The autumn season is quickly approaching, and with it the return of several local family favourites such as the Fall Festival at Robinson Family Farm and the Central Texas Fall Festival at Sweet Eats Fruit Farm. There are also Lego events, outdoor pickleball games with the Mobile Rec Series, farmers markets, and more activities for people of all ages this weekend.
Local Happenings
The City of Killeen Fall Stream Clean Up will take place on September 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will gather in the Lowe’s parking lot at 2801 S. W.S. Young Drive in Killeen to clean up the ditch that runs beside Lowe’s Boulevard. For further information, call 254-616-3172.
Pidcoke Methodist Church, 11230 Farm-to-Market 116 near Gatesville, will have its annual Yard Sale on September 17 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The funds raised will benefit church missions in Copperas Cove, Gatesville, and Lampasas. For further information, call Pastor Bill Jones at 254-677-6242.
The LTC Thomas Hammond “Remembering the Sacrifice” Golf Tournament will take place on September 16 at 9 a.m. at The Courses at Clear Creek, 52381 Legends Way, Fort Hood. Check-in is between 8 and 8:45 a.m. This programme is free for the first 144 active duty, veteran, and retiree attendees. For further information, call 254-287-4130.
Tablerock Festival of Salado will have auditions from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 17 and 18 at Tablerock Amphitheater, 409 Royal St., Salado, for the next autumn show, “Fright Trail,” and the winter production, “A Christmas Carol.” Visit www.tablerock.org or call 254-308-2200 for additional information.
From 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 20, the Greater Killeen Community Clinic and The Salvation Army will have a free food distribution event at New Gate Church Parking Lot, intersection of Second Street and Church Avenue. Food is offered as long as supplies last.
From 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 28, the Apache Arts and Crafts Center will present a Paint & Sip event at Samuel Adams Brewhouse, 5782 24th St., Fort Hood. This event is only for people over the age of 21 and costs $30 per participant. Pre-registration is necessary, which may be done at https://bit.ly/3xq7FOM.
From 7 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 28, Samuel Adams Brewhouse will host the monthly Books and Brew adult book group. This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required by calling the Casey Memorial Library at 254-287-4921.
The Salute to Our Military event will take place at Fort Hood’s Hood Stadium from September 29 to October 1. This free event is open to all DoD ID cards and will feature music, carnival rides, refreshments, a petting zoo, and live music. Visit https://bit.ly/3Bi4t94. for a complete event schedule and live music lineup
Donations for the first Stock the Pantry Food Drive for Central Texas Youth Services will be taken at Central Texas Property Management, 455 E. Central Texas Expressway, Suite 100, Killeen, from September 1 to September 30. Non-perishable food items will be welcomed during this time, and any donations will be matched by Central Texas Property Management.
Every second and fourth Thursday of the month, from 6 to 9 p.m., the Sammons Community Center, 2220 W. Avenue D in Temple, presents a Country and Western Dance. Admission is $5 per person and is only available to adults. There will be coffee and punch available. Visitors are encouraged to bring a food to share.
Every Sunday morning, a free group run for runners of all ages and abilities is offered. This week’s run will take place on September 18 from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Dana Peak Park trailhead in Harker Heights. For additional information, visit the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/klnrunning.
The Mayborn Science Theater at Central Texas College, located at 6200 West Central Texas Expressway in Killeen, provides a variety of laser displays, movies, and other astronomy-related activities.
Visit www.starsatnight.org or call 254-526-1800 for performance descriptions, a complete schedule, and ticket prices.
Family Time
The eighth annual Fall Festival at the Robinson Family Farm, 2651 Bob White Road in Temple, will be held every Saturday and Sunday from September 17 to October 30 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A wine and biergarten, pumpkin patch, hay rides, corn cannons, food trucks, a petting zoo, axe throwing, live music, and other activities will be available. The advance price is $15.95, and the gate price is $19.95.
Sweet Eats Fruit Farm, 14400 E. State Highway 29, Georgetown, is hosting the 2022 Central Texas Fall Festival now until November 20. A corn maze, pumpkin patch, pig races, petting zoo, live music, apple cannons, waggon rides, food trucks, and other activities are offered. Depending on the day of the week, admission goes from $19.95 to $24.95 per person. For tickets and a complete list of events, visit https://bit.ly/3QN5XOi.
The Bricks Killeen: A Celebration of Lego event will take place at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center, 3601 S. W.S. Young Drive, Killeen, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 18. There will be Lego-built works of art, model trains, buildings, and more. Admission is free and available to people of all ages.
The Mobile Rec Series: Pickleball event will be held on September 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at Long Branch Community Park, 1101 Branch Drive, Killeen. This programme is free and accessible to the public of all ages.
The Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Sculpt Event will take place on September 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4250 Clear Creek Road in Fort Hood. This free programme honouring National Play-Doh Day is open to military children ages 3 and up. For further information, call 254-532-7200.
The 5K Inflatable Obstacle Course and Bounce Fest registration is now open. The event will take place on September 24 at Temple College, 2600 S. First St., at 8 a.m. The fee is $28 per person. The 5K route will include a number of challenges and will conclude with the Bouncy Fest, which will have food, beverages, vendors, bounce houses, a petting zoo, an art bus, and more.
Every Wednesday from 9:30 to 11 a.m., the Bronco Youth Center, 6602 Tank Destroyer Blvd., Fort Hood, hosts Explore, Learning, and Play. Parents with children aged three and under will participate in playgroups focused on age-appropriate games and exercises that assist establish interpersonal skills together. There is no need to register. To participate, participants must have a military ID. For further information, call 254-287-2286.
The Killeen Independent School District will provide free math and literacy tutoring to KISD students at the Jackson Professional Learning Center, located at 902 Rev. R.A. Abercrombie Drive in Killeen. The sessions run from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 5 to 8 p.m. for elementary school children Mondays through Thursdays for high school students, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon for grades fourth through twelfth. For additional information, visit www.killeenisd.org/tutoring.
The Harker Heights Public Library, 400 Indian Trail, presents a variety of virtual and in-person livestreams, children’s events, story times, crafts, and other activities. Details are posted on the library’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/harkerheightspubliclibrary/, throughout the week.
Every Friday from 1 to 3 p.m., the Killeen Public Library conducts an Adult Public Game Day at the Main Library, 205 E. Church Ave. Every week, the library presents a variety of in-person activities for children, teenagers, and adults at the Main Library and the Copper Mountain Branch Library.
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