1315 21st Street
Galveston, Texas 77550
info@thebryanmuseum.org
(409) 632-7685
501(c)(3) Non-Profit
Free (Includes Museum admission)
Help us celebrate a decade of bringing history to life with a full day of special programming perfect for the entire family. Explore the rich cultural history of Texas through reenactments, storytelling, live music, and dance performances across three stages. Free entry into the Museum, face painting, and food trucks will add to this special day.
Schedule of Activities
All Day (10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) - Food Trucks
Museum Parking Lot
Enjoy delicious treats from a wide variety of food trucks with Willow Coffee, The Shepherd's Mix, Taztee Treatz, Kona Ice and The Spot Lemonade.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - The Texas Chuck Wagon
The Bryan Museum Front Lawn Entrance
Watch and learn about the history of the chuck wagon with this immersive chuck wagon experience at Community Day. The chuck wagon served as an essential mobile kitchen for cattle drives across the vast and rugged landscapes of the American West. These wagons were a lifeline for cowboys, providing them with the sustenance needed to endure long days on the trail. Typically pulled by oxen or horses, the chuck wagon was equipped with all the necessary cooking tools, including a camp stove, pots, pans, and food supplies, allowing the cook—known as the "cookie"—to prepare hearty meals for the cowboys. Meals often consisted of simple, yet nourishing fare, such as beans, biscuits, bacon, and coffee, keeping the men fueled for the hard labor of herding cattle.
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Native Storyteller, Amy Bluemel
Library
As the great-granddaughter of Eastman Kaney (an original Dawes Commission enrollee), Amy is a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation. She is an award-winning storyteller and educator, artist, and stomp dancer. Amy is the 2023 recipient of the Coleen Salley Storytelling Award for her commitment to the art of storytelling, by The University of Southern Mississippi. She shares Chickasaw and Southeastern tribal customs with audiences of all ages through lively programs at schools, museums, libraries, and festivals across the country. She also performs with the dance troupe Hithla at events and festivals around the nation.
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. - The Essence of Mexico
Gazebo Stage, Outside
Travel south of the border with Mixteco Ballet Folklorico! The group presents dances from the Northern state of Nuevo Leon, which was first brought to Mexico from European countries such as Germany, Austria, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. These dances include The Polka, Shotiz and Huapangos Norteños. Next, the group travels south to Veracruz. In the state of Veracruz, the “Zapateados”, or footwork, are very intricate and reminiscent of the Flamenco dances from Spain. The group dances to the “Zapateado Jarocho”, where the ladies and gentlemen take turns trying to out-dance each other. In closing this region, the group will dance to “La Bamba”, as the dancers will attempt to tie a knot with a long, red sash of ribbon. The group’s final numbers are from the state of Jalisco, where the Mariachi music is believed to have originated. The dynamic sounds of trumpets, violins, and guitars come alive, as the dancers make their grand entrance.
1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. - A Texas Quilt
Conservatory Stage
Apollo brings the rich global history of Texas to life in this musical Texas History program. Folk music from Greece, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Mexico, and others are performed, as participants and Apollo musicians construct a huge quilt with the flags from each of these immigrant communities that settled in the Texas region, alongside historical trivia and thought-provoking discussion.
1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - Soldiers of the Texas Revolution (1835-1836)
Library
Storyteller and reenactor will perform in the garb of a Texas revolutionary soldier. The epic of Texas' struggle for independence from Mexico is brought to life through the motley clothing and equipment of typical Texan settlers and Texan Army volunteers.
2:30 p.m to 3:15 p.m. - Pan-African Passport
Conservatory Stage
Through colorful drumming and dance, Kucheza Ngoma Dance Company chronicles the influence of the African diaspora on dance, starting with traditional West African rhythms and dance and moving on through the Caribbean and into the Americas. This journey culminates with Jamaican pop-culture’s Dancehall, which evolved from traditional West African and West Indian folk dance styles. The interactive nature of this program will bring participants in the audience on stage to drum, dance, and do the limbo!
3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Historic Black Women of Texas
Conservatory Stage
Journey through Texas history through the lens of Black Women who've made history. From Betty Simmons to Bessie Coleman, the audience will learn stories of women from enslavement to emancipation and beyond who defied the odds as trailblazers in education, politics, aviation, and more.
4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. - Cowboy Hats and Horses: What Makes Western Themed Music Sound Western?
Conservatory Stage
Step right into the Wild West with the Houston Brass Quintet! This exciting musical experience will transport your students to the frontier, where gunslingers and sheriffs roamed the dusty streets. With a mix of western and cowboy movie themes our concert promises to capture the essence of the Old West, evoking images of galloping horses and lowing cattle. Join us for an unforgettable musical journey that will take you on a historical adventure through the sounds of a brass quintet! Students will learn how using certain instruments, melody, rhythm and tonality can create a musical picture.