Galveston Monthly - Exploring Your Island Paradise

This Month

The Galveston Diet

The legendary Hollywood actress Bette Davis once remarked: “Growing old is not for sissies.” And she was right - especially when the phrase is applied to women.

As women age, their bodies go through a variety of physical, hormonal, and psychological changes. On the physical side, women may experience wrinkles, gray hair, sagging skin, and weight gain.

Burgers Baby

Hamburgers may well be the world’s most popular food. Nearly 50 billion of these iconic sandwiches are served up annually in America alone, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This humble beef-patty-on-a-bun knows no boundaries; it’s served at drive-through windows of fast-food franchises, at hole-in-the-wall dives and five-star restaurants.

What's New in Galveston

Galveston’s got a bustling shopping and restaurant district and GM has added this new column to keep its readers up to date on what’s new and cool in G-town. Whether you are looking for a sassy boutique or a bite to eat, be sure to check What’s New before planning your day downtown.

Put A Ring On It

Graduating from a university is an achievement that serves as a symbol of hard work and dedication, a testament to the hours of effort put into studying, completing assignments, attending lectures, participating in extracurricular activities, and making long-cherished memories.

BOI Playwright Takes Stage

“If you had told the 12-year-old me when I was attending a production of A Christmas Carol at The Alley Theatre in Houston that one day one of my own musicals would be performed there, I would not have believed you,” smiles playwright Molly Beach Murphy.

Rosenberg Day Festival March 25

Rosenberg Library is excited to celebrate Rosenberg Day, a community festival celebrating everything “library” on Saturday, March 25, 2023 from 10am to 4pm on the block of 2310 Sealy.

This free event lines up with the already popular Friends of the Library book sale, where visitors can explore thousands of books to purchase and take home. New this year will be all-day presentations from local authors, an indoor scavenger hunt, raffles for gift cards, a historic canvas prints and book sale on the 4th floor, and story times throughout the day.

Returning this year will be live music from Galveston’s own The Lineup, the Library’s Salvage Sale, food trucks, face painting, and the author festival.

“Rosenberg Day will be a fun and exciting way to celebrate books, literacy, libraries, and Rosenberg,” said Mike Miller, Executive Director of the Rosenberg Library.

“Whether you are a first time library visitor, or a regular user of the library – there will be something for everyone. Meet a children’s book character, buy a piece of library history, meet your favorite local author, listen to some great live music, and much more.”

Parking will be available behind the library facing Ball Street (Avenue H) and along 23rd and 24th streets. Sealy between 23rd and 24th will be closed during the event.

For more information on this event, please visit rosenberg-library.org/rosenbergday.

Mardi Gras: Party By Design On Display Thru March 26

The Bryan Museum Celebrates The Exuberant History of Mardi Gras in New Exhibit

The Bryan Museum is proud to present their newest exhibit “Mardi Gras: Party by Design,“ on view from February 10 through March 26, 2023.

With the third largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country, Galveston has a rich history of tradition. The Bryan Museum is pleased to showcase their 3rd annual Mardi Gras exhibition focusing on the people who conceive and create these extravagant looks.

Galveston Mardi Gras began in 1867, and by 1871 there were citywide celebrations, parades, lavish parties, costumes and an annual theme. The Island celebrations have been halted over the last 156 years for various reasons including the Great Storm of 1900, World War II, and most recently the Covid-19 pandemic.

Island born businessman and philanthropist George P. Mitchell helped Mardi Gras regain traction as a citywide event in the mid-1980s. Except for its 2021 cancellation, the celebrations have been going strong for over 35 years.

The items on display include costumes and sketches from the 1930s-1950s on loan from The Rosenberg Library and The Galveston County Museum.

Mardi Gras revival items from the 1980s include the 20’ x 40’ mural by artist William “Billy” Quinn created for the ‘Carnival Di Venizia’ theme in 1988, and a costume worn by a member of the Quaker City String Band - a group of musicians known as the Philadelphia Mummers who marched in the parades up until a couple of years ago. Recent designs are by notable Galveston costumer Danny Lee Morgan and seamstress extraordinaire Jo Daily who has been making Treasure Ball trains for over 40 years. This exhibit would be incomplete without a nod towards local talented individuals who create celebratory items for themselves, family and friends. Such items include the amazing posters, umbrellas and costumes. The Bryan Museum is located at 1315 21st Street. The museum is open Wednesday thru Sunday from 10am-5pm. For more details call 409.632.7685 or visit www.thebryanmuseum.org.

Galveston Naval Museum Opens New Exhibit

Galveston Naval Museum (GNM), home of the World War II fighting vessels USS Stewart and USS Cavalla, will have an all-new Women of World War II exhibit opening to the public on Sunday, March 19, 2023.

A private unveiling reception will be held at the museum on Saturday, March 18 at 6pm that will also feature the debut of an all-new image and rebranding campaign. Together, these new and exciting changes seek not only to propel the museum’s longstanding mission, but to also celebrate the recent resurgence and forward vision of this once-forgotten institution. Read More

Critters And Pests In The Garden

Spring will bring out the newborn critters and the evolving pests to your freshly planted gardens and flower beds, drawn to all those fine-looking plants that you have just replaced after another cold spell of winter weather.

Wines Without Corks

During warm spring days drinking wine with friends, no other closure offers such ease in opening for a thirsty crowd as the screw cap. Not only are screw caps easier to open but they are also much easier to reseal.

Galveston Steampunk Festival April 1

The Galveston Steampunk Festival will make its Galveston debut on April 1 at the Galveston Railroad Museum from 12pm to 12am. A family friendly event, the Steampunk Festival is filled with entertainment, exhibits, vendors, programs, games and much more.

A subgenre of science fiction, Steampunk incorporates retro-futuristic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. The Galveston Railroad Museum offers a unique location for visitors to be immersed in the extensive history of mechanical innovation that embodies the steampunk spirit.

It is most fitting that Historic Galveston Island, built by Victorian industrialists who used new machines and new fabrication methods to drive economic development, was chosen as the location for the inaugural Steampunk Festival.

Cosplay is encouraged as the event takes you back in time through machines, performances, music, costumes, lectures, and more. Family activities include costume contest, teapot races, tea parties, entertainment, marketplace, exhibits, historic tours, vow renewals, food and spirits courtyard.

The Galveston Steampunk Festival will be held in downtown Galveston at the Galveston Railroad Museum, 2602 Santa Fe Place. Advance tickets are now available online at www.GalvestonSteampunk.com.

Arts & Culture

Beaches aren't all Galveston has to offer. Local theater productions, contemporary art exhibits and other family events that always inspires.