Weekend Lineup
Ready. Set. Retire!
This will be my last Weekend Lineup newsletter. I want to thank all of you who have supported the newsletter and polkabeat.com. When I first introduced the website 10 years ago, it was a tough sell as not everyone had access to the internet and others were not used to getting their polka news online. I still remember how excited I was when Tony Janak at Sweet Home Hall purchased an ad on the Monthly Calendar page - my first. He wasn't necessarily tech saavy, but he knew it was a good place to promote the hall's dances to an even wider audience. Watch for Weekend Lineup to resume soon as the Texas Czech Heritage & Cultural Center takes over publishing duties.

Asleep at the Wheel is presenting an At Home Dance Livestream Event on Saturday night beginning at 7 pm. Everyone's favorite Western Swing Band will beam into your living room from Austin's Star Hill Ranch. Buy a ticket or bundle now and you'll be entered for a chance to win a 10-minute one-on-one VIP meet and greet with Ray Benson! Be sure to purchase your ticket before midnight on Friday, July 24th to qualify!

As we all look forward to gathering once again on the dancefloor, consider the internet as your friend!  YouTube channels can help you polka on! Mollie B & Squeezebox , Alex Meixner Band , Buttonboxes by Walt Harfmann, George Weber , and The Manaccordionist Kelsey Lien. Check our Facebook page often as we post videos of various artists. And listen to polka radio. See the ads on the left of polkabeat.com homepage.
 

Dance and festival cancellations are listed on polkabeat.com. The list represents cancellations that I know about. If dances/live music are still on the schedule, please call the venue before heading out.

Latest cancellations of festivals/events:
Moulton Town & Country Jamboree, July 24-26, canceled
St. Mary, Lockhart picnic, July 24-25, canceled
Penelope Parish picnic, July 26, canceled
Schulenburg Festival, August 1-2, canceled
Texas Heritage Music & Dance Club 10th anny dance, Sealy, August 2, rescheduled for June 6, 2021
Corpus Christi: South Texas Summer Polka Fest, August 8, canceled
Praha Picnic, August 15, canceled
Swiss Alp Dance Club dance, August 16, canceled
Boogie Back to Bastrop, August 21-22, canceled
Goodtime Polka & Waltz Club dance, August 22, canceled
St. Mary Picnic in Ellinger, August 23, canceled
Westfest, Labor Day Weekend, canceled
International Polka Association Hall of Fame & Music Awards, Labor Day Weekend, canceled
Kolache Festival in Caldwell, September 12, canceled
Addison Oktoberfest, September 17-20, canceled
Lockhart Fest - Western Swing & BBQ, September 25-27, canceled
Kolache Festival in Hallettsville, September 26, canceld
Wendish Fest in Serbin, September 27, canceled
Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, October 2-4, canceled
Needville Harvest Fest, October 15-17, canceled
BestFest in Fredericksburg, October 17, canceled
Elgin Hogeye Festival, October 22-24, canceled
Galveston Oktoberfest, October 23-25, canceled
Wurstfest in New Braunfels, November 6-15, canceled
Polka Party Cruise with Barefoot Becky, Jan. 3-10, 2021, canceled

Thanks for the dance, y'all! Polka On!

I am stepping down as publisher and have donated the paper and website to the Texas Czech Heritage & Cultural Center in La Grange. The Center, led by Retta Chandler with assistance from Mark Hermes, will serve as publisher and manage subscriptions. The Fayette County Record, led by Regina Keilers  and Andy Behlen, will manage the publication, polkabeat.com website, and polkabeat e-newsletter.  Gary E. McKee will continue on as editor/photojournalist and will manage the polkabeat Flickr and Facebook pages. Your new contact for advertising will be Becky Weise . 

The paper will be published every other month (6 issues a year plus Spring & Summer Fest Guide and Oktoberfest Guide). They are working on the September issue and the deadline to reserve an ad space is August 5 with art due August 10. For those of you who have events in September and October, this is the issue to be in. If your event has been canceled because of the pandemic, consider placing a "Save the Date" ad for your event in 2021. If you're not sure if the event will be canceled this year, we can add a disclaimer to the ad suggesting readers check your website for schedule udpates. I have attached the ad rate sheet for your convenience.

Contact emails/phone numbers are listed below:
Advertising: Becky Weise   [email protected]
Editorial and dance schedules: Andy Behlen [email protected]
Phone number for the Fayette County Record: (979) 968-3155
Subscription management: Mark Hermes [email protected]
Phone number for TCHCC: (888) 785-4500

Upcoming deadlines to reserve ad space:
September issue: Aug 5
November issue: Oct 5
January 2021 issue: Dec 7


Visit  texaspolkanews.com to see latest issue.


Photo Gallery 
2019 Moulton Jamboree
Click on photo to see images by Joe Cool Pavlicek and  Gary E. McKee

This weekend would have been Moulton's Town & Country Jamboree. 
2019 Moulton Jamboree
Click on photo to see images by Moulton homey Joe Cool Pavlicek



Donate the Gift that Keeps Growing


TCHCC is planning to plant several Texas Live Oak trees in the Czech Village. Purchase a tree as a memorial or in honor of an individual, organization, family, etc. or just as a donation. Read more  and dowload the donation form .
 

Watch the videos  by Walt Harfmann of  Fritz Hodde at Dale's Essenhaus in  Walburg... the Walburg Boys...Czech Harvesters at TPMM Fundraiser in West...Walburg Boys at Leap Year Day party...Dujka Brothers in Elgin...Red Ravens in Cyclone...all five bands at the Ennis Czech Music Festival

Watch the videos  by George Weber of Fritz Hodde/Fab 6 and 3-band jam at El Campo Polka Fest...Lost Cause at the PoLK of A dance


WEEKLY LAUGH

This is a story of a visiting pastor who attended a men's breakfast in the middle of a rural farming area of th e  country.  The group had asked an older farmer, decked out in bib overalls, to say grace for the morning breakfast.

"Lord, I hate buttermilk", the farmer began.
The visiting pastor opened one eye to glance at the farmer and wonder where this was going.

The farmer loudly proclaimed, "Lord, I hate lard."
Now the pastor was growing concerned.

Without missing a beat, the farmer continued, "And Lord, you know I don't much care for raw white flour".
The pastor once again opened an eye to glance around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable.

Then the farmer added, "But Lord, when you mix them all together and bake them, I do love warm fresh biscuits.

So Lord, when things come up that we don't like, when life gets hard, when we don't understand what you're saying to us, help us to just relax and wait until you are done mixing. It will probably be even better than biscuits.  Amen.

Within that prayer there is great wisdom for all when it comes to complicated situations like we are experiencing in the world today.  Stay strong, my friends, because our LORD is mixing several things that we don't really care for, but something even better is going to come when HE is done with it. 
(God has a plan! )


Submitted by Shane Lala    Share your jokes: [email protected]
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