From the author of the book comes a wonderful tour and a riveting journey through the forgotten parts of downtown Galveston that were once bustling with wild parties and generous offerings of hourly love.

Join renowned author and speaker Kimber Fountain as she brings to life the tales – both tragic and triumphant – of Galveston’s Red Light District: A History of The Line.

Known today as a colorful resort destination featuring family-friendly entertainment and a thriving arts district, Galveston was once notorious for its flourishing vice economy of illegal liquor and gambling and an infamous red light district called simply, “The Line.”

This unassuming five blocks of Postoffice Street came to life every night and remained a stubborn mainstay of the island cityscape for nearly seventy years. In the late 1950s, the era was known as the “Free State of Galveston” finally came to an end, and today, almost all that remains of its history has been sensationalized and marginalized.

Galveston was more than just a city of “gangsters” and lewd women,  and Kimber Fountain pursues the authentic, sequestered story of women who wanted to make their own rules and the city that wanted to let them.

Tours are every Wednesday-Saturday starting at 7pm. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased online at redlightdistricttoursofgalveston.com in advance or at the start of the tour (cash only).

Reservations are required for cash/onsite tickets, and both online ticket purchases and cash reservations must be made by 5pm the day of the tour.

The tour meets on the north steps of the old Galveston Post Office at 601 25th Street (corner of 25th and Church St.). Meet at the north steps located on Church Street side.

Tours begin promptly at 7pm. Please arrive at least 5-10 minutes early to ensure ample time to park and/or purchase onsite tickets. Due to mature content, this tour is strongly recommended for adults and older teens only. Tour content will not be censored for younger audiences, and teens and children must be accompanied by an adult.

Signed copies of Kimber’s books  Galveston’s Red Light District: A History of The Line and Galveston Seawall Chronicles  will be available for purchase (cash or credit) at the conclusion of the tour.

For more info go to redlightdistricttoursofgalveston.com, email GalvestonRedLightTours@gmail.com, call or text (409)526-6883. Reservations required.

Camps are $250 for a full week or $50 per day. Register at galvestoncm.org.

June 10th-14th, July 15th-19th: Science Explorers Summer Camp – Get your Einstein on with an extraordinary variety of science topics. FYI, this involves experiencing science…sinking, erupting, wiggling, attracting, repelling, magnifying, floating, crawling, fading, blocking, shining and changing…all these things and a great many more will be happening this week.

June 24th-28th and August 5th-9th: Maker Mania Summer Camp – Tinkering to create will be the theme. From circuits to automaton, campers will design and create a variety of way fun stuff. Tasks will be varied, as will the materials used, so the only thing extra that’s needed is your camper’s imagination to bring it to life. This camp is recommended for ages 7 and up.

June 24th-28th and August 5th-9th (ages 4-8) – The Art and Science of Storybooks – Using some classic storybooks, campers will explore the science and art within. Be it the science of color, animals, or paper,  they will investigate. Regarding the art, children will learn about the illustrators and explore their work on their own terms.

July 22nd-26th: Sewing Summer Camp – Girls and Boys alike will enjoy this camp for all levels of experience with sewing. Campers will have flexibility in their projects as they choose from skirts or pillows, bags or stuffies – there will have plenty of options to choose from. Campers will experience machine sewing as well as hand sewing to create their very own items. This camp is recommended for kids 8 and up.

The Galveston Children’s Museum is an Island resource that attracts families and serves the community with fun for children in all areas of education, and offers self-directed activities promoting science, literacy, math, and the arts. It showcases dynamic exhibits targeting a primary focus group of children ages 2-10 and conducts special programming for children of all ages.

Exhibits are “Our Town,” “Kid’s Clinic,” “Building Zone,” “A Stroke of Genius,” “Tinker Workshop,” “Explore & Discover,” “Now Starring You,” and “A Room to Grow.”

The Galveston Children’s Museum is located at 2618 Broadway St., Galveston. Summer hours are Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm, and Sunday 12 noon-5pm through August 19th. For more info go to galvestoncm.org or call (409)572-2544.

Do your young ones have a passion for art, science, nature, and love to work with their hands? If so, a specialty art camp like Artist Boat’s Eco-Art Camps may just be the perfect fit. Camps run all summer long and can be taken a week at a time. Sign up now as spaces are limited to ensure small camp size and individual attention.

Artist Boat uses S.T.E.A.M., an educational approach to learning that uses science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.

Artist Boat has won national recognition for its educational programs and is a leader in outdoor educational experiences for small groups led by scientists and artists.

Campers use the scientific method to investigate processes in our ocean. Each camp culminates in the creation of artworks that illustrate the knowledge that campers have acquired about our ocean. Camp sessions are designed for children Kindergarten-Sixth Grade and split into groups of ages 5-8 and ages 9-12.

Summer Camp sessions are $150 per week for half day sessions or $300 per week for full day sessions. Camps are held from 9am-12 noon and 1-4pm. Sessions are limited to 12 campers.

Register at artistboat.org/eco-art-camps. Dates and topics are:

• June 3rd-7th (Ages 5-8): “Fish Frenzy” and “Whale of a Time”
• June 10th-14th (Ages 9-12): “Shark Mania” and “Marine Inverts”
• June 17th-21st (Ages 5-8): “Off the Deep End” and “Fish Frenzy”
• June 24th-28th (Ages 9-12): “Whale of a Time” and “Shark Mania”
• July 8th-12th (Ages 5-8): “Marine Inverts” and “Off the Deep End”
• June 15th-19th (Ages 9-12): “Fish Frenzy” and “Whale of a Time”
• July 22nd-26th (Ages 5-8): “Shark Mania” and “Marine Inverts”
• July 29th-August 2nd (Ages 9-12): “Off the Deep End” and “Fish Frenzy”
• August 5th-9th (Ages 5-8): “Whale of a Time” and “Shark Mania”

Artist Boat’s purpose is protecting our Gulf Coast through land conservation and with fun, educational, inspiring adventures that spark creativity, awareness, and action.

Since its inception, over 100,000 participants have helped bring 40,000 students to estuaries by kayak, foot, or vessel; created over 50+ public artworks; conserved over 600+ acres on west Galveston Island forming the Coastal Heritage Preserve and creating a place for the future Gulf Coast Environmental Education Center; restored over 50 acres of dunes and prairies to assure recovery of these ecosystems following Hurricane Ike; formed the Bucket Brigade comprised of a Marine Debris Task Force; conducted interpretive tours; and beautified buckets for trash, recycle centers, and more on Galveston beaches.

For more info call (409)770-0722, email residency@artistboat.org, or go to artistboat.org.

Bucket Brigade Interpretive Beach Tours are free for the public, last approximately 45 minutes, and are offered at Stewart Beach in Galveston. Join the Bucket Brigade in exploring the creatures and features that make Galveston beaches unique. Hands-on activities investigate topics including Galveston’s turbid water, marine debris, Sargassum landings, and more.

In June and July tours are available Wednesday-Sunday, weather permitting. Starting in August, tours are offered Friday-Sunday. Participants can sign up on location near the Beach Patrol Tower #6 at Stewart Beach. Tours are scheduled to start at 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm.

Artist Boat’s purpose is protecting our Gulf Coast through land conservation and with fun, educational, inspiring adventures that spark creativity, awareness, and action.

Since its inception, over 100,000 participants have helped bring 40,000 students to estuaries by kayak, foot, or vessel; created over 50+ public artworks; conserved over 600+ acres on west Galveston Island forming the Coastal Heritage Preserve and creating a place for the future Gulf Coast Environmental Education Center; restored over 50 acres of dunes and prairies to assure recovery of these ecosystems following Hurricane Ike; formed the Bucket Brigade comprised of a Marine Debris Task Force; conducted interpretive tours; and beautified buckets for trash, recycle centers, and more on Galveston beaches.

For more info call (409)770-0722, email residency@artistboat.org, or go to artistboat.org.

Susan Douglass Moody is the Galveston Art League’s featured artist for July. Moody’s brilliantly hued paintings on silk exhibit a soft-focus, impressionist effect. You’ll see her favorite subjects – flowers, trees, seascapes, and landscapes June 27th-July 28th.

Moody was inspired by her great-grandmother as she watched her paint. She studied fine arts at Metro State College and the Art Institute of Denver. Her works are displayed at several galleries and in private homes in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Maryland.

Although knowledgeable in many media, Moody now focuses on applying paints and dyes to silk. She is excited by the unknown and uncontrollable effects without resist, which allows the paints or dyes to move through and across the fabric. “It is as if they have a mind of their own,” Moody says. Her goal is to convey joy and peace with her work.

Moody is teaching a course in painting on silk at College of the Mainland at the Lifelong Learning Center, Delany Campus. She is a member of the National Society of Artists, Silk Painters International, and the nonprofit, all-volunteer Galveston Art League (GalvestonArtLeague.com).

For more info visit GalvestonArtLeague.com or email gallery2117@gmail.com.

Join us to see taffy being “pulled”, “spun out”, and packaged, right before you eyes. A special treat is in store as the candy maker tosses out samples for EVERYONE! Nothing beats fresh, warm, taffy. You can even get one of the girls to dip a pound or two right out of the catch basket.

Taffy pullings are daily at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm.

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For more events, go to GalvestonIslandGuide.com!