The Open
Morning, Georgetown. 👋
It's Halloween week, and Saturday is the big night. I put everything you need for the weekend in one place below, from tomorrow's Trick or Treat Trail to the last ghost tours of the season. Also this week: college football is back on Southwestern's campus for the first time since 1950, downtown has some upgrades on the way, and a church out in Walburg is firing up the smoker for the 54th year. Also, the clocks fall back Sunday. Let's go.
A Little Good News: Football is back on campus at Southwestern
For the first time since 1950, Southwestern University played a football game on its own campus. The Pirates hosted Rhodes College on Saturday, Oct. 24, during homecoming weekend. They played at the new Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, built on the old practice field near the baseball and tennis complexes.
That's 76 years of waiting. Plenty of Georgetown grandparents weren't born the last time it happened. It's a big moment for the university, and one more reason to wander over to the east side of town on a fall Saturday.
And a full-circle moment: On Oct. 16, Camryn Whitman was sworn in as a Williamson County assistant district attorney. The ceremony was in the 368th District courtroom, the same one where her late grandfather, Judge Burt Carnes, presided. Judge Billy Ray Stubblefield, a friend of Judge Carnes, gave her the oath. As the Sun put it, "Some stories come full circle."
The Week Ahead: Your Halloween weekend guide
Halloween in Georgetown
Thu 10/29 · Trick or Treat Trail, 5 to 7 p.m. at San Gabriel Park, 445 E. Morrow St. It's free, with candy, games, crafts, Touch-A-Truck, and food trucks. Costume contests are at 5:30 (ages 0 to 3), 6 (ages 4 to 6), and 6:30 p.m. (ages 7 to 10). More than 2,500 people usually come, so get there early.
Fri 10/30 · Last ghost tours of the season. Ghosts of the Georgetown Square leave the Williamson Museum (716 S. Austin Ave.) at 7:30, 8, and 9 p.m. Tickets are $20, or $15 for members, students, and veterans. Book ahead.
Fri 10/30 · Fireworks at Sweet Eats, 14400 E. Hwy 29. This is the last fireworks night of the Fall Festival, since there are no fireworks on Halloween. The maze and patch stay open through Nov. 8.
Sat 10/31 · Free Halloween event at 311 E. University Ave., 5 to 8 p.m. It's listed by Community Impact, with details on St. John's Facebook page.
Sat 10/31 · Trick-or-treating. St. David's Georgetown's Halloween safety reminders are simple: watch the streets, make sure costumes aren't a tripping or visibility hazard, and have the kids eat a real meal before the candy run.
Everything else
Wed 10/28 · "Murder on the Orient Express" at the library, 6:30 p.m., free. It's the last movie in the Spooky Film Fest.
Fri 10/30 · Last day of early voting. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Sun 11/1 · Clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m. Enjoy the extra sleep.
Sun 11/1 · Final day of "Oklahoma!" at the Palace.
Sun 11/1 and Mon 11/2 · Wurstbraten in Walburg. More in Eat and Drink.
Looking ahead: First Friday Music on the Square is Nov. 6, 6 to 8 p.m., the last one of the year. The Field of Honor fills San Gabriel Park with flags Nov. 7 to 15, and Market Days is back Nov. 14.
Something we missed? Hit reply. The tip line is always open.
Eat and Drink: The Wurstbraten turns 54
Some food traditions are older than most of the restaurants in town. Zion Lutheran Church in Walburg (6001 FM 1105) holds its 54th annual Wurstbraten this weekend, and it's about as Central Texas as it gets: smoked German sausage, made the old way, by volunteers who have been doing this for decades.
Sun 11/1, noon to 3 p.m. Smoked sausage sale at $10 a pound. Stock the freezer.
Mon 11/2, 4 to 7 p.m. The full sit-down meal, $15 a plate.
It's a short drive north on I-35, and worth it. Details are at zionwalburg.org.
Still planned for November: The Junction and Texas Roadhouse. Community Impact's latest business roundup still lists The Junction for November. Little Caesars has also filed plans for 3920 Williams Dr., with renovation work scheduled for January to June. I'll tell you once each place is confirmed open.
The Big Thing: Downtown Georgetown is getting a glow-up
The Square is already the best-looking downtown in Texas (I'm not biased), and the city is starting to roll out a batch of downtown upgrades. Here's what's coming and when.
New wayfinding signs (now through November). Installation was expected to start in late October, with the final signs up by mid to late November. Small gateway signs are already up at the Light and Water Works District and the South Main Arts District. Bigger 25-foot gateway signs are planned for Austin Avenue over the next several years.
Street patios and sidewalk cafes (as soon as November). A two-year pilot would let restaurants set up seating on the street and sidewalk. The ordinance had its first reading at the Oct. 27 council meeting, and final approval is targeted for November. More patio dinners on the Square sounds like a win.
Wider sidewalks around the Square and on Austin Avenue (in one to two years). These are in active design now.
A second downtown parking garage (early 2029). It's planned near Ninth and Main. Construction is expected to start in 2027.
Blue Hole Park. The city has a master plan to revitalize the park. We covered the $7 million makeover back in September.
Also on the list: a Ninth Street art walk, Rock Street redevelopment, and better bike and pedestrian connections. The city says it has started work on more than half of its priority downtown projects. In short, downtown is about to get easier to find, easier to park in, and nicer to walk around.
Local Spotlight: The Field of Honor turns 10
Next week, San Gabriel Park's event lawn fills with rows of American flags for the 10th annual Field of Honor, running Nov. 7 to 15. If you've never walked through it, it's one of the most moving things Georgetown does all year. Each flag honors a veteran, a first responder, or someone's personal hero, and you can sponsor one in someone's name.
A few highlights:
Opening ceremony: Sunday, Nov. 8, 1:30 p.m., with retired Admiral Patrick Hall.
Stars, Stripes & Symphony: the Central Texas Philharmonic plays the Klett Performing Arts Center at 4 p.m. on Nov. 8.
Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit: on site Nov. 7 to 12.
The field is open 24/7 all week and free to visit. It's especially beautiful at dusk.
Flags and details are at georgetowntxfieldofhonor.org.
Know a Georgetown person or group doing quiet, great work? Hit reply and nominate them.
The Roundup
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting ends Friday. The Sun's election guide has candidate Q&As and polling places. For a plain explainer on the GISD measure, here's our Prop A breakdown.
Gyms galore: Crunch Fitness plans to open a 40,000 square foot gym at 205 Jesse Cocke Dr. this fall, with hot yoga, a sauna, and recovery beds. HT Fitness is also planned for this fall on E. University Ave.
Now open on University Ave.: Trailside Dental Care opened Sept. 10 in the Wolf Ranch shopping center (1312 W. University Ave.), and Little Sprouts Childcare opened Sept. 14 at 612 W. University Ave.
Coming in November: TopNotch Nail Bar is planning a soft opening in early November at 1314 W. University Ave. Waxing the City plans to open Nov. 20 at 2021 Kauffman Loop.
Sun City questions: residents are asking for answers about Pulte's plans for new age-restricted housing nearby. Neighbors held a meeting on Oct. 14.
Your Turn
Thanks for all the trick-or-treating tips! [ADD THE TOP TWO OR THREE NEIGHBORHOODS READERS SENT, WITH FIRST NAMES IF THEY'RE OK WITH IT]
Next up after Halloween is holiday lights season. Know a Georgetown house or street that goes all out with Christmas lights? Send me the street name (no house numbers needed). I'm building a local holiday lights map for December, and reader picks come first. Hit reply.
The Sign-off
That's the Buzz. Have a safe, sugary Halloween, and if you see a family new to the neighborhood at the Trick or Treat Trail, forward this to them. That's genuinely how this thing grows. If someone sent it to you, you can subscribe free at gtownbuzz.com.
See you on the Square, Armand
GTown Buzz, your weekly buzz on Georgetown, TX Got a tip? Just hit reply.