Downtown Bryan turns into a two-night listening room this weekend as the Bryan Texas Songwriter Festival is back for a second year on Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10.
The festival runs on two tracks. A free Main Stage is set up where Main Street meets East 29th Street, and anyone can walk up. Indoor shows at the Palace Theater and The Stafford are limited to people who buy the VIP add-on.
The free Main Stage
According to the festival's published schedule, Friday's outdoor lineup is short: Max & Heather Stalling at 6:30 p.m., followed by Radney Foster at 8 p.m.
Saturday runs from mid-afternoon into the night. The Texas A&M School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts opens at 2 p.m., then Macie Hanna at 4, Randy Hoyet and Molly McDonald at 5, Jamie Lin Wilson at 6, Beat Root Revival at 7 and Blue Water Highway at 9.
Seating is not provided. Organizers recommend lawn chairs, towels or blankets, and their FAQ notes that the asphalt of Main Street is not a comfortable alternative. KBTX reported that seats and grass are limited inside the Gloria Stephan Sale Park viewing area.
Coolers, backpack coolers and outside alcohol are not permitted at the Main Stage or the festival's venues, though downtown restaurants and bars stay open during their regular hours. Free public parking is available around downtown, and the event goes on rain or shine.
Inside the theaters
The VIP wristband costs $246 per person, and the festival says only 600 are being sold. It covers the theater shows, a private beer garden and side-stage seats at the Main Stage, artist meet-and-greets, and pop-up performances announced by text during the weekend at Hush & Whisper, the Boiler Room and the Queen Theater.
On Friday, the Palace Theater has Brock DeWald and Dub Miller at 5:30 p.m., Jason Eady at 7 and Chuck Cannon at 9, while The Stafford has Kyle Hutton and Marcus Eldridge at 7, Keller Cox at 9 and Jamie Lin Wilson at 10.
