All About That Bass 🎣

Here's what's up in SETX,

An ABBA tribute's Jefferson Theatre debut, hand-battered shrimp at Sea Ranch Cafe in Port Neches, and the Bassmaster Elite Series headed back to the Sabine River. Busy week.

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Tailored Financial Solutions.

Let's get into it. 👇

ABBA Tribute ABRA Cadabra Plays the Jefferson Theatre Friday

Image: Moon Coin Productions

Here We Go Again : The touring ABBA tribute plays the Jefferson Theatre for the first time, running "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia" and "Take a Chance on Me."
Sequin Of Events : A live band, dancers and sequined costume changes, billed as family-friendly and all ages. Sing along.

📍 Jefferson Theatre, 345 Fannin St, Beaumont · 🕐 Fri Sept 18, 7:30 PM (doors 6:30) · 🎟️ Ticketmaster or the Civic Center box office

Buckstin Brewing Throws a Free Bucktoberfest Saturday in Beaumont

Image: Buckstin Brewing Co.

Tapped And Loaded : A noon cask tapping opens the day, then a costume contest at 2, wurst eating at 4 and steinholding at 5.
Kid You Not : The Arc of Greater Beaumont runs kids' activities, and the Golden Triangle Brass Quintet plays 12:30 to 3.

📍 Buckstin Brewing Co., 6280 Phelan Blvd, Beaumont · 🕐 Sat Sept 19 · 11 AM to 9 PM · 🎟️ Free

Sea Ranch Cafe Hand-Batters Its Shrimp in Port Neches

Photo: Google Maps

Batter Up : Fish and shrimp are hand-battered, and the sauces, sausage and gumbo are made from scratch. Pair a catfish platter with smoked boudin.
Father Knows Best : Owner Brian Landry's father was a restaurateur. The cafe runs weekdays only and posts the day's special on Facebook.

📍 1305 Magnolia Ave, Port Neches, TX 77651 · (409) 722-6057 · searanchcafe.com

⏰ Mon to Fri, 11 AM to 8 PM

🤤 Had a great meal somewhere in SETX lately? Reply and tell us. We feature reader picks.

409 Group Cuts the Ribbon on a Beaumont Office Oct 15

Photo: 409 Group

Jack Of All Trades : The family-owned company handles air conditioning and heating, plumbing, electrical, roofing and construction.
Third Time's The Charm : The office at 1458 I-10 in Beaumont joins locations in Nederland and Lumberton. Open 7 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week, with a 24/7 emergency line at 409-207-8001.

👉 Read more → 409 Group

This section is sponsored by Tailored Financial Solutions. Want your business featured here? Email us at [email protected].

✅ Get ABRA Cadabra tickets before Friday : Ticketmaster and the Beaumont Civic Center box office are the only authorized sellers.
✅ Register to vote by Monday, Oct 5 : That's the cutoff for the Nov 3 election. Texas Secretary of State
✅ Get your books ready for quarter's end : This week's sponsor, Tailored Financial Solutions, handles bookkeeping, CFO-level guidance, and small-business strategy at tailoredfinsolutions.com 💰
✅ Sign up a krewe for Port Arthur's new Mardi Gras : Parades roll downtown Feb 5 to 7, 2027, with krewe details at mardigrasportarthur.com.

📅 THIS WEEK IN SETX

📅 SETX Events Website

Everything further out lives at events.whatsupsetx.com. Browse the full calendar and submit your own. 🎉

THIS WEEK

Sep 14: Let's Keep It Moving Line Dancing | Port Arthur Public Library, 4615 9th Ave, Port Arthur. Free, 5:45 to 7:45 PM. Again Wednesday.

Sep 16: Beaumont Public Library 100 Years | Tyrrell Historical Library, 695 Pearl St, Beaumont. Centennial exhibit opens at 2 PM.

Sep 16: Wellness Wednesday | Shangri La Botanical Gardens, 2111 W Park Ave, Orange. Free admission and gentle yoga at 10:30 AM.

Sep 17: Heritage Happy Hour at St. Mark's | 680 Calder Ave, Beaumont. 5:30 to 7:30 PM, $10 at the door, 21 and up.

Sep 18: United Way of Orange County Day of Caring | Dow Business Center, 2601 Irving St, Orange. Volunteers meet at 7:45 AM and finish by lunch.

THIS WEEKEND

Sep 19: Symphony of Southeast Texas, "The American Voice" | Julie Rogers Theatre, 765 Pearl St, Beaumont. Season opener, 7:30 PM, $36 to $62.

Sep 19: Bored Teachers "Is It Friday Yet?!" Comedy Tour | Jefferson Theatre, 345 Fannin St, Beaumont. 7:30 PM, PG-13, Ticketmaster.

Sep 19: SETX National Dance Day | Lamar University, Beaumont. Free classes 9 AM to 3 PM, showcase at 4. Reserve a free ticket.

Sep 19: Texas Film Belt Project | Jeff Hattman Center, 3330 Bowling Ln, Orange. 26 indie films shot along I-10. Doors 9 AM, $20.

Sep 19: Trill City Car Show | Pleasure Island, 1520 W. T.B. Ellison Pkwy, Port Arthur. Cars, bikes and food trucks, 11 AM to 6 PM.

Sep 19: Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup | Sea Rim State Park, Sabine Pass. Free. Check in at 8:30 AM, lunch provided.

MOVIE NIGHTS @ JEFFERSON THEATRE

345 Fannin St, Beaumont. Doors 6 PM, film 7 PM. $6, $4 under 12. No film Sept 18.

Sep 25: Some Like It Hot

Which event are you hitting up? Reply and let us know! And if there's an event we missed, send it our way for next week's issue. Submit it at events.whatsupsetx.com 🎉

📌 GOOD TO KNOW

🚧 US 69 traffic shifts in Hardin and Tyler counties : TxDOT is widening the highway to four divided lanes from FM 1003 to Black Creek. One lane stays open each way.

🚧 Port Arthur eases its lawn-parking ban : Homeowners from before the March 10 rule are exempt, and hardship cases get reviewed. Fines stay $500 a day.

🩸 Nehemiah's Vision needs repair volunteers : Report any Edouard damage, even a broken window, because the totals decide aid eligibility. Donations: 409-498-4200.

🏆 THE SPORTS DESK

🔴 Lamar edges Idaho 23-17 : Aiden McCown ran for a touchdown and threw for another. The 2-1 Cardinals are off until Sept 26 at Nicholls.

⚽ Lamar soccer ties a school record : 13-0 over Texas A&M-San Antonio. UTRGV visits Thursday at 6 PM.

🏈 Memorial rolls at Lufkin : 29-7 in Friday's district opener. The 3-0 Titans host Ball Friday.

🕰️ THIS DAY IN SETX HISTORY

September 17, 1923 : South Park Junior College opened in Beaumont with 125 students and 14 faculty members, on the third floor of the new South Park High School. It took the name Lamar College in 1932 and became Lamar University in 1971.

Source: TSHA, Handbook of Texas

Bassmaster Elite Series Returns to Orange and the Sabine River

Photo: Ken Lund / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Hook, Line And Sabine : Orange is one of two Texas stops on the nine-event 2027 Elite Series, April 8 to 11 on the Sabine River.
Record Catch : The first Sabine River Elite event, in 2013, drew 33,650 fans over four days, an Elite Series attendance record.

👉 Read more → Bassmaster · Read more → KOGT

💡 The bottom line: Four days of pro anglers and the crowds behind them put Orange County hotels, restaurants and bait shops in line for a busy April 8 to 11.

📋 IN OTHER NEWS

🏛️ Orange County trims its tax rate a penny : The proposed rate is 48 cents per $100, with a budget vote this week. The county will also seek a federal jail grant that requires cooperation with immigration authorities. Read more → KOGT

🚰 Honey Island is still under a boil-water notice : Customers who lost water east of FM 1293 and Old Honey Island Road can pick some up at the Honey Island Fire Department Monday, 5:30 to 8 PM. Read more → 12News

🥚 The Southeast Texas Food Bank gets 140,400 eggs : It's Beaumont's share of 7 million eggs from Texas's price-fixing settlement with egg producers. Read more → KETK

💧 Bridge City utility bills rise $3.32 a month : Water and sewer rates go up Oct 1 while the tax rate holds at 55 cents per $100. Read more → 12News

📬 Which story caught your eye?

💼 JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Industry pulse: The Orange County Fall Job Fair runs Thursday, Sept 17, 10 AM to 1 PM at 2266 MacArthur Dr, Orange.

🚜 Equipment Operator I | City of Port Arthur | Port Arthur
$21.69 to $31.91 an hour. Needs a diploma or GED, a year on construction or maintenance equipment and a Class A or B CDL. Closes Friday, Sept 18. Apply here.

🩺 Physical Therapist, Days | Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas | Beaumont
$10,000 sign-on bonus. Needs a PT degree, hospital experience and a Texas PT license. Apply here.

🌿 Tailored Lawn Care | Golden Triangle
Looking for work? Outdoor work, local routes. Call or text Frederick: (409) 365-4887

🔜 Browse all local SETX job listings. Coming soon. Want early access when our jobs board launches? Email [email protected] to get on the list.

💼 Hiring in SETX? Send us your listing at [email protected] and we'll get it in front of our readers.

📣 YOUR TURN

Every week, we ask a few questions because this newsletter is a two-way street. Hit reply. We read every single one.

🪩 Which ABBA song gets you out of your seat?
🦐 What's your order at Sea Ranch Cafe?
🎣 Were you in the 2013 Elite Series crowd on the Sabine?
👏 Got someone to brag on? A graduation, a new business, a milestone, a neighbor who showed up. Reply and we'll put them in Community Notices.