A celebration: East Texas Yamboree on tap Oct. 18-21

Published 5:15 am Thursday, October 12, 2023

The East Texas Yamboree is set for Oct. 18-21 in Gilmer.

The annual event includes the Queen’s Parade, carnival, agricultural events, street dance, car show, quilt show, music and much more.

The annual event also includes pre-Yamboree activities.

“The first Yamboree event actually happens this Friday with the ‘No Limits Livestock Show.’ It’s an opportunity for special needs kids to come out and participate,” Yamboree President Abigail Stewart said. “We have a big livestock show and auction during the Yamboree and the sale is on Saturday (Oct. 21). So, before the sale, people are bringing their animals out … and the kids can come out and see some of the animals and baby calves.”

The downtown carnival opens Oct. 19.

“They have the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the bandstand at 10:30 and then that’s when the Yamboree officially opens,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the Yamboree includes a full calendar of events, including a school/youth parade Oct. 20 and the Queen’s Parade on Oct. 21.

“We have livestock shows going from Wednesday through Saturday – chickens, goats and rabbits,” she said. “And there are some very cool shop projects … just an assortment of anything you can think of that an ag mechanics class could make on a high school campus.”

The annual Barn dance is set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21.

“It’s kind of the end event for the entire Yamboree,” Stewart said. “There’s live entertainment every day on the Yamboree bandstand.”

This is the Yamboree’s 86th year.

“We are very proud that we’ve been able to hang on in a time when a lot of small county festivals have not,” Stewart said. “We were luckily able to weather COVID and I think that really has so much to do with the participation and the support we get from the local community – and not just Upshur County, pretty much all of East Texas.”

Stewart added, “What makes us work is we have so many wonderful volunteers and community members that step up. We prepare for it all year and we’re very excited about it. We’re gearing up for next week. Our little town gets to be a pretty busy place during those few days.”

Yamboree Schedule

Wednesday, Oct. 18

• 7 a.m. — Broiler Show

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Quilt show

• 10:30 a.m. — Display of Queen’s gowns

• 11 a.m. — Rabbit show

• 6 p.m. — Carnival/Youth Night

• 7:30 p.m. — Queen’s Coronation

Thursday, Oct. 19

• 8:30 a.m. — Market Swine show

• 10 a.m. — Bandstand opens

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Inside exhibits open

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Quilt show

• 10:30 a.m. — Display of Queen’s gowns

• 11:45 a.m. — All Service Club Luncheon

• 12 p.m. — Carnival opens

• 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Outside exhibits open

• 7:30 p.m. — Queen’s Coronation

• 8:30 p.m. — Street Dance at Bandstand

Friday, Oct. 20

• 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Outside exhibits

• 9 a.m. — Bandstand opens

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Inside exhibits open

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Quilt show

• 10:30 a.m. — Display of Queen’s gowns

• 11 a.m. — School/youth parade

• 12 p.m. — Carnival opens; area bands perform on Bandstand

• 1:30 p.m. — Steer Show

• 3 p.m. — Commercial Dairy Show; Jr. Dairy Show

• 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. — Gospel Stage

• 8:30 p.m. — Street Dance at Bandstand

Saturday, Oct. 21

• 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. — Antique/Classic Car Show

• 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Outside exhibits; Bandstand opens

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Inside exhibits

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Quilt show opens

• 10:30 a.m. — Display of Queen’s gowns

• 11 a.m. — Queen’s Parade

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Yamboree Barbecue

• 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. — Gospel Stage; Carnival opens

• 1 p.m. — Fiddler’s contest

• 2 p.m. — Livestock sale

• 7:30 p.m. — Barn Dance

• 8:30 p.m. — Street Dance at Bandstand