Messina Hoff Winery, located in Bryan, TX contains 42 acres of beautiful vineyards! Established in 1977 by two families, the winery is home to tons of events, a bed and breakfast, tons of roses and a relaxing water fall. With a delicious restaurant, it’s the perfect place for a date or day out with friends. The winery leads tours and wine tastings seven days a week for only $5 a person.

Messina Hoff also offers special events nearly every weekend, typically hosting wine classes, live music or cooking lessons. A complete list of these events can be found on the website, under events/calendar.

If you’re looking to stay the night at Messina Hoff, the Villa Bed and Breakfast is the perfect getaway! Decorated with European decor and antiques, the bed and breakfast’s rooms are unique in style. With extra amenities that are available in addition to the room, ranging from golf to limo rides and massages, guests are able to feel as far from the real world as possible!

If you’re up for a little road trip to Houston, the Houston Zoo is a great place to visit! The zoo has over 4,500 animals and hosts 1.6 million guests every year. It’s not just a place to observe animals though. The zoo has an array of restaurants and events hosted throughout the year. You are also able to enjoy “keeper talks” throughout the day while on your visit, where you can hear all about certain animals from the people who interact with them everyday. Some animals are even available to feed! With exhibits being updated regularly, an experience at the zoo is never the same.

The Houston Zoo is open every day from 9:00am-7:00pm (the last admission is at 6:00pm). Zoo keepers recommend visiting early in the morning, or late in the evening, as most of the animals are typically fed at this time and are the most active. Admission is $6 for children 2-11 and $10 for adults 12-64. Senior citizens, as well as military personnel receive a discount. You can also save on admission by buying tickets in advance at most Fiesta Mart stores in the Houston area.

 For more information and a complete list of keeper talks, as well as events/exhibits being hosted by the zoo, check out their website at www.houstonzoo.org

The Brazos Valley Museum of history is home to tons of displays and exhibits dealing with everything from the Republic of Texas to flying reptiles. The museum is located behind the new Target in Bryan (off of Briarcrest Drive) and reaches as many as 50,000 children and adults each year through different programs, exhibits and special events. Open Monday-Saturday, 9:00-5:00, and the first Sunday of the month from 1:00-5:00, visitors can explore collections dealing with archaeology, botany, conchology, cultural history, geology, mammalogy, ornithology and paleontology.

In addition to regular collections and exhibits, the museum offers Nature Camps for children as well as a “game day learn & play” with different programs, help during every Aggie home football game. The center is also host to different events, with the next event being held on May 16^th. The T-REX Roundup will feature a dinner and dance, with live music provided by Brazos Valley’s Southern Roots Band.

Admission to the museum is $5 for adults, 4$ for children ages 4-17, senior citizens, friends and University students, and FREE for children 3 and under. For a complete list of events and current exhibits, visit the museum’s website: http://www.brazosvalleymuseum.org/

This weekend, May 2nd & 3rd, the Brazos Center in College Station will be hosting the Women’s Show! Home to tons of shopping, including jewelry, home decor, beauty, fashion, cooking/food, fitness, and much more, the women’s show is a perfect place to spend the day with your girlfriends. This years show will feature 25 speakers, education women about everything from plastic surgery to enjoying fruit.

The show will be FROM 10-5, both Saturday & Sunday. Admission will be $5 Saturday and free on Sunday if you bring in the flier found at this website: http://www.csmedcenter.com/Healthy%20Woman/Pages/Brazos%20Valley%20Womens%20Show.aspx

Check out the same website for a complete list of speakers and topics that will be discussed this weekend!

The 2009 Spring Parade of Homes will be held this weekend, April 25th & 26th as well as next weeeknd, May 2nd & 3rd and features new-builder homes all over Bryan-College Station. The Bryan-College Station Home Builders Association puts on the event each year and hopes to create a great representation of the new homes being built in the area. Even if you’re not in the market for a new home, it’s always fun to drive around and see the beautiful new construction, as well as get a feel for neighborhoods in Bryan-College Station. It’s a completely free event and will be held from 12:00-5:00 Saturday & Sunday both weekends. A list of the homes featured and maps to each one can be found on the event’s website: http://www.bcsbuilders.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=4

For more community events, specifically involving homes, check out Century 21s Blog site: http://thecenturytreereader.com/2009/02/19/free-music/

Aggie Muster is a very special day in the lives of all Aggies. It is a celebration amongst Aggies that is celebrated in over 400 places around the world. It is said that “If there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.” Muster is a time of celebration, serving as the 50 year class reunion, and remembrance of those Aggies who have lost their lives. Each year, a speaker is chosen and honored at Reed Arena and Roll Call is done to honor the lives of the fallen. This year’s speaker will be Robert Gates, and those whose lives that will be honored include those, who at the time of their passing, were: current A&M students, former students residing in Brazos County, members of the 50-year class reunion Class of 1959, former students that have an immediate family member who is currently enrolled as an A&M student, former students who have immediate family members residing in Brazos County, former students who lost their lives while deployed on active military duty within the last year, and A&M faculty/staff of long tenure.

This year’s muster will take place on April 21st at Reed Arena (for those of you out of town, check local Aggie Clubs or with the Former Student Association to find a muster celebration near you). There will be a barbecue at Sbisa beginning at 12:30pm and the doors to Reed Arena will open at 5:00pm. The ceremony will begin at 7:00pm, with the post-muster reception beginning at 8:00pm.

For more information and complete list of those whos names will be called during Roll Call, please visit the muster website at http://muster.tamu.edu/

Volunteer work isn’t usually something that someone thinks of when searching for entertainment, but it’s an awesome way to cure boredom while helping someone in need! There are a TON of different organizations around College Station that are always willing to take on volunteers. For all of you animal lovers, the Brazos Valley Animal Shelter is always in search of volunteers! As for all of you kid-lovers, there are even more opportunities to lend a helping hand! Texas A&M is home of many different student organizations specializing in everything from special needs children (Sunshine Project) to sports-loving kiddos (Sports For Kids). All students are encouraged to join any of these organizations, but if you’re not a student and are looking to find something productive to do, two great places to spend your time are the College Station Children’s Museum and the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Program.

While Big Brothers, Big Sisters is a great organization to donate your time to, it typically requires a long-term commitment. If you’re looking for something a little less “binding” try the children’s museum! Located in Bryan, the museum is home to many different exhibits and programs for the kids. Volunteers have many different commitment options that range anywhere from a one-time event to everyday!

If you’re looking for more volunteer opportunities check out http://sm.tamu.edu/Volunteer%20Opportunities.pdf and see what may interest you. These are just a FEW of the volunteer opportunities available in the area. You may try calling the City of College Station for more information!

Arctic Wolf Ice Center, located at 400Holleman Dr. East is the perfect place to go to cure boredom! With tons of public skating times throughout the week, broomball leagues and a rock climbing wall, Arctic Wolf makes for a great place for entertainment and birthday parties. If you’re interested in learning how to skate, taking figure skating lessons, or playing on a hockey team, there are tons of programs for every age and skill level. Arctic Wolf even offers kids night out programs for parents to get some time to themselves. This Tuesday, March 31st, is College night late skate from 10:00-12:00. $5 for skating (includes rentals), live music and door prizes. On April 22nd, Arctic Wolf will host a student broomball tournament! Check the website often for updates!

Public Skating: $7 admission, $3 for skate rentals

Rock Wall: $2.50 for 1 climb, $5 for 3 climbs

Skating/Hockey Programs: Check the website for all other program rates

I apologize for this one being posted a little late, as there’s only a couple days left, but if you’re up for a small road trip to Houston, the livestock show and rodeo is the perfect place to go! With big-name entertainers everynight, a carnival for all ages and every rodeo event you can think of, the HLSR is great entertainment for the entire family. There are tons of booths selling everything from corn dogs to cowboy boots. One of the buidlings is home to tons of farm animals with educational videos and hands on stations for the kids. There’s even a birthing center with piglets, chicks, baby lambs and calfs! The cost to get into the carnival and shopping is fairly minimal, while tickets to the rodeo & concerts start as low as $10. For more information, visit the HLSR website at http://www.hlsr.com/

Grand Station Entertainment in College Station is a family entertainment center that offers fun for everyone! With bowling, video games, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, lazer tag and a sports bar, Grand Station has it all. It is open late for those college students looking to have some clean fun after hours and has tons of deals through-out the week!

Monday & Wednesdays: 9pm-12am, Unlimited lazer tag, glow-in-the-dark mini golf and a $2 game card - $15.95/person
Tuesday: 9pm-12am, Unlimited bowling, lazer tag and mini golf - $19.95/person
Tuesday & Thursday: 9:30-12am, Unlimited Bowling (Including Shoes) - 11.99/person
Sunday-Thursday: 6:30-9:00pm, Unlimited lazer tag, mini golf and video games - $10/person
Sunday: 9pm-12am, Unlimited Bowling (including shoes), $12.99/person