Schulenburg Festival

The 2023 Schulenburg Festival is full of music and events for everyone! This annual event has live music on Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday from noon to 1 am, and then Sunday from noon to 8 pm. Rodeo action Friday and Saturday night. Plus BBQ and chili cook-offs, softball tournament, basketball tournament, arts and crafts booths, parade, tricycle races, kiddie parade, cow chip toss, egg toss, fun run, class reunions, golf tournament. Food and drinks available also.
The Schulenburg Festival Association is a non-profit and has put back over half a million dollars into the local community in the form of improvements, donations to organizations, and scholarships.  
The Schulenburg Festival is also known as the “National Party of Texas” and they try to live up to that name. A hallmark of the Schulenburg Festival is live music all weekend, on the stage under the Pavilion.  
Headlining this year are Cory Morrow and Jacob Stelly on Friday night, and William Clark Green on Saturday. “We love having Texas music acts on our stage and this year all three of our headliners are proud Texans. Many of their songs relate to small-town Texas life, but also larger themes that are common to all”, says Director Nicole Michalke. Cory Morrow is making his second appearance at the Festival, a long way from his show in 2001, where he followed Gary P. Nunn. Since then, he has sold hundreds of thousands of albums and has been a staple on the Texas music scene. William Clark Green is also a returning performer, with his first Festival show occurring in 2016. Green has been selling out crowds in Texas and beyond, and this year he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Michalke adds, “We are pumped to have both of these solid acts in our lineup this year. Both of them are guaranteed to get the crowd involved for the party atmosphere that we are known for.”  
The Festival is always looking to showcase up and coming talent as well, and Jacob Stelly fits that bill. Although fairly new to the Texas and Red Dirt Music scene, he has already garnered a following. “We are looking forward to Jacob Stelly’s Festival debut, and hopefully one day he’ll be back for another show with an even bigger fanbase,” says Michalke.
Thursday night, the Festival has free live music with Southbound 955, an area band that started while its main members were still in high school. Friday’s opening act is The Barditch Hippies, a duo from the Luling area who are actually both veteran “Emotions Band” performers and have been performing around the Coastal Plains area since 2015.  
Saturday has live music from 12:30 pm till 1 am. The Texas Sundown Band starts things off, followed by Tracy and Resendis. The ever-popular, high-energy Texas Unlimited Band (TUB) will get the crowd warmed up for William Clark Green, and will then follow Green’s show with even more crowd-pleasing songs.
Sunday afternoon starts with The Dujka Brothers, and then Texas Unlimited will close out the weekend.
Two Nights of Rodeo Action
The Festival includes 2 nights of rodeo action, and Festival Rodeo Director Ronnie Wick invites everyone to attend. “The big-city rodeos are fine, but you are so far away from the action. You might even have to look at screens to really see what’s going on. At our rodeo, you can get up close and personal and really feel the excitement.” In addition, world-famous Hall of Fame rodeo clown Leon Coffee will be there to entertain the crowds and protect the participants. Mutton bustin’ will take place both nights, so the young kids can get in on the cowboy action too. The rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and includes the following events: bareback riding, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, breakaway, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, and tie down.  
Cooks can test their skills in the chili, BBQ, beans, and bloody Mary contests. The Festival includes both CASI and IBCA-sanctioned chili and BBQ competitions, for cooks wishing to earn points in those areas, and also local contests open to everyone. 
Sunday’s parade through downtown Schulenburg to Wolters Park is a “can’t-miss” event. The parade usually has 60-70 entries, including beautiful floats from area towns, comical entries, class reunion floats, patriotic and musical entries, fire trucks, and the ever-popular Shriners attractions.  
For those who like to pursue other competitive activities, the Festival includes softball, golf, and 3-on-3 basketball tournaments. The Navidad Valley Cattlewomen Fun Run takes place Saturday morning, and the Young Farmers annual Egg Toss and Cow Chip Throwing contests are unique endeavors. New this year is a 3-point shooting contest as part of the basketball tournament, and the first-ever cornhole tournament. 
Dozens of arts and crafts vendors will be set up near the Pavilion for shopping as well. Attendees will have several food and beverage options. Some of the booths are operated by local non-profits. 

Others Details

Artists: Cory Morrow, William Clark Green, Jacob Stelly, Texas Unlimited Band