In March, a Texas Monthly writer's wife drove the family SUV straight into a barbecue joint in Clyde. The big garage doors at Thirsty's BBQ Barn & Beer were open on both ends, and everyone there uses the drive-through. Next to the entrance, a sign reads Home of the Bulldog Fries. The dish is named for the Clyde High School mascot. It's a pile of fries covered in chopped brisket, pickles, onions, pickled jalapeños and melted cheese.
That sign is a good guide to fall in Clyde. The busiest stretch of the year runs on Bulldog Fridays. Three varsity home games fall between now and early November, and the town's other big draws work best when you plan around those 7 p.m. kickoffs. Denton Valley Farms runs its fall season through November 8, so its final weekend overlaps with the last home date on the varsity schedule.
Six Weekends, Laid Out
Denton Valley Farms opened its fall season on September 26 and runs through November 8, 2026. It's open Fridays from 5 to 10:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Bulldogs' published schedule lists varsity home games on October 9, October 23 and November 6, all at 7 p.m. Here's how the two calendars line up:
Weekend | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 9–11 | Bulldogs vs. Odessa Compass, 7 p.m.; farm opens at 5 p.m. | Farm open | Farm open |
Oct. 16–18 | No varsity home game; River Driver Band at the farm 6–9 p.m. | River Driver Band again, 6–9 p.m. | Farm open |
Oct. 23–25 | Bulldogs vs. Kermit, 7 p.m. | Farm open | Farm open |
Oct. 30–Nov. 1 | No varsity home game | Halloween at the farm, open until 10:30 p.m. | Farm open |
Nov. 6–8 | Bulldogs vs. Sweetwater, 7 p.m. | Farm open | Final day of the fall season |
Read the table by Fridays. The weekends with a home game put the stadium and the farm's evening hours on the same night. The weekends without one, especially October 16 and 17, give the farm the whole evening, and that's when it has booked its live music.
The Home Fridays
The Bulldogs play at Bulldog Stadium on N Hays Road. Interest has been high this season. On homecoming night, September 25, the undefeated Bulldogs beat Fort Stockton 56-20 after an early back-and-forth, KTXS reported. The remaining home dates are Odessa Compass on October 9, Kermit on October 23 and Sweetwater on November 6.
The younger teams play home games earlier in each of those weeks. Junior high hosts Odessa Compass on Thursday, October 8, Kermit on Thursday, October 22, and Sweetwater on Thursday, November 5. Seventh grade kicks off at 4:30 p.m. and eighth grade at 6 p.m. Junior varsity plays at home against Lamesa on October 15 and Jim Ned on October 29, both at 5 p.m. A family with kids in more than one grade could easily spend two evenings a week at the stadium during home weeks.
The two weekends without a varsity home game are when the farm's Friday programming shows up on the calendar.
Where the Bulldog Fries Come From
Thirsty's sits at 525 Cherry and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Owner Nasser "Nick" Saab smokes with post oak in an offset smoker. The sign now says BBQ Barn instead of the original Beer Barn. Saab changed it a couple of years ago because the barbecue had become such a draw, and he estimates that smoked meats now bring in about half the business's revenue.
Here are the practical details from the Texas Monthly visit:
- Order from your seat. An attendant takes orders while you sit in your car and pass through the red metal building.
- Expect a short wait on the fries. The property has no gas line, and Saab said his electric fryers struggle to stay hot enough for crisp fries. The writer waited about five minutes for an order of Bulldog Fries.
- Sausage on a stick travels best. It comes with a sweet and tangy sauce and was voted most portable in the writer's car. The chopped-brisket sandwich comes wrapped in foil.
- The lemonade is made daily. Saab squeezes it by hand, and the large size comes in a tapered cup that fits a cup holder.
- The Piknik area has its own rules. It's next to the parking lot, with covered picnic tables and a swing set, and it's separate from the takeout-only drive-through, so customers can open a beer there in the shade. Karaoke starts after 7 on Friday evenings.
Karaoke starts at the same hour as kickoff, so the Fridays without a varsity home game are the natural nights for it. On home Fridays, the drive-through is open until 10 p.m.
Saab also owns Thrifty's, a burger restaurant across the highway. He opened it in 1998 in an old Texaco station after losing an oil company job. He lives in Clyde and has served on the economic development board. "Clyde is my home," he told Texas Monthly. "Anything the city does, I try to be part of it."
What's New at Denton Valley Farms This Year
Denton Valley Farms sits on County Road 224. Its fall setup covers more than 200 acres, and general admission includes more than 40 attractions. The farm calls its pumpkin patch the largest in the Big Country and its corn maze the only one in the area. For anyone who went last year, these are the 2026 additions:
- Mobile ordering. Scan a QR code inside the farm and your food will be ready when you get to the kitchen. Alcohol isn't available through mobile orders.
- A bigger menu with beer, wine and daiquiris. The homemade Pumpkin Spice and Chocolate ice creams are back too.
- An aviary. The farm bills it as the largest private aviary in Texas. Admission is $4, includes a seed stick for feeding the birds, and the aviary closes at dark.
- The DVF Mining Sluice. Paydirt for panning runs from $8.95 to $19.95.
- A pedal car raceway and an expanded petting zoo trail with new animal exhibits.
In October, general admission is $21.95 for ages 3 to 64 and $10 for ages 65 and up. Kids 23 months and under get in free. The Daytime Combo adds the paintball ride for $29. The After Dark Combo adds the nighttime Forgotten Forest trail and the nighttime paintball ride for $34.
The aviary closes at dark and the Forgotten Forest has live actors only at night, so daytime and nighttime visits offer different things. During the day, the Forgotten Forest Walking Trail is included with general admission until 5 p.m. After dark, it becomes a $15 attraction with live actors every Friday and Saturday night in October. The Headless Horseman rides on Friday and Saturday nights. A family with kids who'd rather not be scared can come in the afternoon. Older kids and adults may prefer Saturday evening.
Three rules to know before you pack the car. Each person can bring one sealed water bottle. Outside cups, Stanleys and Owalas included, aren't allowed, and neither are coolers of any size. Pets aren't allowed either, except service animals. Homeschool families can book morning tours on October 9 and 19 or an afternoon tour on October 14.
The Weekend Both Calendars Wrap Up
The weekend of November 6 to 8 combines everything above. The Bulldogs host Sweetwater at 7 p.m. that Friday, the last home date on the published varsity schedule. Two days later, on Sunday, November 8, Denton Valley Farms ends its fall season. Sunday hours run until 5 p.m.
Before that, the next date to circle is the weekend of October 16 and 17. There's no varsity home game that Friday, River Driver Band plays the farm from 6 to 9 p.m. on both nights, and Thirsty's karaoke starts after 7 on Friday.
At BHHS Stovall Realtors, we keep track of what's happening around Clyde, from Friday nights on N Hays Road to the corn maze off County Road 224, because those details shape how a place feels day to day. If you have a question about Clyde, or about how a fall weekend there compares with other towns in the Big Country, our team is glad to share what we know. Contact Us.
