Valentine’s in Valentine
Enjoy the flavor of the season
Valentine, Texas, in Jeff Davis County, is on U.S. Highway 90 and the Southern Pacific Railroad, 36 miles west of Fort Davis. On most days, there’s not much happening in this sleepy, dusty little town of 187 residents. But on Feb. 14, that all changes.
Valentine became a significant shipping point for the railroad because of its location between El Paso and Sanderson. This spot allowed railroad crews to stay over and rest for a few days.
In 1900 Valentine had two saloons, a butcher shop and a general store. Ranchers shipped cattle out of Valentine, but by the 1950s, with the increased use of trucks to haul cattle, Valentine’s railroad depot was closed down. At that point Valentine was no longer a thriving railroad community, and the majority of the businesses closed, too.
No store. No gas station. No restaurant. But there is a post office, which is the busiest place in town for at least a month leading up to the big day. Thousands of letters and cards routed through the post office receive the coveted Valentine postmark, a tradition that began in 1983 and is still going strong.
DANCE WITH THE ONE THAT BRUNG YA Couples can celebrate a special Valentine’s Day — West Texas style — by two-stepping the night away.
The Big Bend Brewery — “The Beer From Out Here” — changed things for this annual celebration of courtly love in Far West Texas. Located in Alpine, the brewery, founded with a passion for small batch craft beer and a love for the rugged, mountainous region of West Texas, bought and began restoring the 100+-year-old mercantile building in Valentine and started planning a party of epic proportions: Valentine’s in Valentine. Live music is provided by some of Texas’ favorite performers, like Jerry Jeff Walker, Joe Ely, Gary P. Nunn, El Tule, and Mike and the Moonpies. At some point in the evening, expect one of the show’s headliners to serenade all the lovers in the crowd.
Naturally, Big Bend Brewing beers are offered — Terlingua Gold, a beautiful blonde ale; La Montera premium IPA; Big Bend Hefeweizen, fruity, spicy and light; Number 22 Porter, dark and malty; Tejas Lager, the original; and a seasonal brew or two. Food trucks are avail- able to satisfy the hunger of partygoers.
Big Bend Brewery also provides shuttles from all of the neighboring towns, since there’s no lodging in Valentine. And while the shuttles keep drivers with a few delicious brews in their bellies off the road, it doesn’t necessarily keep employees calling in with the brown bottle flu the next day.
Valentine’s in Valentine is always on the 14th — no matter what day of the week.
