City comes together to celebrate Texas Independence Day
(Seguin) — The spirit of Texas pride will be on full display this weekend as the community gathers in downtown Seguin for the 40th annual Toast to Texas celebration, commemorating the 190th anniversary of Texas Independence.
The free event will be held Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Central Park. The Toast to Texas celebration is hosted annually by the Abishai Mercer Dickson Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the city of Seguin.
Texas Independence Day marks the moment on March 2, 1836, when delegates gathered at Washington-on-the-Brazos and formally declared Texas a free and independent republic from Mexico.
The event, which has been traditionally celebrated on March 2, was moved a few days later to this Saturday in hopes of allowing more of the community to join the events.
Those events include historical displays, educational booths, live music, food vendors, and other family-friendly activities.
DRT President Julie Sheldon says this milestone year, once again, celebrates not only the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence but also the local efforts that were established to ensure that this significant day in history is never forgotten.
“Back in 1986 is actually when my mother Nora Naumann, a proud daughter of the Republic of Texas, had seen an article in a magazine about a community – I don’t know where exactly that they were doing this — it was published (the Toast) — and she brought it back to the DRT and said’ we need to do this’ and so that’s kind of how it started here very small and just a 30 minute program that kind of got developed for many years and of course, it was out at the Sebastopol,” said Sheldon.
The featured piece of the celebration will, of course, be the formal program and official toast to Texas – demonstrated with the raising of a bottle of Texas spring water.
At 1:30 p.m., that official ceremony will begin. The program will be emceed by State Representative Alan Schoolcraft and will also feature the posting of colors by the Seguin High School NJROTC, a proclamation from Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen, an appearance by the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse and a reading of William B. Travis’ famous letter from the Alamo.
Live music will also be provided by Dottsy Dwyer, who will sing “Texas, Our Texas.” Clint Taft will provide other music. The traditional community toast, written by Joe Franz, will also be part of the ceremony just before 2 p.m. followed by the playing of Taps by Navarro High School student Alex Soto.
DRT Vice President Kreschendalyn “Shenda” Backus says the group is again excited to bring the event downtown. She says that the decision has allowed for more public participation.
“The goal going forward is to continue to expand the event and to include other areas of the city of Seguin as in the businesses and maybe bring some love back to the Sebastopol (House) – highlight them more if we can but the goal moving forward is to expand on this event,” said Backus.
Sheldon says she encourages new faces to stop by and remember those who fought for independence.
“The whole premise behind that is to come together as a big family and really honor those Texas heroes that came before because it’s part of our mission as a daughter to be able to perpetuate the memory and the spirit of the people who achieved Texas Independence and to encourage historical research and that’s why we are bringing in other entities that deal with a lot of history in the community and the reason of why a lot of that occurs is because of what happened 190 years ago and so we just wish everybody to come out and celebrate with us,” said Sheldon.
Meanwhile, the community is encouraged to fly Texas flags throughout the month of March in recognition of Texas History Month and the legacy of the 59 delegates who signed the declaration nearly two centuries ago. In case of inclement weather, events will be relocated to the Palace Theatre located at 314 S. Austin St.