4-22-2008

8th Annual Frontier Forts Days

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2008                                                 

Contact: Natalie Parish, Director of Marketing

              Stockyards Station

              817/625-9715 nparish@stockyardsstation.com           

EIGHT TEXAS FORTS, NATIVE AMERICAN DANCERS, CANNONS, JEFFERSON DAVIS’ CAMELS CORPS AND MORE VISIT FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS MAY 9-10^TH

8^th Annual Event Provides an Authentic Texas Frontier Life Experience

FORT WORTH, Texas (April 22, 2008) ― The Stockyards National Historic District will once again transform into an authentic representation of Texas frontier life on May 9-10, 2008, for the 8th annual Frontier Forts Days. This free, two-day heritage event features unique forts-era activities, Cowboy Shooting competition, artillery demonstrations and a weapons display among other events. 

“Frontier Forts Days epitomizes the Western heritage by which Fort Worth is so well-known,” said Gary Brinkley, General Manager of Stockyards Station and chairman of the event. “It truly is a great opportunity to look back at what Fort Worth once was, and then marvel at what the city has become.”

The lawn of the Exchange Building on East Exchange Avenue in the Stockyards will be lined with encampments of approximately eight historic fort sites from the Texas Forts Trail and elsewhere in Texas. Designed to highlight frontier-era life, the event brings together authentic wagons, cannons, rifles, flags, music, colorful uniforms and military gear from Texas landmarks, such as Fort Concho, Fort Richardson, Fort Griffin, Fort Parker and Fort McKavett, among others. 

Troop Coordinator Bob Bluthhardt said, “This year’s event is particularly significant as we have added some components of frontier fort life that are new to this event. It is also exciting to have the opportunity to educate the Texas Deaf Convention students on the role Forts had in shaping Texas’ great history.”

New components to 8^th Annual Frontier Forts Days:

• Jefferson Davis’ Camel Corps. – Great-Great Grandson, Bertram Hayes-Davis, will portray Davis as the U.S. Secretary of War and review the Texas troops, with him will be the U.S. Camel Corps which Davis brought to Texas in the 1850s
• Stagecoach exhibit and rides – 2008 marks the 100^th anniversary of the John Butterfield stagecoach legacy

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ADD ONE – FRONTIER FORTS 

• Civil War Medical Historian – three informative displays of frontier medical practices and techniques
• Legends of Texas Gunfight Competition – eight gunfight groups from across the state will perform on Saturday
• Texas Deaf Commission – deaf students from the all over the state of Texas will take part in Frontier Forts Days as part of their annual conference

Infantry, artillery and cavalry demonstrations and military parades will fill the event schedule on Friday and Saturday. Re-enactors will also be on hand to discuss frontier life. Fort Worth’s own Texas Civil War Museum will also have an outstanding exhibit to enjoy. On Friday, 3,000 children from the Fort Worth ISD will be in attendance and will have a first-hand history lesson courtesy of Imagination Celebration.

Frontier music will be played at various locations throughout the Stockyards on Friday and Saturday by the Cowtown Opry, Celtic Crossroads and also by the Frontier Brigade Band, returning this year to play historical brass band music from the 1800s. The Frontier Brigade Band is comprised of 18 musicians from the Fort Worth/Dallas area playing original and reproduced over-the-shoulder saxhorns used by military brass bands of this era. Continuing the authenticity of the event, a Frontier Forts Ball reminiscent of the celebrations of the 1800s, complete with attendees in formal period dress, will take place on Friday evening.

Event sponsored in part by Chesapeake Energy, Stockyards Station and Stockyards Preservation Foundation. For a detailed event schedule of Frontier Forts Days contact the Stockyards Visitors Center at (817) 625-9715 or visit www.fortworthstockyards.org.

About the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards

The great Fort Worth Stockyards, once home of the largest livestock market in the Southwest, is now the new emergent entertainment district in FW-D metroplex with a twice daily cattle drive, family entertainment, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum, the Historic Livestock Exchange Building, daily historic walking tours, Billy Bob’s Texas, Stockyards Station, Stockyards Championship Rodeo, the Texas Trail of Fame and more.

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