T he phrase “Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach” defines the culture of the popular destination popularized in the 1977 song by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.
With its store, dance hall and picnic tables underneath arching live oak trees, Luckenbach is a popular destination for music fans, bikers and those interested in the fame of the tiny town.
Open daily at 9 a.m., the familyfriendly store offers visitors an oldfashioned experience and merchandise ranging from the nostalgic to items bearing the town’s famed oval-shaped logo.
The town also hosts regional and national acts. During quieter times, guests can sit and listen, or join in, to a picker’s circle where musicians mingle and swap tunes.
With nearly daily performances on the outside stage or in the dancehall, visitors can sit back and enjoy a beverage of choice while enjoying the musicians who provide tunes with a Texas flair.
HISTORY
Luckenbach began in 1852 when Jacob Luckenbach and his brothers, William and August, moved to the area from Fredericksburg and began farming.
William Luckenbach opened a post office under the name of South Grape Creek in 1854 and it operated for 11 years.
In 1886, August Engel Jr. reopened a post office for the community along with a general store in the Engel homestead. It was named Luckenbach by Minna Engel, who had just married Carl Albert Luckenbach.
Engel and his descendants later moved the post office and general store down the street and added a blacksmith shop, dance hall and cotton gin.
In the 1970s, the Engel family sold the town to Hondo Crouch, Kathy Morgan and Guich Koock.
During the years that followed, Luckenbach gained national attention as a “metropolis of mirth,” thanks in a large part to Crouch’s far-reaching humor and charismatic personality.
Jerry Jeff Walker, a friend of Crouch, further enhanced the town’s reputation by recording his live album there, “Viva Terlingua,” From 1995 through 1999, Willie Nelson held his storied Fourth of July Picnic at Luckenbach.
Today, one can find local and traveling musicians on stage or at a Picker’s Circle, a weekend dance in the hall or one of the many special events the town has scheduled.
Check luckenbachtexas.com for current performer and event info.
Above, local songwriter and performer Jake Martin was among the lineup of Texas artists featured at the second annual “Back to the Basics” event. – Photo by Russell Viers To the left, Luckenbach celebrated the 50th anniversary of Jerry Jeff Walker’s live album, “Viva Terlingua,” last year with a lineup of guest musicians, including Todd Snider.
Comment
Comments