COMFORT, TEXAS

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

P.O. BOX 777

COMFORT, TEXAS 78013

www.comfortchamberofcommerce.com

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DRAFT

May 26, 2010

RELEASE ON RECEIPT

For more information, phone: Shirley Wills, 210-822-2378 (O), 210-365-4488 (cell)

Regina Alexander, 830-995-3131

COMFORT FALL ART WALK TO FEATURE

ONE-OF-A-KIND WORKS AND ARTIST DEMONSTRATIONS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2010

 

COMFORT, TEXAS…Artists from throughout the country will display and sell their works at the Comfort Fall Art Walk on Saturday, September 18, 2010.

Artists will greet shoppers and have displays in stores throughout the downtown historic district and along Highway 27 and Highway 87. A variety of media will be featured from woodcarvings and oil paintings to fiber art and metal work. Art Walk hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a listing of artists and their locations will be available at participating merchants.

"Many visitors have come to rely on Comfort as a great source for antiques and home décor items," said Jan Warren, owner of The Heart Cottage in Comfort and event organizer. "The one-of-a-kind pieces of art that will be displayed compliment our great selection of antiques. The Art Walk also is a wonderful way for our merchants to support

artists and for shoppers to learn more about our featured artists and build their personal art collections."

Comfort is an easy drive from San Antonio and Austin. For shoppers who want to spend the weekend in town, accommodations are available to meet the needs of almost any traveler from cabins in the country, to lavishly decorated Victorian era mansions and picturesque creek side and river side lodging. Many are within walking distance of the downtown historic district.

For more information on the Comfort Fall Art Walk, visit us on Facebook, on our Web site, www.comfortchamberofcommerce.com or phone 830-995-3131.

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ATTACHED IMAGE

The attached image is a wood carving by Greg Guedel.

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DRAFT

May 26, 2010

RELEASE ON RECEIPT

For more information, phone:      Shirley Wills, 210-822-2378 (O), 210-365-4488 (cell)

                                                  Regina Alexander, 830-995-3131

COMFORT VISITORS ARE GOING BATTY

Seasonal Emergence of Bats and Historic Bat Roost Draw Visitors to Comfort

COMFORT, TX…Visitors to Comfort are going batty.  The seasonal emergence of more than three million Mexican free-tailed bats and a historic bat roost are attracting visitors to the quaint Hill Country town.

The Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area, just 13 miles north of Comfort, is home to the bats.  The abandoned railroad tunnel was built in 1913, and it has been home to the bats since 1942.

From May to October, visitors come to watch the bats emerge from the tunnel each night, usually within an hour before or after sunset. Most bats exit through the south end of the tunnel, spiraling in a counter-clockwise direction to gain altitude over nearby trees.  They travel southeast toward the Guadalupe River.  Bats exiting from the north end of the tunnel either travel north toward the Pedernales River or south over the Old Tunnel’s observation deck.  Red-tailed hawks are sometimes seen feeding on the bats as they emerge. The bats return to the tunnel between midnight and daybreak, having traveled an average to 25 to 30 miles to forage.  For the most up-to-the-minute emergence information, call the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area at 1-866-978-2287.

Alamo Springs General Store & Café, located next to the bat tunnel, has a deck where visitors can dine and view the bats.

A town rich in history, Comfort also is home to one of the state’s most unusual historical landmarks—a bat roost.  Years ago, the roosts were built as an attempt to control malaria by encouraging the area’s large bat population to remain in the region and eat disease-spreading mosquitoes.

Then San Antonio mayor Albert Steves built the hygieostatic (which means “standing for health”) bat roost in 1918 on family property in Comfort. It was built according to plans developed by Dr. Charles A.R. Campbell, physician and former health officer of San Antonio.  Though it is located on private land about 1 1/2 miles out of town on FM 473, visitors can see the roost from the road.  The 30-foot high tower is on concrete piers and covered with shingles. 

Only 16 roosts are reported to have been built in the U.S. and Italy between 1907 and 1929.  The Comfort bat roost is apparently the last survivor of seven roosts built in Texas and is the oldest of three known to exist in the entire country.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For visitors interested in bat viewing, Comfort also offers many great places for visitors to “roost,” from historic bed and breakfasts to Victorian-era mansions and country cabins.

For more information on the bat attractions and lodging, visit us on Facebook, on our Web site, www.comfortchamberofcommerce.com, or at 830-995-3131,

 

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NEWS RELEASE March 18, 2010

For more information, phone: Shirley Wills, 210-822-2378 (O), 210-365-4488 (cell)
Regina Alexander, 830-995-3131


10th ANNUAL COMFORT VILLAGE SPRING ANTIQUES SHOW
ATTRACTS ANTIQUES ENTHUSIASTS AND COLLECTORS
TO COMFORT MAY 1 and 2, 2010

COMFORT, TEXAS…Antiques lovers from throughout the state will gather in the Texas Hill Country for the 10th annual Comfort Village Spring Antiques Show on Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2.

Held at Comfort Park on Texas Highway 27 off of IH-10, the Comfort Village Spring Antiques Show will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $5 per person, good both days. Children age 12 and under will be admitted free of charge.

Lori Voigt-Titsworth, whose husband’s family founded and operates the Comfort Village Antiques Shows each spring and fall, explained that true antique collecting is becoming more challenging. “Our shows are true antiques shows—no reproductions and no crafts—with savvy dealers willing to share their knowledge and expertise with new and established collectors,” she said.

Knowledgeable and friendly dealers, the country setting, and the hospitality of the town of Comfort make this a very popular show. It features American antiques, including farm tables, cupboards, quilts, rugs, baskets, pewter, and many interesting surprises. The show also includes dealers in jewelry, china, Indian collectibles, old store collectibles, and advertising, architectural and gardening pieces.

Many visitors make it an antiques weekend by staying in one of the beautiful historic bed-and-breakfasts in Comfort, attending the show and then antiquing throughout Comfort and the surrounding area. With its relaxed setting away from the crowds, Comfort is the perfect base for antiquing in the surrounding Texas Hill Country. Fredericksburg, Boerne, and Kerrville are just 15 to 30 minutes away.