Issue date: 6/22/09 Section: Features

Steaks, grapes and fun, oh my!


The third annual Texas Reds Steak and Grape Festival kicked off Friday evening and continued all day Saturday in historic downtown Bryan. Over 40 wineries and steak cook-off teams, along with other vendors, crowded the streets while people poured in from around the state.




"I heard about [the festival] on the radio and then looked it up online and it sounded like a fun thing to do with my mom," said Stephanie Hornby, senior education major.




Some of the wineries represented at the event included Messina Hof, Llano Estacado from Lubbock, the Landon Winery from McKinney, the Bernard Winery from Plantersville and Bruno and George from Sour Lake. All offered a glass of wine for $4 and sold it by the bottle to willing customers.


"I can't choose between the steak and the wine," Hornby said. "They were both excellent."


The steak cook-off winner was Team Farmers from Bryan, headed by Cory Shaffer. The Triple B Cookers of Missouri City, headed by Jim Follett, won Best in Show.



Besides the wine tasting and steak plates, people came to enjoy the many bands entertaining at the festival.


"[I came for] the wine and Robert Earl Keen, but Midnight Express was awesome," said Patrick Truitt, senior general studies major. "I love classic rock and even better, I love covers of classic rock."


Keen, lead singer of his country band, is an A&M graduate, Class of 1978. Other bands and singers included the Big Otis Show Band, Earl Thomas Conley, Kathy Ross, Grupo Laredo, Texas Twisters and Leannasauras Rex.


"The bands brought a nice variety of music to the event," Hornby said. "A little bit of something for people of all ages to enjoy."

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools