Mary Jo Schaffer Bandera Texas Real Estate

To many in Bandera, the Cabaret is a national treasure, an historic landmark, having been on Main Street for 70 years. Many a young man and woman had their first dance there, their first kiss, their first longneck. Well, it has been sitting empty for at least 2 years now (seems to be more) while new drinking and dancing establishments have cropped up to take it's place. But not in the heart of the Bandera faithful, the Bandera Community Foundation recently met to discuss the possibility of a purchase by the foundation to give it new life as a museum and multipurpose facility.

The Foundation has 60 days to raise the $315,000 to purchase the 12,000 square foot building, by having fundraisers, soliciting donations from the community or securing grants. Sounds like a monumental task, but not for the foundation, with their "can do" attitude. The cause is great, the plans large, a western swing music museum, a local radio station, a hall for special events and entertainers- a huge draw for the town and a magnet for tourists. May they suceed in their endeavor!

Bandera Texas is definitely a small town- in fact, Bandera is the only incorporated city in the entire county. The population hovers around 1000 residents, in about a 2 mile square area. They are happy with who and where they are, and I don't expect they'll change anytime soon. In fact, the hub of commercial activity has moved to the highway that intersects the City of Bandera, Highway 16. Without any zoning in place, the highway is a hodge podge of office buildings, strip centers, and car dealers and retail. Water and sewer needs will increase as more businesses move to this corridor of activity. TXDOT does what it can to regulate access off of the highway, to avoid accidents with 70 mph traffic on 16. All of this activity hopefully will not change the heart and soul of Bandera- the cowboy and western influence that has attracted visitors and residents alike.

One aspect of Bandera that I hope will never change is the friendliness and compassion of the people of Bandera. I like walking into the Bank, the supermarket, the post office etc. and it's "Hi Mary Jo, How are You?". Can the same be said for bigger cities like San Antonio, Austin, even New Braunfels and Boerne have gotten too big for the warm hugs I receive in Bandera. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE big cities- the excitement, the activities, the shopping, I could go on & on, I just appreciate the love. Thank you Bandera, I feel the love!

Yesterday was quite a busy day in Bandera, Texas. Even tho Fat Tuesday is not until February 5th, Bandera got a jump on all of New Orleans by having their own "Cowboy Style" Mardi Gras parade down mainstreet Bandera. The horse took center stage in this town, as it should. Multi-colored beads were everywhere- tossed to any and all. The locals and the tourists loved every minute- after the parade the local eateries and saloons were to the rim with revelers. The 11th Street Bar had the street blocked off so the overflow crowd could partake in the festivities. Based on the happy faces I saw last nite, this new tradition will be a continuing one.