TrulySignificant.com presents Laurie Mosley talks about the upcoming GO TEXAN Crossroads Festival, the single largest, one day event in the great state of Texas occuring October 25th.
This is a fabulous event is "Waxahachie's love letter to Texas," according to Laurie.
It's a musical festival with 10 different stages featuring Texas, Czech, Irish and Tejano music and much more. All the sounds of Texas are captured at the festival wrapping up with Randall King, popular country western singer and songwriter.
It's a food fest as well featuring all the beautiful foods of our state. You can't miss Mom's fried pies and everything else fried.
And all bars and restaurants will be open with LIVE music. Six restaurants are featuring fresh, wild caught seafood from our great state.
THIS EVENT IS FREE. You can't beat this one day, truly significant fabulous event in Waxahachie, sponsored by GO TEXAN.
Make sure and visit the historic Texas Theatre.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.
This is a fabulous event is "Waxahachie's love letter to Texas," according to Laurie.
It's a musical festival with 10 different stages featuring Texas, Czech, Irish and Tejano music and much more. All the sounds of Texas are captured at the festival wrapping up with Randall King, popular country western singer and songwriter.
It's a food fest as well featuring all the beautiful foods of our state. You can't miss Mom's fried pies and everything else fried.
And all bars and restaurants will be open with LIVE music. Six restaurants are featuring fresh, wild caught seafood from our great state.
THIS EVENT IS FREE. You can't beat this one day, truly significant fabulous event in Waxahachie, sponsored by GO TEXAN.
Make sure and visit the historic Texas Theatre.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, welcome back to Truly Significant dot com. I'm Rick Tokeeny.
Today we're talking with Louri Moseley Waxahatchie, Texas, director of
the Convention Bureau. And if you've never been to Waxahatchie, folks,
you're missing something great. It's often called the gingerbread City,
(00:33):
and it sits literally at the crossroads of Texas culture
where North meets South, if that's possible, small town charm
meets statewide pride. Laurie, it is great to have you
on today's show.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I'm with you, Rick, I've known you through a mutual friend.
I've known of you through a mutual friend, so anyway,
so it's great to be on.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Thanks for the invite.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Is that Bob Phillips It is, Yeah. He is one
of the great people in our lives. And how how
have you known Bob?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That takes us back in my world over twenty five
years now, because he's the one that brought to us
a wonderful event in walks Hatchie that we're going to
talk about today.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
But I don't want to jump ahead.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So well, that is cool, and let's just jump right
in and tell people about this. Go Texan initiative called Crossroads.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yes, sir, as I mentioned over twenty five years ago,
our mutual friend mister Bob Phillips brought a concept, the
Fall Festival concept to Waxahachi, and affectionately we called it
the Bob Phillips Festival for the bulk of those years,
and then last year we decided we would put Waxahachi's
name on it, we'd brand it as a Waxahachi event,
(01:58):
and the Crossroads of Texas Country Festival was born. And
as you have mentioned, Walksatchee's known for many things, Gingerbread City,
crepe Myrtle Capital, but also being the crossroads of Texas
right there where two eighty seven and I thirty five
come together. And so anyway, and then we've worked with
our friends at the Department of Agriculture the last five
(02:20):
years and they said, hey, we want to join with
you in a big way. We want our name, we
want our seal of approval on it, and so we
just decided we'd dropped their name in the middle of
it too. So the Crossroads of Texas Go Texan Country
Festival is what we're all geared up about happening on
October twenty fifth, and we're super excited.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Is this the twenty fifth you said, yeah, in.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
The year two thousand.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Fall of two thousand is whenever Bob Phillips brought to
us a fall festival concept that we celebrated, and so yeah,
so that's twenty five years. It's actually over twenty five years,
if you want to count that year of twenty two.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Beautiful, congratulations on it. The first time I heard your voice,
I said, she is dripping with hostigality. I want to
know who in your lifetime taught you to be such
a hospitable, fun enthusiastic person.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
That actually takes me back to my high school days
whenever I was working at a place called Old Fort Dallas.
I grew up in Faris, Texas, And anyway, it was
a dude ranch, like an eighteen eighties recreated dude ranch,
and they did corporate parties and picnics and anyway, they
(03:39):
put me at the front gate and they called me
Smiling Laurie McPike because that's my maiden name. And then
from there I would greet everybody, and then I would
go to serve barbecue or baked beans or potato salad,
and then from there I would go serve snow cones
or ice cream in the ice cream parlor, and then
from there I might have led the children's games, and
then from there we picked up trash. So basically I
(04:02):
did in high school exactly what I do today. And
it was always just about the experience. If you can
make people feel good from the time that they saw
your late eyes on you and they entered that gate,
then you set the tone for the rest of their day.
And again, that's what customer service is about. And it's
still with me all these years later, a lot of
(04:22):
years later, in.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
That great you'd be surprised, Laurie, how many people you
influence with your bubbly spirit. And a lot of individuals
I know today in the healthy industry don't even know
what hospitality is all about. And I want you to
talk a little bit about for somebody who's brand new
coming to Crossroads this year, what can they expect to
(04:46):
hear and see that will just drip hospitality.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
You know, what I was thinking of is that this
event is like Waksahatchie's love letter to Texas.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
You know, it's it.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Really is, It really is because we have the best
of Texas that you're going to see at all your
state fairs, all your county festivals, anywhere you go, and
it's all condensed right there in our downtown footprint. And
it's multiple blocks. It's not just the Courthouse Square. It
goes multiple blocks. And so it's like, oh, is this
a music festival. Yes, it is a music festival.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
We've got over.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Ten plus stages of music. We have the main stage,
which we cover all of your favorite Texas music. You know,
We're going to start off with the Prairie Dogs from Mamarillo.
They have taken the stage at this event every year
since its inception, and Waksahatchie in two thousand and that
is like your background music. It is what's going to
(05:43):
kick off that fall festival fil for you.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
And then from.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
There we make our way to celebrate in the Czech
culture of Texas because after all, just south of US
we have the town of West and then just east
of US we have our friends over in in US,
so we're surrounded by check culture and we like to celebrate.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
That on that day.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And then from there we don't want to forget the Irish.
We have Skyland. The band for the check band is
the Morabians and anyway, they whenever they take the stage
with those accordions and those big horns, you're gonna know
you've just been transplanted to someplace else in Texas. And
so then after that we then invite our friends Skyland
(06:22):
to take the stage, and a lot of people know them.
They've played, you know, the Irish festivals in Texas all around,
and so it's kind of a Celtic infused kind of
moment for two hours of our life that just makes
you feel good when you hear it. And then we
take and celebrate our Tejano routes with Tristan Romos, who
(06:43):
is from the Odessa Midland area, and so anyway, so
all of the all of the all the sounds that
you hear when you travel Texas, all these different festivals
we have on the main stage. And then of course
we cap it off with Randall King, who is a
Texas artist and anyway originated there in Herford, and so
(07:06):
we're excited about the big honky talk energy because we
also know hockey talks are a part of our Texas roots.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
And so we'll celebrate the end with him.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
But we also have an amphitheater that's outdoors that's at
the festival, and that is our grown Local stage, the
Go Texan Grown Local Stage, and that's where we allow
musicians that is from Ellis County to perform, so that
way they have their own space to.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Showcase what they do best.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And then if that's not enough, Rick, we have all
of our bars and restaurants in the downtown footprint. They
also offer live music throughout the day.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
But wait, there's more.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
We have our beautiful historic Texas Theater that had been
newly renovated a few years ago, and we turn that
into the Amplify eight one seven Music Lounge. So we
work with our friends over at Terrn County. They have
a few artists they want to spotlight and we allow
that to happen there at the Texas Theater, of course
(08:07):
with the help of our friends at CBS Texas. So anyway,
so we've got all of the sounds covered. And I meant,
like I said, if we wanted to say, is it
a music festival, I definitely think it's a music festival.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Is it a food festival? Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
We have everything that you want that is fried or
on a stick or dipped in sugar.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Or drown it in butter. We have it here at
this festival. I meant multiple.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Corn dogs, fried oreos, Snickers, and then all of the
favorites like Mom's fried pies. I mean, there's some people
that they can't do this festival unless they have a
Mom's fried pie. And so you got to come and
just have your Mom's friad pie. I could talk about it,
but you got to come experience it for yourself. And
then also on the food side of things. You know,
(08:55):
our friends at the Department of Agriculture, the Fresh Caught
Seafood Initiative, like the Gulf Texas Seafood Initiative.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Is big with them.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
So we've got six restaurants that are featuring wild caught
Texas shrimp entrees.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
And with that you get a handy dandy.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Little tote bag and a coloring book if you go
in there while supplies last. That's got our wonderful Agriculture
Commissioner's face on it. So anyway, so we just taken
we try to make it special for everybody on the
music level, the food level, but really this also originates
(09:33):
also as an art festival because we've got all kind
of handcrafted items, really special.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Things that you are not going to see anywhere. We
like to say it's not ducks and bonnets.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
It is really unique items that our juried committee goes
through and picks some great things that people can experience,
along with a numerous amount of go text and products.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
So we've got music made in Texas or played in Texas.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
We've got art in Texas made products, we've got the food.
We just need everybody to come and have a good
time with us. And then also it's again set right
there on that historic Courthouse Square that has been the
backdrop for like over thirty motion pictures. So it's almost
like you get to be the star of your own.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Movie in downtown Waksahachie. And it's a big festival scene
if you would.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
So I think the entire city of Waco and Austin
and Temple and Taylor should just empty out and drive
to Wauksahatchie. So you'll have one hundred and fifty thousand
people that day.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Oh wow, Well we're ready for them.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
We are ready for them.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
And I don't know, can we talk about you taking
the stage you be in on the main stage.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Can we talk about that?
Speaker 1 (10:44):
We can talk about we're going to honor the Bob
Phillips that you and I mentioned up front as with
a Lifetime Achievement of Ward for Truly Significant Texan and
that Commissioner Sid Miller you mentioned. So we're going to
get to honor both of them, and it sets us
up for honoring twenty truly significant people next year and
(11:09):
two Lifetime Achievement Award winners. And so we got to
find some some people like the Charles Butts of the
world that own HB and others that you and I
think and commission Miller believes are really deserve to be honored.
And I got to tell you what you do and
(11:32):
how you spend your energy is truly significant because in
the end, all that means is you're serving other people.
So that's all that's our drum beat. How can we
help others? How can we be more neighborly and be
more kind?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Absolutely, Rick, that's what it's about.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
At the end of the day, it truly is. Okay,
I'm going to take you through a lightning round on
what whats hat you wonders? Wow?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Ookay, we're gonna come up with on this.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
We're gonna wrap We're gonna wrap up today's fun session
with Lori Moseley with some rapid fire questions and they stend.
Did I write down the answers? I hope, so, Laurie.
What year was Waxahatchie founded with eighteen fifty Boom shaka laca.
That's exactly right. That was that both birthday and it's
(12:26):
so great. Okay, next question. Waxahatchie was once known as
the blank capital of the world. What crop put it
on the map?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
The Queen City of Cotton Rick.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
That is correct, the Cotton Capital of the world, people
the world. Number three. The Ellis County Courthouse is one
of the most photographed buildings in Texas.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
True or false? True?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Number one photograph courthouse in the state of Texas, one
of the top ten photograph structures, only behind the Alamo
State Capitol and buildings of that sort.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Very good. What is the architectural top of the courthouses?
It Victorian Gothic or Spanish Colonial.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Richardson Romanesque.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
That is not one of the answers I've got here.
It says Victorian Gothic Revival. I actually like what you said. Okay.
Name one Hollywood film film right in Waksahatchie.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
What can I do? I have to just name one.
Can I name three? If you were all Academy.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yeah, mentioned all three? You would not be the director
unless you mentioned all three or four.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Well, one of the ones that we're known in love
for is Tender Mercies that featured mister Robert Duval. He
learned how to play the guitar actually on the courthouse
salon for that movie. And then a Trip to Bountiful
that was also an Academy Award winner, but one of
our favorites. And that's really actually where our tagline comes
from is Places in the Heart, that wonderful, that wonderful
(14:11):
Academy Award winning film with Sally Fields. That right there,
a place in your heart, Texas. That's our that's our catchphrase,
and that's our tagline and and that and that's where
it comes from. Not only is it the spirit I
think of the people of Waxahachie, is that will be
a place in your heart whenever you leave here, like
you said talking about that experience and customer service and hospitality,
(14:35):
but it also harkens back to our love for that
film and our film roots.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
So amen to that. Let's go to uh. I think
I've got several more here every spring the city blooms
with which famous flower festival.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Oh, Phillips is one of our one of our newer crops.
But in the summer it is the crape myrtle that
we celebrate because we are the crape myrtle capital of Texas.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
So and then Iris, the irises.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Is also our city flower, but we don't have a
festival for that one, but we do have Tulipalooza that
people can experience in the spring. We have a Dutch
farmer here, cars Taminga. He and some of his friends
have started planting tulips every spring, and so we celebrate tulips.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
But our namesake is the crape.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Myrtle tree or bush, which is the state bush, and
we celebrate that because that's when it blooms. The biggest
and brightest is in the summer and the heat of
the months is the crape myrtle.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
So we have a crape myrtle festival.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Every fourth of July, and that's where you can go
down Main Street Rick and it is like basically like
for sure a Norman Rockwell moment because the crape myrtles
in bloom. We've got all a row of Victorian houses
with their crape myrtles and their flags and their funting,
and all the families are out on the lawn and
(16:03):
they're watching a magical parade go down Main Street on
the July fourth morning. It doesn't get any more American
and Texan than that.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
I'll get goosebunts.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I almost even start crying thinking about how special that
moment is on Main Street during that great myrtal festival.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So that is your emotional and sentimental director of Waksahatchi
right there. Okay, the next question, this is an educational one.
When we were living driving from Sherman South, we would
stop in Waksahatchie and my dad would say, we need
to go see all the gingerbread and we would go cookies. Now,
(16:42):
what did Daddy really mean by gingerbread?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
He meant the beautiful trim and all the architectural detail
that you find on all those Victorian homes that I
was just talking about when you go down Main Street.
So your dad, that's what he was wanting to feel,
was what we get to experience every day here. Over
two hundred buildings here in Wausachie are in that National
(17:07):
Historic Register.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
It's a beautiful thing we have now in my many years,
we actually chase down cities that have Victorian homes and
gingerbread like Charleston, Port towns in Washington, Alvuston, Waksahatchie. It's
a sight to behold, it's a it's a it's a
beautiful genre. Okay, Next, go Texan celebrates Texas pride. Can
(17:33):
you name one local product or business that proudly wears
that label?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Oh, meet Church, Meet Church is the first one that
comes to mind. We have several, but meat Church is
probably one of the biggest. And you've probably heard of him,
mister Matt Pittman. He's the official pitmaster for the Dallas Cowboys.
I don't know if you get into sports on this
podcast ever, but anyway, he calls our downtown square home
(17:59):
for his barbecue supply company, and we are super grateful
for that and he is go textan.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Proud, fantastic. Final question for you is if Paul Harvey,
one of my journalism heroes, we're here today, what do
you think he'd call the people of Waxahatchie. Is that
the rest of the story that's smart? Would he call
(18:32):
you dreamers, doers or both?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
You know what? I think he would call us welcomers,
you know, because as we know, when I first started
working in this community, our population was a little over
nineteen thousand, and that was in two thousand and one,
and now today we're over fifty thousand people in population. However,
the one thing that remains the same is that small
(19:02):
town spirit, that small town hard. So Rick, even if
you and your wife moved to Wauksahachi tomorrow, people would
think you've been here forever because we're going to allow
you to be on those committees, to serve, to do
the same things that we're all been passionate about since
eighteen fifty.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
We're going to welcome you in and let you be
a part of that.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
So I really think that's probably what we would be
is welcomers.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
That's fantastic. I would I would say, Paul would say,
you guys are truly significant because you just you epitomize
what America should be and could be much less a
great Texas town. So congratulations Lorde on all your accomplishments.
I can't wait to see you in person and give
(19:48):
out information one more time on Crossroads. So everybody listening
to this show will know to make it up to Waxahachi.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Absolutely Crossroads of Texas Go Texan Country Festival will take
place in downtown Walks a Hatchie on October twenty fifth,
and it's from nine am to seven pm. And really, Rick,
one of the other important details that I have not
mentioned yet is that music festival, food festival, art festival.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
All world into one.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Admission is free.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Can you give that admission is free.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And so that we definitely want the price of admission
not to be a reason why you don't come and
see us on that day. So we're gonna let you
and all your family and friends in for free.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Fantastic Lourie, Thanksgiin for being on and we will see
you in a couple of weeks and can't wait to
hear see smell, touch be a part of that whole
experience and walks Hatchy.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Oh yeah, I'm gonna make sure you smell some some
corn dogs. Make sure you get a good lemonade, corn dogs, eliminade.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You gotta have that.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
You be well. Thank you for all your hard work
and for your team and for your city and everything
you're accomplishing. See you soon, and folks, we hope that
you enjoyed. You this show, and you please make that
drive over to watch Hate You on the twenty fifth.
It's all day. You're gonna hear some of the greatest
bands ever. Be well and have a great week.
Hey, welcome back to Truly Significant dot com. I'm Rick Tokeeny.
Today we're talking with Louri Moseley Waxahatchie, Texas, director of
the Convention Bureau. And if you've never been to Waxahatchie, folks,
you're missing something great. It's often called the gingerbread City,
(00:33):
and it sits literally at the crossroads of Texas culture
where North meets South, if that's possible, small town charm
meets statewide pride. Laurie, it is great to have you
on today's show.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I'm with you, Rick, I've known you through a mutual friend.
I've known of you through a mutual friend, so anyway,
so it's great to be on.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Thanks for the invite.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Is that Bob Phillips It is, Yeah. He is one
of the great people in our lives. And how how
have you known Bob?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That takes us back in my world over twenty five
years now, because he's the one that brought to us
a wonderful event in walks Hatchie that we're going to
talk about today.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
But I don't want to jump ahead.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So well, that is cool, and let's just jump right
in and tell people about this. Go Texan initiative called Crossroads.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yes, sir, as I mentioned over twenty five years ago,
our mutual friend mister Bob Phillips brought a concept, the
Fall Festival concept to Waxahachi, and affectionately we called it
the Bob Phillips Festival for the bulk of those years,
and then last year we decided we would put Waxahachi's
name on it, we'd brand it as a Waxahachi event,
(01:58):
and the Crossroads of Texas Country Festival was born. And
as you have mentioned, Walksatchee's known for many things, Gingerbread City,
crepe Myrtle Capital, but also being the crossroads of Texas
right there where two eighty seven and I thirty five
come together. And so anyway, and then we've worked with
our friends at the Department of Agriculture the last five
(02:20):
years and they said, hey, we want to join with
you in a big way. We want our name, we
want our seal of approval on it, and so we
just decided we'd dropped their name in the middle of
it too. So the Crossroads of Texas Go Texan Country
Festival is what we're all geared up about happening on
October twenty fifth, and we're super excited.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Is this the twenty fifth you said, yeah, in.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
The year two thousand.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Fall of two thousand is whenever Bob Phillips brought to
us a fall festival concept that we celebrated, and so yeah,
so that's twenty five years. It's actually over twenty five years,
if you want to count that year of twenty two.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Beautiful, congratulations on it. The first time I heard your voice,
I said, she is dripping with hostigality. I want to
know who in your lifetime taught you to be such
a hospitable, fun enthusiastic person.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
That actually takes me back to my high school days
whenever I was working at a place called Old Fort Dallas.
I grew up in Faris, Texas, And anyway, it was
a dude ranch, like an eighteen eighties recreated dude ranch,
and they did corporate parties and picnics and anyway, they
(03:39):
put me at the front gate and they called me
Smiling Laurie McPike because that's my maiden name. And then
from there I would greet everybody, and then I would
go to serve barbecue or baked beans or potato salad,
and then from there I would go serve snow cones
or ice cream in the ice cream parlor, and then
from there I might have led the children's games, and
then from there we picked up trash. So basically I
(04:02):
did in high school exactly what I do today. And
it was always just about the experience. If you can
make people feel good from the time that they saw
your late eyes on you and they entered that gate,
then you set the tone for the rest of their day.
And again, that's what customer service is about. And it's
still with me all these years later, a lot of
(04:22):
years later, in.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
That great you'd be surprised, Laurie, how many people you
influence with your bubbly spirit. And a lot of individuals
I know today in the healthy industry don't even know
what hospitality is all about. And I want you to
talk a little bit about for somebody who's brand new
coming to Crossroads this year, what can they expect to
(04:46):
hear and see that will just drip hospitality.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
You know, what I was thinking of is that this
event is like Waksahatchie's love letter to Texas.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
You know, it's it.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Really is, It really is because we have the best
of Texas that you're going to see at all your
state fairs, all your county festivals, anywhere you go, and
it's all condensed right there in our downtown footprint. And
it's multiple blocks. It's not just the Courthouse Square. It
goes multiple blocks. And so it's like, oh, is this
a music festival. Yes, it is a music festival.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
We've got over.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Ten plus stages of music. We have the main stage,
which we cover all of your favorite Texas music. You know,
We're going to start off with the Prairie Dogs from Mamarillo.
They have taken the stage at this event every year
since its inception, and Waksahatchie in two thousand and that
is like your background music. It is what's going to
(05:43):
kick off that fall festival fil for you.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
And then from.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
There we make our way to celebrate in the Czech
culture of Texas because after all, just south of US
we have the town of West and then just east
of US we have our friends over in in US,
so we're surrounded by check culture and we like to celebrate.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
That on that day.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And then from there we don't want to forget the Irish.
We have Skyland. The band for the check band is
the Morabians and anyway, they whenever they take the stage
with those accordions and those big horns, you're gonna know
you've just been transplanted to someplace else in Texas. And
so then after that we then invite our friends Skyland
(06:22):
to take the stage, and a lot of people know them.
They've played, you know, the Irish festivals in Texas all around,
and so it's kind of a Celtic infused kind of
moment for two hours of our life that just makes
you feel good when you hear it. And then we
take and celebrate our Tejano routes with Tristan Romos, who
(06:43):
is from the Odessa Midland area, and so anyway, so
all of the all of the all the sounds that
you hear when you travel Texas, all these different festivals
we have on the main stage. And then of course
we cap it off with Randall King, who is a
Texas artist and anyway originated there in Herford, and so
(07:06):
we're excited about the big honky talk energy because we
also know hockey talks are a part of our Texas roots.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
And so we'll celebrate the end with him.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
But we also have an amphitheater that's outdoors that's at
the festival, and that is our grown Local stage, the
Go Texan Grown Local Stage, and that's where we allow
musicians that is from Ellis County to perform, so that
way they have their own space to.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
Showcase what they do best.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And then if that's not enough, Rick, we have all
of our bars and restaurants in the downtown footprint. They
also offer live music throughout the day.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
But wait, there's more.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
We have our beautiful historic Texas Theater that had been
newly renovated a few years ago, and we turn that
into the Amplify eight one seven Music Lounge. So we
work with our friends over at Terrn County. They have
a few artists they want to spotlight and we allow
that to happen there at the Texas Theater, of course
(08:07):
with the help of our friends at CBS Texas. So anyway,
so we've got all of the sounds covered. And I meant,
like I said, if we wanted to say, is it
a music festival, I definitely think it's a music festival.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Is it a food festival? Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
We have everything that you want that is fried or
on a stick or dipped in sugar.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Or drown it in butter. We have it here at
this festival. I meant multiple.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Corn dogs, fried oreos, Snickers, and then all of the
favorites like Mom's fried pies. I mean, there's some people
that they can't do this festival unless they have a
Mom's fried pie. And so you got to come and
just have your Mom's friad pie. I could talk about it,
but you got to come experience it for yourself. And
then also on the food side of things. You know,
(08:55):
our friends at the Department of Agriculture, the Fresh Caught
Seafood Initiative, like the Gulf Texas Seafood Initiative.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Is big with them.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
So we've got six restaurants that are featuring wild caught
Texas shrimp entrees.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
And with that you get a handy dandy.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Little tote bag and a coloring book if you go
in there while supplies last. That's got our wonderful Agriculture
Commissioner's face on it. So anyway, so we just taken
we try to make it special for everybody on the
music level, the food level, but really this also originates
(09:33):
also as an art festival because we've got all kind
of handcrafted items, really special.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Things that you are not going to see anywhere. We
like to say it's not ducks and bonnets.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
It is really unique items that our juried committee goes
through and picks some great things that people can experience,
along with a numerous amount of go text and products.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
So we've got music made in Texas or played in Texas.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
We've got art in Texas made products, we've got the food.
We just need everybody to come and have a good
time with us. And then also it's again set right
there on that historic Courthouse Square that has been the
backdrop for like over thirty motion pictures. So it's almost
like you get to be the star of your own.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Movie in downtown Waksahachie. And it's a big festival scene
if you would.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
So I think the entire city of Waco and Austin
and Temple and Taylor should just empty out and drive
to Wauksahatchie. So you'll have one hundred and fifty thousand
people that day.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Oh wow, Well we're ready for them.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
We are ready for them.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
And I don't know, can we talk about you taking
the stage you be in on the main stage.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Can we talk about that?
Speaker 1 (10:44):
We can talk about we're going to honor the Bob
Phillips that you and I mentioned up front as with
a Lifetime Achievement of Ward for Truly Significant Texan and
that Commissioner Sid Miller you mentioned. So we're going to
get to honor both of them, and it sets us
up for honoring twenty truly significant people next year and
(11:09):
two Lifetime Achievement Award winners. And so we got to
find some some people like the Charles Butts of the
world that own HB and others that you and I
think and commission Miller believes are really deserve to be honored.
And I got to tell you what you do and
(11:32):
how you spend your energy is truly significant because in
the end, all that means is you're serving other people.
So that's all that's our drum beat. How can we
help others? How can we be more neighborly and be
more kind?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Absolutely, Rick, that's what it's about.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
At the end of the day, it truly is. Okay,
I'm going to take you through a lightning round on
what whats hat you wonders? Wow?
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Ookay, we're gonna come up with on this.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
We're gonna wrap We're gonna wrap up today's fun session
with Lori Moseley with some rapid fire questions and they stend.
Did I write down the answers? I hope, so, Laurie.
What year was Waxahatchie founded with eighteen fifty Boom shaka laca.
That's exactly right. That was that both birthday and it's
(12:26):
so great. Okay, next question. Waxahatchie was once known as
the blank capital of the world. What crop put it
on the map?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
The Queen City of Cotton Rick.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
That is correct, the Cotton Capital of the world, people
the world. Number three. The Ellis County Courthouse is one
of the most photographed buildings in Texas.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
True or false? True?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Number one photograph courthouse in the state of Texas, one
of the top ten photograph structures, only behind the Alamo
State Capitol and buildings of that sort.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Very good. What is the architectural top of the courthouses?
It Victorian Gothic or Spanish Colonial.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Richardson Romanesque.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
That is not one of the answers I've got here.
It says Victorian Gothic Revival. I actually like what you said. Okay.
Name one Hollywood film film right in Waksahatchie.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
What can I do? I have to just name one.
Can I name three? If you were all Academy.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yeah, mentioned all three? You would not be the director
unless you mentioned all three or four.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Well, one of the ones that we're known in love
for is Tender Mercies that featured mister Robert Duval. He
learned how to play the guitar actually on the courthouse
salon for that movie. And then a Trip to Bountiful
that was also an Academy Award winner, but one of
our favorites. And that's really actually where our tagline comes
from is Places in the Heart, that wonderful, that wonderful
(14:11):
Academy Award winning film with Sally Fields. That right there,
a place in your heart, Texas. That's our that's our catchphrase,
and that's our tagline and and that and that's where
it comes from. Not only is it the spirit I
think of the people of Waxahachie, is that will be
a place in your heart whenever you leave here, like
you said talking about that experience and customer service and hospitality,
(14:35):
but it also harkens back to our love for that
film and our film roots.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
So amen to that. Let's go to uh. I think
I've got several more here every spring the city blooms
with which famous flower festival.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Oh, Phillips is one of our one of our newer crops.
But in the summer it is the crape myrtle that
we celebrate because we are the crape myrtle capital of Texas.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
So and then Iris, the irises.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Is also our city flower, but we don't have a
festival for that one, but we do have Tulipalooza that
people can experience in the spring. We have a Dutch
farmer here, cars Taminga. He and some of his friends
have started planting tulips every spring, and so we celebrate tulips.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
But our namesake is the crape.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Myrtle tree or bush, which is the state bush, and
we celebrate that because that's when it blooms. The biggest
and brightest is in the summer and the heat of
the months is the crape myrtle.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
So we have a crape myrtle festival.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Every fourth of July, and that's where you can go
down Main Street Rick and it is like basically like
for sure a Norman Rockwell moment because the crape myrtles
in bloom. We've got all a row of Victorian houses
with their crape myrtles and their flags and their funting,
and all the families are out on the lawn and
(16:03):
they're watching a magical parade go down Main Street on
the July fourth morning. It doesn't get any more American
and Texan than that.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
I'll get goosebunts.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I almost even start crying thinking about how special that
moment is on Main Street during that great myrtal festival.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So that is your emotional and sentimental director of Waksahatchi
right there. Okay, the next question, this is an educational one.
When we were living driving from Sherman South, we would
stop in Waksahatchie and my dad would say, we need
to go see all the gingerbread and we would go cookies. Now,
(16:42):
what did Daddy really mean by gingerbread?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
He meant the beautiful trim and all the architectural detail
that you find on all those Victorian homes that I
was just talking about when you go down Main Street.
So your dad, that's what he was wanting to feel,
was what we get to experience every day here. Over
two hundred buildings here in Wausachie are in that National
(17:07):
Historic Register.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
It's a beautiful thing we have now in my many years,
we actually chase down cities that have Victorian homes and
gingerbread like Charleston, Port towns in Washington, Alvuston, Waksahatchie. It's
a sight to behold, it's a it's a it's a
beautiful genre. Okay, Next, go Texan celebrates Texas pride. Can
(17:33):
you name one local product or business that proudly wears
that label?
Speaker 2 (17:39):
Oh, meet Church, Meet Church is the first one that
comes to mind. We have several, but meat Church is
probably one of the biggest. And you've probably heard of him,
mister Matt Pittman. He's the official pitmaster for the Dallas Cowboys.
I don't know if you get into sports on this
podcast ever, but anyway, he calls our downtown square home
(17:59):
for his barbecue supply company, and we are super grateful
for that and he is go textan.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
Proud, fantastic. Final question for you is if Paul Harvey,
one of my journalism heroes, we're here today, what do
you think he'd call the people of Waxahatchie. Is that
the rest of the story that's smart? Would he call
(18:32):
you dreamers, doers or both?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
You know what? I think he would call us welcomers,
you know, because as we know, when I first started
working in this community, our population was a little over
nineteen thousand, and that was in two thousand and one,
and now today we're over fifty thousand people in population. However,
the one thing that remains the same is that small
(19:02):
town spirit, that small town hard. So Rick, even if
you and your wife moved to Wauksahachi tomorrow, people would
think you've been here forever because we're going to allow
you to be on those committees, to serve, to do
the same things that we're all been passionate about since
eighteen fifty.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
We're going to welcome you in and let you be
a part of that.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
So I really think that's probably what we would be
is welcomers.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
That's fantastic. I would I would say, Paul would say,
you guys are truly significant because you just you epitomize
what America should be and could be much less a
great Texas town. So congratulations Lorde on all your accomplishments.
I can't wait to see you in person and give
(19:48):
out information one more time on Crossroads. So everybody listening
to this show will know to make it up to Waxahachi.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Absolutely Crossroads of Texas Go Texan Country Festival will take
place in downtown Walks a Hatchie on October twenty fifth,
and it's from nine am to seven pm. And really, Rick,
one of the other important details that I have not
mentioned yet is that music festival, food festival, art festival.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
All world into one.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Admission is free.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Can you give that admission is free.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
And so that we definitely want the price of admission
not to be a reason why you don't come and
see us on that day. So we're gonna let you
and all your family and friends in for free.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Fantastic Lourie, Thanksgiin for being on and we will see
you in a couple of weeks and can't wait to
hear see smell, touch be a part of that whole
experience and walks Hatchy.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Oh yeah, I'm gonna make sure you smell some some
corn dogs. Make sure you get a good lemonade, corn dogs, eliminade.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
You gotta have that.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
You be well. Thank you for all your hard work
and for your team and for your city and everything
you're accomplishing. See you soon, and folks, we hope that
you enjoyed. You this show, and you please make that
drive over to watch Hate You on the twenty fifth.
It's all day. You're gonna hear some of the greatest
bands ever. Be well and have a great week.
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