Frontier Day beckons visitors back in time
Highlighted by a mock Wild West gunfight and raffle drawings for a new vehicle, the Alvin Rotary Club’s annual Frontier Days Celebration will be April 28-30 in downtown Alvin.
In its 42nd year, the festival will include a parade, car-and-bike show and live music.
Admission to the festival is free, but there are fees for carnival activities.
“Frontier Day is a family oriented festival that coincides with a yearly raffle. These two things make up our major fundraiser at Alvin Rotary,” club spokesperson Amanda Hoffpauir said. “Through money raised by our Frontier Day Festival and raffle, Alvin Rotary has been able to donate more than $1 million back into the Alvin community.”
Proceeds have gone for charitable activities and scholarships, she said.
The festivities begin with a car-
nival from 5-10 p.m. April 28 in the parking lot adjacent to Stanton’s Shopping Center, 219 N Taylor St. The carnival, which runs through the weekend, will include activities such as bounce houses and mini golf, which each feature individually priced.
The Junior Gordon Band, an Alvin group nominated by The Houston Press for band of the year in 2013, will perform at 9 p.m. April 29 at the Gordon Street Tavern, 114 North Gordon. Parade a big event
The largest festival event, the Frontier Day Parade, starts at 9 a.m. April 30, led by the Alvin High School band and Rotary members. The procession will start at the Alvin High School football stadium parking lot on Stadium Drive and travel along Stadium and College drives and parts of Johnson, Adoue, Sealy and Second streets.
That day, arts-andcraft vendors will be set up along Sealy Street, and local bands will perform throughout the day until the carnival closes at 10 p.m.
Also included in the festival lineup for that day are performances by school and dance groups and staged showdowns at noon and 2 p.m. in which Rotary members assume roles as frontier gunfighters near the city hall, 216 W. Sealy. Check out classic cars
The Antique, Classic & Collectible Car and Bike Show will be April 30 in National Oak Park, 118 S. Magnolia St., with registration at 7 a.m. and trophies awarded by 3 p.m.
Raffle tickets cost $100. Prizes will include a ticket in which the winner can pick a vehicle from Chevrolet and Dodge pickups and a Ford Mustang.
The original Frontier Day consisted of a street dance in downtown Alvin, a parade and herding cattle through the streets, Hoffpauir said. The event draws about 2,000 visitors each year and thousands more observe the parade.
More than 40 Rotarians and their families work to plan, organize, and run the festival with cooperation from other community volunteers and Alvin’s police and fire departments.
The Alvin Chamber of Commerce is an enthusiastic supporter of the event.
“Our town is so fortunate to have civic organizations that run different events for Frontier Days,” Alvin Chamber of Commerce President Johanna McWilliams said.
For more information on the Frontier Days Celebration, visit the Alvin Rotary Club’s website at www.alvinrotary.org.