Uniquely Granbury Podcast
Visit Granbury is excited to work with Drew Myers of Open Mouth Communications on producing the new and exciting travel podcast, Uniquely Granbury!
This podcast celebrates those events, the incredible venues that host those events, and the community’s rich history – not to mention the people that tie it all together.
This is Uniquely Granbury.
Episode XII - Santa's House
Santa Claus is in the building ... literally! This is a magical episode of Uniquely Granbury, because we had a sit-down conversation with Santa. Yes … St. Nick … Kris Kringle. We had to bring Father Christmas on this episode, because it showcases something very magical that happens every Christmas in Granbury, Texas … Santa’s House. The main two voices you’re going to hear on this episode of Uniquely Granbury, though, are Arlis and Ken Holland - the couple who started this magical tradition in Granbury. Santa’s House is currently in its 10th year, spreading Christmas joy to more than 40,000 people since it opened its doors. #uniquelygranbury
Excerpt (Arlis Holland on the idea behind Santa's House): “Santa's House was first designed to be a place where Santa could be warm and safe and comfortable. But it was also designed to be a place for people to come for free. To share the magic. We want everyone to be able to come in and feel the magic of the season."
Excerpt (Tammy Dooley when asked about Granbury during the holiday season): “We're a Hallmark town at Christmas ... I think people come here and they think they're going to fall in love with a sleigh, horses going by and the snow is going to start falling. Because that's really what it looks like."
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Episode XI - Winter Guest & Goosebump Jump
Granbury is intentional about embracing the cold! That hasn't always been the case. There are bleak stories of Granbury in January and February - a cold, empty square just waiting for spring to arrive. That's when Sam Houston and Micky Shearon had an idea. They wanted to put emphasis on the frigid months, launching what is now known as the city's WinterGuest initiative. This stratigic marketing campaign - spearheaded by Visit Granbury - wrapped its arms around the winter months, creating a WinterGuest Passport with more than $1,000 in savings for visitors. Tammy Dooley and her team did not stop there, adding the wildly-popular Goosebump Jump to the WinterGuest experience. Now, you can jump into frigid Lake Granbury before catching a show downtown or eating dinner with ol' friends. By simply listening to local stakeholders, Granbury is now the place to be when the temps are hovering around freezing. #uniquelygranbury
Excerpt (Sam Houston when asked why tourism was important to him on a personal level): “...I truly believe that Granbury is the most unique city that I've ever been in. If you're bored in Granbury, you want to be a hermit, because there is something going on all the time. And it's so exciting for me, when I walk around the square on a Saturday night, to stop people and ask them where they're from and what they're having fun doing. And they think they've come to paradise."
Excerpt (Tammy Dooley when asked if she has ever participated in the Goosebump Jump): “I have done it. I will tell you ... I'm a wimp. I make it out about almost to my waist - maybe a little less. It's cold - very, very cold."
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Episode X - Celebration Capital of Texas
Locals live here because Granbury is alive with events and activities year-round. Visitors travel to Granbury to Celebrate everything! Festivals, history, patriotism, arts and culture, music, culinary, nature and recreation, lake activities, and even monarch butterflies. Add in girlfriend weekends, family reunions, weddings, conventions, car shows, and more, and that will give you just an idea of what Granbury has to offer. Voted USA Today's Best Historic Small Town in America in 2019, 2020, and 2021, and designated the Celebration Capital of Texas in 2023, we invite YOU to come and celebrate in your own Uniquely Granbury way! #uniquelygranbury
Excerpt (Rep. Shelby Slawson when asked if it was fun to help Granbury secure its celebratory designation): “So much fun! I mean, behind it is a lot of enthusiasm and energy from the community and from Tammy at Visit Granbury. And these are some of the most exciting things we can work on in the legislature, because it gets our people fired up and it really highlights communities that we know are the best part of the state and inviting others to come and see why."
Excerpt (Tammy Dooley when asked if she was proud of securing this designation for Granbury): “It's the biggest thing I've ever been a part of, and I'm extremely proud for Granbury, Texas, to be known as the Celebration Capital of Texas. It is something that our entire staff is proud of. I think the city is proud of. More importantly, the people who live here have embraced it and they're proud of it."
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Episode IV - In the Chute
Cowboy Tourism – which celebrates anything and everything Western Heritage – is about to take off in Granbury, Texas. On this episode of Uniquely Granbury, we highlight three passionate people who are spearheading this cultural movement. Francie and Wes Stevenson launched the premiere rodeo event in Granbury - Hood County Stampede. Homer Robertson helped start the Texas Cowboy Symposium and Chuckwagon Cookoff, which now calls Granbury home. Is there more to come? All of our guests - as well as Visit Granbury's Tammy Dooley - have no doubt! #uniquelygranbury
Featured Guests: Wes & Francie Stevenson, Homer Robertson
Excerpt (Tammy Dooley when asked about Cowboy Tourism): “I can already smell the leather ... and see the boots ... and the cuisine is changing. Because it's the craze right now."
Excerpt (Francie Stevenson when asked about her first impression of Granbury): “I love this community. I love the small-town of it. I love the friendliness of it - the community-feel. The minute we drove around the square, it felt like home."
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Episode VIII - Granbury Cemetery Tour
On this episode of Uniquely Granbury, we’re going to address a longtime fascination with … cemetery tours. Yes … this is a thing, and it has been a thing for a long time. People love to visit cemeteries.The million-dollar question: Why? According to author and professor Keith Eggener.“Cemeteries are the coming together of these disparate states of life and death, nature and culture. Cemeteries are the places that those kinds of meetings of the past and the future come to the fore.”
That actually makes since. And it has to be why Tammy Dooley and her staff at Visit Granbury started to embrace the local cemetery and started promoting its cemetery tour in Granbury. They are kind of like this podcast, which puts an emphasis on the history and the people of this community.
Featured Guests: Mary Ella Riley
Other guests include: Ben Holmes, Jack Martin, and Aaron McLain
Excerpt (Mary Ella Riley, about knowing the history of a community or town): “...it makes you have a little heart and love for some place when you know what happened from the beginning."
Excerpt (Tammy Dooley, when asked if Jessie James is actually buried in Granbury Cemetery): “Absolutely ... I embrace it. I will never not believe it. You cannot tell somebody in Granbury, Texas, that he is not. So, that's good enough for me."
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Episode VII - Music Friendly Texas Certified Community
Back in February 2023, Granbury, Texas, was designated as the 40th Music Friendly Certified Community by the Texas Music Office. On this episode of Uniquely Granbury, we’ll explain exactly what that means. Spoiler Alert: It’s a big deal. Tammy Dooley, director of Visit Granbury, confirms that bold claim in the first four minutes of the podcast. She also talks about her staff's significant role in making this vision a reality. Kristen Gibson, assistant director of Visit Granbury, is the one who spearheaded the initiative. On this episode, she discusses the process and hard work that went into the designation, and she shares the amazing ripple effect that is being felt across the Granbury Music Scene.
Featured Guests: Kristen Gibson & Tami McDonald
Excerpt (Kristen Gibson): “It's definitely a process and it's definitely a lot of work ... but when you look at our community and all of the joy that the music in our community brings, it's 100 percent worth it."
Excerpt (Tami McDonald): “All the musicians that I know just help each other out. That's the kind of music community that we're creating here in Granbury. It's all for one and one for all."
Other guests include: Chip Adams and Rebecca Meadors.
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Links:
Granbury Music Friendly Resources: https://www.visitgranbury.com/events/calendar/
Episode VI - Granbury's Hometown 4th of July Festival
Granbury’s Hometown 4th of July Festival has evolved into one of the community's signature events. Over the last 49 years, it has grown into an iconic extravaganza. The people and the stories have made this annual celebration ... legendary. On this episode of "Uniquely Granbury," we'll talk to the people who helped turn the 4th of July celebration into what it is today. Some of the stories shared on this podcast are humorous, while others are heartfelt and moving. All of them paint a beautiful picture of the 4th of July in Granbury, Texas.
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Links:
Granbury Chamber of Commerce: https://granburychamber.com/hometown-4th-of-july/
Granbury Events: https://www.visitgranbury.com/events/calendar/
Episode V - Gettin' a Little Spooky
It gets a little spooky on this episode of Uniquely Granbury. We had the honor to sit down with Brandy Herr, the expert on paranormal activity in Granbury, Texas. Brandy's spooky resume is impressive. She started The Granbury Ghosts and Legends Tour, she has written two books about spirits in Granbury and she is the co-founder of the Spooky Spectacle, Granbury's annual paranormal convention. We wanted to find out why so many ghosts and spirits haunt Granbury, Texas.
Other guests include: Janice Horak and Gary Farina, who both have ghost stories of their own.
Excerpt (Tammy Dooley when asked why she wanted to dedicate a podcast to Granbury's paranormal activity): “As long as we've been talking to visitors in Granbury, that's the topic they keep asking about and are interested in. Because rumors are out there that there are ghosts here in Granbury."
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Links:
– The Granbury Ghosts and Legends Tour
– Spooky Spectacle: https://www.spookyspectacle.com
– Granbury Events
Episode IV - Granbury Opera House
On this episode, we put the Granbury Opera House in the spotlight. Host, Drew Meyer, interviews two gentlemen who have a heart for the Opera House and have played a significant role in what the Opera House has become - the anchor of the Granbury Square. On this episode, we sat down with Mickey Parson & Micky Shearon.
Micky Shearon is the president and director of the Granbury Theater Co. which handles the day-to-day operations of the Opera House.
Mickey Parson is an actor and community advocate in Granbury. He was on the Granbury City Council when the city decided to invest in the Opera House and help preserve the magic of the venue. He'll share the history and a handful of stories associated with the Opera House, including one of his most memorable moments on stage.
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Episode III - The NEW Granbury Live! & The Great Race
Sister McRae, an advocate for everything Granbury, shares her story and the story of her brother Tom, who has left an incredible legacy in this community. From The New Granbury Live to The Great Race, Tom McRae's fingerprint can still be seen on Granbury's rich history. This episode is highlighted by love - love for a community and an undying love between a sister and her brother.
“The one word that comes to mind when you say 'Sister McRae' is iconic. She has a history like no other here in Granbury. What an elegant lady, classy lady. I've never seen her be anything but delightful. And she's just so connected." - Tammy Dooley, Director, Visit Granbury
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Episode II - Granbury's Memorial Lane
A trip to Branson, Missouri completely changed Julia Pannell’s life and ultimately gave life to a community treasure in Granbury, Texas. In this episode of Uniquely Granbury, Julia explains how she simply wanted to do more to honor the service men and women in her community. She also wanted to recognize the first responders. Julia Pannell wanted to celebrate all of their selflessness for putting their lives on the line for our safety and freedom. That is how Memorial Lane was born and it’s why it has become a must-see when people visit Granbury. From its inspiring glow at dusk to the annual events held onsite, Memorial Lane is a beautiful celebration of service and sacrifice. Besides our sit-down conversation with Julia, we interview a handful of other people who help capture the essence of the park and Julia Pannell’s heart for giving back.
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Episode I - The Power of Storytelling
The power of the story is on display at the Bridge Street History Center. Unlike most museums that are packed full of artifacts and relics, the History Center puts an emphasis on the stories that make Granbury’s history come to life. On this inaugural episode of Uniquely Granbury, we share a history-rich conversation with Maurice Walton, president of the Bridge Street History Center. We discuss his passion for Granbury's vibrant history, and we talk about his involvement with the museum. It's Maurice Walton's mission to keep Granbury's history from slipping away.