🏆 Bastrop Summer Spotlight | Celebrating Our Winners + A Sweet Treat & A Sweet Week of Library Fun & History

Welcome back to the Bastrop County Summer Spotlight, our Monday bonus edition where we slow down and shine a light on one corner of our county. Last week we kicked things off in Elgin. This week the spotlight is on Bastrop, Texas.

And we have winners to celebrate. 🎉

This week both the referral drawing and our Firewild giveaway have winners. Our May referral winner is a neighbor a lot of you already know and love, and we are also crowning the two Firewild gift card winners from last week's giveaway. After the celebrations, I'll send you into a week full of summer library fun, a brand new hands-on museum exhibit, a Daddy and Me storytime ahead of Father's Day, and a whole lot of cake.

Let's get into it. 🗓️

We have winners to crown this week, so let's start with the good news!

Every month, neighbors who refer 5 friends to Bastrop Current get entered into a drawing for a local gift card. In May, that gift card was a $50 First Watch card, the new breakfast spot in Bastrop, Texas. And the name we drew belongs to a woman who pours love into everything she bakes: Abbie Argersinger, the baker behind Bastrop Flour Child.

Abbie didn't just enter, she championed us. She told her friends about the newsletter, she made a video sharing why she loves keeping up with what's happening around town, and she helped grow this little community guide one neighbor at a time. That is exactly the spirit this town runs on.

When I stopped by to bring Abbie her gift card, she surprised me with a fresh peaches and cream cake with almonds that she had made that very day. It was so tender, moist, and fluffy that my whole family devoured it, and we all loved the sweet surprise. That is Abbie in a nutshell: she turns an ordinary errand into something you remember.

Abbie, enjoy that First Watch breakfast! Thank you! ☕🥞

Next, we celebrate 2 lucky winners who entered the Firewild gift certificate giveaway! The Firewild giveaway is a wrap, and what a turnout. A big thank you goes out to Amy & Travis, the owners of Firewild, for donating these for our audience!

Thank you to every single one of you who replied FIREWILD, tagged a friend, and helped us celebrate the Summer Social Lounge opening on Main Street in Elgin. You showed up big for a local small business, and that is what Bastrop Current is all about.

Both winners were drawn at random after the giveaway closed Sunday night. Drumroll please:

Newsletter gift card | Jodi H.

Social gift card | Jeanette G-W (Pending contact)

Congratulations to both of you! We are reaching out directly so you can claim your Firewild gift card.

Did not win this round? You are still a winner in our book, and there is an easy consolation prize: Firewild's Summer Social Lounge runs every Friday and Saturday night through the summer, 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Tex-Mezze small plates, craft cocktails and mocktails, cold local beers, and that downtown glow. Drop in, bring your gang, and tell them Bastrop Current sent you.

Food. Friends. Fire.

And keep your eyes on this newsletter, because we have more local giveaways coming your way.

If you have ever needed a birthday cake that actually tastes as good as it looks, or a dozen cupcakes that make you the hero of the party, Bastrop Flour Child is your answer. Abbie bakes custom cakes and cupcakes to order, right here in Bastrop, Texas, with a flavor list that reads like a love letter to dessert.

We're talking flavors like a slightly spicy Mexican Chocolate, a strawberry cake layered with homemade strawberry compote, a blackberry lavender Trip to Provence, and grown-up boozy cupcakes like Margaritaville and an orange-champagne Sunday Brunch. And that is just a taste. Connect with Abbie on Instagram to see her full flavor menu.

Right now Abbie is in full summer mode. Her newest flavor drop is Sonic Cherry Limeade, a super-moist lime cake with lime curd and cherry buttercream (with a cherry or six on top), and her feed is full of Texas-summer touches, including fresh local Texas peaches she used to make me a heavenly Peaches and Cream cake!

She is also an avid gardener and grows wildflowers, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes in her own garden. Between a green thumb in the garden and a gift in the kitchen, Abbie keeps herself busy. Scroll her Instagram and you'll see neighbor after neighbor in the comments calling her cakes "a work of art" and "beautiful and delicious." That is a hometown baker with a following.

The cakes are made fresh and to order, so this is the place to call when you want something special instead of something off a shelf. She serves the Bastrop and Austin area. Tell Abbie what you're celebrating and she'll bake it.

🧁 What she makes | Custom cakes (single layer and 3-layer) and cupcakes by the dozen, dozens of flavors 📞 Order | Text 512-750-7055 or email [email protected] 📷 See the cakes + get the full menu | Connect with her on Instagram @Bastrop_Flour_Child

Got a graduation, birthday, baby shower, or just a Tuesday that needs cake? Reach out to Abbie this week.

When she isn't baking, Abbie volunteers at the Bastrop County Animal Shelter, and she has a soft spot for every furry face that comes through the door. Right now that shelter needs our help. With a summer surge of dogs, puppies, and kittens coming in, two everyday supplies are running short:

🧺 Towels (gently used or new) | the laundry room runs nonstop and they are burning through their towel supply.

🥣 Pet food, dog and cat, wet and dry | the shelter's Community Food Pantry helps Bastrop County neighbors feed their own pets, and foster families depend on it too. Any brand is welcome.

How to help: ✅ Drop donations at the shelter, Tuesday through Saturday, 589 Cool Water Drive, Bastrop, Texas ✅ Shop their Amazon Wish List (food only) for delivery straight to the shelter 🔗 Bastrop County Animal Services | see the request on Facebook

If you have a stack of clean towels in the closet, this is the week to share them. A little goes a long way for the cool dogs, cats, and humans at the shelter.

The referral drawing resets every month, and June's prize is a $50 gift card to Numero 28 on Main Street in Bastrop, Texas. Refer 5 friends to Bastrop Current and you're entered. Referrals accumulate, so if you already have 3, you only need 2 more.

Your personal referral link lives at the bottom of every Bastrop Current email. Share it with a neighbor, and you could be the face we celebrate next month.

Let's grow Bastrop together. 🌻

🎬 Movie Monday | Bastrop Public Library | 2:00pm - 4:00pm Grab a blanket and snacks for a dinosaur adventure film about a young dino who gets swept far from home. Call the library at 512-332-8880 for the title. 💲 FREE 📍 Pressley Meeting Room, Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas

📚 Summer Reading | First Day to Pick Up Prize Books Log your reading through Beanstack and start collecting your summer prizes. 📍 Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

🍷 Bottle Night Monday | Pluto's Wine Bar | 5:00pm - 9:00pm | 21+ to drink Pluto's take on happy hour. Every Monday, all bottles over $75 are 40% off, plus $8 house wines, frozé, spritzes, $5 house-made sangria, and beers, at the downtown Bastrop wine bar. 📍 Pluto's Wine Bar, 924 Main Street, Bastrop, Texas

💪 Fit for Us | Bastrop Public Library | 11:00am - 1:00pm A mom-friendly pregnancy and postpartum fitness class with resistance bands and bodyweight training, 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. Second Tuesday monthly. Claim a spot online or sign up in person. 📍 Cedar's Coppice, 709 Chestnut 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

🪶 Lunch & Learn | Stories Behind the Signatures | 12:30pm - 1:30pm The Bastrop County Historical Society honors the 250th anniversary of the United States with a deep look at the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, presented by scholar Dianna Greenwood. Held at the library. Bring your lunch. 💲 $10 general | $8 members 📍 Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas

🧘 Mommy & Baby Yoga | Bastrop Public Library | 11:00am - 1:00pm A gentle bonding class where moms and babies move through simple stretches and guided relaxation together. Supports postpartum wellness. 💲 FREE 📍 Pressley Meeting Room, Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

🍽️ Dinner at Pluto's Wine Bar | 5:00pm - 9:00pm The downtown Bastrop wine bar reopens for the week with its chef-driven menu and small-batch wines, beer, and zero-proof drinks. A relaxed Thursday-night option after the library. 📍 Pluto's Wine Bar, 924 Main Street, Bastrop, Texas

👨‍👧 Preschool Storytime "Daddy & Me" | Bastrop Public Library | 10:30am A second chance at this week's Father's Day themed storytime. 💲 FREE 📍 Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

🧸 Time for Play | Bastrop Public Library | 1:30pm - 3:30pm Open play in the children's area. Come let the little ones run and play. 💲 FREE 📍 Children's Area, Bastrop Public Library, Bastrop, Texas

💦 Bastrop Splash Bash | Fisherman's Park | 5:00pm - 8:00pm City of Bastrop Parks & Rec family night at Fisherman's Park with the splash pad, fun, and the river as your backdrop. 📍 Fisherman's Park, 1200 Willow Street, Bastrop, Texas

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

⚡ Spark Your Imagination Exhibit | Grand Opening | opens 10:00am A brand new interactive exhibit at the Bastrop County Museum, built with Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, exploring the science and history of electricity in Bastrop County. Hands-on stations for kids, historical artifacts, vintage appliances, and a Family Make N Take. On view through August 1. 💲 Museum admission 📍 Bastrop County Museum & Visitor Center, 904 Main Street, Bastrop, Texas

🧶 World Wide Knit in Public Day | Bastrop Public Library | 11:00am - 1:00pm Seasoned knitter or first-timer, this is a fun, social way to get creative and meet other crafters. Needles and yarn provided. 💲 FREE 📍 Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas

🎤 Bastrop Comedy Club | Derrick Cakley & South Philly Reef | evening | mature content Weekly stand-up comedy inside Film Alley Bastrop. Two-item minimum. 💲 Ages 17+, two-item minimum 📍 Film Alley Bastrop, 1600 Chestnut Street, Bastrop, Texas 🔗 Tickets for June 13

Summer in Bastrop, Texas, is a good and easy thing. A library that throws open its doors for the kids, a museum that powers up your curiosity, a Daddy and Me storytime before Father's Day, and a hometown baker who just won herself a breakfast. Show up for one of these this week. Drop a stack of clean towels at the animal shelter. Refer a friend while you're at it. And if you need a cake, you know exactly who to text.

We'll see you Thursday with your regular countywide issue.

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.