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    Bats, and Ocelots, and Bears...oh my

    New H-E-B film series brings nature conservation around Texas to life

    Amber Heckler
    Sep 5, 2023 | 9:45 am
    Our Texas, Our Future, H-E-B, film series, Texas state parks

    The Our Texas, Our Future film series illustrates the importance of native wildlife.

    ourtexasourfuture.com

    A new five-part documentary shorts series by Texas' favorite grocery store, H-E-B, takes an in-depth exploration into the state's wildlife and parks, in the hopes of raising awareness for native conservation.

    Each film in the Our Texas, Our Future series is set in a different area of Texas, from the Gulf Coast of Houston to the deserts of West Texas. Viewers will learn about Texas' misunderstood animals, witness conservation triumphs of important marine life, and celebrate in the longevity of the state's public park system.

    The series was created in partnership with Fin & Fur Films, and each of the five films are narrated by Austin-based singer Shane Smith. His band, Shane Smith and the Saints, also created original music for the series.

    "H-E-B has a deep commitment to support all Texans, and that includes helping to protect, conserve, and beautify our great state for people to enjoy now and for generations to come," said Leslie Sweet, H-E-B's Managing Director of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs in a release. "We’re excited to support these passionate filmmakers and their mission to tell important stories that we hope will inspire people to celebrate and protect the diverse habitats, unique wildlife, and beautiful landscapes across Texas."

    A Century Celebration: Texas State Parks
    Director: Ben Masters; Runtime: 9 minutes
    This film celebrates the 100th anniversary of Texas State Parks through a retelling of how the public park system came to be. 1.5 million acres of public land stretches from the West Texas mountains to Piney Woods in East Texas, where about 10 million visitors trek Texas state parks every year. Watch the trailer for A Century Celebration: Texas State Parks here.

    Batsies
    Director: Elizabeth Unger; Runtime: 15 minutes
    San Antonio locals know all too well the history of Bracken Cave, which is home to the world's largest bat colony, comprising more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats. A group of Texas State University wildlife biologists take viewers on a trip to unearth little-known facts about one of Texas' most precious creatures. Batsies details the group's fight to protect the state's bat population and explains why the mammals are so crucial to Texas' ecosystem and agriculture. Watch the trailer here.

    Redfish Revival
    Director: Shannon Vandivier; Runtime: 16 minutes
    Redfish Revival is a deep dive into the history of Texas' redfish population, and how a group of Houston fishermen saved them from overfishing in the 1970s. The group's dedication to conservation helped bring about important legislation protecting against overfishing in the 1980s, and even led to redfish being deemed the official saltwater fish of Texas. Watch the trailer here.

    Second Chance
    Director: Austin Alvarado; Runtime: 22 minutes
    Second Chance showcases the ongoing recovery of Texas' black bear population, which has slowly been on the rise over the last 30 years. Researchers from the Borderlands Research Institute in Alpine journey to understand how the bears are surviving in the West Texas desserts in the wake of Texas' human population expansion. Watch the trailer for Second Chance here.

    Ranching with Ocelots
    Director: Shannon Vandivier; Runtime: 12 minutes
    Ocelots are the most endangered cat in the nation, with less than 120 in the wild today. Ranching with Ocelots investigates the relationship between the animals and two traditional Texas vaqueros – Timoteo and Miguel Rodriguez, who also appear in the film Easteños – who seek to protect them. Their ranch is home to the largest documented ocelot population in North America. Watch the trailer here.

    texasdocumentaryfilmsan antoniohebH-E-Bnature
    news/entertainment

    50 years of TRF

    First Renaissance Festival since owner's death draws strong attendance

    Jef Rouner
    Dec 10, 2025 | 12:45 pm
    Texas Renaissance Festival
    Photo by Steven David Photography
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    Those who were worried about the Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF) not performing well the first year after a court mandated its sale and the death of its founder can rest easy. The final gate totals show that the 2025 season was just as well attended as previous ones.

    “The 51st annual Texas Renaissance Festival was another successful season thanks to our wonderful guests and dedicated team members,” TRF marketing director Tyler Moyer said. “Our team worked tirelessly to bring the magic of the Renaissance to life every weekend, and we’re grateful that our patrons love us more and more with every passing year. We’re so thankful to everyone who helped make this another great event, and we can’t wait to welcome folks back in 2026.”

    In total, 492,910 patrons visited TRF over its eight themed weekends, with almost 100,000 coming through the gates for the final, extended Christmas weekend alone. On Friday, November 28, some, including this reporter, might have felt the event felt too crowded. Still, people made merry in medieval Santa costumes and the occasional Krampus.

    While attendance was down about 8 percent from 2024 (533,356), that year featured many 50th anniversary celebrations. Over the past five years, TRF has averaged about 486,000 visitors according to the TRF media office. The numbers for 2025 are even more impressive considering that the last week of October featured torrential rain across the Houston area.

    There was much concern about how well the festival would run. Earlier this year, founder George Coulam lost a court case mandating that he sell the festival after Coulam attempted to back out of a deal with Austin developer Meril Rivard. The matter was further complicated by Coulam's death in May, throwing the appeal process into chaos.

    Throughout the tangled legal maneuverings, everyone running the festival vowed to keep it going just as it is. Grimes County Judge Gary W. Chaney appointed a pair of special masters to administrate TRF at the top while the matter sat in court, which they appear to have done flawlessly if the gate receipts are any indication.

    Now that the season is over, all parties involved with the lawsuit will have free rein to continue the fight and another indicator of how popular and profitable TRF is. The 90 day appeal window open to Coulam's beneficiary closes in early 2026, Hopefully, the matter will be settled before the next season looms.

    texas renaissance festival
    news/entertainment

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