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We're having a party and you're invited! 

We're celebrating the launch of our new Texas mural at our Central Austin Whole Earth store. Austin has many iconic murals where folks love to take selfies. We're proud to add our "Howdy Y'all" to such icons as Jo's "I love you so much" and the "Greetings from Austin" postcard mural on South First.

The party is on Saturday, June 8th from 10am to 2pm at our store at 1014 North Lamar Blvd. There'll be photo opportunities including having a Polaroid portrait made with the mural in return for your email address. There will also be prize drawings, Maudie's chips and queso and drinks, Whole Earth swag, and thanks to HAAM, live music! You can RSVP here so we'll know how much queso and drinks to have on hand!

Live music is a must at Austin events and HAAM, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, is providing musicians for our Mural Party. We'll be hearing four Austin singer songwriters: Haydon Hoodoo, Jacques Melville, Andrew Blanton, and Jenny Parrott. You may have seen several of them at their regular shows at the Hole in the Wall.

In addition, you'll have an opportunity to connect with several Austin outdoor groups including the Hill Country Conservancy and Explore Austin. Hill Country Conservancy established the Violet Crown Trail and manages many conservation areas in the Hill Country. Explore Austin is an outdoor adventure program that combines social emotional learning and mentoring to empower youth from economically disadvantaged communities.

The "Howdy Y'all" mural is the creation of Whole Earthling Miles Starkey. While Miles worked at the Whole Earth offices, he would head up the hill to the Hope Graffiti Gallery and practice his art. You may have seen his mesmerizing eye paintings and various portraits of his Boston Bull Terrier Juan Carlos. The "Howdy Y'all" mural is a new style of mural for Miles, and we think he's done himself and Whole Earth proud.

The mural includes some places near and dear to Whole Earth's heart. You'll find the cactus sign at our Houston store on South Shepherd Drive and the smokestacks that are an integral part of our store in San Antonio's Quarry Market. Other images include the Texas State Capitol, the Alamo, and Big Tex from the Texas State Fair in Dallas plus Austin's bats, and from the sublime to the ridiculous, the White Shaman rock painting in Seminole Canyon to Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. And of course, there are Bluebonnets!

The "Howdy Y'all" image was so good we had to use it on t-shirts and on a canvas tote! We'll be having a drawing for t-shirts and totes at 11am, noon, 1pm and 2pm. If you're not lucky enough to win one, we'll have them for sale at all of our stores. We hope you'll join us as we celebrate. Take selfies, listen to music, hang out, snack, and have fun with us!