Los Fresnos – Visions of the Valley usually include sunsets over Laguna Madre, fresh citrus, or even rockets reaching for the stars. But if you’re looking for a true Texas sound while exploring South Texas, find your way to Los Fresnos and head to a little hidden honky tonk called Harley’s.
Sylvia Nolan has lived in the Rio Grande Valley since the mid 70s when she moved down to Texas from Wisconsin with her husband John “Harley” Nolan. She’s seen a lot of change over the past half century, with the addition of all sorts of buildings, hotels and people.
Sylvia and her husband opened Harley’s Country Store and Beer Garden back in 2004, but it wasn’t exactly Sylvia’s idea. Harley wanted to bring a little bit of Luckenbach down to the valley, and he wanted a stage to play his music on.
John passed away in 2014 but Sylvia and her family have kept Harley’s open 7 days a week, and it’s their Sunday service that draws a crowd. That’s when you’ll find the house band Wildcat Thicket playing song after song, after song and you never know who you’ll meet here.
RJ Mitte is a regular here but, you might recognize him as Walter White’s son on the hit show Breaking Bad. RJ gets this vision John had when it came to Harley’s, creating a watering hole community area where people can gather and share their love for down-home music.
Tom Bullard is another big believer in Harley’s. Tom is a fixture at Harley’s despite having moved to Nashville to continue his career. He also gets credit for introducing Silvia to her new love, Randy, having introduced the two when Tom brought Randy down to play some music.
Enjoying music, a two-step, or just a good conversation is what Harley’s is all about. Coming together to celebrate the good times right here in the Lone Star State is also worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.