Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/692367
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIE GOODWIN/REDFERNS VIA GETTY IMAGES (DIXIE CHICKS); THOMAS J. AVERY/BULLOCK MUSEUM (CERRO CASTELLAN) COUNTRY SUMMER IN THE CITY SAVOR THE NOSTALGIA OF THE SEASON WITH THESE FIVE TEXAS CLASSICS THAT GET BACK TO OUR ROOTS. 1. 'CUE UP ON CONGRESS At Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Llano, where pork chops are as thick as a Russian novel, part of the ritual is selecting your own meat directly from the pit. But the pilgrimage to the Hill Country, though lovely, is no longer mandatory now that Cooper's has opened an offshoot in the heart of downtown. The menu is full of the reliables, along with turkey and cabrito (that's goat for you newbies), and a separate lounge offers a late-night menu. Valet parking for barbecue? We must be in Austin. 217 Congress Ave., 512-474-4227; coopersbbqaustin.com 2. WILLIE'S PICNIC The first incarnation of Willie Nelson's iconic Fourth of July Picnic was held in 1973. That means the evidently immortal Texas treasure has been throwing these rite-of-passage parties for more than half of his 82 years. Celebrate with Willie and friends like Kris Kristofferson and Alison Krauss at the Austin360 Amphitheater. 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd., 512-301-6600; austin360amphitheater.com 3. HONKY-TONK NIGHTS Along with longneck beers and chicken-fried steak, another verity of the half-century-old Broken Spoke are the dancers, who seem to glide around the îî Enjoy those wide open spaces this summer with a photo exhibit on Big Bend National Park at the Bullock Texas State History Museum and with the Dixie Chicks at Austin360 Amphitheater in August. 52 AUSTINWAY.COM SCENE SEASON