the free watermelon feast.
🎁 June Referral Prize | $50 to Numero 28
Share your unique referral link below with one friend who'd love a weekly dose of Bastrop County | every referral is an entry to win a $50 gift card to Numero 28 (1006 Main St, Bastrop). Winner drawn at the end of June.
How Did We Do?
Before you go
If you've got a flyer, an event, or a Bastrop County business worth featuring, hit reply. We read every email.
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there | we'll see you out in the county.
Marilyn — The Bastrop Current