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✍️ Letter from the Editor

There’s a quiet kind of magic in watching a small town fill up again. The laughter at Rocktoberfest. The chatter over folding tables at the City-Wide Garage Sale. The sound of kids in costumes running around the square. You can feel it—this sense that something’s shifting, and we’re all part of it.

This week’s feature, The Art of Staying, hits close to home for me. For years, we told ourselves that opportunity lived “out there.” In the city. Near the airports. Somewhere with faster Wi-Fi or more options on DoorDash. But what we’re seeing now—in Mason, Menard, Junction, Fredericksburg, Llano—is that staying is its own form of ambition. Choosing to live here, build here, and raise families here isn’t a fallback. It’s a declaration.

Every local event in this issue, from the Brady clean-up crew to Mason’s Art & Wine Fest, is a reminder that community doesn’t just happen. It’s made—by neighbors who show up. And in a season where the world leans into costumes and make-believe, I can’t help but celebrate the real: real people, real stories, real roots.

Here’s to staying, to showing up, and to believing that small-town life still has a few big surprises left.

—Katie

Events

• Mason — Rocktoberfest (Fri–Sun, Oct 24–26, Katemcy Rocks) — Katemcy Rocks Off-Road Park. Three days of off-road adventure with 4x4s tackling the trails by day and a live band rocking the campground Saturday night. Special weekend rates welcome all. It’s Mason’s annual ode to fall, fun, and four-wheeling.

• Mason — 2025 Fall City-Wide Garage Sale (Sat, Oct 25, hours vary, all around Mason) — Mason Chamber of Commerce. The whole town is turning out their treasures this Saturday. Pick up a map of participating sales and spend the day treasure-hunting. One person’s junk is another’s bargain in this community-wide swap.

• Kerrville — Water Street Festival (Sat, Oct 25, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, Downtown Kerrville) — City of Kerrville. Downtown Kerrville transforms into a Hill Country block party with art booths, live music, and local food vendors. It’s the first big community fest of the season, bringing everyone together to celebrate Kerrville’s vibrant spirit.

• Fredericksburg — Food & Wine Festival (Sat, Oct 25, 12:00–7:00 PM, Marktplatz) — Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce. Sip and savor the Hill Country’s finest at this fest featuring local wineries, gourmet bites and chef demos on the Marktplatz. A grape stomp and live tunes keep things lively — and it all benefits our hospitality workers.

• Brady — Resthaven Cemetery Workday (Sat, Oct 25, 9:00 AM, Resthaven Cemetery) — Community Volunteers. A down-to-earth day of service as neighbors gather with rakes, shovels, and goodwill to spruce up Brady’s historic cemetery. All helping hands are welcome to keep this resting place looking its best and honor generations past.

• Mason — Trick or Treat on the Square (Sat, Oct 25, 5:00–7:00 PM, Mason Square) — Mason Chamber & local merchants. Ghosts, goblins and little superheroes will roam the Mason square! Downtown shops hand out treats in a safe, broad-daylight Halloween event. Bring the kids for costumes, candy, and small-town spooky fun.

• Mason — Fall Art & Wine Fest (Sat, Oct 25, 11:00 AM–4:00 PM, Mason Courthouse Square) — Mason Chamber of Commerce. Mason’s downtown square fills with art and wine galore. Spend Sunday browsing handmade treasures, sipping local vintages, and enjoying live music in the heart of town. It’s Mason’s fall highlight – join the fun.

• Menard — Hunters’ Blowout (Sat, Nov 1, 7:00–11:00 PM, Club Victoria) — Menard County Chamber of Commerce. Hunters and locals kick up their heels at this opening-weekend bash. BYOB (set-ups provided) and dig into chili, tamales and more. Raffles and live music round out a rowdy night before deer season dawns.

• Castell — Hunters’ Ball (Sat, Nov 1, 7:00 PM, Castell General Store) — Castell General Store. Castell welcomes hunters with a free catfish fry and dance under the stars. Dinner’s at 7pm, followed by an auction and live country music. No ticket needed – just bring your appetite and dancing boots to this time-honored tradition.

• Harper — Opening Day Fish Fry (Sat, Nov 1, 11:00 AM, Harper VFD Station) — Harper Volunteer Fire Dept. Opening day of deer season means a catfish lunch served up by the Harper VFD. It’s donation-only with live country tunes by Josh Peek. Fill your plate and help our first responders with every tasty bite.

• Mason — Wild Game Dinner (Sat, Nov 8, 6:00 PM, Mason Community Building) — Mason Chamber of Commerce. This annual feast serves up venison chili, wild pork and more true Hill Country fare—plus raffles and auctions. $25 gets your dinner and drinks, with proceeds fueling local programs. It’s feasting for a cause, Mason-style.

• Llano — Starry Starry Nights (Fri, Nov 28, 6:00 PM, Badu Park) — Llano Chamber of Commerce. Llano lights up the riverbank starting the day after Thanksgiving. Stroll through twinkling light displays each night (Santa stops by on weekends!). This Hill Country wonderland runs through New Year’s Eve — don’t miss the magic.

• Junction — Wild Game Dinner (Sat, Nov 29, 5:00 PM, Coke Stevenson Center) — Kimble County Chamber of Commerce. Head to Junction for a wild game feast like no other. Venison chili, sausage, and more are on the menu. Raffles, live music, and friendly fellowship make this fundraiser a true Kimble County treat.

Community Features

• Brady — Mission Volunteers On the Move — The Mission at Brady is back in action with volunteers tackling six community projects over two weekends. From repairing porches to clearing brush, these folks are showing love through hard work. It’s grassroots generosity at its best, making life a little easier for neighbors in need.

• Mason — BBQ Lunch Backs Local Heroes — The Mason VFW Ladies Auxiliary turned a Sunday lunch into a fundraiser for the volunteer fire department. They served up pulled pork sandwiches by donation on the square, and locals lined up to support the cause. Good food for a good cause – that’s the Mason way.

Business/School Highlights

• Mason — New Community Venue Debuts — A bit of Mason history has a new life as the Spring Street Collective, which re-opened Oct 10 in a restored downtown building. The multi-purpose venue will host everything from art shows to bridal showers. Locals are thrilled to see new energy on Spring Street.

• Llano — School Scores on the Rise — Llano ISD earned a solid “B” on state report cards this year, up from a ‘C’ two years ago. It’s the third straight year of improvement. Teachers and students are proud – proof that even a small district can achieve big things.

• Mason — Band Earns Superior Rating — The Puncher Band brought home a Division I rating at the UIL marching contest, the highest score possible. Their stellar performance in Burnet means Mason High’s band advances to the next round. Hats off to these talented students for making Mason music fans proud.

• Brady — Spreading Good News Over Lunch — Brady’s business community wrapped up the year with a feel-good networking tradition: the Good News Luncheon. Local entrepreneurs and civic leaders gathered on Oct 22 to swap positive updates and celebrate successes over a hearty meal. It was an afternoon of encouragement, applause, and big small-town smiles.

Awards/Recognitions

• Mason — Teacher of the Year — Mason I.S.D.’s Carrie Tedder has been named Educator of the Year for 2024–25. Beloved by her junior high students, Mrs. Tedder is known for her kindness, patience and passion. She even earned a standing ovation at the school board meeting. Mason couldn’t be prouder of this inspiring educator.

• Llano — Hall of Fame Honors — Llano High’s Alumni Hall of Fame inducted some local legends this month. At an Oct 3 ceremony, three outstanding alumni were celebrated alongside the 1966 state champion FFA team and a beloved community humanitarian. It was a night of proud Llano nostalgia and applause all around.

🌤️ Weather at a Glance: Week of October 23–29, 2025

Well now, looks like Mother Nature's in a mood this week—can't quite make up her mind whether to party or pout. Early on, we're gettin' some rain and the occasional thunderstorm rollin' through, so keep your eye on the sky if you're plannin' porch time Thursday and Friday. That cold front movin' in ain't fixin' to cause trouble, just some wet grass and maybe a little noise overhead—nothin' to write home about, but don't leave the laundry hangin'. Come weekend and into the following week, she settles down and we get ourselves some purty fall weather: highs climbin' into the mid-to-upper 80s, lows droppin' back into the 50s and 60s. No severe weather fireworks on this forecast, no heat warnings, no freezes—just honest-to-goodness October weather where you can actually be outside without sweat 'n' sunscreen. Best days of the bunch are lookin' like Saturday through next Wednesday, when the sun's gonna win out and we get that crisp mornin' air folks move to the Hill Country for in the first place. Grab your coffee early in the week, and save your outdoor work for the back half—that's just good sense.

The Art of Staying: Why People Choose Small Towns (And What They Build There)

For the first time in decades, rural America is experiencing something it hadn't felt in a long while: genuine hope about the future. And it's happening in places like ours.

Between 2023 and 2024, rural counties and the nation's smallest metro areas—those with fewer than 250,000 residents—became the top destination for Americans moving within the country. Not the coasts. Not the megacities. The small towns. After a decade of steady outmigration that drained rural communities of their young people, their vigor, and their sense of possibility, something shifted. The pandemic cracked open a door that remote work kept propped wide open. And through it walked hundreds of thousands of people with a simple, radical choice: they decided to stay. Or come back. Or arrive for the first time.

For the Texas Hill Country—that stretch of land spanning Mason, Menard, McCulloch, Kimble, and Gillespie counties and beyond—this moment feels less like a reversal and more like a recognition of something that was always true. We live in a place people choose because it matters. The landscape matters. The pace matters. The possibility of building something meaningful, surrounded by community, matters.

The Migration Turning Point

The numbers tell a story that contradicts decades of decline. Population growth across rural areas has been concentrated in counties adjacent to metro areas and those with recreation economies—exactly the profile the Hill Country embodies. The Edwards Plateau's rugged beauty, coupled with our proximity to Austin and San Antonio, positioned these counties perfectly for what researchers call "amenity migration": people making location decisions not out of economic necessity, but out of a deliberate choice to prioritize quality of life.

This shift accelerated dramatically during the pandemic. Between July 2020 and June 2022, migrants from other states and abroad added over 300,000 new residents to Texas and accounted for almost three-quarters of the state's population growth. But what's remarkable is where those people landed. Rural net migration rates jumped to 0.47 percent in 2020-21, after being near zero from 2017 to 2020.

For small towns that had spent the 2010s watching young people leave for Dallas or Austin, watching schools consolidate, watching main streets grow quieter—this was vindication. We weren't dying. We were waiting.

Remote Work: The Great Enabler

None of this happens without remote work. Before the pandemic, only 7% of those who could work remotely did so all the time. Today, 56% of full-time employees in the US say their jobs can be done remotely. That's not just a work policy change. It's a fundamental reshaping of where Americans can live.

Remote work freed people from the old equation: if you wanted good income, you had to be in a major metro area. But what if you could keep your city salary—or even a higher salary than your cost of living demanded—and live in a place where that money went further? Where your kids could play outside without supervising every moment? Where you knew your neighbors?

Research has shown that counties with higher shares of seasonal or recreational housing saw greater increases in remote workers, suggesting that people with greater location flexibility tend to choose places with strong natural amenities. The Hill Country, with its limestone bluffs, crystal springs, world-class hunting and fishing, and increasingly popular wine country, checked every box.

The Millennial Builders

But this isn't just about remote workers logging in from hill country homes. It's about what happens when capable, creative people decide to build something in their chosen home.

Young professionals driven by Texas entrepreneurship have revived smaller towns like Alpine, Bryant, Lockhart, and Brenham. COVID-19 has fueled urban to small town migration in Texas, and business-savvy Millennials are recreating many of the amenities offered in overcrowded urban hubs, while embracing the slower pace of small-town life. Stagnating wages and rising housing costs in major metros have spurred many individuals to explore rural towns, and those wishing to start small businesses have found a land of opportunity where one could live comfortably for less and bring their entrepreneurial dreams to fruition.

In the Hill Country, this looks like craft breweries opening in towns that previously had no coffeehouse culture. It looks like e-commerce entrepreneurs launching from home offices with a view of the Llano River. It looks like young families opening restaurants and retail shops, not out of desperation, but out of genuine conviction that their towns deserved them.

The Intersection of Tradition and Innovation

What makes this moment unique in the Hill Country is that newcomers aren't replacing what came before—they're building alongside it. The region's identity has always rested on a foundation of ranching, farming, hunting, and tourism. Ranching and farming have been key industries since settlers arrived in the mid to late 1800s and continue as major components of the local economy, with tourism expanding because of the favorable climate, natural resources, and pristine countryside where visitors can relax, hunt, fish, and enjoy water recreation. The vineyard and winery business has "blossomed" and represents a growing portion of the local economy.

The new entrepreneurs arriving understand this heritage. They're not trying to make Mason or Menard into Austin. They're trying to make them into the best versions of themselves—places where a farmer's market thrives alongside ranching operations, where a quality coffee shop serves both locals and tourists, where outdoor recreation economy and agricultural tradition support each other.

Mason County's population hovers around 4,000 people. Menard County's around 2,000. These are genuinely small places. Yet they're beginning to attract the kind of infrastructure investment and attention that used to flow only toward growing urban centers. The Hill Country is growing steadily as an economic and business force, with economic development councils and tourism bureaus working to promote growth.

What Staying—and Choosing—Requires

This moment won't sustain itself on sentiment alone. The people arriving and staying require real infrastructure. Broadband connectivity is non-negotiable. High-speed internet allows rural communities to compete for residents seeking a slower pace of life outside the city, with some small Texas towns seeing an influx of remote workers specifically because of improved internet access.

Housing affordability matters. School quality matters. The existence of community institutions—a good coffee shop, a coworking space, a grocery store that carries more than basics, a sense that someone cared about cultural life—these tangible signs of vitality matter.

But something deeper matters too, and it's harder to quantify. It's the recognition that staying—or choosing to arrive—is a genuine option. It's the feeling that your town isn't just a place people leave, but a place people choose.

A New Chapter, Written Locally

The art of staying has never been more visible. Young professionals are betting their careers on small towns. Parents are choosing Hill Country schools because they want their kids to grow up knowing the land, their neighbors, the rhythms of seasons. Remote workers are building homes here. Entrepreneurs are opening businesses that serve locals first, tourists second.

This isn't the rural America of clichés—the one emptying out, fading away, waiting for salvation from distant forces. This is rural America recognizing its own value. Staying here, or choosing to come here, means participating in something increasingly rare: a genuine community, built on intention, rooted in place, and oriented toward a future that belongs to the people who live there.

The pandemic opened a door. Remote work held it open. But it's people—your neighbors, newcomers arriving with skills and dreams, families choosing to plant roots—who are walking through. And that, truly, is what transforms a place.

Our region isn't a destination to visit and leave. It's becoming a home people actively choose. And that changes everything.

The Townie exists to celebrate the resilience, innovation, and belonging that define the greater Mason County region. If you know someone whose story embodies this shift—who's chosen to stay, come back, or arrive for the first time—we'd love to hear it. The best stories of small-town transformation are the ones lived by our neighbors.

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Dear Walt & Nadine,

I run a small outfitting business here in town — mostly guiding hunters in the fall and taking tourists on river trips in the summer. Business is good when it's good, but cash flow gets real tight in the off-seasons.

I've tried saving during the busy months, but something always seems to eat into it — truck repairs, slow payers, or just plain life. I don't want to pick up side jobs every winter just to stay afloat. How do I smooth out the feast-or-famine cycle without burning out or going broke?

Thanks,
Highs and Lows in Camo

WALT SAYS: You don’t have a cash flow problem. You have a planning problem.

Seasonal’s not the issue — lots of businesses run seasonally and still stay afloat year-round. Your job is to turn the busy months into a cushion, not a gamble. First, separate business money from personal money if you haven’t already. Then, get honest about what your actual off-season costs are — not guesses, not hopes.

Also, stop offering credit to slow payers unless you’re charging interest like a bank.

And for the love of boots, raise your prices in peak season if you’re booking out. That’s when you can — and should — make your profit.

NADINE SAYS: You’re not alone — seasonality is one of the hardest things for small-town service businesses. But here’s the truth: a seasonal business needs a year-round strategy.

Start with a simple 12-month cash flow forecast. Write down what you know comes in and out each month. Look for patterns: when do deposits land, when do major expenses hit, what months dip into the red? This helps you predict — not just react.

Then build your “off-season reserve” into your prices during the high season. If it costs $30K to keep your doors open year-round, and you only have six strong months, divide that $30K into those six. That’s your minimum baseline for profit.

And consider creating some form of winter income that fits your brand — not just side jobs, but off-season merchandise, classes, or planning services that keep cash trickling in without exhausting you.

With structure and pricing that reflects the real cost of staying in business, you can stop dreading the slow months — and maybe even enjoy them.

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Dear Laurel & Reese,

Every year I tell myself I’m going to be smarter about holiday spending—and every year, I end up panicking in December, swiping my credit card too often, and dealing with the financial hangover well into January.

I want to be generous. I love giving gifts, hosting, and making things feel festive. But I also don’t want to go into debt just to keep up appearances or traditions. I’m tired of feeling guilty no matter what I do—either I overspend, or I worry I’m being cheap.

How do I create a holiday budget that actually works? Is there a way to enjoy the season without financial regret?

Signed,
🎁 Trying to Be Santa on a Side Hustle Budget

Okay, you know we have thoughts.

Let’s start with this: You’re not alone, Santa. The holidays stir up all the emotional money soup—expectations, pressure, family dynamics, childhood traditions, comparison traps, even a little performative Instagram sparkle. And the average American spends around $1,000 on holiday gifts each year. That’s not chump change, especially when many of us are navigating inflation, debt, or irregular income.

So: How do you give with heart and hold your financial ground? Let’s sleigh this. 🎄

🧠 Laurel’s Calm Strategy: Here’s how to build a guilt-free, drama-free holiday budget:

1. Name your real number. Not the aspirational or “last year I spent…” number. The real, right-now one. Look at your accounts and decide what you can spend without using a credit card, touching savings, or delaying bills. That’s your holiday pie. Now you just slice it.

2. Make your list early—and check it twice. Write down everyone you think you want to buy for, then pause and ask: Is this an expectation or a true desire? Could I shift the tradition this year (e.g., family gift swap, shared experience, homemade treats)? Your love doesn’t need a price tag.

3. Budget per person/event. Assign an amount to each recipient, host duty, or activity. If you have $300 to work with and 6 gifts to buy, maybe that’s $40 each with a $60 buffer. Anchoring each line item helps you make smarter choices.

4. Track as you go. Use a note on your phone or a free app like EveryDollar or Goodbudget to avoid mid-December surprises. You wouldn’t grocery shop without a cart—you shouldn’t holiday shop without a tracker.

💡 Reese’s Real Talk: Now let’s get into the vibes.

You are not a walking Hallmark commercial. Your worth isn’t measured by how much you spend, or how “magical” you make the holidays for everyone else. If generosity turns into financial self-sacrifice, it’s not generosity anymore—it’s resentment on layaway.

Here are some permission slips you might need:

• You can say no to Secret Santa at work.

• You can bake instead of buy.

• You can opt out of matching pajamas.

• You can suggest a group donation to a cause instead of gifts.

And if you’re a crafty side hustler? Turn that into holiday magic. Handmade candles, playlists, cookies, photo edits, tarot readings, whatever your thing is—it counts. In fact, it often means more.

🎯 TL;DR:

• Set a real spending limit based on cash, not vibes.

• Budget by person/event.

• Track it like a hawk.

• Rethink what “generosity” really looks like.

You can be festive and financially grounded. You can give from your heart and keep your money boundaries intact. That’s the kind of Santa energy we’re here for.

Wrapped up in wisdom and glitter,
Career & Money with Laurel & Reese

Dear Hazel Mae & Fern,

We’ve just about given up on having a “perfect” lawn out here on our little slice between Llano and Art, especially with this heat and the caliche soil. Honestly, I’m tired of pouring water into grass that doesn’t give anything back. Lately, I’ve been thinking it might be better — and prettier — to let go of the idea of a manicured yard and start planting things that actually belong here.

So here’s my question: How do we attract pollinators using native Hill Country plants? I’d love to see more bees, butterflies, and maybe even a few hummingbirds flitting around, especially for the grandkids to watch. But I don’t want to end up with a mess of weeds or spend every weekend weeding and watering. Is there a low-maintenance way to do this right?

— Hopeful but Hot,
somewhere dusty near Honey Creek

Hazel Mae: Well bless your scorched little lawn, sugar. First of all, good on you for ditching the “perfect” yard fantasy — that dream’s as dry as a two-day biscuit in August. Grass that doesn’t pull its weight in this climate doesn’t deserve your time or water bill.

Now, for pollinators, think of your yard like a Hill Country honky-tonk: you want the right music (blooms), the right crowd (native plants), and just enough space to dance (sun). Here’s my punch list to get you started without losing your weekends to weeding:

• Start with the stars: Gregg’s mistflower, blackfoot daisy, salvia greggii, and purple coneflower. These are drought-tough beauties that pull in pollinators like a free taco stand at the county fair.

• Add some drama: A Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera) or Texas lantana adds color and height, plus butterflies can’t resist ’em.

• Think in clusters: Group the same plants together — pollinators prefer a buffet over a scavenger hunt.

• Skip the pesticides: Even the “natural” ones can mess with your buzzing guests.

And here’s a little secret — once you get that first hummingbird zipping around your front porch, you won’t give two figs about a traditional lawn.

Fern: You’re already on the right path, friend. Letting go of the idea of “perfect” is what opens the door to abundance — and not just in your yard. When we plant natives, we’re not just decorating; we’re repairing the local ecosystem, one root at a time.

The beauty of Hill Country natives is they want to grow here. Their roots dig deep into our stubborn soil, their blooms time themselves with the rains, and their presence invites bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds home.

If you want ease and beauty, lean into layers:

• Ground layer: Frogfruit makes a wonderful living mulch that blooms nearly year-round and feeds bees and butterflies alike.

• Middle layer: Add mealy blue sage and Zexmenia — they’re hardy and long-blooming.

• Shrub layer: Consider flame acanthus or Turk’s cap near the porch for late-season color and hummingbird visits.

Mulch with shredded native cedar or pecan shells if you can find them, and let the leaves lie come fall. That’s not mess — that’s habitat.

You don’t need a full prairie overnight. Start small — maybe a bed near the mailbox or along the fence line — and watch the world come buzzing back to life.

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Travel Feature: Art Ranch — Where Creativity Meets Landscape

Nestled on 50 acres just outside Fredericksburg, Art Ranch is a sanctuary where art and nature aren't just connected—they're inseparable. Founded by Amy Tucker, the property has become a creative laboratory for artists who believe that understanding our relationship with the natural world is essential to making meaningful art.

"I've always been interested in the idea of how humans are part of the overall ecosystem," Tucker explains. When she and her family moved to Texas, they found the perfect property to turn this philosophy into reality. Art Ranch now invites artists with aligned values to lead workshops for everyone from seasoned professionals to curious beginners. "We try to make it as accessible to as many people as possible," Tucker says.

The first impression visitors get is one of profound peacefulness. "You look out and see all these waving grasses with so many different colors and such a richness to it," Tucker describes. She's been intentional about encouraging native grasses to flourish, supporting the ecosystem's overall strength—though visitors often simply notice the beauty without realizing the ecological care behind it.

The artists who teach at Art Ranch embody this environmental ethos in diverse ways. Lesie Mueller creates inks from foraged materials, including pieces salvaged from New York's historic Chelsea Hotel. Emma Schmidt, a local artist with Hill Country roots, recently led workshops on observational nature illustration. In one memorable instance, a student focused on a single plant across two seasons, witnessing its transformation from bloom to seed pod. "Just understanding really observing one plant—that was very cool," Tucker reflects.

Beyond workshops, Art Ranch is launching artist residencies, with three casitas on the property available for visiting artists to stay while using the ranch as their creative studio. The surrounding landscape becomes both inspiration and workspace.

Tucker's commitment to accessibility extends beyond the property itself. She's organizing an open studio tour for the first weekend of May, aligned with Fredericksburg's First Friday celebrations. "I really feel strongly that art should be available to everybody. It's not an exclusive thing," she emphasizes.

Through November, Art Ranch continues its programming. The final event of the year, on November 8th, is called "Color Contemplation"—a unique collaboration between a color therapist, somatic yoga teacher, and artist. Participants will take a guided walk through the property, experience somatic yoga to heighten awareness, and create alcohol ink paintings using breathwork. The underlying theme: manifesting peace through color and sensation.

For those seeking to visit, the three casitas are available year-round through Absolute Charm booking service and platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Workshops and residency information can be found at artranchfbg.com or @artranchfbg on Instagram.

Art Ranch represents something increasingly rare—a space where artistic expression and environmental stewardship aren't separate pursuits, but two sides of the same creative vision.

🎃 Halloween Week Readings — Week of 10/23/25

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19)
Halloween asks you to stop rushing past the mystery. You’ve been sprinting through tasks, but magic only shows up for those who pause long enough to notice. This week, slow your stride. Light a candle, answer the door for the unexpected, and let wonder interrupt your productivity. The world isn’t chasing you—it’s inviting you to play.

Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20)
Halloween asks you to make comfort an art form. Carve your pumpkin slowly, stir something cinnamon-heavy on the stove, and let small pleasures anchor you when the air feels strange. You don’t have to be spooked to be awake. Sometimes the sweetest enchantment comes from staying grounded when everyone else is pretending to fly.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 20)
Halloween asks you to pick your mask wisely. You’ve worn many this year—host, helper, hustler—but which one still fits? This week, surprise everyone by showing your real face. The truth has a way of outshining any costume. Let your conversations crackle with curiosity and your laughter echo through the night.

Cancer (Jun 21 – Jul 22)
Halloween asks you to remember the warmth behind the cobwebs. You’ve been feeling the chill of distance, maybe even a ghost or two from your past. Instead of hiding from memory, set an extra place at your table. Honor what’s gone by lighting a candle for it. Gratitude will chase away the cold faster than any spell.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22)
Halloween asks you to flirt with the spotlight again—but in candlelight, not neon. You don’t need a costume to captivate. This week, charm everyone with your authenticity. Tell stories, share treats, let joy pour out of you like cider from a jug. You’re the fire pit everyone wants to gather around—just remember to let others warm up beside you, too.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22)
Halloween asks you to stop tidying the mystery. Let the mess live a little. The leaves on your porch don’t need sweeping yet, and your to-do list can haunt you later. Magic thrives in the imperfect—the crooked grin, the cracked pumpkin, the plan that changes at dusk. This week, say yes to what’s unplanned and watch how order finds its own rhythm.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22)
Halloween asks you to bewitch your own reflection. You spend so much time balancing everyone else’s scales that you forget to look at your own glow. This week, get dressed up for no reason. Walk downtown and let the streetlights flirt back. You’re allowed to shimmer just because it’s Tuesday and you feel alive.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)
Halloween asks you to meet your shadows with curiosity. This isn’t about fear—it’s about power. The things that scare you most might actually be calling you home. Spend some time in silence. Write, wander, or stand under the stars until you remember how fierce your calm can be. You don’t need to banish the dark. You are the light that knows how to live there.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21)
Halloween asks you to let your wild heart off the leash. Go dance under porch lights, drive with the windows down, let the wind tangle your hair. Adventure doesn’t have to be across oceans—it can be at the bonfire down the road. Say yes to mischief that makes you laugh until your ribs ache. That’s the kind of spell worth casting.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Halloween asks you to loosen your grip on control. The harvest is done. The plan is written. Now the trick is learning to trust what you can’t see yet. Pour something warm, sit outside, and let the air remind you that even rest is productive. You’ve built enough. Tonight, just be.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Halloween asks you to reconnect with the strange. You’ve been practical lately, but your imagination’s itching for a jailbreak. Make something weird, paint your mailbox, host a costume that makes no sense. The world needs your brand of eccentric genius right now—especially if it comes with glitter.

Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Halloween asks you to swim between worlds. You sense more than you say, and this week your intuition is a bonfire of its own. Trust it. If a dream feels like a message, it probably is. Drift where the night calls you—but bring a blanket and your favorite playlist. Even mystics deserve comfort.

💫 Until next week, keep your lantern lit and your heart open to the beautiful unknown.

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