A Celebration of All Things Texas

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Kerrville, TX – TexFest will kick off Sept 16-18 at the Trailhead complex on the campus of Schreiner University. There is no charge for admission or parking and all of the events are open to the community. TexFest will feature several booths and musical acts starting with a special kick-off concert Thursday night and culminating with a performance from the legendary Bernie Nelson on Saturday evening. Schreiner University will end the event with their annual Fall Ball.

This celebration of all things Texas continues the legacy of stories and songs as “another way of learning” started by Dr. Kathleen Hudson more than 30 years ago. Now, The Texas Center at Schreiner University renews this tradition through showcasing Texas culture, heritage and history. The next generation of Texas leaders will come from these hills and valleys—and this event is Schreiner University’s gift to the region and the state as natives and newcomers alike find their place in the stories and songs of Texas.

The Trailhead Beer Garden (featuring a great variety of beers, wines, and other non-alcoholic drinks) will be open and there will be food trucks available throughout the day.

Below is a list of the featured events and bios for all of the featured artists:

Featured artists

Santiago Jiménez Jr.– a folk musician who received a National Heritage Fellowship in 2000 for lifetime achievement in traditional Tex-Mex/folk music, and a National Medal of Arts in 2016. He has been nominated for three Grammys. One of the major figures in Tex-Mex border music, Santiago Jiménez Jr. is a singer and accordion virtuoso of the first rank. His father virtually invented the conjunto instrumental style and Santiago’s playing follows in that tradition while at the same time incorporating much of the more modern approach made popular by his brother Flaco. Born in 1944, Santiago is the younger son of Don Santiago Jiménez Sr., one of the great pioneers of conjunto accordion style. Where his elder brother Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez has helped modernize conjunto by bringing in jazz, rock and rhythm & blues concepts, Santiago has purposely fashioned his own playing after his father’s. He has dedicated himself to upholding the tradition his father helped develop via Spanish-language radio spots and recordings that date back to the late 1930s.

Exit 505– performing a fun, lively, danceable mix of music of everything from current Top 40 pop and country hits to classic rock and country standards. They add bluegrass flavor, classic 50’s style, and throw in original versions of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s gold and then sneak in Sugarland, Stray Cats, Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly, Little Big Town, Patsy Cline, Willie, Merle, Robert Palmer, Lefty Frizzell, Rolling Stones, The Judds, Pink, Lady Antebellum, U2, Miranda Lambert or even Uriah Heep.

George Ensle– paying Tribute to Jimmie Rodgers: George Ensle will host a special Tribute to Jimmie Rodgers Father of Country Music. Ensle was born in Houston, Texas on September 6, 1948. His parents gave him his first guitar when he was 13, after which he began to learn how to play classically. This classical training informed his unique fingerpicking style later in life. As a teenager, Ensle joined the Houston folk club circuit, playing places like the Sand Mountain Coffee House, Theodore’s, Houlahan’s No. 2, Anderson Fair, and the Old Quarter. Though he moved to Austin in 1966 to attend the University of Texas, he continued to perform in both cities. It was in the club circuit that he first met fellow artists like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Don Sanders, Carolyn Hester, Jerry Jeff Walker, Vince Bell, Eric Taylor, Bill Staines, and Bill and Lucille Cade. He also played the college circuit in the 1970s, which included the University of Houston and Sam Houston State University, with Lindsay Haisley and Nanci Griffith.
Eric O’Shea- (Comedy Act) he was an altar boy, shy nerd and aspiring future Dallas Cowboys QB/WR at St. Brendan’s School from K-8. From there he attended an all-boys high school at Fairfield Prep from grades 9-12 —this is where his O.C.D. and A.D.D. became pronounced. He attended Marquette University where he majored in Sports Broadcasting (the Dallas Cowboys thing didn’t work out when he found out he was allergic to pain). After finding out he liked to take his time with creating, the fast-paced news business became a no-go. But he still loved the stage and had “something to say.” So, on his birthday, he finished second to last in an open mic comedy competition. One joke did work, and he was hooked on this thing where you can, “simply talk and make people laugh.” So, for the next 3 years with his trusty Ford Escort, he traveled the Midwest doing any show he could, paid or unpaid, then one open mic night at NYC’s Caroline’s Comedy Club, he got lucky and did the best 10 minutes he had. It resulted in a coveted “holding” deal with ABC/DISNEY.

Clint Alford– based in the small town of Rusk, TX, and began songwriting at the young age of 19. He has had studio projects of many different styles of music, and has been making a name for himself in the Texas music scene since the early 2000’s. He was once the front man of the Tyler, TX based alternative-rock band The Papers. He left The Papers in 2010 to form an acoustic driven group known as The Kid Icarus Project with fellow musician Ian Chandler. In 2017 he decided to take out on his own and start doing solo acoustic shows and is still providing music all over Texas. Alford has opened for great acts such as Pat Green, The Toadies, Stoney LaRue, Whiskey Meyers and more.

Bernie Nelson– Bernie Nelson is both timely and timeless. Bernie’s rich, country vocals and well-crafted lyrics comfortably draw you in at his sellout shows. With his roots seated deep in the truest form of country music, Bernie attributes his selection and conviction with his songs to his closeness with country’s best like Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Townes Van Zant and the more modern Garth Brooks and Chris LeDoux. A favorite at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe, Bernie has also graced the stages alongside his legendary friends like Darryl Worley, Tracy Lawrence, Lee Roy Parnell and many others. Bernie is both a talented singer but also well-loved for his connection with his audiences drawing them in with his stories of life both in his early years on Music Row and of his endless encounters on Life’s highway. His stories are just as much a part of his shows as his award-winning songs. Bernie has been blessed with a successful career both as a songwriter and entertainer. His songs have sold over 25 million copies with multi-platinum cuts on the works of major artists such as Conway Twitty, Ricky Van Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Wynonna, Colin Raye, Confederate Railroad, Chris Ledoux, Kris Kristofferson, John Anderson and many more. Bernie achieved ‘Million-Airplay’ status on his # 1 hit, ‘Daddy Never Was The Cadillac Kind’ with Confederate Railroad. Most recently he’s enjoyed success with cuts on Mark Wills’ ‘Looking For America; Montgomery Gentry’s ‘Damn Baby’ and Tracy Lawrence’s ‘The Ride’ and ‘Heaven For A While.’