The most goated place to be in Central Texas this summer? On a party boat with, you guessed it, goats.
As temperatures heat up and Texans inch closer to summer, no scorching season would be complete in Central Texas without a trek up to Lake Travis. In comes The Party Goat, a captained boat service aboard a 27-foot tritoon that, in honor of its name, also offers the option of literal goats as fellow partiers.
Jordan Jones has owned The Party Goat for the past year. She has collaborated with Goat Shenanigans to offer furry friends as an extra treat on a summery day in Austin. With boating season ramping up, she encouraged those interested in booking The Party Goat — which can accommodate up to 14 people, with or without the cute mascots — to inquire a few weeks in advance.
“You can get some goats to come out with you on the water for about 45 minutes to hang out, take pictures, look cute,” she said. “You can feed them and just hang out and get some chill vibes with the goats.”
Naturally, as MySA’s resident animal connoisseur, I had to get the full experience myself. In came Pixie and Trixie, a pair of 1.5-month-old goats that nestled on laps, snoozed and became pampered divas instantly.
Why are goats so calm out on water, you might wonder. That may have to do with their unique eye shape, Goat Shenanigans’ Sheena Gendron theorized.
“In truth? I think it’s because of their eyes and their vision,” Gendron said. “I really love their pupils. Their rectangle pupils scan the horizon when they’re out in the field, and they can very easily scan the horizon while out in the water.”
That capability allows them to steady themselves and remain balanced while aboard the boat. But beyond being the life of the party on Lake Travis, Goat Shenanigans partners with other organizations and private parties for goat yoga, summer learning camps and event therapy sessions. Rooted in San Antonio with a presence across Central Texas, those interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the goats can venture down the Interstate 35 corridor to do an in-person visit at their San Antonio farm.
“There’s no sadness when a baby goat is around,” Gendron said, laughing.