The festival is being held in honor of our founder, David Murdoch. This fundraiser will help us preserve our history by improving the museum with a new entrance sign and an educational wing.”

— Carrie Murdoch

CLEBURNE, TEXAS, TX, UNITED STATES, August 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum will welcome visitors from across Texas for the inaugural Sand & Saddles Music Fest & Trail Ride, a four-day celebration of Texas music, Western heritage, and family entertainment taking place September 17–20 near Cleburne.

Set on more than 10 acres of authentic Chisholm Trail history, the festival will feature live Texas country music, trail rides, living history demonstrations, camping, food, vendors, and activities for all ages. Proceeds will help preserve and expand the historic museum.

Located on the site of the original 1854 settlement of Wardville, the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum allows visitors to experience an authentic 1800s Texas town featuring the oldest log courthouse in Texas, a stagecoach station, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, sheriff’s office and jail, Native American exhibits, cattle-drive displays, historic artifacts, and guided tours.

The festival’s entertainment lineup includes Brandon Rhyder, Tyce Delk, Noah Bowman, Austin English, Ethan Martin, Peyton Howie, Hudson Skaggs, Kyler Dawson, Union Revival, Greg Haws, Rachael Holt, Jackson Pape, Jay Arguminez, Brent Hayworth, Tyler Buckner, Raffey & The Revolution, Steve Schick, Hayden Dean Leifeste and John Clayton Read. Rhyder will headline Friday night, while Delk will headline Saturday evening.

Festival activities begin Thursday with chuck wagon cooking, campfire stories, and acoustic music. Friday’s gates open at 9 a.m., with museum attractions available throughout the day and live music beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday features a traditional chuck wagon breakfast from 7–8:30 a.m., a trail ride from 9 a.m. till noon, and live music from 1–10 p.m. Sunday includes a chuck wagon breakfast, Cowboy Church at 9 a.m., and live music from noon–4 p.m.

More than 75 vendors will offer Western apparel, leather goods, handcrafted items, jewelry, custom metalwork, Native American fry bread tacos, and other merchandise. Guests can also enjoy museum tours, artist meet-and-greets, food vendors, face painting, a petting zoo, trail rides, water activities, sand volleyball, cornhole, horseshoes, and more. Terry’s Texas Rangers will fire authentic cannons at the top of every hour throughout the festival.

“The festival is being held in honor of our founder, David Murdoch,” said Museum CEO Carrie Murdoch. “This fundraiser will help us preserve our history by improving the museum with a new entrance sign and an educational wing.”

September is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the festival is partnering with Dusty’s Lines of Love Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides fishing experiences for children battling cancer and their families. Festival attendees will have the opportunity to make financial donations and donate fishing poles and tackle boxes.

“Guests will actually get to walk on the historic Chisholm Trail and experience an authentic 1800s town,” Murdoch said. “Everyone involved shares a passion for preserving our history. That’s why these musicians and poets tell the stories through their music.”

Festival proceeds will support museum restoration, educational programming, monthly concerts, special speakers, and future history-based events for families and homeschool groups. Organizers hope to raise $175,000–$200,000 for repairs, restoration, and future improvements.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites is the festival’s host hotel, with shuttle parking available through Hill College. Pets are welcome on a leash.

Primitive camping is free. Admission is $30 per day or $50 for a weekend pass, with children 12 and under admitted for $10.

For more information, visit sandandsaddlestx.com.

About the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum

The Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum is a living history museum located near Cleburne in Johnson County, Texas. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Chisholm Trail and the Texas frontier, the museum features authentic historic buildings, museums, artifacts, demonstrations, and educational programs that bring the Old West to life for visitors of all ages.

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