This Week in Texas: From Dirndls to Lederhosen, Fredericksburg turns out in true Oktoberfest style

What Texans need to know to stay in the know. No Images? [Click here]( [Talk Like a Texan podcast: Listen Now!]( [Texas Monthly]( [This Week in Texas] What Texans need to know to stay in the know The week of Monday, October XX, 2018 [From Dirndls to Lederhosen, Fredericksburg Turns Out in True Oktoberfest Style]( LAUREN SMITH FORD Locals and Texans from across the state wore their Oktoberfest best on opening night of the town’s annual three-day celebration. [Read more.]( OUR TOP STORIES [Richard Linklater Political Ad Pokes Fun at Ted Cruz]( The video ad reminds viewers of Donald Trump’s Ted Cruz insults and of Cruz failing to act ’Texas Tough.’ [Read m]([ore.]( [We Tried the Vegan Brisket at Rice University]( Prepare your plate for ”plant-based” meat. [Read more.]( [Willie Nelson Officially Releases His Ballot Box Anthem “Vote ’Em Out”]( And it’s strangely bipartisan! Really! [Read more.]( [Are the Longhorns Back?]( Depends on what you mean by back. But most of y’all need to slow your roll. [Read more.]( [Talk Like a Texan podcast: Listen Now!]( [Can Hackers Mess With Texas’s Elections?]( Our lack of a voter-verified paper trail and contingency planning make us vulnerable, says Rice University’s Dan Wallach. [Read more.]( [Lisa Loeb: “Having a Huge Hit Is Amazing. I’m Not Angry at It at All.”]( Talking with the Dallas native who scored big with 1994’s “Stay (I Missed You)” and won a Grammy earlier this year for an album of children’s music. [Read more.]( [Root, Root, Root for the Amarillo Sod Poodles]( When the finalists for Amarillo’s new Double-A baseball team were announced, they raised eyebrows. But thanks to a catchy song, sod poodles are winning over Amarilloans. [Read more.]( [Announcing ‘Underdog,’ an Inside Look at Beto O’Rourke’s Run for the Senate]( Can O’Rourke change the future of Texas politics, or will Beto-mania turn out to be another liberal fantasy? Listen to the first episode of ’Underdog.’ [Read more.]( [Stay Roped in with Rodeo Report]( [Stay Roped in with Rodeo Report]( Get an inside look into the high-intensity world that combines talented athletes with horses and livestock, steep competition, old-school traditions, and family fun. Rodeo Report’s coverage from the PRCA circuit includes competitor updates, performance analysis, and behind-the-scenes stories of triumphs, challenges, injuries, and rerides. [Read more]( EAT LIKE A TEXAN [Take A First Look at Aaron Franklin’s Steak Cookbook]( DANIEL VAUGHN In April, the pitmaster and Jordan Mackay will follow up their barbecue best-seller with recipes and tips for grilling their favorite cuts. [Read more.]( WEEKEND READS [The Love Story that Upended the Texas Prison System]( ETHAN WATTERS In 1967, a 56-year-old lawyer met a young inmate with a brilliant mind and horrifying stories about life inside. Their complicated alliance—and even more complicated romance—would shed light on a nationwide scandal, disrupt a system of abuse and virtual slavery across the state, and change incarceration in Texas forever. [Read more.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES [The City of the Eternal Boom]( MICHAEL HALL And the eternal festival. And the eternal traffic jam. And the eternal tech start-up. And the eternal food truck. And the eternal buzz. So how did Austin go from being a sleepy haven for pot-smoking slackers to the most talked-about place in the country—if not the world? [Read more.]( [Talk Like a Texan podcast: Listen Now!]( [Say hello to our fall collection. Shop the TM General Store now.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may opt-out from Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. If you would like to manage which Texas Monthly Editorial newsletters you are receiving, click Preferences, below. To unsubscribe from our Editorial newsletters, click Unsubscribe. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](