End-Of-Summer Visitors Head to Galveston Island For New Attractions and Special Events
State’s Largest Beer Festival to Be Held Labor Day Weekend; Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn Summer Seasons Continue through September

[July 13, 2011] - The end of summer may be approaching but there’s plenty of time – and reason – to head to Galveston Island for a final get-a-way. On the island, you can explore new attractions that opened earlier this summer while taking advantage of special events still on the way.

One of the biggest end-of-summer events coming to Galveston is the BrewMasters International Beer Festival over Labor Day weekend. The event – to be held Sept. 2 through 5 at Moody Gardens – will feature more than 400 craft and specialty brews. The four-day celebration will showcase award-winning “brewmasters” including representatives from Samuel Adams and Boulevard Brewing.  Attendees can hoist their mugs while enjoying live music, beer and food pairing seminars, educational events about brewing and more.

Also at Moody Gardens, the Rainforest Pyramid is now open after a $25 million enhancement and redesign unveiled in May. The new attraction features a tree-top canopy walkway that gives guests a “bird’s eye” exploration of more than 1,000 species of exotic plants and animals found in the actual rainforest. Along the walkway, guest will see new exhibits, such as a habitat for endangered giant river otter, and even some free roaming monkeys and tropical birds.

In addition to the Rainforest Pyramid, Moody Gardens’ Palm Beach summer attraction features a new wave pool, lazy river and giant tower slide.  Palm Beach will remain open through Sept. 5 with Friday night concerts and fireworks at the beach park through Aug. 12.

Speaking of waves, the summer season at Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark doesn’t end until Sept. 18. This summer, the park opened its new Shipwreck Harbor wave lagoon, which includes a 100,000-gallon pool of three-foot waves and two new kids’ slides.

If you want to explore history, the Lone Star Flight Museum’s newest historic aircraft is the North American P-51 Mustang – regarded by many as the most effective fighter aircraft produced during World War II. The plane arrived to the museum this spring after a year-long restoration process. Now, visitors have the chance to see this rare “warbird” up close and even enjoy a flight in it as part of the museum’s Warbird Flight Experience Program.

To cool off indoors, The Grand 1894 Opera House is offering a special summer performance series this year with shows through September 10.

Later in September, gumbo lovers will head to Galveston for the annual Galveston Island Shrimp Festival Sept. 23-25 held in the island’s historic downtown district. Attendees will sample gumbo from professional cooking teams and can participate in a 5K run, children’s parade, merchant walkabout, a boat show and decorating contest, and more. Bob Schneider will perform live at the festival among other regional and local bands.

That same weekend, thousands will flock to Galveston’s East Beach for the island’s first Beach Palooza challenge. The event, to be held Sept. 24, includes a 5K race in which Paloozers get their feet wet while tackling a series of radical obstacles. For more information, visit www.beachpalooza.com.

Keeping visitors’ wallets in mind, Galveston Island offers plenty of free events for summer entertainment. Both “Movie Nite on the Strand ” and “Music Night on the Strand” will continue each first and second Saturday of the month, respectively, through October.

For more information on Galveston Island, visit www.galveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE (425-4753).

About Galveston Island...
Galveston Island is a historic beach town located just 50 miles from Houston, TX. The island is best known as a vacation destination, offering 32 miles of beaches, a variety of family attractions, Texas’ premier cruise port and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country, including several National Historic Landmarks. Galveston Island is home to popular amusements such as, Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark, as well as a variety of museums and recreational activities from surfing to birding.  Galveston Island is the No. 1 tourism attraction in Texas for Texans, according to the state’s Economic Development and Tourism division of the Governor’s Office. For more information on Galveston Island visit www.galveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.

For Additional Information, Media Are Invited to Contact:

Leah Cast
Public Relations Manager
Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau
Direct: (409)682-3029
lcast@galvestoncvb.com

About Galveston.com & Company...

Galveston.com & Company, Inc. is a destination marketing corporation based in Galveston, Texas. The company specializes in destination portals, as well as online lodging, cruise, parking, and transportation reservations; and event ticketing via its proprietary DestinationNext module.

For more information, contact Galveston.com & Company at via phone (409)763-8676 or email at websites@galveston.com.

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