It was so cold Saturday morning that the armadillos seemed to scurry a little faster at the October 27 Shawnee Trail Cowboy Day Festival. But that did not stop the event from bringing home some Old West fun to Frisco.
The day warmed up and drew at least double, if not nearly triple, the crowd compared to when the event was held in the spring, according to Buddy Minett, President of the Heritage Association of Frisco (HAF).
“The armadillo races were really entertaining and brought out a lot people,” Minett said.
One of the more notable and exciting “races” were between City Manager George Purefoy and his wife, Debra. Mrs. Purefoy was a little shocked to discover, at the last minute, that she had to hold her armadillo before it took off. Luckily, participants were given gloves. The racers went onto the track with their animals and encouraged them along the way by crawling behind the little critters and blowing on them.
The Legend of Texas gunfighters entertained the audience throughout the day with staged confrontations between a bumbling deputy, a sheriff and some bad guys.
“This was a great turnout,” reported the stagecoach driver who offered rides around the Frisco Heritage Center, noting that they gave almost 300 people rides and had to turn some folks away at the end of the day. “We had the best day we’ve ever had here.”
This was the first year for HAF to attempt to take a small open house Cowboy Day event held annually and turn it into a festival.
The event included a cupcake walk hosted by Dimples Cupcakes, pony rides, a petting zoo, blacksmith demos, whittling demos, a quilt show, a photo booth, museum tours, musical performances, food, costumed docents, storytelling, a lecture on Texas Cattle Trail history, and Texana living history actors who brought antique toys, butter churns, laundry tubs and demonstrated how furs were used on the prairie. Train buffs also got to look at the engine and caboose on display and to hear the steam whistle blow.
“My daughter is reading the Little House on the Prairie books,” said Frisco resident Katie McDowell. “This event was perfect to for her.”
HAF members hope to turn the festival into a major fundraiser in coming years. HAF is the volunteer organization that provides docents, tour guides, exhibit organizations and activities at the Frisco Heritage Center and museum. Many HAF volunteers also assist the City of Frisco in maintaining the center and the museum.
Sponsors included Dimples, Bankston Ford, Shawnee Trail Church of Christ, Black Tie Events, Kimley Horn Engineering and Texas Republic Bank. Volunteers from Heritage High School, Pioneer Heritage Middle School, HAF, Hope Fellowship Church and a large group of history students from Collin College helped the event run smoothly.
Story and photo credits to Jane Whitledge, FISD Community Relations Specialist and Heritage Association of Frisco Board Member.