Southern breakfast chain Waffle House is still the most requested restaurant in College Station, according to a survey from Grow College Station.

At a glance: The Shape College Station survey, conducted by the city of College Station’s Economic Development team, aims to gauge what residents prioritize for the city’s future, including restaurants, shops and attractions. The quarterly survey attracted more than 3,000 votes for 148 different businesses.

The top 10 businesses voted for were all restaurants, with burger joints making up four of the 10. Other types of restaurants in the top ten include Chinese, Mexican and seafood.

The takeaway: Waffle House has been a requested restaurant in Bryan-College Station for years. A Facebook group was created by residents in 2014 for the movement. According to the city's blog, College Station has tried to get Waffle House to open in the city for several years, but the private business said it has no plans to open a restaurant in College Station anytime soon.

Fifteen years after the Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo began as a regional event, organizers say the annual celebration has grown into a statewide draw and expect this year’s event to continue that momentum.

At a glance: The 2026 fair and rodeo will bring livestock exhibitors, rodeo competitors, concerts, vendors and youth competitions to the Brazos County Expo Complex Oct. 23-25.

The event also will host the United Professional Rodeo Association Finals, bringing cowboys and cowgirls from across the country to Aggieland.

How we got here: The fair started in 2012 as a regional event serving eight counties. Over the years, its youth competitions have expanded to include participants from across Texas.

Growing challenges: Organizers told Community Impact the fair’s growth has created a new challenge: space.

Organizers are looking at ways to better schedule events and make use of the available space as participation increases.

Future plans could include additional seating in the arena, large video screens for spectators and more ways for visitors to experience the fair without purchasing a rodeo ticket.

The 12th Stitch, an Aggie-owned and operated needlepoint store, has opened its doors in College Station.

The overview: The 12th Stitch offers needlepoint classes, along with canvases, threads and accessories for all skill levels. The storefront also has multiple seating arrangements for comfortable needlepoint work.

This business was founded by Texas A&M student Lily Ann Weissmann '27, whose needlepoint journey started with her grandmother introducing her to it at eight years old, according to an Instagram post. Weissmann picked the hobby back up as an adult for stress management and wanted to turn it into a business.

“My biggest hope is to grow the needlepoint community here in the Brazos Valley and share the same joy this hobby has brought into my own life,” Weissmann said.

Before you go: The 12th Stitch is the only local and dedicated needlepoint store in Bryan-College Station. The store has released a schedule for events throughout the month of October on Instagram.

• Opened Sept. 26

• 1255 Arrington Road, Ste. 4000, College Station

This weekend will hold lots of community events across Aggieland. A few happenings to look forward to include music and cultural events, as well as a Corgi race.

This is not a comprehensive list.

Bryan TX Songwriter Festival: For its second year, this weekend festival will showcase local and rising names in country music. The weekend begins with a performance by Max & Heather Stalling.

• Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m.

• Free (general admission)

• Historic Downtown Bryan

Operation Short Legs: Corgis and their human companions are invited to the Museum of the American G.I. for a day of Corgi races, a costume contest and an obstacle course among other fun activities.

• Oct. 10, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

• $5-10 (admission)

• 19124 Hwy. 6, College Station

Biketober: The cities of Bryan and College Station will host a community 8.6-mile bike ride, led by German sister city Greifswald's deputy mayor. Festivities will begin at College Station City Hall and riders' midway point will be a stop at Bryan Midtown Park.

• Oct. 10, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 1101 Texas Ave., College Station

In 2015, the Texas Legislature passed a law changing the amount of time students are required to spend in public schools from 180 days to 75,600 minutes per school year.

More than a decade later, some state senators are considering again mandating the number of days schools are open, citing concerns about student performance in districts that use condensed weekly schedules.

The details: At least 181 districts and 572 campuses used four-day school weeks in the 2024-25 school year, per Texas Education Agency data.

A TEA study found that during the 2022-23 school year, students attending school four days per week had lower performance in certain subjects on the annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness than students at five-day schools.

"There is not a benefit that I see for a four-day school week for the child," Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, said. "We know there's learning loss. What is the advantage of a four-day [week]? Because I see none except to please somebody who wants to be off more days."