Real Estate Photographer in Marble Falls, TX

Firefly Aerospace is growing rapidly, and it wants to take Burnet County along for the ride. The space firm was the latest guest at the Marble Falls/Highland Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce monthly business luncheon and shared some stellar statistics about the future of the space industry in Central Texas and the opportunities available for the local workforce and youth.

Firefly, a space and defense technology company headquartered in Cedar Park, has a 200-acre manufacturing and testing facility in the northeast Burnet County community of Briggs. The company has been around for about eight years, but it recently rose to international prominence when it completed the first-ever fully successful commercial landing on the moon in March.

As of late August, Firefly has over 800 employees company wide, with 371 of them in Burnet County, filling a variety of roles from welder and machinist to software engineer and rocket scientist. There’s no end in sight to the growth, with over 100 job openings, 50 of which are stationed between Briggs and Bertram.

“Our company, specifically, is increasing our employee population,” Firefly Marketing Specialist Alexandra Chavez told DailyTrib.com at the chamber luncheon. “We’re not looking to stop anytime soon.”

The hiring surge can be attributed to the massive contracts and customers the space firm has recently acquired. Firefly has three more missions to the moon on the docket, along with several rocket launches and orbital vehicle tests, all for space industry and technology titans like the U.S. Space Force, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris.

The company will likely continue its expansion, as it just went public in August, raising over $600 million in funding.

Firefly Chief Operating Officer Dan Fermon, who gave the presentation to the Marble Falls chamber on Tuesday, Sept. 2, made it clear the company wants to be part of the Highland Lakes community.

“We definitely are passionate about having strong partnerships with schools, and we want to do that with Marble Falls as well,” he said. “We want to share what we have going on and what we do to make sure we are good stewards and good community members. That is extremely important to us.”

Firefly offers summer internships for college students at its Briggs site and Cedar Park headquarters as well as tours of its facilities, presentations, classroom visits, and more to grade school students.

No events have yet been scheduled with local school districts, but similar programs have been held in the Leander and Florence school districts.

Learn more about Firefly Aerospace’s community involvement by sending an inquiry to the company online and selecting “STEM/Community Inquiry” in the dropdown menu under “I’m Interested In.”

Texas Hill Country—with its rolling landscape and charming small towns—has long been a destination for weekend road trips that take advantage of the scenery and hidden gems. You can explore at your own pace during spring when the wildflowers are in bloom, in autumn when fall color covers the region, or anytime in between. Take in everything that Hill Country has to offer in Marble Falls, a small town is located on Lake Marble Falls, a reservoir on the Colorado River in Texas’s Highland Lakes region. Known for its proximity to outdoor adventure, quaint downtown lined with local shops and restaurants, and access to Texas wine country and vineyards, Marble Falls is easy to enjoy.

Here are the best things to do on your next trip to Marble Falls, including what to do and where to eat.

Explore the Historic Downtown

There's something more gratifying about finding unique goods and shopping at local businesses than any big-box store. The historic downtown district is walkable and lined with shops to explore. Head to Birdie's Market for vintage and antique finds. Find a pair of boots or a hat at Blair's Western Wear & Boutique. Peruse the expansive Pottery Ranch for Texas-made goods and homewares.

Scattered across downtown Marble Falls, this collection of sculptures makes up a 24/7, always-free art exhibit that you can explore at your leisure. Many different artists are featured in the collection, and the sculptures on display rotate, offering a new experience each time you visit town.

Located in the Old Oak Square downtown, Fiesta Winery's tasting room and shop is a must-stop to get a taste of Texas' thriving wine industry as well as stock up on a few bottles to bring home or give as gifts. An offshoot of the Fredericksburg-based vineyard, the newer Marble Falls tasting room also offers an idyllic courtyard to enjoy the vino.

fiestawinery.com/marble-falls, 309 Main St #9, Marble Falls, TX 78654

This boutique vacation rental, called McKenzie Guest House, is less than a block away from Main Street and consists of six renovated suites at what was once the Wallace Guest House, built in 1907. New owners brought new life to the Texas Historic Landmark in 2019, so you can expect modern amenities.

mckenzieguesthouse.com, 910 3rd St, Marble Falls, TX 78654

It's easy to spend an afternoon in downtown Marble Falls, and any trip warrants a visit to one of the local breweries or wineries. Bear King Brewing is located walkable to many shops and restaurants, and it also offers a robust food menu for those who want to extend their tasting into a meal. A few minutes drive from town, Save The World Brewing has a scenic outdoor taproom complete with seasonal events and food trucks.

bearkingbrewing.com, 207 Ave G, Marble Falls, TX 78654

Try the Local Food Scene

This eatery originally opened in 1929. Now owned by the Kemper family, who bought it in 1981, the Blue Bonnet Café is the perfect place to stop in for the all-day breakfast or one of the daily specials like chicken and dumplings or meatloaf—but you’re really here for the pie. Choose from 15 options, from fruit-filled to luxurious creams and meringues.

bluebonnetcafe.net, 211 US-281, Marble Falls, TX 78654

After a year-long test run of serving lunch on Fridays, Holy Smokes! BBQ officially opened as a full-service restaurant in 2013. Since then, it's become a local favorite. The restaurant's motto is "no teeth required," which is a cheeky reference to the ultra-tender barbecue (brisket especially) that Texas is known for. Make sure to consider ordering the frito pie and loaded baked potato as well.

noteethrequired.com, 2704 Commerce St, Marble Falls, TX 78654

There's nothing more comforting in small-town Texas than going for a Tex-Mex meal. At Oli's Kitchen in downtown Marble Falls, expect a selection of tacos, bowls, enchiladas, and more, as well as a full cantina menu of margaritas. Favorites on the food menu include the shrimp tacos, Ricky's Fajita Burrito, and Oli's Queso.

olis.kitchen, 205 Main St, Marble Falls, TX 78654

No matter if ducking in for a late-afternoon pick-me-up or some goodies to bring home, this chocolate shop located downtown is a delight. While most might recommend trying the "World's Best Pecan English Toffee," there is no shortage of sweets to choose from at Choccolatte's, as well as a full coffee and drink menu.

choccolattestx.com, 807 3rd St, Marble Falls, TX 78654

There are many Texas wineries in the area surrounding Marble Falls, and you can spend a weekend wandering the vineyards, doing tastings, and grabbing a bite to eat with a view. Heart of Texas Wine Tours offers guided wine touring experiences accompanied by local experts, including stops at nearby wineries Flat Creek Estate, Lewis Wines, and Texas Hills Vineyard.

Enjoy the Outdoor Activities

A unique and convenient aspect of Marble Falls is that the town's namesake lake is located walkable from Main Street and popular local restaurants and shops. Head to Lakeside Park, located on Lake Marble Falls, where you can go boating and partake in other types of water-based recreational activities such as kayaking and paddle-boarding.

marblefallstx.gov/lakeside-park, 305 Buena Vista Dr, Marble Falls, TX 78654

If you're looking for outdoor adventure, Hidden Falls Adventure Park offers over 2,000 acres of off-roading trails for ATVs and dirt bikes. You can also book one of the campsites on site, or bring your RV for a full weekend trip. Make your bookings online.

hiddenfallsadventurepark.com, 7030 RM 1431, Marble Falls, TX 78654

You can head to Sweet Berry Farm to pick your own produce, which depends on the season. In the spring, you can pick your own berries and flowers. In the fall, have a fantastic day picking out pumpkins. In June, find blooming sunflowers. Enjoy the tasty and beautiful spoils after this family-friendly activity. Check the website for open seasons before going.

sweetberryfarm.com, 1801 FM1980, Marble Falls, TX 78654

This 1146-acre park is located along the north Lake Travis shoreline. Picnic tables and grills are available at the park's 29 campsites. Enjoy plenty of opportunities to canoe, kayak, fish, or swim. Reserve entry and campsites for Turkey Bend Recreation Area online.

lcra.gov/turkey-bend, 4000 Shaw Dr, Marble Falls, TX 78654

Head to Longhorn Cavern State Park to explore a Hill Country natural phenomenon. You can reserve the guided walking tour through the caverns, or you can be a bit more adventurous by booking the wild cave tour, which involves spelunking. You're even able to partake in gemstone mining, which is popular amongst young visitors.

visitlonghorncavern.com, 6211 Park Road 4 S, Burnet, TX 78611

MARBLE FALLS, Texas - Governor Greg Abbott delivered remarks at the Cow Creek Bridge Re-Opening Ceremony in Marble Falls.

"This bridge was eliminated. It did not exist a month ago, and in just a short month period of time they were able to put together the pieces and finish the construction, getting this bridge completed," Abbott said.

What happened to Cow Creek Bridge?

The backstory:

The bridge was rapidly rebuilt in 29 days after being washed out by catastrophic flooding.

TxDOT officials expedited construction after water rushed through Cow Creek, washing away the 1431 bridge.

The bridge connects Lago Vista to Marble Falls and was the only direct route.

TxDOT awarded an emergency contract to Hunter Industries at a cost of $4 million. The contractor had the ability to earn up to a million dollars in incentives by finishing the bridge up to 20 days early.

Officials said the aim was to get the bridge back up by the time the school year started.

Changes to the bridge

This bridge will look different from the one that was standing before, which was built in 1960.

"This bridge was designed to the current engineering standards, making it slightly higher and wider, meaning that the bridge will be approximately 5 feet higher than the previous bridge," TxDOT Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson said in a previous interview with FOX 7.

The bridge will have 12-foot travel lanes, 6-foot shoulders, and a 2-foot striped median.

"It's more robust by today's standards," Tucker Ferguson, Austin district engineer with TxDOT said.

He says it would be able to withstand a major flood.

"The waterway opening is larger, so hydraulically it can accept more floodwaters, the columns are larger," Ferguson said.

Dig deeper:

If you're wondering how TxDOT finished this bridge so fast, yet other projects take so long, they say the timeline was sped up because of the emergency.

"Anytime there's an emergency, the governor declares an emergency, that allows us to compress many of our procurement rules and processes," Ferguson said.

He says typically a project like this would take 12 months. They found beams they could use from another project in the Yoakum district, which sped up the process.

The bridge also represents another step in recovery.

"It will assure that we will reconnect the people, reconnect the communities, get things back to normal for all the people who were affected by this process," Abbott said.

The first vehicles to cross the bridge were firetrucks from the Marble Falls Fire Department. Their chief is still missing after responding to the floods.

"There's no better representation of somebody to be the first drive across the bridge than those first responders that had such a very difficult task on the day of July 5th," Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT, said.

The Source: Information from Governor Greg Abbott's office and interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen