‘RED, WHITE & RODEO’; WASHINGTON CO. OFFICIALS DISCUSSING PLANS FOR 250TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
Next year, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Washington County is looking to mark the milestone with a special 4th of July event.
County commissioners held a workshop last week to discuss early, big-picture plans for a rodeo, fireworks show and concert, which is currently being called “Red, White & Rodeo”. Talks were led by Expo Director Harrison Williams and Executive Administrative Assistant Carrie Marmol, who shared ideas for the layout and logistics, as well as preliminary cost estimates.
Williams said the Expo rodeo arena would serve as the venue, bringing in a portable stage and seating for the concert.
In case of rain, Williams said the concert could move to the Expo’s existing stage infrastructure.
Discussing the rodeo, Williams said there is a lot of competition for one-day rodeo events on the 4th of July, so the county needs to decide if it would be easier to bring in riders for a two-day event rather than just the one day.
For the fireworks show, Marmol said there are two tentative sites being considered: by Barn #3 and by the rodeo contestant parking area. How large of a fireworks show the county opts for will likely dictate the final site, with the ease of visibility and overall enjoyment of attendees being another factor.
As for the concert, commissioners looked at several artist suggestions, ranging in cost from below $50,000 to up to $200,000. They noted that decisions would need to be made on the target age demographic before choosing an entertainer, but Marmol said the desire is to have a patriotic performance. For context, Williams said the county fair spends roughly $130,000 - $150,000 on its headliner.
The cost to attend the event, or whether there should be a cost, was another point of discussion. Commissioner Candice Bullock said she believes the event should be free, as it is a celebration of the country’s history. County Judge John Durrenberger said he would support a small entry fee, no more than $10.
The county’s intent is to utilize hotel occupancy tax funds for the event, with possible assistance from the City of Brenham.
Williams and Marmol said they will follow up with commissioners on additional artist options and other planning items.