Just half an hour after opening, Hurricane Harry’s is buzzing with loyal patrons. Friday nights typically fill up around 11 p.m., but already every pool table is surrounded, groups of friends laugh on the sides, men in Stetsons chat with women in boots, bartenders swiftly mix orders and couples young and old swing each other around well-worn dance floors.

Affectionately known as “Harry’s,” the venue has served Texas A&M and the College Station community as a country western dance hall since opening 32 years ago, watching apartment buildings and franchises spring up around it to replace houses and fields. 

Last week, Culpepper Realty announced the dance hall and nearby businesses will have to shut down and relocate by March 2025. The announcement comes after a decade of statements telling owners their businesses would be unaffected by plans for a new retail development in the area.

But Harry’s Friday night patrons aren’t there to mourn. They’re there to celebrate accomplishments, friendships and milestones; they’re there to unwind and breathe in the atmosphere; they’re there to revisit old moments and live new ones. They dance, laugh, flirt, reminisce.