Fireworks, parades, and hometown traditions mark 4th of July across Big Bend
Fireworks, hometown parades, cook-offs and live music will fill communities across the Big Bend this weekend as the country marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. See all the events here!
Events begin Wednesday in Sanderson and continue through Sunday in Fort Davis, with most communities concentrating their celebrations on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4.
Marfa
Marfa Studio of Arts will offer an arts-focused addition to the holiday weekend Friday with its “Neighbors and New Friends” silent art auction.
Bidding will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Marfa Studio of Arts gallery, 106 E. San Antonio St. The auction will feature work donated by participating artists, with proceeds benefiting the organization’s Studio in the Elementary School program.
No city-sponsored Marfa parade or fireworks display was listed on Visit Marfa’s current events calendar as of Tuesday. The visitor center’s Fourth of July listings instead direct residents and visitors to the celebrations in Alpine and Fort Davis.
Fort Davis
Fort Davis’ “Coolest Fourth” celebration begins Friday morning at Jeff Davis County Park with the Coolest 5K in Texas. A one-kilometer race will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the 5K at 8:30 a.m. Packet pickup and late registration will be available from 7 to 7:45 a.m.
Vendors will be set up around the Jeff Davis County Courthouse from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. The day’s schedule also includes a cornhole tournament, live music on the courthouse lawn, and a pie contest at 1 p.m.
Doug Moreland’s Family Barn Dance will run from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at Kelly Pavillion. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for teenagers, while children can attend for free. Fort Davis’ fireworks display will begin at 9:45 p.m. at Jeff Davis County Park and will be choreographed to patriotic music broadcast on 104.7 FM.
Saturday begins with a free pancake breakfast at Church in the Mountain at 7:30 a.m. The hometown parade will begin at 10 a.m., and vendors will remain at the courthouse until 7 p.m.
The Jeff Davis County Livestock Association will begin serving barbecue at 11 a.m. A pet pageant benefiting grand companions will follow at 12:30 p.m., and the Old Spanish Trail Gallery and Museum will host a reception from 1 to 5 p.m. Live music will continue on the courthouse lawn throughout the afternoon.
Saturday evening’s music at Kelly Pavillion begins at 8 p.m. with Two Tons of Steel, followed by A-Train and the Texicanos from 10 p.m. to midnight.
The weekend continues Sunday with the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street Spark! exhibit at Hotel Limpia from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. An 1880s-style baseball game will begin at 2 p.m. at Fort Davis National Historic Site.
Alpine
Alpine Community Projects will host a bicycle-decorating event from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday at Alpine Montessori School, 908 N. Sixth St., for children who plan to ride in Saturday’s parade.
The Museum of the Big Bend will also begin the holiday weekend Friday with the opening of Spark! Places of Innovation, a traveling Smithsonian exhibition exploring creativity and innovation in rural communities.
A free opening reception will run from 5 to 7 p.m. with food, drinks and live music. The exhibit will remain at the museum through August 8, and museum admission will be free throughout its six-week run.
Alpine’s Fourth of July festivities begin Saturday morning with the Alpine Farmers Market opening at 9 a.m. at the Brewster County Courthouse.
The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Kokernot Park, traveling down Fifth Street before turning onto Sul Ross Avenue and ending at the courthouse. Booths and activities will open on the courthouse lawn at 10:30 a.m., followed by the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance at 11 a.m. and a performance by the Big Bend Community Band at 11:15 a.m.
The American Legion will begin serving barbecue plates for $20 at noon. The afternoon schedule includes cooking competitions, live music, Alpine’s annual town photograph at 2 p.m., a preview of the Theatre of the Big Bend’s summer production at 2:15 p.m. and a tug-of-war at 2:30 p.m.
The Alpine Cowboys will play at Kokernot Field at 6:30 p.m. A dance begins at the American Legion at 8 p.m., and fireworks are scheduled for 9:30 p.m. at Kokernot Park.
Marathon
Marathon’s festivities begin at noon Friday, when the Marathon Volunteer Fire Department opens its silent auction at the Marathon Community Center.
Entries for the fire department’s cowboy chili cook-off are due at 6 p.m., followed by Marathon PTO’s bingo night at 7 p.m. A fireworks show begins at 8:45 p.m., with organizers recommending that spectators watch from the Gage Hotel side of U.S. Highway 90.
Saturday’s parade begins at 10 a.m. on Main Street. Marathon PTO will begin selling brisket plates at Post Park at 11 a.m., while supplies last.
A fishing tournament will run from noon to 2 p.m. at Post Park. The silent auction closes at 2 p.m., when entries are also due for the Mustang chili cook-off.
A washers tournament will run from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by food, drinks, vendors, volleyball and other activities in Post Park from 5 to 9 p.m.
Craig Carter and the Spur of the Moment Band will perform from 9 p.m. until midnight. The annual dance is part of a Marathon Fourth of July tradition dating back more than 100 years.
Presidio
Presidio’s two-day celebration begins Friday with a community softball game from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Presidio High School baseball fields.
On Saturday, the Presidio Aquatic Center will offer free admission from 2 to 9 p.m. Food vendors will begin serving at 6 p.m., and parade participants will line up at Presidio City Hall at 6:30 p.m. The parade begins at 7 p.m.
Acuario 90 and Javier Venegas will perform from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 10:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Earlier Saturday, Fort Leaton State Historic Site will host “Constitution to Nature,” an oak gall ink workshop beginning at 10 a.m. Participants will use ink similar to the material used to write the Constitution to create their own “Constitution to Nature.” Regular park admission is required.
Study Butte and Terlingua
The Big Bend Chamber of Commerce will host a Fourth of July parade and community gathering Saturday evening in Study Butte.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with the parade traveling from Cottonwood General Store to the Terlingua Fire and EMS station. Jeff Davis County Judge Greg Henington will serve as grand marshal.
The celebration will include live music by Peso Supreme, a 50-50 raffle and two-hot-dog plates for $7. Children younger than 12 can eat free, and organizers will distribute pinwheels, handkerchiefs and other festive items.
Sanderson
Visit Sanderson has announced a multi-day Fourth of July celebration running from Wednesday, July 1, through Saturday, July 4.
Organizers have described a week of community activities and entertainment, with the detailed daily schedule posted through Visit Sanderson’s social-media pages. Attendees planning to travel to Sanderson should consult the current event flyer or contact the Sanderson Chamber of Commerce to confirm individual locations and times.
Event schedules may change because of weather, wildfire conditions or other circumstances. Attendees should check with organizers before traveling.
