Tiny T Ranch in Garfield

Tiny T Ranch is, TX, a little ranch community within Del Valle. It’s 20 minutes east of South Austin. A former meth lab, the ranch is now home to the Tiny Chapel of Kindness, a 250 sq ft rustic chapel made of reclaimed wood and stained glass with pews out front. There is also the Molly Ivins Pavilion, a 1325 sq foot room with bamboo floors, a vintage stage, and cedar walls. Excellent acoustics. There are other outbuildings on the property including a greenhouse, The Willie Nelson Shed, a vintage RV, and a vintage Casita camper. There are two longhorns and an adorable bull named Nick Cave, seven sheep, a couple of donkeys, three massive pigs, quite a few goats, a couple of working Great Pyrenees, and a trio of chickens. Spike Gillespie, your hostess, is an award-winning journalist and author who spent 24 years in Austin before heading for the country in 2015. She converted the meth lab into a wedding venue that was very successful. Then lockdown came and with it an endless parade of enraged brides. Spike still hosts the occasional wedding but honestly prefers using the ranch for retreats, workshops, concerts and photo/video shoots. Bands/musicians who have played out here: John Doe (X), Carrie Rodriguez, Gina Chavez, The Bottlerockets, Marshall Crenshaw, Steve Forbert, Tommy Stinson (The Replacements), Carolyn Wonderland, Shelley King, Jon Dee Graham, Guy Forsyth, The Ghost Wolves, Odie Leigh, The West Texas Exiles and more. The attitude is very chill. It very much feels like Old South Austin out here. Kitchen access is not part of the rental however, we can set up a nice little craft services area in the pavilion with microwave, hot plates, coffee, etc.