Happy Father’s Day to the Bastrop County Dads out there! 👋
This is a big weekend for Bastrop County. Bastrop Juneteenth celebrates its 40th anniversary with a Friday banquet, Saturday's Freedom Parade down Main Street, a Freedom Festival at Fisherman's Park, and a street dance to close the night. Einstein’s Bagels is open! Father's Day lands Sunday, so we've got ideas for treating Dad, from live music and a cold pour in Bastrop and Smithville to the best chicken fried steak in the county. The final Cedar Creek data center town hall comes to Bastrop on Thursday evening. And this week we pull up a chair at a downtown institution that locals just call Gracie's.
Let's dig in.
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🍳 Featured Business of the Week | The Grace Miller "Gracie's" | Bastrop
A downtown classic, and the chicken fried steak everybody argues about | Bastrop, Texas
Tucked just off Main Street in historic downtown Bastrop, The Grace Miller | "Gracie's" to anybody who's been around a while | has been serving honest Texas comfort food since 2006. Locally owned and operated by Brenda Bush, it's the kind of place with hardwood floors, wooden beams, and a patio where live music spills out on Friday nights, Saturday nights, and Sunday lunch. You go for the food and stay for the feeling that you've been coming here for years.
The thing people drive in for is the chicken fried steak. It's hand-breaded, smothered in cream gravy, and has been voted Best Chicken Fried Steak in Bastrop County year after year. With Father's Day landing on Sunday and Gracie's open for lunch with live music on the patio, it's a fine spot to feed Dad something hearty.
A few things worth ordering:
🍳 Chicken Fried Steak | $14.95 | hand-breaded, cream gravy, the award winner
🍗 Chicken Fried Chicken | $14.95 | same treatment, also the daily lunch special
🍔 Bacon Cheese Burger | $11.00 | served on a toasted sweet sourdough bun
🍤 Jumbo Fried Shrimp | $18.95 | six hand-breaded Gulf shrimp, the biggest around
🥧 Homemade Cobbler | $6.95 | add a scoop of ice cream for $1.25
Visit The Grace Miller (Gracie's)
📍 706 Pine St, Bastrop, TX 78602
📞 512-332-2991
🗓️ Mon-Thu 11am-9pm | Fri-Sat 11am-11pm | Sun 11am-4pm
🌐 gracemillerbastrop.com | Menu | Facebook
🗓️ Bastrop County Events | June 18-24, 2026
Thursday, June 18
🛒 Elgin Farmers Market | 4-7pm | Veterans Memorial Park, 109 Depot St, Elgin | Local produce, food, and live music every Thursday, SNAP/EBT welcome. Elgin Farmers Market
🧪 S.T.E.A.M. for Kids | 10-11am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Hands-on science, tech, engineering, art, and math for kids. Free. Elgin Public Library
🤸 Daytime Playtime | 9:30am-Noon | Texas Aces Athletics, 886 SH 71, Bastrop | Indoor play stations and a bounce house for ages 0-6. $10/child. Texas Aces Athletics
📚 Bilingual Storytime | 11:15am | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | English and Spanish stories for little ones. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🎨 Summer Themed Craft | 10am-3pm | Smithville General Store, 108 NE 2nd St, Smithville | Drop-in themed craft for kids, part of the store's weekly summer reading program. Smithville General Store
🤝 Smithville June Chamber Mixer | 5-7pm | Quinto Patio, 114 NE 2nd St, Smithville | A relaxed networking evening for Smithville business and community members. Free. Smithville Chamber
🏛️ County Town Hall | Cedar Creek Data Centers | 6-8pm | Bastrop County Community Center, 15 American Legion Dr, Bastrop | The last of three town halls to ask questions directly to project representatives. See below. Community Impact
🎺 Friday, June 19 | Juneteenth
🦋 Family Nature Quest | 10:30am | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | Guided nature play for families, $10/person. LCRA Parks
🎸 Dalton Dunn Live | 11am-1pm | Cedar's Coppice Fine Espresso, 709 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Acoustic live music over coffee. Cedar's Coppice
🎉 Bastrop Juneteenth 40th Anniversary Banquet | Meet & Greet 5pm, Banquet 7pm | Bastrop | The marquee kickoff to 40 Years of Freedom, with a Carnaval cultural theme. Dress your decade's color. Bastrop Juneteenth
🎸 Jamie Krueger Group | Live Music | 7pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Blues and rock on the patio, plus National Martini Day specials. Copper Shot Distillery
🎶 Ryan DeSiato Live | 7pm | Neighbor's Kitchen & Yard, 601 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Austin singer-songwriter on the patio. Neighbor's
🐟 VFW Friday Fish Fry & Karaoke | 6pm | VFW Post 6115, 118 Old Sayers Rd, Elgin | A fish fry dinner and karaoke to kick off the weekend. VFW Post 6115
🌟 Saturday, June 20 | Bastrop Juneteenth | The Big Day
🎺 Bastrop Juneteenth Freedom Parade | 10am | Historic Downtown Bastrop, along Main Street | Floats, marching bands, dance teams, and classic cars roll through downtown for the 40th anniversary. Bastrop Juneteenth
🎪 Bastrop Juneteenth Freedom Festival | 11am-3:30pm | Fisherman's Park, 1200 Willow St, Bastrop | Live music, food vendors, games, and family activities right after the parade. Bastrop Juneteenth
🕺 Bastrop Juneteenth Street Dance | 7-11pm | Downtown Bastrop | Live entertainment and DJs close out the 40th anniversary day. Bastrop Juneteenth
🚗 17th Annual Blue Flame Cruisers Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show | 8am-2pm, awards 1pm | Bastrop Convention & Exhibition Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Classic cars, trucks, and bikes, plus food, merch, and vendors. Blue Flame Cruisers
🛒 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10am-2pm | 1302 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Fresh produce and local goods. 1832 Farmers Market
🐔 Backyard Chickens for Beginners | Noon-1pm | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Coop setup and hen care with Lost Pines Poultry Farm. Free. Elgin Public Library
🍑 Firewild Father's Day "Dad Plate" | 5-9pm | Firewild, 201 N Main St, Elgin | A "best of" of their all-star meat dishes with an optional local beer pairing, part of the Summer Social Lounge. Firewild
🎨 Wine & Unwind Paint & Sip | 6-8pm | Lost Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Guided painting with an instructor, BYOB, ages 21+. $40. Lost Pines Art Center
🎸 Maverick Drive | Live Music | 6:30-9:30pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | A blues, soul, and funk band on the patio. Copper Shot Distillery
📖 Book Signing | Rob Espenscheid | 10am-4pm | Mosaic Art & Home, 218 Main St, Smithville | Local author signs "The Rise of the Mad March." Free. Smithville Chamber
😂 Comedy at Film Alley | 8pm | Film Alley, 1600 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Stand-up with Gibbs Saad "The Comegician." 17+, two-item minimum. Film Alley
Sunday, June 21 | Father's Day
🦋 Family Nature Quest | 10:30am | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, Cedar Creek | Guided nature play for families, $10/person. LCRA Parks
🛒 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 at Copper Shot | 11am-5pm | Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St, Bastrop | Spend the afternoon with Dad over Texas-made spirits downtown. Copper Shot Distillery
🥩 Father's Day at Yegua Creek Brewery | 11am-6pm | Rising Sun Vineyard, 233 Edmonson Ranch Rd, McDade | $25 NY strip steak special plus live music with Tommy Schaper 2-5pm. Yegua Creek Brewery
☕ Father's Day at Cedar's Coppice | Cedar's Coppice, 709 Chestnut St, Bastrop | Board games, laughter, and free drip coffee for Dad. Cedar's Coppice
🌞 Sol Café by Casa Verónica at Firewild | 4-8pm | Firewild, 201 N Main St, Elgin | A ticketed Summer Solstice dinner — interior Mexican menu, Las Jaras wines, and Madres mezcal. Sol Cafe tickets
🍺 Father's Day at Smithville Brewing | 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 taproom. Smithville Brewing
Monday, June 22
🪢 Zip Lost Pines | Full Zip Tour | 9am | McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 Hwy 71 W, Cedar Creek | A guided zip line tour over the park, $115/person. LCRA Parks🎬 Movie Monday | 2-4pm | Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St, Bastrop | A movie and snacks for all ages. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🍷 Bottle Night Monday | from 5pm | Pluto's Wine Bar, 924 Main St, Bastrop | 40% off bottles over $75, $8 house wines, and sangria deals. Pluto's Wine Bar
🚶 Walk and Talk | 7-8pm | Fishermen's Park, 1200 Willow St, Bastrop | Lose the cell phone and connect in real life on a community evening walk.
Tuesday, June 23
🦕 BK Bones | Fossils Rock! | 10:30am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | A family fossil and dinosaur show, arrive early. Free. Elgin Public Library
🦴 BK Bones Dinosaur Show | 2pm | Bastrop Convention Center, 1408 Chestnut St, Bastrop | The prehistoric Texas show comes to Bastrop. Free. Bastrop Public Library
🤸 Daytime Playtime | 9:30am-Noon | Texas Aces Athletics, 886 SH 71, Bastrop | Play stations and a bounce house for ages 0-6. $10/child. Texas Aces Athletics
Wednesday, June 24
🎶 Live Music on the Patio | evening | Store House Market & Eatery, 813 Main St, Bastrop | Midweek live music with dinner downtown. Store House
🧒 Amber Craft | 10:30am | Elgin Public Library, 404 N Main St, Elgin | Kids ages 6-9 make a glass-bead fossil keepsake. Free. Elgin Public Library
🍻 Smithville Brewing Happy Hour | 4-7pm | Smithville Brewing Company, 661 NW Loop 230, Smithville | Midweek deals on wine and guest taps plus a weekly appetizer special. Smithville Brewing
📰 Around the County | This Week's News
🏗️ Five new businesses now open | A Brazilian steakhouse downtown, a new dental office at Burleson Crossing, a Cedar Creek thrift store, and more have opened across the county. Community Impact
🥯 Einstein Bros. Bagels now open in Bastrop | The national bagel chain opened at 853 W State Hwy 71 in the Sendero development, serving fresh-baked bagels, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches. Bastrop EDC
🛰️ SpaceX expands its Bastrop County operation | SpaceX is growing its Starlink manufacturing campus east of Austin, with a new solar-cell factory under construction and a state-backed expansion expected to add 400+ jobs and over $280M in investment. The Real Deal
🔮 Planning Ahead
🤠 Thu Jun 25 - Sat Jun 27 | Elgin Western Days | downtown Elgin | Elgin's 4th-weekend-of-June tradition returns with this year's "1960s Peace, Love & Western Days" theme. The parade rolls down Main Street Saturday at 10am, with a Best Float Contest and cash prizes. Elgin Chamber
🏁 Sat Jun 27 | Race Night at Cotton Bowl Speedway (Nitsche Group Night) | gates 5pm, 1175 County Rd 202, Paige. Cotton Bowl Speedway
⚡ 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
🎆 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.
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Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there,we'll see you out in the county.
Marilyn - The Bastrop Current