The sun is warming our faces and spring is here. You can tell because the birds are fleeting around getting ready to build their nests and the Texas storms are proudly marching through. The colorful spring bulbs have opened and the beautiful bluebonnets are proudly peaking at the top of every hill and meadow. It sounds like it’s time for a drive. Check out the following events around the state of Texas.

ITALY
The Gladiator Baseball team will play Friday night, April 17, weather permitting, against Oak Cliff Faith Family at home. Game time is 6:30. The Lady Gladiators will play at home against Avalon on Friday, as well. Game time is 4:30. Relay For Life Silver Bullets Team are having a bake sale on Saturday, April 18 beginning at 9 am downtown Italy. Remember, all proceeds go to cancer research.

WAXAHACHIE
The Waxahachie Symphony presents classical guitarist, Stacy Arnold, at the Catfish Plantation Restaurant at 814 Water Street on April 19 at 7:30 pm. Come enjoy wonderful music and a delicious dinner. The price is $25 per person. For reservations and more information, please contact Debra Wakeland at 972-937-2390.

Texas Baptist Home Spirit Night, April 18 from 5:00pm to 8:00 pm. at 996 W. Highway 287 Bypass. In an effort to raise awareness for Child Abuse Awareness Month, Texas Baptist Home for Children will sponsor a "Spirit Night’ at the Chick Fil-A in Waxahachie. We will sponsor a pajama drive for foster children in our community. Help out by bringing new pajama sets to Chick Fil-A.

LANCASTER
100th Green Marathon, April 24 at 7:00 am. You are invited to play in or financially support the 100th Green (golfers Rallying to Erase the Effects of Neglect) Golf Marathon at Country View Golf Course in Lancaster, to benefit children in Ellis county served by CASA, Ellis County Child Welfare Board and Rainbow Room. Be a big swinger for little victims. Great prizes for golfers raising most money-regardless of your golf score. Please call Dr. Leroy Fenton, Chairman for more information 972-938-0977.

ENNIS
58th Annual Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival April 17-19, 2009. Besides 40 miles of mapped driving the bluebonnet trails, there will be a street market with arts/crafts/food, free bluebonnet trail maps at Ennis Garden Club booth, children’s fun area, railroad museum. On Saturday there will be a Bluebonnet BBQ Cook Off at SOKOL Hall, 2622 E Hwy 34. Live entertainment on Saturday and Sunday. The Main Stage is located on NW Main Street. Festival hours: Fri, April 17 (11am-6pm), April 18, 19 (9am-6pm) Visit their website or call 972-878-4748 for more details.

Ennis Public Theatre presents Damn Yankees April 17-May 10. Located at 2705-C N. Kaufman St or call 972-878-7529 for more details.

MOPARS at the Motorplex at the Texas Motorplex, April 18. Come out to the Texas Motorplex to watch Mopars race Super Pro, Pro, ET Eliminator, Sportsman DOT tires, Nostalgia Super Stock and Nostalgia Muscle Cars. The Nostalgia Super Stock and Nostalgia Muscle Car classes are ran off index. Some of these cars are cranking out ET’s that were never dreamed of “back in the day”. Headlining the class will be many cars from the Texas Outsiders Nostalgia Super Stocks racing series with some of the nicest old school cars you will ever see.

MAYPEARL
Antique Alley, April 17-19. This fun trip was established in 1999 and conveniently located just 35 miles south of Ft. Worth on I35 W brings you to a trail of 25 miles long where you will find antiques, collectibles, art, crafts, your favorite junk, yard sale stuff and bargains galore scattered along the way. Antique Alley spans the historic communities of Cleburne, Grandview, Maypearl via FM 4 to FM 916. This fun trip occurs twice per year in April and September. Be sure to stop by the small historic downtowns of Grandview and Maypearl where the streets will be lined with vendors, musical entertainment and festival style foods.

TEMPLE
Bloomin’ Temple Festival features a carnival midway, music by local and national performers, arts & crafts, car show, BBQ cook-off and children’s area with inflatable games. Downtown Temple, April 16-19. Call 254-773-2105 or go to their website for more information.

CLIFTON
April 17, Don Edwards & Donna Ingham Edwards, cowboy singer-guitarist and Ingham, a Texas tall tale teller perform at the Bosque Conservatory. For more inforation go to their website or call 254-675-3724.

WACO
Beasts ’n Blooms & Earth Day Too on April 18-19. This features spring summer plants, children’s activities and conservation groups discussing composting and conservation efforts at Cameron Park. Advance tickets are available from the website or call 254-750-8415.

GRAPEVINE
17th Annual Blessing of the Vines & new Vintage Wine & Gallery on April 17-18. This includes tradional blessing of the vines, the new Vintage Wine Trail with Grapevine’s many winery tasting rooms and exhilarating jazz wine train. See more information on their website or call 817-410-3185.

SALADO
14th Annual Gospel Fest on April 17-18. Enjoy the best Texas has to offer in gospel singers, bands, groups, trios, duets and individuals. Hours are 6-9pm on Friday and 9am-9pm on Saturday. Located at the scenic Tablerock Amphitheater. Check out their website or call 254-634-4658.

As always, Texas Monthly has some suggestions.

AUSTIN
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL The state’s culinary and viticultural achievements take center stage at this four-day smorgasbord. Whether you attend the Texas Culinary Masters dinner (Thursday; $150), the Stars Across Texas tasting event (Friday; $100), the Sunday Fair ($30 & $45), or any of the events in between, you can expect a whole lotta food and vino from the state’s master gourmands, vintners, and chocolatiers. Apr 16—19. For schedule & prices, call or go to this website. Various locations (512-249-6300).

DALLAS
THE GOSS-MICHAEL FOUNDATION Thru May 31: Richard Patterson—the British artist, who is currently living and working in Dallas, is known for larger-than-life paintings that evoke notions of both desire and despair. But don’t be surprised to see a plethora of pop icons—Dustin Hoffman in his Midnight Cowboy character, the Spice Girls, and even a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader—pop up in Patterson’s abstract layers of paint. Open Tue—Fri 10—6, Sat 11—4. Free, but donations accepted. For more details, visit their website. Located at 2500 Cedar Springs Rd (214-696-0555).

EL PASO
EL PASO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The EPSO closes out its season with Americana: Year of the Organ. Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man. Barber: Toccata Festiva. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue. Copland: Appalachian Spring. Gershwin: An American in Paris. Douglas Major, organ. Sarah Loannides, conductor. Apr 17 & 18 at 7:30. Call for prices. You can visit their website. Their address is Plaza Theatre, 125 Pioneer Plaza (915-532-3776).

FORT WORTH
MAIN STREET ARTS FESTIVAL Whether you go for the art (more than two hundred juried artists will set up their booths), the music (native son Jimmie Vaughan is the Saturday night headliner), or the food (who can resist a funnel cake?), you and tens of thousands of other festival-goers can sample a little of each and then some at this four-day fest. Based on the strength of sales at last year’s event, Main Street has recently been ranked as the third-best festival in the nation. Apr 16—19. Thur 10—10, Fri & Sat 10—11, Sun 10—8. Free. Visit their website. They are located along Main between the Tarrant County Courthouse & the Fort Worth Convention Center.(817-336-2787).

GALVESTON
GALVESTON ISLAND STATE PARK Family Fishing Clinic—Texas Parks and Wildlife staff will teach you about fish types as well as how to tie your tackle and cast your line before letting you practice in a pond stocked with red fish. All fishing gear and bait is provided, so all you have to do is show up eager to learn. Apr 18. Registration from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.; clinic from 9 to noon. Free. You are welcome to check their website. The address is 14901 FM 3005 (409-682-2290).

HOUSTON
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON It has been a month since the HCM opened the doors to its three-level expansion, which houses seven new bilingual interactive exhibits. The youngest among us can learn about energy as they control a hydro switchboard in FlowWorks, construct their own contraptions in the Invention Convention, get a handle on nanotechnology in the Matter Factory, run the city government in Kidtropolis, USA, and calculate their own heart rate in PowerPlay. Open Tue & Wed 10—6, Thur 10—8, Fri & Sat 10—6, Sun noon—6. Gen adm $7, senior citizens $6, children 11 months & under and members free (Thur 5—8 everybody free). Please go to their website for more information. The address is 1500 Binz (713-522-1138).

SAN ANTONIO
OLD MAN HILL To commemorate the birthday of Linda Pace, the late founder of Artpace who died of breast cancer in 2007, artist Edgar Arceneaux is debuting his performance piece Old Man Hill. The eight-minute film, which addresses the atrocities of the 1995 massacre of Bosnian Muslims in Sarajevo, will be projected onto a screen at the now-defunct Mission Drive-In Theater as metallic balloons are released into the night sky. This “memorial to that which cannot be represented,” as Arceneaux describes it, will never be screened again. Apr 16 at 7. Free. Mission Drive-In Theater, 3100 Roosevelt Ave (210-253-3310).

PORTLAND
WINDFEST This celebration of the saltwater breeze that blows in from the Gulf boasts such non-wind-related activities as a carnival, a parade, a fireworks display, the Miss Windfest pageant, Wild West shoot-out reenactments, a cook-off, and a Dachshund Dash costume and race contest. Apr 16—19. For schedule & prices, call or go to thier website. Portland Community Center, 2000 Billy G. Webb Dr (877-643-2475).