About Green Apple Music Series in San Angelo, TX

Celina Hemmeter, then Eden’s City Administrator, first looked at the cavernous old buildings on the edge of town—a former wool warehouse, a feed store, and a meat-locker plant—she didn’t see deterioration. She saw possibility. She imagined sound waves bouncing off concrete, music drifting through open-cased windows, and a small West Texas town rediscovering itself through song.

That vision became the Green Apple Music Series, now a beloved West Texas tradition that continues to grow, evolve, and weave people together through the power of live performance.

The Green Apple journey began in earnest in 2013, when Hemmeter spearheaded the ambitious renovation of those long-abandoned buildings. Through persistence, creative problem-solving, and a deep belief in the arts as an economic and cultural engine, she helped transform them into the Green Apple Art Center—an intimate, 150-seat listening room where musicians and audiences could truly meet each other. The space wasn’t designed to impress with polish, but with authenticity, and it quickly became clear that something special was taking root in Eden.

As the venue came to life, Craig Pfluger, already well known for his deep love of Texas music and longtime advocacy for songwriters, stepped in to help shape the musical identity of Green Apple. With Craig curating artists and nurturing relationships, the series found its voice—one grounded in heartfelt songwriting, impeccable sound, and deep respect for both performers and listeners.

“There’s nothing fancy about our venue,” Craig often said. “But you still feel like you’re transported somewhere else.”

He was right. In short order, the Green Apple Art Center began drawing audiences from Lubbock, Sweetwater, Austin, and beyond. Each show became a full evening experience: dinner served beforehand—fajitas, brisket, ribs—cooked by local volunteers, with neighbors and strangers sharing tables under open skies. The sound, handled by what Craig fondly called “the greatest sound people we could ever want,” rivaled much larger theaters in Austin or Dallas, while maintaining the intimacy of a true listening room.



Artists such as Slaid Cleaves, Jimmy LaFave, Ruthie Foster, Joe Ely, and many others found a rare environment where their songs could breathe. Audiences listened closely. Community formed naturally. What Celina had envisioned as a catalyst for renewal became a cultural anchor for Eden.

After a decade of cultivating that sense of connection, the Green Apple Music Series embarked on its next chapter, carrying the spirit first imagined in those warehouses beyond Eden and into San Angelo, where its core values—community, authenticity, and the simple power of a well-told song—continue to resonate.