The video above takes you on a real walk through Temple, Texas — from the downtown courthouse area to a food truck plaza, a solid pizza spot with live music, and a winery out in the countryside with goats roaming around. Temple sits about midway between Austin and Waco, roughly an hour's drive from Austin, and it has a reputation as a big town with a small town feel. There's enough going on to keep you entertained, but it doesn't come with the noise and congestion of a major metro. It's the kind of place where families settle down and people still wave at each other, and that laid-back character carries over into the local music and food scene.
What Live Music Spots Are in Temple, Texas?
Temple has a handful of places where you can catch live music, and a few of them showed up during this downtown walkthrough. Here are the spots featured in the video:
- The Yard Food Truck Plaza — A downtown outdoor food truck park that hosts events with live music, drinks, and a casual hangout atmosphere. When David Bridwell came through, there was a full event going on with food vendors and booze.
- Treno Pizzeria and Tap Room — A self-serve style restaurant downtown where you order on a kiosk and pour your own beer. It's a little hectic inside, but the outdoor seating is great, and they book local musicians. The pizza is legitimately good. Jen Corta, a talented local musician from Temple, was performing and sharing stories about growing up in the area.
- Moose and Goose Winery — Located a bit outside of downtown down a gravel road surrounded by open land and cows. It's a fruit wine operation with a big outdoor stage, tables, a food truck, and a building where they sell their wines. They also have goats you can walk around with. David Bridwell played a set here, and the whole place has a quiet, away-from-it-all feel that makes it a solid spot for an afternoon of music and wine.
Walking Around Downtown Temple
The downtown area around the courthouse is pretty walkable. You can stroll past older buildings with some character, duck into restaurants, grab drinks, and stumble into live music without really planning for it. It's not a massive downtown strip, but it has enough going on that you can spend a good afternoon exploring. Temple also has a Railroad and Heritage Museum, which is a draw for families with kids who are into trains.
A Small Town Worth the Stop
Temple doesn't always come up in conversations about Texas music destinations, but it's got its own thing going on. Between the downtown food and drink spots, the outdoor events at The Yard, and places like Moose and Goose Winery out in the countryside, there's more live music here than you might expect. It's a good stop if you're driving between Austin and Waco and want to break up the trip with some real food, local wine, and a few songs played under open sky.