A C e l e b r a t i o n o f M u s i c , F o o d , a n d W i n e
Pat Jasper and Dawn Orsak
Texas
This program celebrates the music, food, and wine
of every region of Texas. The National Mall will host
demonstrations, performances, and famous Texas talk
about the Lone Star States proud history and its
contemporary traditions. Visitors will hear Texas blues,
swing, conjunto, country and western, gospel, and
Tejano (Texas Mexican) music; see demonstrations
of wine making; and enjoy diverse culinary
traditionsold and newfrom barbecue to tamales,
from chicken-fried steak to Vietnamese specialties. Food and music have a special relationship to each other in the Lone Star State. Most Texans consider
them the two most important ingredients in successful
community celebrations and traditional family events.
In fact, it would be unthinkable to have a crawfish
boil without a band playing in the background or a
watermelon festival without live music. Rodeos feature livestock and canning displays and present jam-packed
lineups of musicians. When the Texas Czech ensemble,
the Vrazels Polka Band, celebrated their fiftieth
anniversary in 2003, women in the small surrounding
communities cooked for days to feed the hundreds
and hundreds of people who turned out for the special
dance the band hosted. Texas wine is a newer part of the equation, but its roots run deep into agricultural traditions brought to
the state by Spanish, Italian, Czech, and other European
immigrants. In contemporary Texas, a full-fledged,
statewide industry relies on skill and the states terroir
(climate, soil, and unique characteristics) to create some
of the countrys finest wines. These days in the Lone
Star State, you can find yourself enjoying the ultimate
combo: a big glass of red, a plate of barbecue, and a
blues band. Yep, thats Texas. Thats heaven! (Far left) Polka dances are standard at Texas Czech, German, and Polish community events. This costumed duo probably performed in a song or dance
troupe earlier in the day. Photo by Lori Najvar (Second from left) Narciso Mart
of every region of Texas. The National Mall will host
demonstrations, performances, and famous Texas talk
about the Lone Star States proud history and its
contemporary traditions. Visitors will hear Texas blues,
swing, conjunto, country and western, gospel, and
Tejano (Texas Mexican) music; see demonstrations
of wine making; and enjoy diverse culinary
traditionsold and newfrom barbecue to tamales,
from chicken-fried steak to Vietnamese specialties. Food and music have a special relationship to each other in the Lone Star State. Most Texans consider
them the two most important ingredients in successful
community celebrations and traditional family events.
In fact, it would be unthinkable to have a crawfish
boil without a band playing in the background or a
watermelon festival without live music. Rodeos feature livestock and canning displays and present jam-packed
lineups of musicians. When the Texas Czech ensemble,
the Vrazels Polka Band, celebrated their fiftieth
anniversary in 2003, women in the small surrounding
communities cooked for days to feed the hundreds
and hundreds of people who turned out for the special
dance the band hosted. Texas wine is a newer part of the equation, but its roots run deep into agricultural traditions brought to
the state by Spanish, Italian, Czech, and other European
immigrants. In contemporary Texas, a full-fledged,
statewide industry relies on skill and the states terroir
(climate, soil, and unique characteristics) to create some
of the countrys finest wines. These days in the Lone
Star State, you can find yourself enjoying the ultimate
combo: a big glass of red, a plate of barbecue, and a
blues band. Yep, thats Texas. Thats heaven! (Far left) Polka dances are standard at Texas Czech, German, and Polish community events. This costumed duo probably performed in a song or dance
troupe earlier in the day. Photo by Lori Najvar (Second from left) Narciso Mart
