Attention all book lovers! The annual book sale benefiting the Pioneer Memorial Library will be at Marktplatz from 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday.

Sponsored by The Optimist Club of Fredericksburg and benefiting community youth programs, this annual event includes scenic rides, cowboy breakfast, bike games, bike show, great food and live music.

$45 per person.

Fri 9 AM to midnight; Sat 9 AM to midnight; Sun 8 to 10 AM.

In Luckenbach Texas on RR 1376 off Hwy 290 E. (830) 997-8515.

Enjoy and learn more about the great Texas Hill Country outdoors on a guided nature walk at the Lyndn B. Johnson Park & State Historic site in Stonewall, on Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am.

See wildflowers, wildlife and an 1800’s German log cabin house while walking the trails.

Free, but donations encouraged.  Water, binoculars and cameras are recommended.

The popular Rockets 2013 returns to the Hill Country on May 2–5, 2013, as students from 30 Texas high schools gather near Willow City to send up 60 rockets they built as part of Fredericksburg’s SystemsGo science program.

The public is again invited to visit the pre-launch prep area at the Willow City Fire House, and the actual launch site at Stewart’s Hillview Ranch, located north of Fredericksburg off the Willow City Loop.

The student teams design and build 8-foot tall models that will go up from one of six launch towers. First-year students attempt to send a one-pound payload one mile high. Second-generation projects send rockets past the speed of sound.

Plans call for a rocket to launch every 30 minutes between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

In between launches, there will be activities, demonstrations, and tours for families. Food and restroom facilities will be available. Admission is free. Organizers remind the public that the area should be considered an experimental testing range. Schedule may vary, mobility will be limited, access will be controlled, and visitors need to be aware that this is the first flight of all rockets.

Direction signs will be posted. Maps to the site, launch schedule, and complete listings of activities are online at www.systemsgo.org. For online map searches and gps: N 30 degrees 24.470; W 98 degrees 40.91.

The SystemsGo Aeroscience program started in Fredericksburg High School in 1996 under the direction of teacher Brett Williams.

Williams had students build and launch rockets as a way to develop skills and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In 2007, he invited teachers from five schools to launch their finished rockets. Today this program has spread across the state, been featured on NBC Nightly News, is endorsed by NASA and certified by The Space Foundation.

The complete schedule and film lineup can be viewed here.

Thursday, May 2:
FREE Sneak Peek of The Iceman @ 4 pm | Steve W. Shepherd Theater
Filmmakers Welcome* Presented by Becker Vineyards from 6 pm – 7:30 pm | Hoffman Haus
FREE Outdoor Opening Night Screening @ 8 pm | Marktplatz
Opening Night Social @ 10 pm | Auslander Biergarten and Restaurant

Friday, May 3:
Filmmaker Panel Discussion + Light Breakfast* @ 9 am – 9:50 am | Steve W. Shepherd Theater
5 Programs (short and feature films) from 10 am – 9 pm | Steve W. Shepherd Theater
Filmmaker’s Lounge* from 11 am – 1 pm + 4:15 pm – 7pm | Steve W. Shepherd Theater
Friday Night Party@ 9 pm | West End Pizza Company

Saturday, May 4:
Filmmaker Panel Discussion + Light Breakfast* from 9 am – 9:50 am | Steve W. Shepherd Theater
5 Programs (short and feature films) from 10 am – 9 pm | Steve W. Shepherd Theater
Filmmaker’s Lounge* from 11 am – 1 pm + 4:15 pm – 7pm | Steve W. Shepherd Theater
Closing Night Party and Awards* @ 9:00 pm | Hanger Hotel Pacific Showroom

Sunday, May 5:
Sunday Sendoff + Special Screening of Somm* at Becker Vineyards — 12:30 pm reception and 1 pm screening
Exclusive event for All Access badge holders and ticketed Becker Wine Club members
*Filmmaker or All Access Badge Required. Buy yours here!

On the first Friday of every month, 9 art galleries keep their doors open late to show off  the finest in regional, national & international art being displayed in a beautiful Texas Hill Country setting.  Along with the art, each gallery serves local wines from Becker Vineyards, Torre di Pietra and others, and some offer live entertainment.  For schedule of events, visit the First Friday Art Walk website.

Runners and walkers of all ages will converge on the Fredericksburg Marktplatz on W. Main to participate in the Annual Fredericksburg Wildflower Run/Walk this Saturday, April 28 – with 5K and 10K races. Runs start at 8:30 a.m.; walk at 8:35 a.m., and there’s a Children’s Fun Run for children age 12 and younger that starts at 10:00 a.m. Sponsored by the Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center and benefiting the Fredericksburg Academic Boosters, this annual event is a fun way to promote healthy lifestyles and the encouragement of school academics. Cost in advance to participate is $15 for walkers, $20 for runners ($25 day of race), and $1 per child. For information, call 830-997-1355 or log on to www.hcmhs.org.

Fredericksburg Tennis Association‘s tournament for doubles and mixed doubles for partners who are 20 years or more different in age or parent/child.

Men’s and women’s doubles Sat at 8 AM.

Guests $5 per event.

At the tennis courts at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park on Hwy 16 S and at Fredericksburg High School.  Call (830) 456-1758 for more information.

Join us for the 15th and best ever Becker Vineyards Lavender Festival. Sip and swirl with live music, artisans and lavender fields in bloom.

Proceeds from these events support the proposed Texas Center for Wine and Culinary Arts in Fredericksburg.

-Texas Wine Tasting & Food Pairing Evening (4/26) Two acclaimed Texas authors, Dr. Russell Kane and Chef Terry Thompson-Anderson, will be signing their latest books and offering tapas-style dishes paired with Texas Hill Country wines. There will also be a silent auction. 6 PM. $100 per person includes signed copies of both books. At the Ruff Haus, 205 N. Elk.

-Hill Country Wine & Music Festival at the Wildseed Farms (4/27) A day long event featuring lots of Texas wineries, Hill Country restaurants and specialty food vendors as well as amazing live music performances. 11 AM to 7 PM. The admission price of $20 includes a souvenir wine glass, 7 wine tasting tickets and food samples. Available for sale will be wine by the glass or bottle, non-alcoholic beverages, t-shirts, hats and posters as well as beer from the BrewBonnet Biergarten.

For more information, please visit www.hillcountrywineandmusic.com