The official dedication of the Dripping Springs High School at its new location is today, Monday, April 11. A community open house and tours will be held from 4:30pm - 6pm, followed by a program in the auditorium starting at 6pm. It is recommended that those attending park by and enter at the auditorium; tours also will leave from that location. Tours will include the recently completed field house and tennis center. Shuttle buses will be available to and from the field house area. Light refreshments also will be available in the auditorium lobby.

On Tuesday, Dripping Springs Toastmasters is holding a special meeting to introduce the club to anyone in the area interested in growing their skills in speaking, listening, evaluation, and leadership. You are invited to check them out at 6pm at the Dripping Spring Community Library (501 Sportsplex Drive).  There will be impromptu speeches, and a prepared speech "Sister Cities: A Match for Dripping Springs". Except for this special meeting, DS Toastmasters regularly meets every Tuesday, 6:30pm at Pioneer Bank Bldg. (Conference Rm), 100 Creek Rd @ Hwy 290. Visitors always welcome. For more information, call Michael Penn Smith at (512) 524-7897 or email michaelpennsmith@gmail.com. 
 
It's Life of Pi by Yann Martel for the next meeting of Charlott'es Book Club on Thursday at 6pm at the Dripping Springs Community Library. The book club is a unique book-centered discussion group that meets on the second Thursday of each month.  The group takes its name from the library's lifelong benefactor, Charlotte Walters Rhodes, and its inspiration from her appreciation of literature and the lively exchange of ideas.  Charlotte’s Book Club is open to any interested reader in the Dripping Springs area.  Copies of novels under discussion, including an audio-books on CD are available free of charge on a first come – first served basis.

The annual Founders Day Festival kicks off Friday at 6:30pm with a parade, the theme of which this year is “Best of Drippin’”. The parade will begin at the DSISD Administration building, traveling east on Mercer Street and turning on San Marcos Street, then onto Wallace Street on to Hwy 290, and back to the Administration building. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to relax and watch the parade, and to carpool as much as possible to minimize traffic. Immediately following the parade, the Annual Founders Day Festival will begin with free music and entertainment on two stages, the Mighty Thomas Carnival, food, beer, street dances, cook-off competitions and more than 150 arts and crafts booths and business vendors. The festival, which commemorates and celebrates the founding of our community in 1850 by the Moss, Wallace, and Pound families, continues Saturday and Sunday. For details, visit foundersdayfestival.com.
 
On Saturday at 12:30pm, the Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead will unveil Dr. Pound’s fully restored Civil War uniform on the terrace of the farmstead. There will be a presentation on Dr. Pound’s military service and the role of some of the Texas regiments in the War Between the States given by J. Marie Bassett, as well as a display of related artifacts. Docents for the day will include the Great Granddaughter, and Great-Great Granddaughter of the Pounds, Marjorie Owens and Wanda Mauldin. Lemonade and cookies will be served. Throughout the day Jim Ferrell will be providing a blacksmith demonstration at the farmstead's restored barn.  Admission to the museum is free for this day, and hours are Noon-3pm. For more information contact the museum at (512) 858-2030.