TEXARKANA - One of the new watering holes making downtown a busier place for nightlife will celebrate its first year this weekend.
The Railyard Saloon has its 1 Year Anniversary Party with live music both nights: Greg Gardner on Friday, then the TJ Mac Band on Saturday.
Owner Jamie Reynolds says it's been a tough year but that as a strong and independent woman who refuses to give up on her dreams she wants to "inspire others anything is possible" if people have both supporters and faith.
She's praised the behind-the-scenes teamwork among downtown businesses that come together to help each other in various ways, and she looks forward to growing the business in a community she calls "team downtown." It does take a village, she says.
Establishments like the Railyard, Broadway Sports Bar and Billiards, Verona Restaurant and Wine Bar, the Crossties entertainment venue, Pecan Point Gastropub and Brewery, Zapata Grill and Mexican Cantina and Hopkins Icehouse have all played a role in the resurgence of downtown's nightlife options.
In addition, the Arkansas-side entertainment district has helped usher in more activity in the downtown district as it allows people to carry their drinks with them as they walk from one establishment to the next. Now Texarkana, Texas, is considering the same sort of entertainment district.
In a Gazette article last year, Reynolds said about opening the bar, "This is about this bar, this moment and downtown Texarkana, where it is happening for this city." Over the past year, the bar has hosted entertainment like karaoke and live acoustic music, in addition to slinging drinks at its East Broad Street location.
In other local music news, Texarkana will soon host some classic glam metal when Warrant performs Friday, June 11, at 67 Landing on the Texas side of town.
Advanced general admission seats are $30 ($35 the day of the show), although reserved seating is sold out. Gates open at 6 p.m. for a 7 p.m. show start. Warrant fans can get their tickets at Outhousetickets.com/Event/17410-Warrant.
Hailing from Hollywood, California, Warrant is out on its "Cherry Pie" 30th anniversary tour. The band found its greatest success from the late 1980s to mid-'90s.
The "Cherry Pie" album was the band's second studio release, a 1990 follow-up to their "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich" debut a year earlier. Singles from the album include the titles track, "I Saw Red," "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "Blind Faith."