Sherwood Finale, Burn Ban Lifts & More | April 16-22

Big week in Bastrop County, Texas. The medieval kingdom at Sherwood Forest Faire packs up after Sunday (final weekend of the 2026 season), RENT takes the stage at the Bastrop Opera House, and there's a free kite festival waiting for you out at Rising Sun Vineyard. Plus the county burn ban is officially lifted - time to fire up that pit.

Here's everything happening this week in Bastrop, Elgin, Smithville, McDade and Cedar Creek.

Let's dive in 👇

This is it, neighbors. The 17th annual Sherwood Forest Faire closes out its spring run this Saturday and Sunday in McDade, Texas. If you've been telling yourself "we'll go next weekend" since February, this IS next weekend.

🗓️ Saturday, April 18 & Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 10am-6pm 📍 1883 Old Hwy 20, McDade, TX (just 25 minutes east of Bastrop)

Expect 150+ live performances a day, 170+ artisan merchants, full-armor jousting, falconry demos, turkey legs the size of small children, and the kind of family photos that end up framed in the hallway for a decade.

🔗 Plan your visit & buy tickets → sherwoodforestfaire.com 🔗 Performance schedule for the day

After nearly three months under a county-wide burn ban, Bastrop County's ban expired at midnight on April 14 following recent rainfall and improved conditions. Outdoor burning is once again allowed in Bastrop County - with the usual common-sense caveats about wind, dry grass, and keeping a hose within reach.

But here's what most people don't realize: half the counties touching Bastrop are still under an active burn ban. If you're heading to the deer lease in Caldwell, your in-laws' place in Fayette, or doing fence work on the Hays County side, leave the matches at home.

🟢 No burn ban (as of April 14, 2026):

🔴 Burn ban STILL in effect:

Wildfire risk in Central Texas is never really zero - and rules can change fast after a hot, windy stretch. Always check before you light up.

🔗 Live Texas burn ban tracker → texasburnbans.net

If you've driven Hwy 95 lately, you've probably spotted the little Thai spot tucked into the strip with Hay Elotes. Under newish ownership and operating as Real Thai Restaurants, this neighborhood gem is open and serving up fresh pad thai, panang curry, drunken noodles, and the kind of lunch special that ruins every other lunch spot for you.

📍 900 State Hwy 95, Bastrop (right next to Hay Elotes) 🕚 Hours: 11am-9pm 🌶️ Try: Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Penang Curry, or ask them about their Drunken Noodles - they'll meet you where you are on spice.

If you've eaten there since the new owners took over, reply and tell us your favorite dish. We'll share reader recommendations.

🌾 Elgin Farmers Market | 4pm - 7pm Local produce, vendors, live music. Weekly Thursday market. 💲 Free 📍 Veterans Memorial Park, 109 Depot St., Elgin 🔗 elginfarmersmarket.com

🧶 Fiber Arts and Friends | 10am - 12pm Bring your knit, crochet, or stitch project for a relaxing morning with fellow fiber enthusiasts. All skill levels welcome. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🧪 S.T.E.A.M. for Kids | 10am - 11am Hands-on weekly STEAM session for curious kids - science, tech, engineering, art, math through creative projects and experiments. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🥃 Live Music: Beaux Bridges & The Cat Herders | 7pm - 9pm Live music on the Copper Shot porch. Award-winning local moonshine and the kind of sip-and-listen evening downtown Bastrop is known for. 💲 Free entry (drinks for purchase) 📍 Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St., Bastrop 🔗 Copper Shot events

🎭 RENT | Opening of the weekend's run | 7:30pm Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer-winning rock musical. 18+ only. Runs through May 3. 💲 Ticketed 📍 Bastrop Opera House, 711 Spring Street, Bastrop 🔗 Tickets at bastropoperahouse.org

🎶 Elgin Music in the Park | Money Chicha | 7pm Cumbia psych-rock from Money Chicha. Bring a lawn chair. Food trucks (Smash Daddies, Smith's Backyard BBQ) and lawn games on site. 💲 Free 📍 Veterans Memorial Park, 109 Depot St., Elgin 🔗 Music Series at elgintexas.gov

🎬 Library Friday Film | "Sweet Home Alabama" | 2pm - 4pm Reese Witherspoon classic. Free drink and popcorn for each guest. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library 🔗 Event listing

🐴 TETRA Spring Benefit Ride at Down Home Ranch | Day 1 of 3 | weekend Three-day benefit ride supporting Texas Equestrian Trail Riders Association. Guided rides, shared meals, RV hookups, primitive camping for horses and people. 💲 Registration required 📍 Down Home Ranch, 20250 FM 619, Elgin 🔗 Register at TETRA

🌳 Bastrop State Park Interpretive Center Open | 8:30am First public weekend of the brand-new educational exhibits inside the new Interpretive Center. 💲 Park entry fee 📍 Bastrop State Park 🔗 tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bastrop

🎬 Family Movie Night at the Library | 6:30pm - 8pm Pop popcorn, grab the kids, settle in. Free to all. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🎸 Live Music: Rochelle & The Sidewinders | 7pm - 10pm Award-winning Austin blues band — two-time winners of the Austin Blues Society's "Heart of Texas Blues Challenge" and 2018 International Blues Challenge semi-finalists. High energy, dance-floor blues. 💲 Free entry (drinks for purchase) 📍 Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St., Bastrop 🔗 Copper Shot events

🎵 The New Essentials Live at Neighbor's Kitchen & Yard | 7pm - 10pm A collective of singer/songwriters & multi-instrumentalists from Austin. Good-time, positive vibes mixing rock, blues, folk, and reggae. Led by Mike Donello. 💲 Free entry 📍 Neighbor's Kitchen & Yard, 601 Chestnut St., Bastrop 🔗 neighborstx.com/events

🏰 Sherwood Forest Faire | Final Weekend (see Featured Event above) | 10am-dusk 🔗 sherwoodforestfaire.com

🪁 Spring Market & Kite Festival | 10am - 6pm Family-friendly spring market with kite-flying, local artisans, food, live music, award-winning wine and craft beer for the grown-ups. FREE admission, FREE parking. 💲 Free admission 📍 Rising Sun Vineyard & Yegua Creek Brewery, McDade 🔗 risingsunvineyard.com/events

🌾 Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market | 10am - 2pm Producer-only market featuring local growers, bakers, and makers. 💲 Free 📍 1302 Chestnut Street, Bastrop 🔗 bastrop1832farmersmarket.com

🎨 LPAC Blow Your Own Glass | 10am - 4:30pm Make your own blown-glass piece in the glassblowing silo studio. Individual sessions - pre-register. 💲 Registration required 📍 Lost Pines Art Center, Bastrop 🔗 Book a session at lostpinesartcenter.org

🎣 Learn to Fish with an Angler Instructor | 9am Free angler-instructor lesson at Buescher Lake. Bring the kids. 💲 Park entry fee 📍 Buescher State Park, Smithville 🔗 tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/buescher

🌳 Bastrop State Park Interpretive Center Open | 8:30am 🔗 tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bastrop

📚 Library Sci-Fi / Fantasy Book Club at the Owl | 2pm - 4pm This month's book: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library 🔗 Event listing

🎭 RENT | 7:30pm 🔗 bastropoperahouse.org

🐴 TETRA Spring Benefit Ride | Day 2 of 3 🔗 tetra.memberlodge.org

😂 Bastrop Comedy Club at Film Alley | 8pm - 10:30pm Weekly stand-up night with a rotating lineup of Texas comics. 💲 Ticketed 📍 Film Alley, 1600 Chestnut, Bastrop 🔗 filmalley.net/bastrop

🪵 ENWS Woodcraft Workshop | Spoons, Spatulas & Scoops | 9am - 5pm All-day hands-on workshop carving functional utensils from raw wood. 💲 Registration required 📍 El Camino Real Nature & Wildlife Sanctuary, Cedar Creek 🔗 Workshop details

🥁 Drums Alive with Patti | 8:45am - 9:45am A fun-and-fitness drumming class for adults of all ages and abilities. Movement, music, rhythm, and good company. 💲 Drop-in welcome 📍 Elgin Recreation Center Studio Room, 361 N. Hwy 95, Elgin 🔗 City of Elgin calendar

🇪🇸 Inglés con Jamie / Conversational Spanish Class | 1pm-2pm / 2pm-3pm Practice English or Spanish with Jamie. Build confidence and have fun. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🤠 Line Dancing at EPL | 3:30pm - 4:30pm Third Saturday of the month. No experience needed - learn easy beginner-friendly dances. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🎸 Live Music: Southern Shade | 7pm - 10pm High-energy cover band - all crowd favorites, all night, no deep tracks. Come ready to dance. 💲 Free entry (drinks for purchase) 📍 Copper Shot Distillery, 809 Main St., Bastrop 🔗 Copper Shot events

🎵 Jordan Hasto Band Live at Neighbor's Kitchen & Yard | 7pm - 10pm Philly-by-way-of-Austin soul. Think Jimmy Page on guitar, John Mayer for songwriting, and Marvin Gaye on vocals — all in one band. 💲 Free entry 📍 Neighbor's Kitchen & Yard, 601 Chestnut St., Bastrop 🔗 neighborstx.com/events

✏️ Writing for Mental Health Workshop | 10am - 11:30am Adults only. Supportive, judgment-free space to explore thoughts and feelings through writing. Led by EPL's Peer Support Specialist James Baily. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🏰 Sherwood Forest Faire | FINAL DAY of the 2026 season | 10am-dusk 🔗 sherwoodforestfaire.com

🎭 RENT | Sunday matinee 🔗 bastropoperahouse.org

🐴 TETRA Spring Benefit Ride | Final day 🔗 tetra.memberlodge.org

🌳 Bastrop State Park Interpretive Center Open | 8:30am 🔗 tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/bastrop

🗳️ Early Voting Begins in Smithville | through April 28 (no voting April 21) Polls open 8am-7pm. Bring a valid Texas ID. 💲 Free 📍 Smithville 🔗 City of Smithville calendar

💪 Core Body Works with Regina | 6pm - 7pm Pilates, ballet stretches, and yoga to strengthen the core, build stamina, and improve balance. 💲 Drop-in welcome 📍 Elgin Recreation Center Studio Room, 361 N. Hwy 95, Elgin 🔗 City of Elgin calendar

📚 Baby Bookworms | 10:30am - 11am Stories, songs, bonding, and early literacy fun for the tiniest readers. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

📖 Stories After School (S.A.S.) | 3:30pm - 4pm After-school story adventure for all ages - books, crafts, and big imaginations. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🧘 Restorative Yoga with Patti | 6pm - 7pm Slow, deep-relaxation yoga in a darkened space using props - blocks, blankets, bolsters. All ages. 💲 Drop-in welcome 📍 Elgin Recreation Center Studio Room, 361 N. Hwy 95, Elgin 🔗 City of Elgin calendar

🌎 Earth Day A good day to plant a native, pick up a stretch of roadside, or walk the Lost Pines at Bastrop State Park.

📚 Bilingual Story Time | 10:30am - 11am Story time in English and Spanish for the tiniest listeners. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🤝 Recovery Matters Support Group | 6pm - 7pm Compassionate, confidential peer-support space led by EPL's Peer Support Specialist. Sharing optional, everyone welcome. 💲 Free 📍 Elgin Public Library, 404 N. Main St., Elgin 🔗 Library calendar

🎭 RENT continues at the Bastrop Opera House through May 3 🔗 bastropoperahouse.org

This newsletter is a labor of love from a Bastrop County resident who wants her neighbors to know what's going on. If you're finding it useful, forward it to one person this week. That's how we hit 1,000 subscribers!

And if you run a local business and want to be featured - reply to this email. Always free for the first mention.

See you Thursday,

Bastrop Current

www.BastropCurrent.com

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

See y'all next Thursday. 🌲

- Bastrop Current