Wednesday, September 18, 2024
SPRINGTOWN — For the second year in a row, Springtown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Wild West Festival is sold out of booths for vendors.
“I’ve got a waitlist going on,” Chamber Executive Director Terri Toone said.
In the future, Toone said the annual festival needs ways to expand, but it’s not clear how that will happen yet. To her, the Wild West Festival being sold out is proof of growth. The chamber has been working more on marketing the festival, Toone said, particularly on the chamber’s new Instagram page “SpringtownTxChamberofCommerce” with the help of an ambassador.
“The word is getting out,” Toone said. “Maybe Springtown is starting to be on the map now for the Wild West Festival.”
This year’s festival, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 21 on the Springtown Square, will feature more than 40 new vendors. In all, the event will have over 100 businesses and organizations in attendance, with some selling art, clothes, accessories, jewelry, toys, handmade goods, crafts and keepsakes. Food and drinks will be on sale at Wild West as well, including carnival classics like funnel cakes, corn dogs and all things fried, plus tacos, burritos and nachos. Some booths will be occupied by local churches or other organizations that supply information to Wild West attendees.
Toone said she will make it her goal for merchants to have a positive experience at the festival and want to return next year.
“I’d like to hear what our vendors would like to see next year, if they have any improvements that they are willing to share with me that we can work on for next year,” Toone said.
Last year, Toone was preparing to take the reins over the chamber and shadowed former Executive Director Amy Walker as she planned for Wild West. Toone made a point to visit every booth during the festival to introduce herself to the vendors. This year, she is fully in charge of the festival, but she has the help of people like chamber administrative assistant Dene Berry and board members Mary Harms and Andrew Alvis. Springtown’s city staff has also been available to assist with the event, Toone said.
“We’re all a team,” she said. “We do it all together.”
The kind of work that planning a major festival entails suits Toone’s personality. She compared herself to the Energizer Bunny and said she is fueled by the pressure involved in the process. Knowing that all the preparation leads to an event filled with smiling faces is what motivates Toone.
“That’s what I crave,” she said. “That’s what kind of keeps me going, just pushing, pushing, pushing until I see that final product, and then, it’s like, oh my gosh, this was so worth it.”
However, Toone is planning on taking a break after Wild West is over to celebrate her birthday, which is just a few days before the event.
“I’m going to Cabo, though, right after,” she said with a laugh. “We’ll celebrate afterwards.”
Shopping isn’t the only activity available at the Wild West Festival. People tired of walking around can cool their heels in the Tabernacle and listen to live music. In the past, the festival has featured multiple acts during the event, but this year, there will only be one band performing — Neon Playboys. Some locals may remember this group previously playing classic country music at Springtown’s RnR Event Center. At Wild West, the Playboys will be making music from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Another Wild West entertainment option is the gunfighting shows that take place next to the Tabernacle. Heroes of the Old West aim to present historically accurate reenactments of gunfights. Shows will take place at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.
Unfortunately, the rodeo that has occurred during Wild West in the park won’t be happening this year because of pending park improvements, Toone said.
In honor of this being the 40th anniversary of the festival, a special presentation will be held in the Tabernacle at noon. What will happen? You’ll have to be there to find out. T-shirts commemorating the 40th anniversary will also be on sale for $20 at the information booth at the festival.
parade
Of all the activities available at the Wild West Festival, the parade sticks out as one of the most spectacular. It’s also where the community’s youth have a chance to shine.
Last year, the procession was filled with floats by Springtown 4-H Club, peewee athletes, varsity football players and Springtown FFA as well as Springtown High School cheerleaders, Showstoppers, the Sound of Springtown and the Parker County Young Marines marching on foot. The parade also included classic cars, tractors, the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse on horseback and floats helmed by local churches, organizations and the Springtown City Council.
This year’s parade will begin at 10 a.m. starting at State Highway 199 and Hilltop Drive. The procession will travel west on SH 199 before turning north on Farm-to-Market Road 51. After passing the square, the parade will go down Second Street by city hall and then finish at Springtown Elementary School.
To enter the parade, applications should be submitted by 5 p.m. Sept. 19. Applications and rules can be found online at springtownchamber.org by hovering over the “Events” drop-down menu and clicking “Wild West Festival.”
Barbecue contest
The 25th annual Wild West Festival State Championship BBQ Cook-off will take place the day of the festival in the park behind Brookshire’s. Teams will have to pay $200 to enter and compete in four meat categories: chicken, ribs, pork butt and brisket. There will also be a jackpot the Friday before, and the competition categories are steak, dessert and beans. In total, $10,000 in prizes will be paid out at the contest.
Toone said contestants can register for the cook-off the day of, or they can sign up beforehand.
“We have more spots available, so they can sign up day of,” Toone said.
The executive director said the contest also needs judges.
For more information, call the chamber at 817-220-7828.
Kids’ area
For younger attendees of the Wild West Festival, there will be plenty for them to do in the children's area, located in the park behind Wells Fargo. Activities include bounce houses, an obstacle course, a rock-climbing wall, a train, horse rides, a petting zoo and a remote-controlled racecar game.
Jennifer Conway, former chamber president and organizer of the children’s area, is also hoping that a puppet show performed periodically by Real Family Fellowship can make it to the event.
“They were out at Wild West years ago, but it’s been several years,” Conway said. “They finally are able to come back.”
Other local churches will also have booths in the children’s area. Springtown First Baptist Church will host a dunk tank, and Hilltop Family Church usually holds drawings for kids’ bikes and a gift card for adults, Conway said.
The radio station 95.9 FM The Ranch will attend Wild West Festival for a second year and be in the children's area. Conway said Leonardo the Bubbler of Next Level Bubble Parties is also expected to make a few appearances, which she said was a hit with children last year.
“It gave something else for the kids to see and do that they don’t always get to,” Conway said. “That’s kind of like how the horse rides are. You think we live in the country, but a lot of people haven’t seen a horse or been on a horse or touched a goat, and they get really excited to do that stuff.”
Overall, Conway expects this year’s festival in the children’s area to be successful and hopes the weather will be nice that day.
“I have to admit, we really have a good time in the children’s park,” she said. “We have a lot of activities, and the energy is real high.”
parking
Normally, people visiting the Springtown Square can find parking on the square, but during the Wild West Festival, there will be booths set up in those regular parking spaces.
In this case, festival goers should park near Springtown First Baptist Church (at the corner of FM 51 and Fifth Street) or at Springtown High School (at the corner of SH 199 and Pojo Road). These locations will be utilized as pick-up and drop-off locations for the shuttles to transport people to the festival, free of charge. The shuttles are expected to run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. According to the map on the chamber’s website, the pick-up/drop-off site at the festival will be near Highland Furniture.
