Pioneer Days Festival
8/30/2021
Jefferson’s first ever Pioneer Days celebration will feature a very unique look for the parade which is scheduled for 10 am on Saturday, Sept. 4.
Making up the entrants for the parade are horse-back riders and wagon riders representing the earliest days of village traffic during Jefferson’s founding period in the early 1840s to the next century when the city grew into one of Texas’ busiest river ports. No motorized vehicles will be permitted in the parade and it is now being opened to youngsters who wish to pretend a little and ride their stick horses and lead the parade, It just so happens that the committee has four stick horses available for the youngsters. They, too, will be wearing outfits reminiscent of an earlier period of cowboys and will have a slightly shorter route than the horse-
back riders and wagons and will be lined up at the very front to lead the parade.
A local store has a few stick horses for sale in the toy department should anybody wish to purchase one. A trophy and a prize will be presented to the person who best represents the pioneer days with their costume.
Following the parade at 11 am, the re-creation of an actual cut- and- shoot incident that happened in the wagon yard of the city in 1906 will be staged.
The incident had to do with the arrest of one of the city’s constables by the Sheriff, W. S. Terry. It will occur in about the same area as the original happened many decades ago. The notorious event was related to descendants of the Brown twins, Horace and George, when they were both well up in years.
The late Dorothy Brown Craver interviewed her uncle George and was told the story while her daughter, Marcia Thomas, conversed with her grandfather Horace about the shooting and many other happenings that occurred during the wild and still somewhat lawless days after the turn of the century. The re-enactment
will be acted by Players board member Jim Blackburn, a retired Collin County sheriff’s department employee and certified law enforcement investigator who will use a genuine holstered pistol and blanks. The other party, Proctor, will be played by Players actor and current general manager of KTAL-TV Mark McKay who is also now a resident of the city. It will be portrayed
at least twice more on Saturday at times to be announced in the wagon yard location. It will likely be performed again on Sunday, Sept 5, at the Dutch Over Cooks and Barbeque food event with entertainment at the boat launch on the riverfront.
At 6 pm on Saturday, a street dance will be held featuring the award-winning country band Sheila and the Caddo Kats. The dance will be set up on Austin Street near Polk Street and run down to Walnut Street. Some chairs will be available for on-lookers and participants and the music will be the old early country tunes of yesteryear including some from Hank Williams
among others. A trophy and a prize will be given to the person whose costume most represents authentic pioneer days attire. All activities on Saturday and Sunday are free to attend.
A concert by the famous singing group the Sons of the Pioneers is
scheduled for 3 pm on Monday, Sept. 6 at the Visitor Center. Although VIP tickets are sold out, there are still some general seating tickets left but purchases should be made as soon as possible since the seating is somewhat limited. There are no plans to sell tickets are the door at this time. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at The Willow Tree or online at http://www.JeffersonOperaHouseTheatrePlayers.com
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