🎄 Christmas on the Beach & Volunteer Thank You Day
📅 December 27, 2025 (Saturday)⏰ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM📍 Rockport Beach, Texas Join us for a magical evening at Rockport Beach as Aransas Pathways celebrates the heart of our mission — our volunteers, partners, and community stewards who keep the spirit of Birding, History, Kayaking, and Trails alive all year long. This festive gathering is our way of saying thank you for helping Aransas County shine as a premier ecotourism and heritage destination in the Coastal Bend. What to Expect ✨ Cozy beachfront Christmas atmosphere✨ AP volunteer recognition moments✨ Meet the Aransas Pathways team & site stewards✨ Sign-up opportunities for 2026 volunteer programs✨ Light snacks & good community vibes✨ Perfect sunset photo moments along the shore Why This Event Matters Aransas Pathways is built on people — volunteers, partners, and local champions who share their time and heart to sustain our trails, birding sites, kayak launches, and history spaces. This special evening honors YOU — the hands, hearts, and stories behind our shared success. Volunteer Sign-Up & 2026 Opportunities Looking to get involved next year?Stop by our Volunteer Table to explore upcoming opportunities in: Events & outreach Birding programs & citizen science Trail stewardship Kayaking activities Historical and cultural programming 👉 Sign up here:www.AransasPathways.com/volunteer/?utm_source=website&utm_medium=events&utm_campaign=COTB2025
December in Aransas County — Where Community Shines Brightest
December in Aransas County is more than a calendar full of events — it’s a living reminder of our resilience, togetherness, and small-town charm. From shoreline lights to historic streets, every corner of Rockport–Fulton shines with community spirit all month long. December has arrived, and with it comes a season of celebrations across Rockport–Fulton and Aransas County. Our partners have lined up a full month of events that reflect who we are as a community — resilient, welcoming, and grounded in the spirit of togetherness. From Tropical Christmas and Christmas on the Beach, to historic home tours, art walks, concerts, markets, and holiday nights in the District — every corner of our county is alive with small-town charm and big-hearted energy. It’s a reminder that after everything this community has weathered, especially since Hurricane Harvey, Aransas County continues to rise with strength, creativity, and purpose. These festivities are more than events — they are proof of our shared resilience, our deep community roots, and the warmth that draws visitors, Winter Texans, and sojourners back year after year. As Aransas Pathways, we are grateful to stand alongside our partners in celebrating what makes this county extraordinary. And through our own Christmas on the Beach Volunteer Appreciation Night we want to kick off the month by inviting everyone to explore, support, and participate in the many holiday events happening throughout December. Every gathering, every stroll, every shared moment helps strengthen our community spirit — and that is the heart of our advocacy. Become Part of the Pathways Story If you believe in what we do, and if you want to be part of the small-but-mighty movement that keeps our trails, kayak sites, birding spots, and heritage venues thriving, we invite you to join us as a volunteer. Be part of the Pathways story. Become a Steward or Ambassador this season. Sign Up as a Volunteer: https://aransaspathways.com/volunteer-december Aransas Pathways Birding. History. Kayaking. Trails.One County, Countless Adventures. Photo Courtesy of Rockport-Fulton Chamber & Rockport Cultural Arts District
Howard Murph Memorial Park
4701 Loop 1781, Rockport, TX 78382 28°05’44.0″N 97°03’05.2″W (see map) Species – Greater Roadrunner, American Oystercatcher, Spotted Sandpipers, Caspian, Royal, and Forster’s Terns, assorted Sparrows in winter, Osprey, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Reddish Egret Left in its natural state the shoreline of the park is covered with oyster shell fragments and the shallow water has sandy and seagrass beds great for fishing and wading into the shallow water. The spot also makes for a great kayak launch site. The Park also has BBQ pits and covered seating for you to enjoy. Alligator Warning – We will warn you though that there have been spotting of coastal alligators in the area. Please keep an eye out if you decide to walk out. Howard Murph Memorial Park Site is also known as the Airport Park. Directions: FM 1781, directly behind the Aransas County Airport. This is a small park with access to Copano Bay. There are picnic facilities at this site. Howard Murph Park is an excellent location for enjoying sunsets, birdwatching, kayaking, fishing, and unwinding in a peaceful environment with picnic tables and benches.
Celebrate the birds of the Rockport area!
Aransas Pathways Birding Field Trip – March Schedule Meet at the parking lot behind the “Rockport Beach” sign, just before entering Rockport Beach Park, 210 Seabreeze Drive, Rockport, TX 78382 Celebrate the birds of the Rockport area! Join volunteer (and retired park ranger and bird guide) Bob Showler to look for birds at Aransas Pathways sites and other points of interest. Be prepared to drive your own car up to 20 miles round-trip and bring water, sun & insect protection, and binoculars (if you have them; loaner binoculars also available). We may be walking up to 1/4 mile at certain stops. Access to most sites is free, but there is a $10 fee to enter Rockport Beach Park (free to annual passholders; visit Rockport Beach (rockportbeach-texas.com) for more information on purchasing an annual pass). Printable flyer for Pathways Birding Field Trip Flyer – Bob Showler
Adventure of learning and sightseeing aboard The Skimmer.
Join us as we take you back in time to the abundant history in the settlement of Copano Bay aboard the Skimmer captained by Tommy Moore & Historical guide Pam Stranahan. This is an adventure of learning and sightseeing you will not want to miss! This will be a 3 hour trip aboard the flagship Skimmer. Tour time 9am – 12pm. There will be light finger foods and drinks provided. Please keep in mind this is an outdoor event and nature governs the trip. If forced to postpone, March 31 is the alternate date. Tickets are available via www.theachistorycenter.com/events-1 or at the History Center, 801 E. Cedar St. Sailing: March 29, 9:00 AM at Fulton Harbor on the Skimmer Tix $50 available via FHC only. Printable Flyer for sharing about this adventure of learning and sightseeing aboard The Skimmer.
“Quilting in the New Normal” – Open Jan. 14 at the History Ctr.
The Piecemakers-by-the-Bay and The Friends of the History Center will present a show titled ”Quilting in the New Normal.” Coffee and pastries will be served at the opening on Saturday, January 14, 10 AM. Opening remarks will be made by Susie Black. Mimi Braniff will present a traditional Bed Turning program where quilts will be shown with the patterns and stitching described. The main galleries at the History Center will be filled with needlework from guild members and Fourth Graders from Sacred Heart School. Programs will be featured on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM. A beautiful quilt created by the Piecemakers will be raffled at the close of the exhibit. Tickets ($1 each or 6 for $5) will be available at the History Center. The drawing for a winner will be held Sunday, April 2 at 4:00 PM. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the History Center.
“Holiday Traditions” at the History Center
Enjoy an early glimpse into the “Holiday Traditions” exhibit on Saturday, November 19, 1- 4 PM and view a program on Sunday, November 20 at 2:00 PM at the History Center, 801 E. Cedar St. The program, “Christmas in Texas,” will be presented in a slide program by Pam Stranahan. She will illustrate the many nationalities who settled in Texas and brought their traditions with them. Add your favorite family tradition to the stories from the past. The main gallery of the History Center will remind you of days-gone-by with ornaments and trees to entertain you. Many ornaments come from the collection of Mrs. Wilson who was the owner of the Bailey house on S. Church Street. A tree decorated with coastal shells will inspire you to walk our local beaches. Bask in the twinkling lights that bring memories of magical times. Visit the History Center during Tropical Christmas on Saturday, December 3, 1 – 4 PM. Take a break from other activities to view trees and décor from historic eras. Find unique gifts at the History Center. Publications about local history by the Center include the R-F Art Colony, ABCs of the Art Colony (for youth), Foodways: The Culinary Traditions of Aransas County, Aransas County in Postcards, 30 Years Through the News/Lens, and Doc Bruhl’s Herb Garden. Other gifts ideas are notecards and craft jewelry. Printable version of “Holiday Traditions” at the History Center The History Center at 801 E. Cedar St. in Rockport is open Fri. 10-2; Sat. 1 – 4; Sun. 1-4; and Mon. 10-2. A venue of Aransas Pathways. Learn more about activities and events – upcoming and past – online at www.theachistorycenter.com. 361 727-9214.
Harbor Haunts at the Texas Maritime Museum, Saturday Oct. 29, 2022, 11-3
In conjunction with the Texas Maritime Museum, Fulton Mansion, Aransas County Library, Ace Program, Texas State Parks, Goose Island State Parks, and Rockport Center for the Arts we will have a table with games, treats, and more!
Archeology Day at the History Center, Sunday Oct. 9, 2022, 1-4 PM
Join archeologists to learn more about the early people of Aransas County.Activities begin at 1:00 PM with centers that relate the skills of early people. Create a pinch pot, select a stone for tool making and learn how archeologists record information. At 3:00 PM David Kroskie will speak about local archeological investigations. “Archeology in Regional State Parks” will include surveys of Goose Island, Goliad, and Powderhorn. David Kroskie is a Cultural Resources Coordinator/Regional Archeologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).
New Exhibit “Weathering the Storms: 1919 & 2017” at the History Center
“Weathering the Storms – 1919 and 2017: Historic Places of Refuge” will open Thursday, August 25, at 7 PM, on the five-year anniversary of landfall for Hurricane Harvey. Historic documents relate the stories of the 1919 storm that ended the resort era for Rockport. Many of the places featured have Historical Markers that relate the full story of the people who lived through the storm. A dramatic portrayal of 1919 events based on diary entries will play on the flat screen. Interviews with current owners and photographs show how their historic venues fared during Hurricane Harvey. Places that are profiled include the Baylor-Norvell home, the Fulton-Bruhl home, home of Richard Wood, Sorenson-Stair mercantile, Baldwin-Brundrett home, Harper house, L.M. Bracht house, and the Bruhl-Paul-Johnson house. This exhibit is made possible in part by a grant from the Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Education Committee who worked on this exhibit include Dave Kroskie, Maureen Winkelman, Pam Stranahan, and Amy Parker. Exhibits will also open at other locations – “Our Journey,” at the Visitor Center of the Chamber of Commerce “It’s Still Standing…: A Hurricane History of the Fulton Mansion” at Fulton Mansion State Historic Site. Sunday afternoon programs will enhance the exhibits. The History Center at 801 E. Cedar St. in Rockport is open Fri. 10-2; Sat. 1 – 4; Sun. 1-4; and Mon. 10-2. A venue of Aransas Pathways. Semi-permanent exhibit “Voices from the Past: The Building of AransasCounty.” Learn more about activities and events – upcoming and past – online at www.theachistorycenter.com.361 727-9214.