🎁 Last 3 Days to Win a Firewild Gift Card, a Big Summer Week at the Library & History Comes to Lunch | June 4 - 10, 2026

Three things to put on your radar this week.

If you only do one thing this week, enter the Firewild giveaway (details below). If you can do two, take the kids to the library Saturday for History Games. If you can do three, bring your lunch to the library Wednesday and sit in on the Historical Society's Lunch & Learn about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. If you can do four, refer your friends to our newsletter via your link at the bottom of this email!

Let's get into it. 🗓️

We just opened a Bastrop Current community group on Facebook, and you're invited. It's a place for neighbors to share local events directly, post what's happening around Bastrop County, ask for recommendations, and help each other stay in the know between Thursday issues. Got an event we should cover? Drop it in the group and it might land in next week's newsletter.

👉 Join the group: facebook.com/groups/bastropcurrent

Come introduce yourself, and bring a neighbor.

This is the last weekend to win one of two Firewild gift cards. Both entry windows close Sunday, June 7 at 9:00pm CT, and winners are announced Monday, June 8. Two giveaways means two ways to win:

🎁 Newsletter giveaway | Reply to this email (or any Bastrop Current email) with the word FIREWILD + your name + your email or phone so we can reach you if you win. Must be a current subscriber. (Phone numbers are used only to notify the winner, we will not save them, share them, or add them to any list.)

🎁 Social giveaway | Follow @bastropcurrent and @firewildonmain on Facebook or Instagram, like the Firewild giveaway posts, and tag a friend in the comments. Each friend tag is one entry. Bonus entries for posting a photo from Firewild's opening weekend (Fri 6/5 or Sat 6/6) and tagging both accounts.

🗓️ Deadline | Sunday, June 7, 2026 | 9:00pm CT 🏆 Winners announced Monday, June 8 🎟️ Gift cards picked up at Firewild on Main, 201 N. Main Street, Elgin, Texas

The easiest way to enter? Go to Firewild this Friday or Saturday night, snap a photo in the lounge, tag both of us, and you're in.

The reason for the giveaway: Firewild on Main fires up its Summer Social Lounge Pop Up this weekend at 201 N. Main Street in Historic Downtown Elgin. Starting Friday, June 5, it runs Fridays and Saturdays, 5:00pm to 9:00pm, June through August | no reservations needed.

The kitchen runs Tex-Mezze, a Texas-meets-Mediterranean small-plates menu with grilled skewers, smoky skillet cheese, and a summer dessert program. The bar runs craft cocktails, mocktails, and cold local beers. Drop in for one drink and a small plate, or settle in for the whole evening with your gang. (We featured the full Firewild story last week if you want the deep dive.)

🗓️ Opening weekend | Fri June 5 & Sat June 6 | 5:00pm - 9:00pm 📍 201 N. Main Street, Elgin, Texas 78621 🍽️ Tex-Mezze small plates, craft cocktails & mocktails, cold local beers 🌐 firewildonmain.com | 📷 @firewildonmain

Summer reading is in full swing at the Bastrop Public Library (1100 Church Street), and this week is loaded | storytimes, a knitting circle, a gardening swap, a tween book club, and one standout Saturday that's worth clearing your calendar for.

Saturday afternoon, the library turns into a frontier time machine. "Playtime Time Machine" brings Will Howard's collection of 1830s games, run by historical reenactor George Rollow | Nine-Pin Bowling, Captain's Mistress (think Connect Four), Royal Skittles (a spinning-top game), Mill (a strategy board game), and more. Drop in, play, and you may even run into a few characters from old-time Bastrop. (Children under 8 need an adult to help them play.)

In the same window, fashion historian Cheri Ray shares her personal collection of historical garments and answers questions. It's a free, drop-in afternoon that's equal parts history lesson and family fun | and a perfect warm-up for the Historical Society events below.

🗓️ Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 1:00pm - 4:00pm 📍 Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas 💲 FREE | drop in, no registration 🔗 Library kids programs | adult programs

📖 Storytimes all week | Bilingual Storytime Thursday 11:15am (Los Dinosaurios), Preschool Storytime Friday & Wednesday 10:30am (Wednesday is a "Daddy & Me" Father's Day theme) 🌱 Gardening Together | Thursday June 4, 7:00 - 8:30pm | swap seeds, clippings, and tips; help pack the seed library (Pressley Meeting Room) 🧶 Knitting & Crocheting Group | Friday June 5, 3:00 - 5:00pm | bring your project, no registration (Maynard Conference Room) 📕 Tween Book Club | Friday June 5, 4:30 - 5:30pm | discussing Wings of Fire: The Hybrid Prince 🎬 Movie Monday | Monday June 8, 2:00 - 4:00pm | snacks + a dinosaur adventure film (call the library for the title) 💪 Fit for Us | Tuesday June 9, 11:00am - 1:00pm | mom-friendly pregnancy/postpartum fitness class

📌 Summer reading note: Monday, June 8 is the first day to pick up prize books for the summer reading program. Log your reading through Beanstack and start collecting.

None of this runs on its own. The Friends of the Bastrop Public Library is the volunteer nonprofit that helps fund library programs, scholarships, and the Book Nook | the cozy used-book shop inside the library where your purchases turn right back into library programming. If you love what the library does for our kids and our county, the easiest way to give back is to shop the Book Nook, become a member, or volunteer.

🔗 Friends of the Bastrop Public Library | The Book Nook

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The Bastrop County Historical Society has two community events in our window | one to kick off the weekend, one to close it out | both downtown.

This month's FAME Friday (Friday Art Market & Entertainment) invites the whole community to decorate the sidewalk outside the Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center with chalk art | showing what you love about Bastrop. Chalk is provided, it's free, and it's open to everyone. Stroll Main Street, grab dinner downtown, and leave your mark on the sidewalk.

🗓️ Friday, June 5, 2026 | 5:00pm - 8:00pm 📍 Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main Street, Bastrop, Texas 💲 FREE | all ages 🔗 FAME Friday | Chalk Our Walk

Held at the Bastrop Public Library, this Lunch & Learn honors the 250th anniversary of the United States with a deep look at the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Scholar Dianna Greenwood (M.A. in American History and Government) tells the stories of who these men were, what they risked, and the lasting impact of their decisions. Bring your lunch | they'll bring the history.

🗓️ Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm 📍 Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas 💲 $10 general | $8 members | tickets at the link 🔗 Lunch & Learn | Stories Behind the Signatures

Want more? The museum's new Spark Your Imagination exhibit has its grand opening Saturday, June 13 | see Planning Ahead.

🌱 Gardening Together | Bastrop Public Library | 7:00pm - 8:30pm Novice to expert | swap seeds, clippings, and garden supplies, and help pack seeds for the seed library. 💲 FREE 📍 Pressley Meeting Room, Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

🎶 Bastrop Farm Street Opry | June | 7:00pm Monthly homegrown country, gospel, and bluegrass jam. A Bastrop tradition. 📍 1408 Chestnut Street, Bastrop, Texas

🦪 Buck-A-Shuck | Pluto's Wine Bar | evening Dollar oysters at the new downtown Bastrop wine bar. Pair them with a glass and stay for dinner. 📍 Pluto's Wine Bar, 924 Main Street, Bastrop, Texas

🔥 Firewild Summer Social Lounge | Opening Night | 5:00pm - 9:00pm Opening night of the Tex-Mezze pop-up lounge on Main Street in Elgin. No reservations. Enter the giveaway while you're there. 📍 201 N. Main Street, Elgin, Texas

🖍️ FAME Friday | Chalk Our Walk | 5:00pm - 8:00pm Decorate the museum sidewalk with chalk art celebrating what you love about Bastrop. FREE, all ages. 📍 Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main Street, Bastrop, Texas

📕 Tween Book Club | Bastrop Public Library | 4:30pm - 5:30pm This month: Wings of Fire: The Hybrid Prince by Tui T. Sutherland. 💲 FREE 📍 Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

🎭 Puffs | Bastrop Opera House | closing weekend The hilarious underdog-house parody is in its final weekend (closes Sunday June 7). Recommended 13+. 💲 Ticketed via Ludus 📍 Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring Street, Bastrop, Texas 🔗 Buy tickets (Ludus)

🦞 Cousins Maine Lobster | Elgin | 11:00am - 8:00pm The famous lobster-roll food truck parks at Tractor Supply in Elgin for the day. 📍 18517 Highway 290 E, Elgin, Texas

🎨 Artist Reception: Joycelyn Schedler | Found Fine Art | 6:00pm Opening reception for a new temporary exhibition (on view through August 29) at the downtown Bastrop gallery. 📍 Found Fine Art, 912 Water Street, Bastrop, Texas

🕹️ History Games & Historical Garments | Bastrop Public Library | 1:00pm - 4:00pm 1830s frontier games with reenactor George Rollow, plus fashion historian Cheri Ray's historical garment collection. FREE, drop in. (See library feature above.) 💲 FREE 📍 Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas

🥬 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10:00am - 2:00pm Pasture-raised meat, produce, jams, hot sauce, soaps, ceramics, baked goods. SNAP welcome. 💲 FREE to browse 📍 1302 Chestnut Street, Bastrop, Texas

🎨 Art After Dark | Lost Pines Art Center | 6:00pm - 8:00pm First-Saturday gallery night debuting the Members Showcase, Spotlight Artist March Mattingly (art talk at 7pm), and the Waterscapes group show, with live folk-pop duo Lost in Harmony (6:00-7:00pm). FREE. 📍 Lost Pines Art Center, 1204 Chestnut Street, Bastrop, Texas

🔥 Firewild Summer Social Lounge | Opening Saturday | 5:00pm - 9:00pm Second night of opening weekend. Last chance to enter the giveaway in person. 📍 201 N. Main Street, Elgin, Texas

🎤 Bastrop Comedy Club | Jesse Peyton "Couples Therapy" | 17+ | mature content Viral stand-up Jesse Peyton brings his relationship-themed show, with an audience panel. Two-item minimum. 💲 Ticketed via Film Alley 📍 Film Alley Bastrop, 1600 Chestnut Street, Bastrop, Texas 🔗 Tickets

🎭 Puffs | Bastrop Opera House | evening performance Final-weekend Saturday show. 🔗 Buy tickets (Ludus)

🌙 Summer Luna Market | Elgin | 11:00am - 3:00pm Summer daytime edition of the maker-and-vendor market with local artisans and makers. 📍 Studio 621, 621 Lexington Road, Elgin, Texas

🎸 The Jams ATX | Quinto Patio | 7:00pm - 10:00pm Live music on the patio in downtown Smithville. 📍 Quinto Patio, 114 NE 2nd Street, Smithville, Texas

🥏 4th Annual Indian Paintbrush Open | Smithville | 8:00am - 6:00pm Disc golf tournament on the Wildflower tour at Riverbend Park. 📍 Vernon Richards Riverbend Park, Smithville, Texas

🧁 Garage & Bake Sale | Smithville Odd Fellow & Rebekah Lodge | 8:00am - 2:00pm Community fundraiser with treasures and baked goods. 📍 406 Turney Street, Smithville, Texas

🚗 Car Hop Hot Rod & Motorcycle Show | Coffee Dog Roastery | 8:00am - 12:00pm Hot rods, motorcycles, trophies, live music, and good times at the Bastrop coffee roastery. Roll in, park up, hang out. 📍 Coffee Dog Roastery, 49 Loop 150 W, Bastrop, Texas

🦞 Crawfish Krakhouse | Boring Bodega | 12:00pm til sold out Crawfish, shrimp, crab clusters, sausage, potatoes and corn. Combos or by the pound, every Saturday in June. 📍 Boring Bodega (Hyperloop Plaza), 865 FM 1209, Bastrop, Texas

🍷 Jack Fister Live | Frontier Cellars | 1:00pm - 4:00pm Live music with Texas wine at the new lakefront winery on the edge of Smithville. 📍 Frontier Cellars, 157 Hector Road, Smithville, Texas

🏈 FREE Youth Football Skills & Drills Camp | Cedar Creek | 12:00pm - 1:30pm | ages 5-12 Free skills camp at Cedar Creek High School from CCEYSA. Open to ages 5 through 12. 📍 Cedar Creek High School, Cedar Creek, Texas

🍔 Summer Kick Off Resource Fair | Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry | 10:00am - 1:00pm Free burgers and family fun with the Family Crisis Center, Bastrop Public Library, Parks & Rec, Children's Advocacy Center, and a First National Bank kids' banking workshop. FREE entry. 📍 1201 Pine Street, Bastrop, Texas

✊ Crowned in Legacy: Voices of Black Women Across Generations | Bastrop Juneteenth | 4:00pm The first event of Bastrop's 40th-anniversary Juneteenth celebration month, at Bastrop Christian Church. 📍 Bastrop Christian Church, Bastrop, Texas

🏁 Cotton Bowl Speedway | Opening Ceremony | 7:00pm IMCA dirt-track racing in Paige, presented by Preferred Fueling Services. Pre-purchase tickets online. 📍 Cotton Bowl Speedway, 1175 Co Rd 202, Paige, Texas

🥐 Smithville Sunday Market | 10:00am - 1:00pm The weekly producers-only market at the railroad park (summer hours). 💲 FREE to browse 📍 James H. Long Railroad Park, Main & 1st, Smithville, Texas

🎵 Bastrop Blues Jam | Copper Shot Distillery | 2:00pm - 5:00pm | 21+ First-Sunday blues jam on the back patio with Jamie Krueger and friends. Craft cocktails and Texas moonshine. 📍 Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main Street, Bastrop, Texas

🎭 Puffs | Closing Performance | 7:30pm The final performance of Puffs at the Bastrop Opera House. 📍 711 Spring Street, Bastrop, Texas 🔗 Buy tickets (Ludus)

🎁 Firewild Giveaway Deadline | 9:00pm CT Last call to enter both giveaways. Reply with FIREWILD (newsletter) or follow + like + tag (social). Winners announced Monday June 8. (See giveaway section above.)

🎬 Movie Monday | Bastrop Public Library | 2:00pm - 4:00pm Blanket, snacks, and a dinosaur adventure film. Call the library for the title. 💲 FREE 📍 Pressley Meeting Room, Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

📚 Summer Reading | First day to pick up prize books Log your reading through Beanstack and start collecting your prizes. 🔗 Summer@theLibrary

🏆 Firewild giveaway winners announced on our Facebook and Instagram.

💪 Fit for Us | Bastrop Public Library | 11:00am - 1:00pm Mom-friendly pregnancy and postpartum fitness, plus a healthy family recipe segment. 💲 FREE 📍 Pressley Meeting Room, Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

🎤 Open Mic Night | Cedar's Coppice | 6:30pm - 8:00pm Comedy, poetry, music and more in 4-minute slots at the cozy downtown Bastrop cafe. A community for comedians, artists, writers, musicians and dreamers. Second Tuesday monthly. Claim a spot online or sign up in person. 📍 Cedar's Coppice, 709 Chestnut Street, Bastrop, Texas

🪶 Lunch & Learn | Stories Behind the Signatures | 12:30pm - 1:30pm The Historical Society's program on the signers of the Declaration of Independence, held at the library. Bring your lunch. (See Historical Society feature above.) 💲 $10 general | $8 members 📍 Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas

👨‍👧 Preschool Storytime "Daddy & Me" | Bastrop Public Library | 10:30am Stories, rhymes, and songs celebrating dads, grandpas, uncles, and father figures ahead of Father's Day. 💲 FREE 📍 Pressley Meeting Room, Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

🛍️ ChaneyLace Pop-Up | Scene 77 in Smithville | 4:00pm - 8:00pm A handmade-goods pop-up shop on Main Street in downtown Smithville. 📍 Scene 77, 201 Main Street, Smithville, Texas

The City of Bastrop is asking residents, visitors, and business owners what they want to see in the future of Downtown Bastrop. It takes about 5-10 minutes. Take the survey here.

Summer in Bastrop County, Texas, has a rhythm: a library that throws open its doors for the kids, a museum that keeps our stories alive, and Firewild on Main in Elgin opens it’s doors on Friday & Saturday nights, where you can sit a spell with the people you love. Enter the giveaway before Sunday night. Take the kids to play 1830s games on Saturday. Bring your lunch to the library on Wednesday and meet the men who signed their names to a brand-new country.

We'll see you Monday, and if you win a Firewild gift card, we want to hear about your first visit.

Marilyn Your Local Guide www.BastropCurrent.com

The Bastrop Current is your weekly community guide for Bastrop County, Texas, covering Bastrop, Smithville, Elgin, McDade, Paige, and Cedar Creek. Know of an event or business we should spotlight? Reply to this email and let us know!

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