FOCUS COVER STORY –
Fall activities abound in the Bend – there’s literally something for everyone! With the cooler temps, it’s the perfect time of year to be out and about enjoying the weather, good friends and great times. Here’s a few of our Fall favs, so get your calendar handy, and start planning for some Fall fun in Fort Bend!
The George Ranch is a great place for families to visit year-round, but there’s something even more special about the Historical Park when the weather finally turns cooler, and the days feel like fall. To help set that autumn tone and back by popular demand, the Great Pumpkin Round Up returns this year, bigger and better than ever!
Inspired by the eighteen-year tradition at the Dallas Arboretum, local designer Lucas Chavez will once again create an amazing display that will take your breath away. Chavez has spent several months working with pumpkin producers in West Texas to select and lay out a design surrounding the George Ranch House that includes a hay wagon, training carriage, giant sugar cane vat and other vintage pieces. The design will be built using two semi-truck loads of more than twenty types of gourds, pumpkins and squash along with popular varieties of mums and fall plants.
The Great Pumpkin Round Up is the perfect place for families and visitors of all ages to take an unforgettable fall photo or selfie surrounded by pumpkins that climb structures and cascade to the ground in elaborate designs.
George Ranch Historical Park Site Director Adrienne Barker said, “The Great Pumpkin Round Up is all about celebrating fall and the beautiful images that come to mind when we think of cooler weather and Thanksgiving. We’ve brought in so many different types of pumpkins and the displays are just outstanding. Every place you look, something different catches your eye. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen!”
The experience is included with the purchase of a regular admission ticket to the George Ranch Historical Park. Come for the photos and awe and stay for a day of outdoor fun. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic, tour the park and explore what life was like in Texas decades ago.
The Great Pumpkin Round Up at the George Ranch runs every Saturday in November. The park is open to the public for Saturday visits. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit www.georgeranch.org.
The Fort Bend Junior Service League (FBJSL) and Title Sponsor Memorial Hermann Sugar Land is excited to announce designated stroller hours during regular market shopping days at the 21st Annual Sugar Plum Market. November 3rd, 4th and 5th from 1pm until close, patrons can bring their children in strollers to shop from the over 100 vendors from across Texas. Children 5 and under are free!
The Sugar Plum Market features more than 100 vendors, each with unique items for everyone on your holiday shopping list. While you shop, stop by one of the bars and enjoy a variety of adult beverages, sponsored by Molson Coors Beverage Company, or visit the concession stand provided by Chick-Fil-A Sugar Land for a bite to eat. The market will also feature a Premium Raffle, with each item valued at over $300. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the market for $10 per ticket or three tickets for $25.
Valet parking is available for $15 via cash or credit card, as well as free general parking.
Proceeds raised by FBJSL from Sugar Plum Market will benefit charitable organizations serving Fort Bend County. To date, the Sugar Plum Market has raised over $4.8 million thanks to loyal patrons, participating vendors, generous sponsors and FBJSL volunteers.
Doors will open to the general public November 3rd from 9 am to 5 pm, November 4th from 9 am to 8 pm and on November 5th from 9 am to 5 pm. General Admission tickets are available for pre-sale online at www.sugarplummarket.com for $12. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $15 during the market. Please contact tickets@sugarplummarket.com for questions or to inquire about bulk ticket orders.
It is the first of its kind for Fort Bend Women’s Center (FBWC)! Rodeo at the Ranch is being held on Saturday, November 12th at George Ranch Historical Park, located at 10215 Fm 762 Rd, Richmond, Texas, in support of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Gates open at 5 pm.
Please join Fort Bend Women’s Center for a professional Rodeo at the Ranch and a fun-filled evening of bull and bronc riding, roping, goat tying, great food, live music and even armadillo races! All to provide funding for FBWC programs that serve survivors and their children.
Vita Goodell, Fort Bend Women’s Center CEO, notes that this event is an opportunity for a great fall outing and to stand in support of survivors and their children who are working towards safety and independence from abuse.
Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA) is the event’s presenting “Texas Legend/Official Bull Riding” sponsor and continues its much-appreciated long-time partnership and support of FBWC.
Rodeo attendees will also be entertained by the music of RYEM the Duo, an American singer-songwriter duo from Houston, and the night will culminate with a performance by Nashville Recording Artist Neil Dover, an indie country music artist based out of Alabama.
Rodeo at the Ranch tickets are $75 per person and include the Rodeo, great food and fantastic live music. Sponsorship packages are also available beginning at $2,500. For more information, please visit www.fbwc.org.
Cue the music: it’s the most wonderful time of the year, as one of Fort Bend’s most beloved events — Jingle Tree — returns to Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) at Sugar Land. During the week-long event, attendees will stroll through the museum’s halls and admire several beautifully adorned trees and holiday décor that have been sponsored and decorated by local designers, museum supporters and artistic visionaries, and are up for bid during an online silent auction. This year, the Honorary Co-Chairs are long time museum supporters and Fort Bend residents Stacy Borgfeldt and Pam Gray.
The presenting sponsor for Jingle Tree is once again Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “We’re looking forward to remaining in partnership with our friends at HMNS at Sugar Land for another festive Jingle Tree celebration,” said Chris Siebenaler, Regional Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “The museum is an incredible site for discovery and curiosity, especially among our youth, and I have no doubt that the lessons learned at the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land have inspired students to pursue careers in health and medicine and other science endeavors. And with our support, they will continue to do so in the future.”
“Our goal at HMNS at Sugar Land is to be the local science resource for our community,” said Kavita Self, Senior Director, HMNS at Sugar Land and the George Observatory. “This year, Jingle Tree’s proceeds support innovative sensory-friendly programming and science education for area schools, and expand museum access to underserved communities and 16 local non-profits. Through special events, like Jingle Tree, we can make the natural sciences more accessible and interactive for all. We are so grateful for the support from our Honorary Chairs, Stacy Borgfeldt and Pam Gray, as well as the Jingle Tree planning committee. Their dedication and enthusiasm brings this event to life!”
This year’s schedule of events includes:
• Tree Lighting Friday, November 11th, 10 am
• VIP Experiences: Monday – Wednesday, November 14th – 15th
• The Festive Finale: Thursday, November 17th
For more information, email jingletree@hmns.org or call 281-313-2277.
Tickets are on sale for the ninth-annual Sugar Land Holiday Lights, presented by Houston Methodist, beginning on November 18th at Constellation Field. The holiday festival, which will run through January 1st, features over three million lights, light shows, 10 themed light areas, visits with Santa Claus, a carnival, holiday shopping and an assortment of theme nights.
The following are key dates for this year’s Sugar Land Holiday Lights:
• November 18th – Opening Night and Tree Lighting Ceremony
• November 20th – Orion Santa-Themed Bobblehead Giveaway (presented by H-E-B)
• November 27th – Lights and Leashes (presented by Hollywood Feed) – Patrons are permitted to bring their dogs and there will be on-site dog adoptions
• December 4th – ‘Holiday Sweater’ T-Shirt Giveaway (presented by Regions Bank)
• December 11th – Lights and Leashes
• December 13th – Date Night – Patrons can purchase an $85 ticket that includes a Christmas-themed murder mystery show, entry to Sugar Land Holiday Lights and a meal
• December 29th – Lights and Leashes
• December 31st – New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show (presented by Planet Fitness)
The following promotional nights will take place on a weekly basis throughout Sugar Land:
• Holiday Lights: Santa’s Nice List – Mondays (November 21st, December 5th, 12th) – Children 12-and-under will receive a discounted ticket to Sugar Land Holiday Lights.
• Silver Bells/Military Discount – Tuesdays (November 22nd, 29th, December 6th) – Seniors and members of the military will receive a discounted ticket to Sugar Land Holiday Lights by presenting a proper ID.
• Center Field Cinema – Wednesdays (November 23rd, 30th, December 7th, 14th, 28th) – Patrons can enjoy a holiday-themed movie on Constellation Field’s Texas-sized videoboard and watch from the outfield.
Visit www.sugarlandholidaylights.com for tickets and the full Sugar Land Holiday Lights promotional schedule.