How one small town in Texas is turning America’s 250th birthday into a weeklong party

Nestled in Texas’ Hill Country is a small town of fewer than 3,000 residents called Wimberley. It’s known for its charm, crystal-clear swimming holes and Fourth of July celebration — a week long this year, in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday.

“Flags flying, all the tractors out there tilling the dirt, people are having a good time,” resident Brady Love told The Independent, describing the town’s rodeo, which started running more than 80 years ago and takes place over the weekend of the Fourth. “It’s nothing but a good time.”

Love has lived in Wimberley for about a decade. He is also a combat veteran, serving in the Army from 1988 to 1992 and again from 2002 to 2007, making him one of many who find a deep sense of belonging in the valley.

“Wimberley is heavier percentage-wise with veterans than most other communities, so we dig deep into the patriotism,” Love says. For him, the history runs even deeper. His family was part of the original 300 settlers and he adds proudly that he had family members die at the Alamo during the 1836 Texas Revolution.

That patriotism is out in full force this weekend. As communities across the United States mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Wimberley is leaning entirely into the revelry of a weeklong celebration. The schedule includes three straight rodeo nights paired with vintage aircraft flyovers, a flagship parade that will shut down the town center, concerts, a classic car show and a massive market sprawling across the Hill Country grounds.

“Everybody around town is really in the spirit,” says Gabrielle Snyder, who works with the local tourism office and has lived in Wimberley for two decades. “It’s just truly small town Americana in its best form.”

The town’s beloved parade is known across the state as “The Best Little Parade in Texas.” Run by the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce, the event has such massive local backing that residents refuse to leave their viewing spots to chance.

As of Wednesday morning, people were already setting up chairs for the Friday event, Snyder said, which features highly decorated floats, classic cars, marching bands and horseback riders.

Driven by the nation’s milestone birthday, enthusiasm is at an all-time high.

“We have more than 100 parade entries this year — the largest parade we’ve ever had,” says Lindsey Deringer, executive director of the Wimberley Valley Chamber of Commerce. “I think we’re going to see even more red, white, and blue, plenty of stars and stripes, and maybe even a birthday cake or two. Our participants are really going all out to make this year’s parade one to remember.”

Leading the entire procession down Ranch Road 12 will be the VFW Post 6441, of which Love is the commander, carrying the American flag, the Texas flag and their post colors.

“I think this year is the first year that we have an old army truck,” Love says. “It’s a two and a half ton truck with a trailer on it, and we’ve set up bench seats in the back. I think we’re going to be carrying about 20 to 30 of our members in there.”

Pulling off a spectacle of this scale requires immense behind-the-scenes work, culminating in a few brief moments of relief for the organizers.

“The first is when the last parade entry leaves the staging area — we all take a deep breath knowing the parade is officially underway,” Deringer says. “But my favorite moment is when the final entry turns the corner at City Hall and we know everything has come together successfully. Then, once the last child has been safely picked up, we can truly relax and celebrate.”

The VFW has been central to Wimberley’s identity since 1946. In its early days, after the local elementary school burned down, the veterans donated the $20,000 they had saved for their own clubhouse to rebuild the school instead, waiting until the late 1950s to finally build their own facility.

Today, that same spirit drives the post’s 20-acre grounds, which host youth baseball games throughout the year and the town’s massive annual rodeo. Over the holiday weekend, the event draws up to 3,500 people a night — with a 15-year waiting list for box seats — but America’s 250th birthday is pushing attendance “above and beyond normal.”

“We put out 175 flags around the arena,” Love says. “We’re having a flyover on Thursday night from a National Guard unit and a 1776 color guard on Saturday night.”

Planning begins as early as December, with committees meeting monthly before the final stretch.

“The entire month of June is go, go, go for all of us,” Love says. “But, the last week, we’ve got everybody up here putting their time in.”

To help manage the influx, especially on Saturday, a day that already brings in huge crowds for the town’s famous “Market Day,” the tourism office is trialing a new pilot shuttle program. It will transport visitors from local lodging to downtown and the markets.

“Everybody has their job,” Love says. “We’ve been doing it for so long, it’s just it clicks into place. It’s extremely exciting. It’s one big party.”

For anyone still on the fence about where to spend America’s historic milestone weekend, Love’s advice is simple and direct: “Just get your butt to the rodeo.”