Monday, April 29, 2024
As cooler weather slowly approaches, we say goodbye to the scorching summer heat and hello to the rainy days of fall.
One of the best ways to celebrate the upcoming fall season is the Cresson Fall Festival, which is set for Saturday, Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Historic Cresson School, 9304 Pittsburg St.
The annual Cresson Fall Festival has been held for so many years that no one seems to know the exact date that it first began. However, speculation surrounding the age of the event is around 30 years old.
Although the event serves as a kickoff to fall, the main reason for the Cresson Fall Festival is to raise money for the Historic Cresson School.
According to cressontx.org, the Cresson School was first established in 1885 and began its school programs in a one-room schoolhouse. It was torn down in 1890 to make room for a frame structure that was used until 1918.
A new school opened in Oct. 1931, complete with an auditorium and four large classrooms. The central parapet on the main façade was designed to resemble the curved parapet of the Alamo in San Antonio. Fundraisers held during subsequent years added a kitchen and indoor restroom facilities.
After Cresson consolidated with Granbury schools in 1967, the school building sat abandoned.
Today, the school continues to serve several different functions. The primary purpose of the building is that it houses the museum, which features many historical items and facts from the early days of the school.
The building also houses many community events like parties, reunions, wedding receptions, trainings, and corporate meetings. The cost to rent the building is $100 a day, along with a refundable security deposit of $100. The maximum capacity for the building is 200 people.
Last year, the Cresson Fall Festival raised a total of $7,700.50 for the Historic Cresson School, which is above average compared to proceeds from previous years.
“I would have to say that the average amount that we raise is around $5,000, so we were thrilled,” said Norm Tindell, president of the Cresson Community Organization. “But we're always just pleased with whatever we received, because it's like a gift. That was something that was impressed upon us by one of our auctioneers. He said, ‘No matter what you end up with, look at it as a gift.’ The money is used to pay monthly bills like the electric bill, water bill, and to make repairs and improvements to the facility.”
Ti
ndell said recent repairs and updates to the school have included repairing the plumbing in the restrooms, wrapping an exposed pipe for the winter, and replacing the refrigerator in the kitchen.
"The two biggest repair jobs that we're currently hoping to do — which we currently can't afford yet, but we're hoping we'll be able to do soon — is to patch the roof and replace the wooden floor in the auditorium,” he said. “It’s original.”
The event will kick off on Saturday, Oct. 21, with a performance from DJ Mike Reed from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by country musician Brian Kelly from 11 a.m. to noon.
“Brian has been performing live in places around Johnson County,” Tindell said. “He's very popular with the local folks, so we're really excited to have him performing for us. He sings classic country. Mike Reed will be back for the third year in a row, and he's also been very popular with the fall festival goers. He does a little bit more upbeat country mix.”
A brisket lunch will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature brisket, potato salad, coleslaw, and barbecue sausage. Desserts will include homemade peach cobbler, banana pudding, pecan and pumpkin pies, and cupcakes. Iced tea and water will be available for drinks, while soft drinks will be available for an additional purchase.
A brisket plate with a drink and dessert is $8 each, while a hot dog plate with two sides, a drink, and dessert will be offered for children at a reduced price of $4.
“The Cresson Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is gonna be serving lunch,” Tindell said. “We have a lot of volunteers coming from parts of the community to help us out, like the Cresson Fire Department.”
Tindell said the two activities that raise the most funds for the event every year are the silent and live auctions.
The live auction is set from noon to 2 p.m. and will feature new merchandise from local retailers like a microwave oven, an electric toothbrush system, a turkey fryer, children’s bicycles, and furniture.
T
he silent auction will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with items ranging from quilts to gift certificates and gift baskets.
"It seems like the most popular gift basket in the silent auction every year is the wine basket. We have to keep an eye on it,” Tindell said, chuckling.
The Cresson Fall Festival will also feature raffles, bakery, general store, museum, cake walk, kids’ activities, kids’ costume contest, and more.
“We currently have six people on the board of directors, and they have worked tirelessly to prepare the building for the auction by decorating, moving things around, cleaning, and going out and getting donations,” Tindell said.
He added that he would like to thank the donors for supporting the Historic Cresson School, which is a huge part of Cresson’s history.
“We have donors that give every year,” he said. “Most of those, of course, are retailers and then we have donors that come and go, but we're always finding new donors. We're grateful for those.”
Tindell said he is also thankful for the community of Hood County, who have never wavered in their support — even during the pandemic.
“Even when the economy is not so kind to people in the community, they still support the school, and it's really heartwarming to always have a good turnout,” Tindell added. “During COVID, for instance, I mentioned to the other people that work on the Cresson Fall Festival, ‘This is going to be terrible, because people are going to stay home,’ and they came out in even greater numbers. We had a great year, and it's been that way consistently every year, so I'm always really impressed at how people give, even when the economy is tough.”
Doors to the Cresson Fall Festival will open at 9 a.m. Admission to the event itself is free. All proceeds will benefit the Historic Cresson School, a 501(c)(3) organization.
For more information, follow the Historic Cresson School on Facebook.
ashley@hcnews.com | 817-573-1243
