If you weren’t there, you missed out.
If you were there, you know what I’m talking about.
The City of Whitesboro launched its inaugural Founder’s Day celebration on Saturday. The wet weather ceased. It was the driest day we’ve had in months. And that was wonderful.
The event kicked off at noon with a time capsule dedication at Trollinger Park. The mayor gave some remarks, photos were taken and— 50 years from now— our children will dig up a box full of memories and reflect. We had gunfighters, dance lessons, musicians, a stagecoach with a team of horses, a mini train for the kids, Old West photos, a pop-up museum, bounce houses and (did I mention?) live music.
This event came together earlier this year, thanks to some foresight from folks at City Hall. Jennifer and I were happy to volunteer and the smiles we saw on the visitors were well worth the effort. I’d like to personally thank everyone involved with making Saturday’s event possible. This includes City Administrator Julie Arrington and a great city staff— especially Kyle Maynard. Kyle keeps the trains running every day at City Hall, and special events here would not happen without his oversight.
The Chamber of Commerce was key in this, too. Founder’s Day kicked off Friday night with the second installment of the newly reclaimed World Serious softball game. A couple hundred friends and fans watched neighbors compete in a friendly game of softball and trash talk at the WHS baseball field. Ben and Jessica Edwards were key to putting Friday’s game together and should be commended.
We had some wonderful live music on Saturday night. Folks went home in the heat of the day but came back after the sun went down to watch an amazing show from the Tejas Brothers.
It was an intimate affair with 300 of our closest friends, the night could not have been better. The musicians loved the crowd, loved our town and hope to come back soon. They also loved our hospitality, which would not have been possible without the folks at 56 Deli in Whitesboro. Thank you, Tina and Coley, for your generous donation.
Parents told me Saturday was the perfect day. They said memories were created that would last a lifetime, and their little ones were beaming with excitement.
That’s what it is all about. Quality of life and things for people to do in a small town are just as important as infrastructure issues like water and streets. We are blessed to have a forward-thinking city administration who sees the value in funding such endeavors.
If you weren’t there, I sure am sorry. But we hope to see you next year.
In the meantime, if you were there, let us know how we can make next year’s event bigger and better.
