Featured
Recreation Remains Plentiful for San Angelo Busy Bodies
Participation is encouraged in San Angelo, and that certainly includes recreation.
Watersports, golf, rodeos, parks, football – it's all here. Check out these five things that will get you started in exploring the many recreation aspects San Angelo has to offer:
San Angelo State ParkThis 7,563-acre park is maintained by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and activities include hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping and picnicking. There are 350 species of birds and 50... Read More »
San Angelo Offers a Variety of Dining Options
San Angelo is a food lover’s paradise, offering a variety of unique restaurants and fun, food-laden festivals throughout the year. The city is home to several family-owned eateries, as well as fine dining venues and everything in between.
A Few Local FavoritesRiver Terrace, located in the heart of San Angelo on the Concho River, offers cuisine prepared by owner and chef Earl Mulley, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Mulley, who also serves as... Read More »
San Angelo Offers Rich Culture, Arts
Home to a variety of museums, galleries, musical offerings and more, San Angelo offers natives and visitors alike a unique cultural experience.
San Angelo Academy Broadway Youth Theatre
The San Angelo Academy Broadway Youth Theatre is a nonprofit, educational theatrical facility for children in the San Angelo area. Participants receive an education in drama, music and the inner working of the theatre, and are taught by trained professionals. Previous performances have included the Jungle Book,... Read More »
Bike at San Angelo State Park in San Angelo, TX
Perhaps you didn't know, but one of the surprisingly awesome things about San Angelo, TX, is its impressive number of biking enthusiasts. These enthusiasts get together and do cool things like schedule group rides through San Angelo State Park, which is also a great place for bird watchers, to offer old pros a little camaraderie and new members an active introduction to the city's bike scene. You'll want a mountain bike for most of these trails.
Distance: More than 40 miles throughout the park... Read More »
San Angelo, TX in a Weekend
A quick tour of San Angelo offers a mix of delectable restaurants, engaging art, outdoor adventure and quirky attractions. Here's a sample itinerary to discover some of the best things to do and see in San Angelo, all within a speedy weekend visit.
Day 1: Friday
6 p.m.
Dinner at Zentner's Daughter Steak House
Have an elegant, delicious dinner at Zentner's Daughter Steak House. Try one of the restaurant's steaks – after all, they're what the place is known for – and round out... Read More »
Fun Things to Do in San Angelo
1. Riverside Golf Club
Greens await you with 6,396 yards and 18-holes of golfing paradise at Riverside Golf Club, which is open to the public.
2. San Angelo State Park
At San Angelo State Park you can enjoy hunting wild animals that inhabit the park, or enjoy the beauty of the outdoors hiking, biking, horsebacking riding or camping.
3. Lake Nasworthy
Fish of different species overflow the scenic Lake Nasworthy, making it a hot spot for fisherman. Also, take advantage of the lake itself... Read More »
Christmas Events Illuminate San Angelo Holidays
San Angelo businessman Lee Pfluger is a self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic, and proves it in a big way every December.
The local philanthropist oversees the annual Concho Christmas Tour of Lights, an idea of his that began in 1995 with a small, static holiday lights display in downtown San Angelo in front of the Concho River. Today, Concho Christmas has evolved into a three-million-light spectacle illuminating the river bank that residents and tourists can enjoy via a 2.5-mile self-driving tour... Read More »
Drag Boat Event Showdown in San Angelo Draws Thousands
Boats going 100 mph?
It's a common sight at the Showdown in San Angelo drag boat races that now occur in late June on Lake Nasworthy. The event is sponsored by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce and sanctioned by the Southern Drag Boat Association, which stages races every summer in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
The boats are outfitted with 1,000-horsepower engines and roar down a quarter-mile course.
More than 100 racers compete, and estimated crowds are close to 10,000 for the two... Read More »
San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo Draws Thousands Annually
The San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo isn’t the biggest rodeo in Texas, but it has come a long way in elevating its status among the most anticipated and lucrative events of the early-season run.
The event includes competitions in steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, barrel racing and steer roping.
There are a lot of bucks involved with the annual San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo – and not just bucking broncos. The event, which began in 1932, is known for being one of the highest-... Read More »
International Waterlily Collection Blooms with Unique Varieties
From its humble beginnings in the 1980s‚ the San Angelo International Waterlily Collection has blossomed into an attraction deserving of the national attention it receives.
“It is the only premier waterlily display in North America‚” says Kenneth Landon‚ who created the garden. “We show plants that have never been seen by mankind and bring the world to our city.”
Landon, an engineer‚ built jet engines during the Vietnam War era‚ then turned to a quieter life. He ran a waterlily business in... Read More »
Music, Arts Scene Rocks Downtown San Angelo
The rock never seems to stop at The Deadhorse and Fat Boss's Pub, two downtown nightclubs that have become popular hotspots for residents of San Angelo – and beyond.
Lately, the downtown district of San Angelo has become musically noteworthy in western-central Texas. Headline acts such as Gilby Clarke, Canobliss, Junglenoize and hundreds of up-and-comers have given the district a reputation as a place where opportunity knocks and nighttime rocks for musicians and audiences.
And it's not... Read More »
Rail Museum of San Angelo Keeps City's History on Track
More than a decade ago‚ the Historic Orient/Santa Fe Depot was well on its way to train heaven. Typical of a lot of old depots‚ it was in total disrepair. A bottomless pit of tax money for the railroad‚ it was set to be torn down.
A group of concerned citizens‚ how ever‚ saw value in the history about to be lost forever. They banded together and‚ since the group was not yet designated a nonprofit organization‚ talked the railroad into donating the depot to the city of San Angelo. Today‚ the... Read More »
San Angelo's Musical Diversity Spans Genres, From Mariachi to Classical
When San Angelo brothers JoJo‚ Ringo and Henry Garza – collectively known as the Texican rock and roll band Los Lonely Boys – won a Grammy Award for their No. 1 single “Heaven” in 2005‚ the world learned something San Angelo residents have known for a long time: This city is ripe with musical talent.
From the San Angelo Symphony to local bands like The Funky Munky and the Mariachi Golden Angels‚ it’s clear even to newcomers that music adds a lot of spice to life in San Angelo.
The Funky Munky... Read More »
Old Chicken Farm Now Home to Variety of Artists
This is no yoke – some of the most unusual works of art in West Texas can be found at the Chicken Farm Art Center.
Opened in 1971‚ the center – and‚ yes‚ it was formerly the site of a large chicken farm – is now a complex of two galleries‚ 15 artist studios‚ a bed-and-breakfast operation and the Silo House Restaurant. The main objective of the San Angelo attraction is to trumpet the accomplishments of local artists. Visitors can see the artists at work‚ as well as have the opportunity to... Read More »
Mural Projects Continue to Brighten Downtown San Angelo
Painting the town red – and green‚ blue and yellow – continues in San Angelo’s downtown district‚ with two new outdoor art projects unveiled in 2007.
A huge display called “Art Opens Doors” is now featured on the exterior of J B Automotive on South Oakes Street. The project involved 17 local artists who painted various images on doors hung on the building. Nearby‚ a painting/sculpture called The Cat Burglars now dresses up a West Beauregard Avenue building‚ between Wells Fargo Bank and Farmers... Read More »
San Angelo State Park Is a Sweet Spot for Avid Bird Watchers
What San Angelo birders lack in rare sightings they make up for in their raring-to-go attitudes. On any given weekend‚ a band of intrepid enthusiasts can be found trekking the area’s hot spots – slathered in sunscreen and bug repellant‚ binoculars in hand – in search of feathered finds.
Interest is so high that longtime enthusiast Delbert Tarter has taught more than 60 classes on the topic at the San Angelo Nature Center. He classifies the birds as “winter residents‚” “spring and summer... Read More »
Rare San Angelo Concho Pearls Promise Head-Turning Jewelry
Forget white pearls. If you really want to turn heads, wear pink, peach or purple ones instead.
Concho pearls are found in freshwater mussel shells that live in San Angelo lakes and rivers, and no two pearls are alike.
The naturally produced jewels come in radiant colors, and harvesters have been attracted to the gems for at least 400 years. Legend has it that Concho pearls are included in several pieces of the Spanish Crown Jewels.
Concho pearl jewelry may be found at select jewelry stores in... Read More »
San Angelo Symphony Hits All the Right Notes
For 60 years, the San Angelo Symphony has been a cultural mainstay of the community, providing a variety of classical concerts, family events and educational programs.
From the 2009 season’s opening concert Rachmaninoff Rocks! in October to its exciting conclusion, The Crown Jewels of Mexico, in April, the symphony will provide a wealth of entertainment during this landmark anniversary season.
The Crown Jewels performance will feature the world-renowned Mariachi Vargas in their first... Read More »
Shopping in San Angelo, TX
San Angelo, Texas offers shoppers a variety of options, from large malls to small gift shops. There are also several specific shopping districts that provide consumers with places to have fun, dine and enjoy what San Angelo has to offer. Here are some examples:
Small Gift Shops
West End Collectibles is an antique mall with tenants that include an art gallery and a crafts store, while Eggemeyer's General Store is a true Texas treasure located in an early 1900s Buick dealership building.... Read More »
Zentner's Daughter Steak House is San Angelo Favorite
When San Angelo residents think of steak, many think of Zentner's Daughter Steak House.
The eatery, open since 1974, is widely known for its T-bones, garlic-flavored sirloins and family atmosphere.
Owner Betty Zentner has restaurants in her blood. Her father, John Zentner, started cooking for a living as early as 1918 and went on to run some of the greatest steak houses in Texas.
When Betty opened John Zentner's Daughter in San Angelo, Dad was there to make sure great steaks and hospitality... Read More »
Old Chicken Farm Art Center Is Nexus of San Angelo Arts Scene
In San Angelo, even an old chicken farm is a place where a vibrant artistic community can flourish.
The Chicken Farm Art Center was founded in 1971 as a place for artists to live and work.
Today, the 3-acre complex is a premier San Angelo attraction that includes 15 artist studios, two art galleries, a bed & breakfast, and a gourmet restaurant.
The collective often hosts open houses with live music, kids events and more.
Artists-in-residence works in mediums ranging from paint and pottery... Read More »
