EVENT UPDATE: It is with disappointment that we have decided to postpone Une Belle Soiree: Celebrating A Voyage Through History due to the uncertainty of the Delta variant. We feel it is important to hold this celebratory event in person and have rescheduled for April 6, 2022!

Please join us as the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission celebrates 25 years of our partnership with the Texas Historical Commission, preserving the "real places and real stories" of Texas' cultural heritage.

Save the new Date!
When: April 6, 2022
Where: Bullock Texas State History Museum, Austin  Reception, dinner, and live auction!

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We hope you will join us February 2–4 for the sixth annual Real Places Conference, which will be in person again in Austin.

The Real Places Conference provides opportunities to learn from and network with county historical commissions, Main Street managers and board members, historic preservation officers and design review boards, architects and engineers, historians, archeologists, curators, interpreters, managers of museums and historic sites, as well as Texas Historical Commission staff, Texas Heritage Trail Regions, and other partner agencies.

Upcoming Development Trainings

The Friends of the Texas Historical Commission leads development workshops and one-hour webinars geared towards volunteer leadership (board members and advisors) and staff from nonprofit organizations interested in learning more about securing philanthropic support for their organization.

Up next:

Development How-To: Three-day Workshop on Building realistic development budgets from your prospect lists; Making the ask; and Donor stewardship
Dates: September 20, 21 & 22, 2:00-3:00 PM Central Time

Learn more and register!

Friends of the Texas Historical Commission 25th Anniversary Celebration Events 

We will be celebrating the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission's 25th anniversary throughout 2021 with a series of virtual and (potentially) in-person events, featuring food history discussions and demonstrations in partnership with state hiistoric sites, as well as some one-on-one time with authors and historians that we have the privilege of working with. We hope you will be able to join us for these events and help us celebrate 25 years of partnership with the Texas Historical Commission. 

Upcoming Virtual Events:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 6:00PM Central Time:  Marine Archeology in Texas
Platform: Zoom (Registrants will receive the link to the event via email closer to event date)
Cost: Free
Join us and learn more about Texas’ exciting shipwreck archeology and its still undiscovered mysteries.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2:00PM Central Time:  You Say Prah-LEENS, We Say PRAY-leens - The Texas Praline Tradition
Platform: Zoom (Registrants will receive the link to the event via email closer to event date)
Cost: Free
Pecan pralines are a beloved element of the Creole cuisine of New Orleans, and their culinary ancestors traveled a long journey from medieval Persia through Europe to French Louisiana in the New World. In this presentation, we'll explore the origins and paths of Texas pralines and the connections to their culinary cousins in Louisiana and Mexico.

Please CLICK HERE for more information or to register.  The events are free, but registration is required.

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Villa de Austin Recovery Campaign

On Friday, April 9th, 2021, the newly constructed "courthouse" building, part of the Villa de Austin exhibit at the San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site, was destroyed in a fire. The Texas Historical Commission and the Friends of the THC are comitted to rebuilding this intergral part of the Villa de Austin exhibit over the next few months. Many of you have reached out to us offering your support in this effort. Please join us in rebuilding this exhibit by making a contribution to the Villa de Austin Fire Recovery Campaign. 100% of your contributions will support the rebuilding and refurnishing of the courtohuse building. 

Support recovery efforts here.

Making a Difference