Washington on the Brazos to Mark 181st Anniversary of Texas Independence
Navasota, TX (PRWEB) December 16, 2016 -- Pageantry. Canon firings. Old-time music. Historical dramas. Texas Aggie Singing Cadets. Musket gun salutes. Historical camps. 1836 crafts. Kids Zone. Birthday party of Texas independence.
It’s the 181st birthday of Texas’s independence and all are invited to the annual “Texas Independence Day Celebration” (TIDC) at Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5, 2017 on the expansive 293-acre grounds of this state park. It was there, in 1836, that 59 delegates bravely met at Washington, Texas to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico. From 1836 until 1846, the Republic of Texas proudly existed as a separate nation.
The birthday celebration features live music, food, traditional crafts, living history presentations, historical encampments and commemorative programs so guests can experience life in Texas in 1836. As a birthday gift to all visitors, admission fees are waived for the site’s three attractions for that weekend: Independence Hall (replica of the site where representatives wrote the Texas Declaration of Independence); Star of the Republic Museum (collections and programs honoring history of early Texans, administered by Blinn College); and Barrington Living History Farm (where interpreters dress, work and farm as did the original residents of this homestead). Admission to the grounds, on-site shuttles and parking are also available at no charge.
Special guests and entertainment throughout the weekend include Texas A&M University Singing Cadets; a historical play titled “The Birth of a Republic” about the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence; live music, food, traditional crafts, living history presentations, musket and cannon firings, pageantry, family reunions of the descendants of the 59 men who signed the Declaration; wreath laying ceremony at the Children’s Monument; and additional historical reenactments. A Kids History Zone will allow children to dress up in historical costumes; sign a large-scale copy of the Declaration; and takes photos near the Declaration.
The Star of the Republic Museum will celebrate the 181st anniversary with its new exhibit, “Heirloom Genealogy: Tracing your Family Treasures,” beginning March 4, 2017, and continuing through February 15, 2018. Artifacts are examined in-depth through lineage research that reveal where the artifacts originated, who owned them, and how they got to Texas. Items in the exhibit include three-year-old Edward Boylan’s buckskin suit; Pleasant B. Watson’s diary; Heinrich Riemann’s clog-making tools; and Clara Lang’s grand piano, among others. The Museum’s Pioneer Playroom simulates a Texas frontier homestead, with inside and outside features allowing children to immerse themselves in the role of pioneers through role-playing, interactive experiences and a variety of learning styles such as loading a covered wagon; dressing in period clothing; or building a log cabin.
Texas Independence Day Celebration is made possible by Houston First, ExxonMobil, Travis and Tim Bryan-The Bank & Trust of Bryan/College Station, Bluebonnet Electric Co-op, The Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, The City of Navasota, Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Blinn College, KTEX 106 Sounds Like Texas, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Washington on the Brazos State Park Association.
Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site is located on the Brazos River at the original townsite of Washington, Texas, a major political and commercial center in early Texas. It is located at 23400 Park Road 12, Washington, TX, 77880—approximately halfway between Brenham and Navasota, off of State Hwy. 105. From Hwy. 105, follow either FM 912 or FM 1155 to Park Road 12.
Updates on all WOB festivities, including TIDC, are continually posted at http://wheretexasbecametexas.org. The public can contact office(at)wheretexasbecametexas(dot)org or 936-878-2214 for more information.
NOTE: Media are invited to attend; contact Jeanne Albrecht regarding accommodations.
Media Contact:
Jeanne Albrecht, PR Coordinator
210-392-9047
jca(at)jeannebiz(dot)com
Jeanne Albrecht, Washington on the Brazos State Park Association, http://wheretexasbecametexas.org/, +1 2103929047, [email protected]
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