Free Family Fun at Saengerfest Park:

30i in Concert & “Goosebumps” in Downtown Galveston

Saengerfest Park, located in the heart of Downtown Galveston, is a great place to find free family-friendly fun as the days (slowly) begin to cool off. 

Saengerfest Park is a small, square park located on the corner of 23rd St. and The Strand in Galveston’s Historic Strand District. Saengerfest Park is known for having a large, playable chess set, a large compass that can be used as a seat, a colorful iconic Galveston wall mural, a huge beach chair offering photo opportunities, wooden benches, an old-fashioned London-style phone booth, and a stage used for festivals, movies, and concerts.

Visitors and residents are invited to enjoy free movies the first Saturday of each month beginning just after dusk. Moviegoers are encouraged to set up a blanket or chair. One free movie remains for the season:

• October 5th: “Goosebumps” (2015)

Music Nite on The Strand takes place on the second Saturday of each month, 6-9pm. These free concerts are a great family-fun event. Dancing is highly encouraged. One free concert remains for the season:

• October 12th: 30i (Rock)

Events are presented by Mitchell Historic Properties and The Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. For more info go to galveston.com/saengerfestpark.

October 12th (8am-12:30pm): Kid’s Fun Fishing Day will be held at Pelican Rest Marina, 7819 Broadway, Galveston. The 8th Annual Fun Fishing Day for the residents of Ronald McDonald House of Galveston and patients at Shriners Hospitals for Children – Houston! Help bring the joy of fishing alive for a child! Various sponsor levels, including in-kind, are available. Showcase your company’s name or logo on the event shirts, signage, and social media posts! The deadline to guarantee a t-shirt listing is September 27th at facebook.com/events/1112905615764809/.

Buy One Eco-Art Kayak Adventure, Get One FREE Eco-Art Kayak Adventure for this Saturday’s paint & paddle at Christmas Bay, in Galveston, Oct.12, from 10am-2pm.

Christmas Bay is located on Follet’s Island just across from the San Luis Pass Bridge. Artist Boat’s American Canoe Association certified guides will teach you paddling skills, how to identify native species, and will interpret natural processes. We will teach you, you will have a blast, and you will learn some cool stuff about Christmas Bay. Spoiler alert! It’s a natural wonder and hosts the largest natural sea grass beds in Galveston Bay. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy while you learning to paint with a short watercolor lesson! Yes, you get to take your painting home!

Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive an email confirmation with all the specifics, what to wear, etc.

Perfect for families, groups, solo explorers, beginners and seasoned kayakers!

You must pre-register and book online.

Heads up: You’ll have to know the weight, age, and DOB for each paddler, so get your info ready and sign up at https://www.artistboat.org/public-kayak-registration/. Use code BOGO12 on the order page (as a COUPON from the drop down menu-see image below). Call us if there is any issues (409) 770-0722 – we’re here to help Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm.

Galveston Island Book Festival is an annual event where Readers can meet exciting new authors, or say hi to their favorite local author in an atmosphere of relaxed enjoyment.

For more information and a list of authors participating in the event visit the OFFICIAL website http://galveston.bookfestival.network/index.php

CastAway Rods Guppy Cup

This year’s FREE event will once again be at Seawolf Park located in Galveston, TX. The Kidfish will be on October 12, 2019 with check-in beginning at 9:30am day of event. All anglers must register online and then check-in at the tent the day of event.

Divisions: 3-9 Years Old and 10-16 Years Old

Categories: Bull Redfish (Over 28′) and Open (Any Legal Fish; No Stingrays)

Check-In: 9:30AM

Weigh-In Times: 10:00AM – Noon

Awards: Approximately 12:30PM; Awards will be handed out at Awards Ceremony. Angler Must be Present at Awards Ceremony to Win. Awards donated by CastAway Rods, Advanced Electrical Systems, Allstate Insurance O’Donohoe Agency, Galveston Municipal Police Association, Nautical Antiques & Tropical Decor

1st to 3rd per Division for Bull Redfish; 1st to 10th per Division for Open

Rules: All fish entered into tournament MUST be caught at Seawolf Park. Anglers may be assisted while fishing but must participate in catching the fish. To enter a fish, the angler must have participated in catching the fish. Standings will be based on weight of a single fish per category. First tie breaker will be time weighed in (earlier time wins) and second tie breaker will be length of fish (larger wins). To qualify for a weigh-in, angler must be in line with fish by noon. No repeat winners allowed. Once an angler places 1st to 10th in any category, they will be excluded from winning again for the remainder of the event to give other anglers an opportunity. A fish entered may only be entered one time throughout the event. Fish entered must be of legal size. No stingrays allowed to be entered. Kids are exempt from Texas fishing licenses, but if they wish to retain a Red Drum over 28′, they will need to purchase an Exempt Angler Tag ($3) and bring with them the day of event. This tag is available for purchase at any location where TPWD Fishing Licenses are sold.

Other: Kids participating must supply their own rods, tackle and bait. An ice chest is recommended if you would like to bring fish home. Also recommend bringing a bucket to put water in to transport fish to weigh-in. This will help to keep the fish alive if you wish to release after weigh-in.

First 100 Anglers to Check-In at Tent day of event will receive a box lunch courtesy of Yaga’s Cafe.

First 300 Anglers to Check-In at Tent day of event will receive a goodie bag courtesy of Cabela’s.

First 300 Anglers to Check-In at Tent day of event will receive an event t-shirt courtesy of Lloyd Engineering and Koza’s, Inc.

The Cuban Spot Food Truck will be on location selling food – www.thecubanspot.com.

Prizes: Random door prizes will be handed out throughout the day and during awards ceremony. Prizes donated by Academy Sports & Outdoors, CastAway Rods, Texas Game Warden Association

Sponsors: Academy Sports & Outdoors, Advanced Electrical Systems, Allstate Insurance O’Donohoe Agency, Cabela’s, CastAway Rods, CCA Galveston Chapter, Galveston Municipal Police Association, Galveston Police Memorial Fund, Galveston Park Board, Koza’s Inc, Lloyd Engineering, Nautical Antiques & Tropical Decor, Texas Game Warden Association, Yaga’s Cafe

****Must print out ticket(s) and bring day of event for admission into park and for check-in.****

Different GPS show the location of Seawolf Park at different addresses. When turning North onto 51st Street, Seawolf Parkway, or Pelican Island Causeway Road, continue on road and it will dead end into Seawolf Park.

If you wish to register more than one child in the same division, you can log back on as many times as needed to do so.

Hunt for coastal treasures with state park naturalists.

Beach Exploration hikes start at the park’s Day Use Beach boardwalk (adjacent to the restrooms and parking lot.)

Get a close-up look at the many critters and birds that inhabit the sand, surf and seaweed. This Saturday tour includes hands-on seining, searching for ghost crabs and beachcombing under the guidance of Friends of Galveston Island State Park (FoGISP) volunteers.

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. Upcoming events are:

Leonardo DaVinci was perhaps the original “Renaissance Man”– a particularly brilliant person with expertise in many fields. Galveston Children’s Museum (GCM) believes there is brilliance in all of us and wants to help develop the DaVinci in you!

Please join for the second annual DaVinci Day on Saturday, October 12th, 10am-5pm, on the grounds of the Galveston Children’s Museum. This is a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness featuring local builders, artists, educators, students, crafters, tinkerers and hobbyists seeking to share their creations and ideas. DaVinci Day attendees will explore hands-on activities and use their imagination to create something unique.

Tickets are not yet available for purchase but they are currently seeking vendors and sponsors. Please go to galvestoncm.org/davinci-day/ for more info.

October 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th, November 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th (10am): Prairie Walk – Learn about the coastal prairie on a guided walk. The new Prairie Adventure will meet in the Galveston Island State Park (Park) Nature Center. Visitors will be introduced to the Park, the exhibits in the Nature Center and the Coastal Prairie. Visitors will then follow a guide to the parking area at the Clapper Rail Trail and then learn about the wonders of the Bay and Coastal Prairie including a little about the bay and wetlands, the flora and fauna and prairie restoration efforts in the Park. The Prairie Adventure is free, but visitors will need to have paid the Park admission fee.

Galveston Island State Park is located on the west end of the island at 14901 FM 3005, Galveston. For more info call (409)737-1222 or go to tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/galveston-island. The beachside of Galveston State Park (everything south of FM 3005) is closed as renovations take place. The side facing the bay will remain open. This closing is expected to last for about three years.

Favorite reads shared aloud in the Children’s Department on the first Saturday of every month.

This goes to 10:20am.

• October: Halloween Movie Nights – Saturday nights in October, drop by for spooky fun and Halloween movies.
  • October 5th: “Hotel Transylvania,” Shown at Dusk
  • October 12th: “The House With A Clock In Its Walls,” Shown at Dusk
  • October 19th: “Goosebumps 2,” Shown at Dusk
  • October 26th: Halloween Party – Bring the kids out for a ghostly good time with trick or treating, movies and more!
  • October 26th: “Coco,” Shown at Dusk
• October 10th, 10am-8pm, Galveston Appreciation Day will take place where all-day ride passes will be $15.99. This is in conjunction with the Harvest Moon Regatta at 2pm. 
• October 3rd: HomeSchool Day – Homeschooled students are invited to come for a day of educational thrills.
• October 11th-14th: Scout Weekend – There will be discounts for scouts with $17.99 All Day Ride Passes ($2 donated back).
• October 26th: Halloween Party – Bring the kids out for a ghostly good time with discounted ride tickets, trick or treating, movies and more.

Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, located at 2501 Seawall Blvd., features family-oriented attractions including rides, midway games, food venues, and retail shops. All events and rides are weather permitting. For more info, tickets, and a full list of events go to pleasurepier.com.

For decades, the historic Pleasure Pier served as a tourism catalyst for Galveston’s Seawall Boulevard and the Texas Gulf Coast. More than 40 years after the original Pleasure Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Carla, Landry’s has transformed the Pleasure Pier into a world-class amusement park for all ages.

Tickets are available for Walk-On only (no rides), Single Rides, All Day Ride Passes, and Weekend Pass for three parks at tickets.pleasurepier.com.