By Forest Riggs Galvestonians love music, especially live music and even more when it comes from a piano! Chances are, if you have sat in the Tremont House sipping the famous chocolate martinis and listening to beautiful piano music, you were being entertained by islander musician and bundle of talent, Kirk Hale. Over the years,

By Forest Riggs There are songs and then there are songs. With time and popularity, some become iconic and an integral part of popular culture. When young songwriter Jimmy Webb penned “Galvestonâ€, he never dreamed that it would become a hit for one of his boyhood idols, Glen Campbell, and a song that would someday

By Forest Riggs Beautiful September has finally arrived. The crowded beaches have thinned, traffic along the Seawall is back to some degree of normalcy, the long lines in restaurants have dwindled and though tourism remains active, hotel reservations have slowed. With most schools having resumed in late August and early September, the crowds of young

By Forest Riggs Three cheers for the Galveston Krewe of Bacchus! Like the legendary Phoenix, the Krewe is rising from the ashes and planning to fly high again. Over the years, there has been several “incarnations†of the Krewe of Bacchus and once again, the festive island institution is re-grouping, re-forming and developing their long-overdue

By Forest Riggs  There is a great deal that can be said about the summer’s intense heat and some of the descriptions can actually contain references to a female dog. “Man, this heat is a b!^@h!†You don’t have to be outside in for very long before you feel it and maybe start using the

ByForest Riggs Hot July is about gone and hotter August is upon us.  Originally name Sextilis by Romulus in 753 B.C., the month of August was eventually was renamed by Julius Caesar in honor of Augustus whom he admired. Regardless of where, where, when, why and how, it is a hot mess! Personally I prefer

By Forest Riggs If you have ever wanted to test that old saying about it being “hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk,†now is the time. Hot sidewalks, hot beaches, hot parking lots, hot current affairs — it’s all hot, hot, hot! July started with a vengeance and, if the Island’s favorite

By Forest Riggs Dust off your red, white and blue and get ready to celebrate Independence Day, Galveston style! With a hot summer in full swing, Galveston is preparing for its annual 4th of July parade and spectacular fireworks display over the Gulf of Mexico. Over the years, the annual celebration has grown in size

By Forest Riggs | For more than a decade, businessmen and bar owners Todd MacKenzie and Tom Fiero have been perfecting their formula for developing and operating successful businesses on Galveston Island. The pair purchased 23rd Street Station several months ago and in the past eight months followed their successful and proven business model of

By Forest Riggs As the old adage says, June is busting out all over! Well, not America’s favorite pearl-wearing mom June Cleaver, but rather the warm, summer month of June has arrived, sans pearls. Galvestonians and Gulf Coast dwellers take a deep breath this time of year and prepare for hurricane season, which officially starts