San Marcos is known for having a diverse landscape, from the spring-fed river to the hillside hiking trails. It is also diverse culturally with the college atmosphere and the abundance of live music nearly every night of the week. Soon, the city will be distinctive as the host of the state’s first-ever presidential debate.
The first primary Presidential Debate is coming to Texas State University on September 16th at the Strahan Coliseum, the media will be coming along too, with thousands of people expected to be in San Marcos for the debate, the culture and attractions of the town will be in the spotlight.
Being 45 minutes away from the “Live Music Capital of the World,” San Marcos gets in on the action by having a weekly updated schedule of live music events. There is a legendary music venue in town called Cheatham Street Warehouse that is now owned by Randy Rogers of the Randy Rogers Band, it is also where George Strait and Stevie Ray Vaughn got their start. There is also the Marc nightclub where the bigger artists play like Paul Wall or Tyga. Whether it’s a laid-back bluegrass concert at a coffeeshop or a mosh pit at a metal show, San Marcos has got it covered. “I saw Valentino Con, he’s a DJ at the Marc, “said Jose Garza. “I love the Marc, I love the atmosphere.”
San Marcos has two record stores, Sundance Records, which is well known as it has been open since 1977, they are also owned by Sig’s Lagoon in Houston. They have a great collection of vinyl’s, shirts, and posters. There’s also Alchemy Records, they host live music events weekly and are known for organizing their albums by year. While San Marcos has a lot of culture in music, it also seems to be the epicenter of nature. “Everyone loves the river, the river is an important part of the culture here,” said Brian Willery. “It kind of brings everybody together in a very special way, I have met a lot of friends there.”
There are not many college towns in Texas that are surrounded in natural beauty quite like San Marcos. There are Bluebonnets and cactuses along major roads, the Balcones fault lies through town at the beginning of the hill country. Wonder World Park is a natural theme park that offers a view into the fault line with Wonder Cave, produced by an earthquake, it is the first show cave in Texas that opened to the public and the only dry cave in America that is commercially operated. With the fault line visible in the ceiling, the Balcones fault line is also visible where the San Marcos River begins. The Meadows Center for Water and Environment offers glass-bottom boat tours over the spring-fed river sprouted by the Balcones fault and a museum exhibit at what used to be Aquarena Springs amusement park. The area has been inhabited for millenniums, where pre-historic arrowheads have been found. The San Marcos River flows through the town providing students and residents the opportunity to float or kayak down the river. San Marcos has numerous parks along the river like Sewell Park, which is only open for active students at Texas State University. City Park, Bicentennial Park, Childrens Park, Rio Vista Park, and Ramon Lucio Park are all along the San Marcos River and have connected walking paths. Which makes walking back up stream after floating all the way down the river a breeze. San Marcos also has hiking areas such as Purgatory Creek Natural Area, Spring Lake Natural Area, and Five Mile Dam. “I love Five Mile Dam, it’s beautiful and it’s a really good example of where the community comes together with students and families doing all sorts of things,” said Kym Fox. “It is a wonderful outdoor area.” Five Mile Dam offers access to the Blanco River, and it is where the local soccer teams play.
San Marcos has a diverse landscape culturally and physically, whether it’s the music and food, or the river and hiking, San Marcos has got it covered. No wonder it has been named “Best College Town in Texas” for the second year in a row by Texas Football Life. San Marcos offers many opportunities for its residents with it being between Austin and San Antonio. Which is one of the reasons why the Presidential Debate is being hosted here September 16th at the Strahan Coliseum.
