With live music, family-friendly entertainment and spotlights on local businesses, Uptown Gruene Market aims to foster collaborative community events that benefit everyone.

Hill Country Conferences is known for hosting New Braunfels events like the NB Petfest, Kids Fest and the Sports and Outdoorsman Show. The organization is rebranding Gruene Lokal Marketplatz to Uptown Gruene Market.

Uptown Gruene Market is located north of Historic Downtown Gruene and is an area gaining momentum as a thriving and bustling nook within Gruene. Hill Country Conferences Founder Tammy Wood said she hopes by revitalizing the market, Hill Country Conferences can contribute to the ongoing growth of the surrounding businesses.

One way Hill Country Conferences is bringing new ideas to the market is by hosting monthly night markets. The organization hosted its first night market last year as a test run.

“We piloted night markets which no one had done... and they were phenomenal,” Wood said. “It was so much fun. We brought in lights, live music and activities for families. It just had this really interesting vibe to it. We set out bistro tables and chairs and people stayed and lingered and it was a different crowd than our day crowd.”

The night markets will be from 4 to 9 p.m. and each one will have its own theme. Here's a look at Upton Gruene Market upcoming night markets:

• June 22: Texas Nights: Under the Moon in June
• July 13: Texas Nights: Cowboy Boots and Buckles
• Aug. 10: Texas Nights: Sip & Sizzle with Friends
• Oct. 5: Texas Nights: Cowgirl Laced in Leather
• Dec. 21: Texas Nights: Lone Star Holidays

“Seeing when it all comes together and the vendors are doing well, the guests are smiling and dancing and there's a line at Adobe Verde or Gruene Coffee Haus and Barbelles Boutique is packed...that's it for me,” Wood said. “That's always the goal.”

In addition to the night markets, Uptown Gruene Market will have a daytime market on the second Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. These markets will also have seasonal themes for guests to enjoy.

• April 13: Spring Time
• May 11: Mother’s Day Blooms
• June 8: Father’s Day Special
• Sept. 14: Fall Harvest
• Oct. 12: Spooky Fall
• Nov. 9: Thanksgiving Holiday
• Dec. 14: Festive Holiday

Wood said she is excited to help create fun, new experiences for both residents and tourists.

“I think people here are really looking to go somewhere and be able to make memories and so the market is just one piece of the puzzle of what's going on up there,” Wood said.

To learn more about Uptown Gruene Market, visit Hill Country Conferences’ website.

The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.