new name, more fun

Dripping Springs Pumpkin Festival falls into new locale and purpose

Since the festival has achieved its fundraising goal, it's time to move on to a new home.

Photo by Brianna Caleri

After three years at the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead, the Dripping Springs Pumpkin Festival is heading east this autumn to become the Uhland Fall Fest. The newly rebranded festival, located just 25 miles from downtown Austin, will run September 28 through October 27.

The beloved event will now be hosted at Old Town Uhland, a historic 97-acre farmstead with ample parking for up to 2,000 vehicles. Its new locale was chosen for a similar homey feel, while adding to the fun-filled extravaganza.

Despite the new name and location, the festival will still contain all of the enchanting elements that made it a resounding success: the signature pumpkin patch, over 50 fall-inspired games and activities, live music from more than 30 bands, a pop-up market, petting zoo, and so much more.

New and familiar food vendors that attendees will see at the fest include Afuga Coffee, Connor's Creamery, Downtown Burgers, El Mariachi Tacos, KO BBQ, Big Franks Tacos, Empanadas Point, Momo's Funnel Cakes, Oh My Pizza Pie, and more. Local breweries and wineries like Solaro Estate Winery, Tapville Taproom, and Twisted X Brewing Company will also be at the festival.

The Uhland fest is being produced by Christopher Durst, who co-founded the original pumpkin festival in Dripping Springs and is currently developing the Old Town Uhland project. Durst first hinted at the festival's relocation in 2023 after completing the initial goal: funding the restoration of the landmark Pound House after a multi-year shutdown.

"Our team couldn’t be more excited to partner with the City of Uhland, Texas, on this once-in-a-lifetime project," said Durst in a press release. "This development will undoubtedly change the way families experience entertainment together. Our goal is to design a fun and wholesome environment where families can enjoy time-honored traditions, all while creating core memories that will endure for a lifetime."

Now, the Uhland Fall Fest is expected to see over 100,000 visitors throughout its five-weekend run, with the goal of becoming an annual tradition in the small Texas town.

"The stars most certainly aligned when Christopher and his team decided to make Uhland home [for the festival]," said Uhland Mayor Lacee Duke. "Out here, we have a saying that 'In Uhland, the good days are longer,' and the days will no doubt be even sweeter now that Old Town Uhland is planting its roots and sharing its fruits with the rest of Texas and beyond."

Organizers are surely having some fun with the fest; The website states that things like firearms, air horns, politicians, boy bands, "Karens," and ninja stars are "not permitted," but positive vibes, unicorns, cougars (we'll let you decide what that means), Willie Nelson, and Aggies (on a case-by-case basis) will be permitted. (On a serious note, pets are not permitted on festival grounds at any time, and organizers are strict about trained and registered service animals.)

Here is a glance at the schedule and themes for each weekend of the Uhland Fall Fest:

Weekend 1: September 28-29, "Butterfly Jubilee"
Weekend 2: October 5-6, "Scarecrow Disco"
Weekend 3: October 12-13, "Pioneer Palooza"
Weekend 4: October 19-20, "Bubble Extravaganza"
Weekend 5: October 26-27, "Pumpkin Jamboree"

Festival attendees are encouraged to dress up according to each weekend theme, and may win prizes for their costumes while supplies last.

The festival will be held at 39 Dairy Rd., Uhland, and will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm beginning September 28. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale August 1. General admission is $15 per person, season passes are $75, and VIP tickets are $150. The festival is free for seniors aged 65-plus and children three years old and under. Parking is free, and ridesharing is encouraged. More information about the festival can be found at uhlandfallfest.com.

dripping springs uhland festivals fall festival entertainment

Movie Review

Horror comedy film Y2K gets more mileage out of nostalgia than story

Photo courtesy of A24

Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, and Julian Dennison in Y2K.

Movies that rely on nostalgia can be successful if they’re timed right. Generally, 25-30 years seems about the right amount of time to try to take advantage of people’s fond feelings for a certain era, which is why movies/TV shows about the ‘80s have been prevalent for much of the 21st century, and ‘90s-set films started to pop up in the last 10 years.

Y2K, a horror comedy that plays on the fears of technological mayhem many people thought would happen at the turn of the century, is right on the cusp of that rule, taking place nearly 25 years after its timeline. It centers on two teenage boys, Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison), who are opposite in demeanor but have an unshakeable bond. Eli likes a popular girl, Laura (Rachel Zegler), and Danny convinces him to crash a New Year’s Eve party where she’ll be.

As the clock strikes midnight and the year moves from 1999 to 2000, everything that uses an electrical current goes haywire, with many of them combining forces to attack the humans around them. Eli and Danny find themselves on the run with Laura, as well as two stoners, Ash (Lachlan Watson) and CJ (Daniel Zolghadri), with each of them trying to use their unique skillset to help defeat a growing robot army.

Directed by Kyle Mooney and written by Mooney and Evan Winter, the film lands some solid jokes about the era in its opening 20 minutes or so, whether it’s the extreme slowness of dial-up internet, the goofy user names from AOL Messenger, or the various high school cliques of the time. However, many of them seem to echo ones told in 1999’s American Pie, a weird kind of art-imitating-art moment instead of commenting on real life.

The jolt of the machines attacking partygoers seems to promise a fun-if-bloody romp, but Mooney and Winter don’t seem to know where to take the story. They establish the computer bona fides of Eli and Laura early on, but when it comes time for them to put their talents in action, it feels like two actors going through the motions instead of real people who know what they’re doing. Almost none of the characters are believable or entertaining, and the few that rise above are dispatched way too early.

And because the filmmakers don’t make you care about the main group, nothing they face is that interesting, either. The villainous robots are made up of a bunch of disparate parts, which would seem to offer the opportunity for funny sight gags. Mooney and his team fumble most of their chances, though, leaving that side of the story stuck in limbo where it’s not absurd enough to be hilarious or scary enough to really count as horror.

Martell, Dennison, and Zegler are each rising stars who have their individual charms, but only Dennison is able to make much of an impact. Zegler, who starred in West Side Story and will soon be Snow White, is especially misused. They try to shoehorn in a cameo by Limp Biskit lead singer Fred Durst, but his appearance makes little sense and adds almost nothing to the story.

Filmmakers who want to mine nostalgia, especially in a comedy, need to really commit to the bit instead of throwing in a few references and needle drops. Mooney, who’s making his directorial debut, demonstrates little feel for timing, and so most of the film is like a car spinning its wheels, going nowhere.

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Y2K is now playing in theaters.

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Dripping Springs Pumpkin Festival falls into new locale and purpose

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