April 5, 2021
Pipe Creek Dancehall hosts first Market Day
By Vicki L. George
The Bandera Prophet
The Pipe Creek General Store and Dance Hall will host their first bi-monthly Market Day on Saturday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Located at the corner of Hwy. 16 and FM 1283, it will feature barbecue, burgers, nachos and other treats; as well as vendors selling of all kinds of goods, such as art, photography, jewelry and woodcrafts.
Live music by David Lee will play the new stage and there is plenty of room for dancing.
There is even a fenced playground for the kiddos, within easy viewing by parents.
In addition, attendees can tour the newly restored, historic buildings. Besides the store and dance hall, the Tool Shed has been restored and is now a serving area; the old Carriage House has also been restored and will house several vendors on Market Day.
“I like having a place for local craftsmen,” owner Bruce Martin said.
The old buildings have been restored and brought back to life by local resident Dr. Bruce G. Martin, and they have begun serving the community again as they did so long ago.
Martin named the two main buildings the Pipe Creek General Store and Dance Hall, according to their original purposes.
The dance hall was built in 1930 as an addition to the original general store, which had been constructed in 1911. However, when Hwy. 16 was widened for paving, a new store building replaced the older structure in 1936.
Martin bought the property in 2014 and has restored all the buildings to their 1930s condition. He said that more than 80 per cent of the buildings are original in materials and appearance.
Martin has been ably assisted by his manager, Sandy Wenk, and volunteer Brandi Sander. Wenk has been Martin’s office and property manager for many years and she also assisted Martin in this endeavor. Sander is also passionate about the restoration and has joined the team more recently, serving as event coordinator.
Martin said his goal was to preserve the local history and to continue to use the property as a community gathering place. It is intended to be a family friendly place, where children are welcome.
“We want to see people here, families, the community. We want the spirit of the community,” Martin said.
Martin moved to Texas over 35 years ago. He built his home in the Pipe Creek area on land he had purchased in 1996. He is a quiet man who prefers to be called by his given name, Bruce. He still works in San Antonio and has begun to cut back on his hours. His passion is restoring history and that is why he chose to gift Bandera County with this endeavor.
Martin said that his goal is to restore the whole three-acre property for the community to use and enjoy. In the meantime, he will use the general store and the dance hall as an event center for Bandera County residents. He considers this Market Day as a beginning for the enjoyment of the whole community.
About 20 vendors have signed up but there is room for more. They are actively seeking artists, artisans and craftsmen to come share their goods with visitors.
The Pipe Creek General Store and Dance Hall, located at 9878 Hwy. 16 South in Pipe Creek is open by appointment. To schedule a special event, they prefer to receive email at pipecreekdancehall@gmail.com, or call 210-854-6577. For more information, visit the website at pipecreekdancehall.com.
Live music by David Lee will play the new stage and there is plenty of room for dancing.
There is even a fenced playground for the kiddos, within easy viewing by parents.
In addition, attendees can tour the newly restored, historic buildings. Besides the store and dance hall, the Tool Shed has been restored and is now a serving area; the old Carriage House has also been restored and will house several vendors on Market Day.
“I like having a place for local craftsmen,” owner Bruce Martin said.
The old buildings have been restored and brought back to life by local resident Dr. Bruce G. Martin, and they have begun serving the community again as they did so long ago.
Martin named the two main buildings the Pipe Creek General Store and Dance Hall, according to their original purposes.
The dance hall was built in 1930 as an addition to the original general store, which had been constructed in 1911. However, when Hwy. 16 was widened for paving, a new store building replaced the older structure in 1936.
Martin bought the property in 2014 and has restored all the buildings to their 1930s condition. He said that more than 80 per cent of the buildings are original in materials and appearance.
Martin has been ably assisted by his manager, Sandy Wenk, and volunteer Brandi Sander. Wenk has been Martin’s office and property manager for many years and she also assisted Martin in this endeavor. Sander is also passionate about the restoration and has joined the team more recently, serving as event coordinator.
Martin said his goal was to preserve the local history and to continue to use the property as a community gathering place. It is intended to be a family friendly place, where children are welcome.
“We want to see people here, families, the community. We want the spirit of the community,” Martin said.
Martin moved to Texas over 35 years ago. He built his home in the Pipe Creek area on land he had purchased in 1996. He is a quiet man who prefers to be called by his given name, Bruce. He still works in San Antonio and has begun to cut back on his hours. His passion is restoring history and that is why he chose to gift Bandera County with this endeavor.
Martin said that his goal is to restore the whole three-acre property for the community to use and enjoy. In the meantime, he will use the general store and the dance hall as an event center for Bandera County residents. He considers this Market Day as a beginning for the enjoyment of the whole community.
About 20 vendors have signed up but there is room for more. They are actively seeking artists, artisans and craftsmen to come share their goods with visitors.
The Pipe Creek General Store and Dance Hall, located at 9878 Hwy. 16 South in Pipe Creek is open by appointment. To schedule a special event, they prefer to receive email at pipecreekdancehall@gmail.com, or call 210-854-6577. For more information, visit the website at pipecreekdancehall.com.