San Antonio’s La Cantera Resort & Spa is breaking out the guitars for the return of its popular Tip of the Hat to Texas country music series. The now-annual event, held October 2-4, is a chance to discover some future household names, including Drake Milligan, Frank Ray, Brice Long, Anniston Pate, Alex Lambert, Terry McBride, and Madeline Edwards.
Milligan and Edwards are the breakout stars of the pack. Arlington native Milligan made his name playing a young Elvis Presley on the CMT series Sun Records and was a fan favorite on competition shows America’s Got Talent and American Idol. Edwards is breaking barriers as a Black woman in country music. The Houston-born artist has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and both the CMT and CMA awards.
The event, presented with Sony Music Publishing, is a sort of mini-festival. Still, the singer-songwriters won’t be performing on traditional stages. Instead, the talented musicians will strum at various special events and showcases throughout the resort.
On Thursday, October 2, Ray, Pate, and Edwards will headline Dinner and a Show, a three-course feast at the hotel’s SweetFire Kitchen featuring Southern cuisine prepared by chef Julian Ramirez. Several of the attending artists will then congregate for String and Stories, an intimate concert in the lobby.
Milligan, Lambert, Long, and McBride will headline an Acoustic Songwriter Showcase on Friday, October 3. The performances will give music fans the “three chores and the truth” of country music with stripped-down arrangements.
Madeline Edwards is making waves with her genre-defying sound.Madeline Edwards/ Facebook
Saturday, October 4, takes a chic turn with the In Gold Dust We Walk Fashion Show curated by Mayra Farret of FashionTaste Makers and featuring designer Montserrat Messenguer. The mini-festival then turns up the amps for the Tribute to Texas Concert, featuring ever-popular San Antonio cover band The Texases.
“We’re proud to be the home of this special series and bring our guests a unique and elevated Lone Star experience by offering the chance to connect and sing along with some of the state’s up-and-coming singers and songwriters,” said Ben Turner, General Manager of La Cantera Resort & Spa, via a release. “Tip of the Hat to Texas will pay homage to our King Ranch roots while creating moments for our guests and the community we serve to discover the incredible country music talent coming straight from our home state.”
Individual tickets to the events are available online. Guests can upgrade the experience with the Music & Memories add-on, which includes an exclusive autographed poster signed by all the songwriters, plus two drink tickets to enjoy at any of the Tip of the Hat events.
For locals, it’s also a chance to check out La Cantera Resort’s snazzy new ranch-chic refresh. In May, the hotel revealed a $40 million makeover to all of its guest rooms, its first since 2017.