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When the calendar turns to July, the whole town of Schulenburg starts gearing up for the annual Schulenburg Festival, also known as the “National Party of Texas”. This year’s event will be held from Thursday Aug. 1 through Sunday Aug. 4. Most events will take place in downtown Wolters Park. Events include live music, rodeo, cook-offs, parade, kids’ inflatables, arts & crafts vendors, kiddie parade, tricycle races, softball, golf, basketball, fun run, cornhole, and more.
Headlining this year’s musical entertainment is Dos Borrachos, featuring Kevin Fowler and Roger Creager. These two energetic country artists teamed up a few years ago to record and perform together, and their show took the festival stage in 2022. According to Advertising Director Nicole Michalke, “We were so excited to have Fowler and Creager here two years ago. They had been at the festival individually several times, but together they feed off each other’s energy to really bring the party atmosphere that we shoot for. From the time they took the stage to the time they left, the crowd enjoyed the show, joining in on every song. When we were planning for this year, the idea of having them back came up, and their schedules worked out, so we just couldn’t resist doing this again.”
Fowler and Creager will take the stage on Saturday night from 9-11 p.m. Texas Unlimited Band (TUB) will play before and after Dos Borrachos to get the party started, and then round out the night as they have for many years.
“A few years ago, we named TUB ‘The Official Band of the National Party of Texas’ for what they are able to do, keeping the crowd pumped up and engaged. It’s just one of those things you have to experience in person,” says Festival President Michael Zweschper. TUB plays all over the state of Texas and traveled recently to play at the NFR Cinch Party in Las Vegas, and the Extreme Bulls event in Cody, Wyoming. Zweschper added, “Back in 2022, TUB even joined Fowler and Creager on stage for a spirited rendition of Fowler’s ‘Beer, Bait and Ammo’, so who knows what will happen this year?”
Friday night’s lineup features Texas country artists Josh Ward and Slade Coulter. Josh Ward made his festival debut in 2018 and has been burning up the Texas music charts since then, adding millions of streams for his songs. Slade Coulter is newer to the music scene, getting his career started in the Lubbock area. But he has been touring across Texas and will head to several other states later this year with Jacob Stelly, who played at last year’s Festival. Michalke states, “The Festival loves to showcase rising talent, and it’s always neat to have someone who played here when they were just starting out to come back at a higher level in their career.” Friday night’s music starts with local country artist Keith Hickle, who has been named “The Best Artist in Fayette Country” multiple times.
Saturday afternoon’s music lineup starts at 12 noon with The Barditch Hippies, a trio from the Luling area. The two founding members are both veteran “Emotions Band” performers who spent many Wednesday summer nights entertaining the large crowds at Swiss Alp Dancehall. Broken Alibi from Hallettsville will play from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Music on Sunday is for dancing, and the festival usually kicks off Sunday with some polka music. This year, The Czechaholics will bring their own unique, more contemporary style of polka music to the Pavilion. TUB will close out the Festival with their Sunday-afternoon mix of 80s rock and country, plus contemporary hits and feelgood music. “Sunday afternoon has such a great vibe. To me, it’s a cross between a big family wedding, a church picnic, and a piano bar. A lot of people head to the park after the parade and spend the afternoon enjoying the music and refreshments with friends and family of all ages,” says Michalke.
Thursday evening provides another option for live entertainment and family time. Kendra Krupala & ThatDamnBand will perform on stage, while there will be refreshments available, kids’ activities, plus the rodeo slack, all for no admission charge.
The Schulenburg Festival is much more than just live music. The rodeo, cook-offs, and parade are also big draws. Rodeo fans can look forward to two nights of full CPRA/UPRA rodeo action, with 8 events (bareback riding, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, breakaway, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, and tie down), at the arena in Wolters Park. The rodeo starts at 7:30 pm on Friday and Saturday evening. Mutton bustin’ will take place both nights, so kids can join the cowboy action too.
The festival cook-off continues to grow. Cooks can showcase their talents in the chili, BBQ, beans, and bloody Mary contests, plus this year there is a salsa competition. The festival includes both CASI and IBCA-sanctioned chili and BBQ competitions, for cooks wishing to earn points in those areas, and also local contests open to everyone.
The Sunday morning parade, from downtown Schulenburg to Wolters Park, features beautiful floats from area towns, comical entries, class reunion floats, patriotic and musical entries, fire trucks, and the ever-popular Shriners parade unit.
Other attractions include the annual Young Farmers Cow Chip & Egg Toss contests, the cheerleader dunking board, the 2nd annual cornhole tournament, and the arts and crafts show, featuring dozens of vendors with various items for sale.
Young Festival attendees can enter the kiddie parade and the tricycle races, and the festival will set up a “Kid Zone,” located on the ball field in the southwest corner of Wolters Park. The area will have several inflatables, including some with water slides, operated by B&B Big Bounce of Hallettsville.
Rounding out the festival are four different sports contests (golf, softball, basketball, and a fun run), along with class reunions for graduates from Schulenburg and Bishop Forest high schools.
Gate admission for all activities is $20 for Friday night, and $30 on Saturday evening after 5 p.m. Admission on Thursday and Sunday is free, and there is no charge to enter the park before 5 pm on Saturday. Also, there is no admission charge for children 12 and under at any time.
Detailed information, including entry forms, can be found on the festival website: www.schulenburgfestival. org. The festival also has active social media to keep everyone up to date.
The Festival Directors invite everyone to the party that they work year-round to plan. “We are constantly trying to improve the festival and are so grateful for all the community support that makes this event possible,” says Zweschper. “We appreciate the financial support of our sponsors, plus the efforts by the City of Schulenburg, local law enforcement, Chamber, and volunteer workers to get this off the ground. Many local non-profits participate in and benefit from the festival as well, which truly makes this a community affair.” Profits from the festival are put back into the community through improvements, scholarships, and donations.
It’s the National Party of Texas, and everyone’s invited.
