Choral Evensong to Debut at Festival Hill’s Old Chapel Feb. 22
Choral Evensong will be presented for the first time at the historic Edythe Bates Old Chapel at Festival Hill by Saint Cecilia’s Episcopal Church in Round Top on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m.
This is a special meditative hour-long service in which the choir sings Psalms, the “Magnificat” and other Evening Prayer liturgy. It is interspersed with prayers, hymns, readings, and responses. Held on the First Sunday in Lent, this contemplative chanted service, combines 16th-century Vespers with Night Prayer.
The organist and director of the choir will be Andrew Bowen, who holds Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Organ and Choral Conducting and is founder of Houston Festival Ringers. Mr. Bowen has previously served several Houston congregations, including Memorial Drive and St. Luke’s Methodist churches, St. John the Divine, and Trinity Episcopal.
Cellist Patrick Moore will serve as accompanist. The choir for the evening will feature the Round Top Singers, a newly formed local choral group, who will be joined by guest singers from Houston and College Station. Father William “Bill” Miller, Vicar of Saint Cecilia’s, will serve as cantor.
This beautiful, reflective service is free and open to the public. The Edythe Bates Old Chapel is located on the Festival Hill campus at 248 Jaster Road in Round Top. To learn more about St. Cecilia’s, please visit stcecilias.org. Nature Tour
On Saturday, Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. discover what Winedale was like during the days when it was a part of the Texas frontier. Get a fun, close-up, and hands-on look at its landscape, as Texas Master Naturalists guide you through the human and natural history of Winedale. The Lewis-Wagner House will also then be open for tours. Participants are asked to meet in the events parking lot near the Theater Barn. Email Briscoe Center for American History in Winedale site manager, Tricia Blakistone, at Tricia.Blakistone@ austin.utexas.edu for more information.
Do Your Duty Round Top
The ladies of DYD Round Top have kicked off their raffle fundraiser. Raffle tickets are now on sale and are available at the Round Top Mercantile, Round Top State Bank (Giddings and Round Top locations), or from any DYD member. The raffle will have 16 prizes valued at $5,500. Raffle ticket prices are 1 for $20 or 3 for $50. The drawing will be held on April 9 and winners need not be present to win.
Round Top Family Library RTFL is actively seeking teachers, teacher assistants, teen volunteers and adult volunteers to help with this year’s Summer S.E.E. (Summer Education & Enrichment) Camps to be held in June and July. Each “camp” is one week in length. Courses will be offered to PreK-12 grades in Kids Gardening, Art and Crafts, Little Explorers, STEM, Chess, Taekwondo Training, Cooking, Science and Theater. Suggestions for other courses are welcome. Contact Sofia Massey at smassey789@gmail.com or call (713) 291-2340.
Teresa Brown of Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter will be the next FYI series presenter at the Round Top Family Library on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend. Donations of items needed at the animal shelter are welcome and may be brought to the event. Some of their most needed items include: all types of Pedigree dog foods, all sizes of Greenies pill pockets, Purina Cat Chow, Purina Kitten Chow, and both Friskies and Fancy Feast wet cat foods. To view more specific wish lists, go to janssenanimalshelter. org.
Round Top Historical Society This will be the last and final weekend of the annual Round Top Area Historical Society Garage and Estate Sale on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 397 E. Mill Street in Round Top.
Round Top Lion’s Club
The final week of the food drive for AMEN Food Pantry is approaching, with the drive running through Feb. 27. Donations of non-perishable food items can be dropped off at the Round Top Coffee Shop, Round Top State Bank in Round Top, Lulu’s, J.W.’s Steakhouse in Carmine, and the Round Top Family Library. The food drive is sponsored by Round Top Lion’s Club along with the RTFL Junior Master Gardeners.
Schützen Verein Preservation On Saturday, Feb. 28, the First Annual “Steins & Stars Gala” will be held. A 5:306:30 p.m. happy hour kicks off the evening, followed by a steak dinner, a live auction, and a dance. Event organizers report that only a few tickets remain. To purchase, go to rtsvp. org. Profits from this event will go towards the preservation, restoration, and maintenance of the historic Round Top Rifle Hall.
Round Top American Legion On March 5, the monthly meeting of the American Legion Quade-Werchan Post No. 338 will be held at the Round Top American Legion Hall at 1503 N. State Hwy. 237 in Round Top. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month and begin at 6:30 p.m.
Athletic Booster Club
On Sat., March 7, the RT-C Athletic Booster Club will be hosting a fundraising event. It will be a full day of fastballs, fun, fellowship, and fried fish. Fun begins at the RT-C Baseball Field at 11 a.m. and continues at the Carmine Hall beginning at 4 p.m. Event tickets are $25 per person for an all-you-can-eat fried fish and trimmings meal with two drink tickets, tea, and water. Tickets can be purchased at the RT-C high school or by contacting (979) 203-4343. Proceeds benefit RT-C athletes and athletic facilities.
Round Top Festival Hill
On March 7 at 3 p.m., Founder and Artistic Director, James Dick, will be holding a piano recital featuring the music of Beethoven Lizst. Tickets will be $40 for adults and $15 for students. A post-concert dinner and reception will be available with reservations. For more information, please contact info@festivalhill.org or (979) 249-3129.
Registration is now open to reserve your spot for one of the wonderful workshops that will take place at the April 17-19 “Round Top Poetry Festival 2026.” This is an annual festival presenting the nation’s most exciting and prominent poets over three days of readings, workshops, and conversations. Registration is available online only. Visit poetryatroundtop.org for the schedule and more information.
The Herb Society
The public is invited to the Herb Society of America Pioneer Unit’s annual plant and gift sale on March 13 and 14 at Festival Hill Institute, 248 Jaster Road in Round Top. The sale runs from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. both days. There will be hundreds of varieties of herbs, shrubs, trees, vegetables, and more for purchase. The Thyme Well Spent gift shop will be open, as well, and will feature a variety of herb-based items, jams, jellies, lotions, teas, herbal elixirs, as well as books, and more. This event is a great place to find replacements for all those plants lost to this year’s winter weather. Visit the website at herbsocietypioneer. org.
Registration is now open for the Herb Society of America Pioneer Unit’s annual herbal forum: Dishing the Dirt on Herbs. The event will be held Saturday, March 14 at the Festival Hill Institute, 248 Jaster Road in Round Top. Registration is required for this daylong event. For more information and to register, see the events link at festivalhill.org.
Town of Round Top
The meeting of the Board of Directors of the Town of Round Top Economic Development Corporation (EDC) will be held on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Round Top Town Office, 202 N. Live Oak Street in Round Top.
OP
News Shakespeare at Winedale Shakespeare at Winedale tickets for the spring and summer seasons are now on sale. New in 2026: all Spring class performances of “The Winter’s Tale” are free or pay-what-you-can, as are the Summer Sunday evening performances. Summer performances will include Romeo and Juliet, Henry IV Part 1 and Love’s Labor’s Lost. Also available now are Summer VIP passes and See All Three & Save tickets. Tickets can be purchased online at https://liberalarts. utexas.edu/winedale/ performances-and-tickets/.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church Bethlehem Lutheran Church will hold their Sunday worship service with communion on Feb. 22 at 9:30 a.m. A mid-week Lenten meal will be served on Wed., Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. in the BLC Education Building with a Lenten service immediately following at 7 p.m. in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at 412 S. White Street in Round Top. Rev. John David Nedbalek will be leading both services.
St. John’s Lutheran Church
St. John’s Lutheran Church in Warrenton will hold their Sunday worship service with Holy Communion on Feb. 22 at 8:30 a.m. Jen Kindsvatter will serve as the lead pastor.
St. Martin’s Catholic Church
St. Martin’s next Mass will be held onTuesday, March 3, at 8 a.m. for the intentions left on the altar. This world’s smallest Catholic church is open daily for visitors and is located one mile east of Warrenton at 3490 Hw.y 237, Round Top.
Celebrations
Happy birthdays to Stephanie Jamison-Feb. 2, Julie Robinson-Feb. 24, and Jason Jahnz -Feb. 26.
Have News?
Round Top area, send any announcements, notices, news, birthdays, or anniversaries you wish to have published at least two weeks in advance to SherryPen@icloud.com.