Downtown, Big Red Barn to host several events
(Seguin) – Get ready to go nuts during this year’s 2024 Pecan Fest.
The annual event which celebrates all things pecan and local history again provides a jam-packed weekend full of activities.
Kicking things off Friday Night is the annual Juan Seguin Pub Crawl.
Kyle Kramm, Seguin Main Street and CVB director, says the pub crawl is a fun and free way to explore downtown nightlife.
“The Pub Crawl will start at 6:30 on Friday night at 1916 Bar & Bistro. You can check in anytime between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. The Hats Off to Juan Seguin Pub Crawl is a celebration of Juan Seguin’s birthday and so that is kind of how we kick off our Pecan Fest weekend. We’ve got several bars participating in the downtown area and so we call it Hats Off because we want people to come wearing some fun and creative hats. You can make a hat, buy a hat — however.
We will have some prizes for the best hats and at check-in, we will take a look at your hat, take down your information and if you win, we will give you a call and we will get you your prize. We will also have some special prizes for the first 100 people who check in for the pub crawl. If you go to five or more bars, you just drop off the pub crawl passport at your last stop and then, we will have a drawing from those passports and they will also win some prizes,” said Kramm. “You don’t even have to buy drinks or beverages at the participating locations. You just go from spot to spot and the bartenders and staff will have stickers to put on your passports.”
Kramm says the celebration continues Saturday with a host of fun activities such as shopping, live entertainment, historic tours, tasty treats, a pecan crackin’ contest and live entertainment throughout Central Park.
“Saturday morning, we’ve got downtown our Fall Trade Days Festival where we have about 20 to 30 vendors selling pecan items and then we also have the Heritage Museum open with the antique fire truck. The Wilson Pottery Show has relocated from the Sebastopol House to the Heritage Village this year since the Sebastopol House is under construction right now. We are excited to have the pottery show downtown. We also have at the Palace Theatre the Seguin Film & Arts Festival so there will be short films and feature films throughout the day being shown there and even some made by local filmmakers. A new event that is coming this year is the Seguin Family that will be hosting “For Whom the Bell Tolls” at the burial site of Juan Seguin and so everyone is invited to come there and participate with the Seguin family,” said Kramm.
This year’s live downtown music entertainment includes Eric
Sebastian from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and The Clint Taft and The Buckwild Band from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Those who also think they can crack the most pecans in two minutes are also asked to sign up for this year’s contest beginning at noon Saturday. Sign up is now underway at the Seguin Visitor Center located at 200 S. Austin St.
Pecan Fest events will also be in full force from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. over at the Texas Agricultural Education & Heritage Center also known as the Big Red Barn. The Texas Pecan Museum, of course, will also be open.
In fact, a free shuttle service will be provided to get folks back and forth from the Big Red Barn and downtown Seguin.
Activities include square dance demonstrations, fiddlers, an antique tractor pull, a pecan baking contest, children’s activities, market vendors, photos with a human sized squirrel plus various other displays and events throughout the barn.
Other events throughout the weekend include free tours of The Magnolia Hotel and the Saints Alive Cemetery Tours at 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the Riverside Cemetery.
A full list of Pecan Fest events can be found at www.seguingonuts.com.