Profile on Katy Business: Pinot’s Palette

Have you ever dreamed of painting in a studio?  Do you consider yourself creative at all?  Can you draw a stick figure with relatively straight lines?  Are you up for a fun evening out doing something completely different?  If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you need to check out Katy’s newest social venue:  Pinot’s Palette!

Katy residents Kerrie and Alan Barnard are excited to bring this fun new “night out” experience to our area.  Located at 2910 Commercial Center Blvd, Suite 102, Katy 77494, the party and painting venue is in the Village Center Plaza near La Finca Mexican Restaurant.  They offer social art classes led by local artists who guide you through creation of your own masterpiece which you take home at the end of the night.  Each class features a different painting. 

Pinot's Palette Class

Looking for a unique party destination?  Pinot’s Palette is also available for private parties and corporate events.  You bring the guests and the refreshments; they provide the canvases, art supplies and instructor!

The Barnards opened Pinot’s Palette on December 29, 2010, and have been working hard to provide a fun party environment for everyone who visits.  No art experience is necessary.  There’s no pressure to be Picasso (but Picassos are welcome too!).  The only requirement is the desire to relax and have a good time!  Since they are a BYOB art entertainment studio, the normal public classes are for folks 18+ or 13-17 with an adult.  As their calendar grows, they will be hosting kids’ specific classes and art camps for kids.

For more information on Pinot’s Palette including class and event schedules, visit their website or connect with them on Facebook or Twitter!  Their phone number is 281.769.2961.

Festival Season is Coming!!!

As we near the end of August each year one thing always springs to mind.  No, I’m not talking about the beginning of the new school year.  I’m looking forward to Festival Season!! 

As the Texas weather begins to cool off just a tad, the local festivals kick into high gear.  These events are the perfect opportunity to grab your family and friends and build some memorable traditions.  We make sure to hit as many of these as we can every year.  What are your favorites?

Katy Rice Harvest Festival – It’s hard to believe that this is the 30th Annual occurrence of this fun event!  They have it all:  craft booths, food, games, rides, entertainment…all right in Historic Downtown Katy!  October 9 – 10, 2010.

Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo – Entertaining local families since 1933!  The Ft Bend County Fair is 9 days of fun:  carnival rides, nightly rodeos, concerts, livestock shows, art shows, food,…it’s a County Fair!  September 24 – October 2, 2010 at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds.  Click Here for discount tickets.

Waller County Fair – Katy resides within 3 counties which means that we’re close to 3 County Fairs!  The Waller County Fair has been going strong since 1945.  Rodeos, carnival rides, entertainment, food,…they’ve got it!  Think you’ve got the world’s best BBQ recipe?  Maybe you should enter the BBQ Cookoff.  September 25 – October 2, 2010.

Harris County Fair – The youngest of our 3 local County Fairs, the Harris County Fair is also the shortest in length.  But they pack a lot of stuff into a few days.  Calf scrambles, stick horse races, mutton bustin, livestock shows, and a BBQ Cookoff.  At the Houston Farm & Ranch Club at Bear Creek October 20 – 23, 2010.

Houston Hot Sauce Festival – They say some like it hot.  If that’s you, then check out the 10th Annual Houston Hot Sauce Festival at the Stafford Centre.  This is your chance to sample some of the best, most unusual, and yes in some cases hottest sauces around.  Go early for the best selection and to vote for your favorites.  And the music is pretty good too!    September 18 – 19, 2010

Dewberry Farm – Have you ever been lost in a giant corn maze???  It’s an experience everyone should have at some point in their life.  And thanks to the folks at Dewberry Farm, you don’t have to go far to begin your great corn adventure!  Just West of Katy in Brookshire, Dewberry Farm opens every Fall with tons of activities in addition to their fantasticly humongous cornfield maze.  Check out Golden Goat Bridge, pig races, rubber duck races, and singing chickens.  Blast pumpkins, shoot corn cannons, feed goats, rope calves, enjoy hayrides and mini train rides…there are enough activities here to keep the family busy all day!  The season opens September 25, 2010.

Katy Wine Fest – Wine lovers are represented again this year with the 5th Annual Katy Wine Fest hosted by Rotary Club of Katy Sunrise.  This is a charity event at Agave Road featuring live music, silent and live auctions, great food and, of course, wine tasting.  October 28, 2010.

And the great festivals aren’t just limited to West Houston, Katy and Brookshire!  Art lovers should definitely check out the Bayou City Art Festival (October 9 – 10, 2010) and Galveston’s ARToberFEST (October 16 – 17, 2010).  If you like learning about cultures, the Grand Taiko Concert (September 17 - 18, 2010) and the 32nd Annual Festa Italiana (October 15 – 17, 2010) are for you.  The Wings Over Houston Airshow is always thrilling (October 23 – 24, 2010).  And the Ballunar Liftoff Festival is simply amazing, especially when they light all of the hot air balloons at night (October 29 – 31, 2010).  And last but certainly not least:  No list of Fall Festivals would be complete without including the granddaddy of them all:  the Texas Renaissance Festival (October 9 – November 28, 2010).

There are so many things to do in the coming months that I’m not sure it’s even possible to hit them all!  But I hope you’ll get out there and choose a few to enjoy.  And let us know…which ones are your favorites?  What others should everyone know about?