Marfa Lights: Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Eric Duncan of the Los Angeles Examiner.com writes about the mystery of the Marfa Lights. It was a little dark here for me to actually read the article, so I had to wander into the Chinati desert and borrow a lantern from a Mexican guy who was getting ready for a nights work, flashing lights into the distance at extremely bored gringos. He told me he had heard about the mysterious lights, then he began to laugh a deep ghostly laugh and a coyote walked across the horizon.

Anyway, the Marfa Lights are fascinating, as told my Duncan in this article.

Death At The Border

A Mexican man has been accused of smuggling an illegal alien who died after crossing the border. He also smuggled six others into our country who were all found in Big Bend. The dead man was found near the river, hours after the others were discovered. Several of the aliens were treated for dehydration -- most likely because they didn't want to drink Mexican water.

Side note: If we give smugglers a mandatory 10 year prison sentence, doing hard labor of course, there will be less smuggling, and even better, less unnecessary deaths.

Read about it here.

Chowhound Eats Marfa

Chowhound.com rolled into Marfa and had something to eat. The venue choices are good. But the effort by the Chowhound was anemic at best.

You can read all about it here, then exercise your inner-bulimic self and purge this drivel.

Pot Bust South of Marfa

Two men from the El Paso area were busted smuggling marijuana through the border checkpoint on Highway 67, south of Marfa. The 978 pounds of marijuana was found inside a horse trailer along with a horse that smelled suspiciously like a skunk. Officials said the pot had a street value of more than $780,000.

You can read all about the bust here.

The Boston Globe Visits Marfa

The Boston Globe's roving reporter Jonathan Levitt visits Marfa and writes a cool, beautiful comprehensive article about Marfa.  Based on this piece, it looks like Jonathan almost had the perfect visit.  Had he stopped into Padres, he might have had the time of his life.

As a side note, I'm not wholly familiar with Jonathan's work, but this article paints a portrait of Marfa most don't see when they step into town and then leave after 24 hours.  To put it simply, this guy can write.

The New York Times Stumbles Into Marfa

The New York Times' Maura Egan has stumbled into Marfa recently and documented her travels in an article in today's Times.

Texas is filled with so many incredible towns with populations under 3,000 -- most are easier to get to than our beloved Marfa.  Yet for someone reason, people like Egan and the Times always find their way here and need to write about Judd, the Ballroom and the new locals who have decided to sell something really cool in town.  We love it.  It's what makes Marfa so special.  And we're just so glad they mentioned Padres Marfa, this place rocks.

Forbes Discovers Marfa

In an article titled "America's Hidden Travel Gems", Forbes magazine writer Zack O'Malley Greenburg discovers Prada Marfa.  Let's hope he actually discovered the real Marfa instead of an art installation near Valentine.

Regardless, the world is slowly but surely discovering that Marfa is indeed, an amazing American gem.

More Food Shark!

It looks like the good people in the Food Shark van have hired a good publicist.  And they should -- as more publicity comes their way from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  

Will Food Shark t-shirts and hats be coming soon?

We've Got Contact

If you have any comments or questions for the Marfa Times, please send an email to marfatimes@live.com.

Food Shark! Food Shark!

The Food Shark is officially rolling through Marfa, serving Mediterranean-meets-West-Texas cuisine. Owned and operated by Krista Steinhauer and Adam Bork, the Food Shark parks under the pavilion daily.

You can read more about the Food Shark here.  Now go get some!

Padre's Marfa Is Serving Them Cold!

With Marfa in much need of a real honky tonk, Padre's Marfa is officially open for business.  Owners Bill Miller, Doug Pecore and David Beebe have teamed together, uniting their expertise in music, cold beer, clubs, business and God.  Yes, God.

Padre's Marfa is located at 209 West El Paso and will be featuring live bands, classic tunes on the vintage juke boxes, pool, shuffleboard, ice cold beer and good times.  We expect Padre's to quickly become the hottest spot in West Texas.  See you at the shuffleboard table.

Marfa Public Radio Host Classical Music Benefit

Marfa Public Radio (KRTS 93.5) will host a classical music benefit concert at 7pm Saturday, May 9th, at the Crowley Theater in Marfa.  Be there or be square.  Or be square if you're there.  Either way, enjoy the show and make a donation to Marfa Public Radio.

Illegal Aliens Get Sneaky

More and more smugglers and illegal aliens are finding ways to elude the United States Border Patrol as they enter our country from Mexico.  Some of the illegal aliens are feigning illness when they enter Presidio County, in hopes of escaping when they go to the hospital in Alpine.

Ballroom Marfa Reveals Two Face

The Ballroom Marfa announces the opening of Two Face, featuring the works of artists-in-residence Thomas Houseago and Aaron Curry.  Their contemporary sculptures represent a delicate balance of power between their two styles, invoking a Janus-faced approach to their forms.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 29th, 5 to 7pm with the artists present.

Rediscovering Richard Crump Miller

Mostly noted for his iconic photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Richard Crump Miller visited Marfa to shoot James Dean on the set of Giant.

Miller's body of work is currently on display at the Getty Center in Los Angeles.

Larry McMurtry Comes To Marfa

During it's second year, the Marfa Film Festival welcomes Larry McMurtry.  The festival, along with the Texas Association of Film Commissions, will be presenting the Pulitzer Prize-winning McMurtry with the first Texas Screen Legend Award at a fundraising dinner on Saturday.