Salado Founders Day Festival this weekend Posted On: Friday, Oct. 23 2009 05:13 AM From staff reports

The Village of Salado will hold the inaugural Founders Day Festival marking the 150th celebration of the founding of Salado College with a lineup of non-stop events today through Sunday.

"We started working on this last year and the community volunteers have done an outstanding job," said Debbie Charbonneau of the Salado Tourism Department. "Everyone is very excited about the event."

The kick-off event begins at 4 p.m. today with a cattle drive down Main Street followed an action-packed Ranch Rodeo at the Wildfire Arena at 6:30 p.m. today and 1 p.m. Saturday. Rodeo tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.

For a little "exercise in history," the historical walking tour will highlight interesting sites and homes along the streets of Salado Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. beginning at the Central Texas Area Museum across the street from the Stagecoach Inn.

Also on Saturday, the Main Street Parade begins at 10 a.m. and Dr. Wallace Davis will conduct a lecture on the founding and early days of Salado from 11 a.m. to noon at the Salado Civic Center.

Step back into the action of the Old West at the historical re-enactments along Salado Creek Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Visitors can meander through the booths and peruse the wares of the Heritage Crafters from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

A self-guided tour of the historic Robertson Plantation Home is available Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Col. Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson (1820-1879) was a Texas pioneer, patriot soldier and one of the founders of Salado College. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12.

Wild Horses and Gary P. Nunn will perform at the evening concert on Saturday at the Wildfire Ranch from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Bring your own chairs and blankets for a fun evening of musical entertainment. No coolers are allowed. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for students, and children 12 and under are free.

Cowboy Church on Salado Creek is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday.

Pairing local history with fine wine, Salado Wine Sellers will present "Vintage Bell County" a collection of photos documenting the history of Salado and Bell County organized by the Bell County Museum. The exhibit will be open on today and Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. for the Founders Day Festival and will remain on display through Nov. 2. Salado Wine Sellers is at 841 N. Main St.

Hot glass classes and workshops will be held through Sunday at Salado Creekside Business/Arts Campus during the celebration. Skilled artisans will present demonstrations today and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Classes will be held at 113 Salado Plaza Drive. For class schedules and registration information, go to www.saladoartsworkshop.com.

Wrapping up the three-day festival will be a lecture by award winning novelist and screenwriter Stephen Harrigan. He will present a writer's perspective on blending historical fact with historical fiction at the Salado Civic Center from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The lecture is presented by the Institute for the Humanities at Salado as part of the Heritage, Heroes and Home series. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members; students may attend free of charge. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.

For more information about the Salado Founders Day Festival, go to www.saladofoundersday.org or call (254) 947-8634.