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The Pound House Farmstead Museum will host its annual Pioneer Day event on Saturday, May 16, offering a full day of hands-on activities, historical demonstrations and live entertainment celebrating early Texas Hill Country life.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pound House Farmstead, 419B Founders Park Road, and will commemorate 171 years of the historic site along with the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Jeanne Polk, president of the Pound House Farmstead Board of Trustees, said the return of the event has been highly anticipated by past attendees.
“I cannot be happier to host the Pioneer Day event once again at the Pound House Farmstead,” Polk said. “Those who have attended in the past have frequently asked me when can I add back a Pound House Pioneer Day to the spring calendar. Come join the PHF Board members, volunteers, and the Dripping Springs community.”
Visitors will be able to explore the historic property, which includes a restored farmhouse, smokehouse, arbor, windmill, rock walls and garden areas. The site offers a living depiction of 19th-century rural life, including the well-known “Heritage Oak,” estimated to be more than 500 years old, and antique roses dating back to 1853.
The event will feature a wide range of activities for all ages. A dedicated children’s area will include crafts and experiences such as candle dipping, corn husk dolls, musical instrument demonstrations, leather stitching, archaeology activities, corn shelling and grinding, and butter churning. Traditional games like dominoes, checkers, chess, stilts, hoop and stick, gunny sack races and corn cob toss will also be available.
Demonstrations throughout the day will include Dutch oven cooking, soap making, blacksmithing, quilting, weaving and spinning, as well as a Texas Parks and Wildlife Buffalo Soldier program and Native American hoop dancing. A one-room schoolhouse exhibit will also be open, along with historic home tours.
Additional attractions include hayrides, live music performances by Alex Dormont, Ryker Pantano and Randall McKinney, food vendors, nonprofit booths and a variety of shopping opportunities.
Fundraising efforts tied to the event will include a vintage rummage sale, silent auction, sweet shop, provisions store, quilt sale and handmade jewelry.
Brenda DeWitt, the museum’s farmstead manager, encouraged residents and visitors to attend.
“Join us in celebrating 171 years of Pound House Farmstead history and America’s 250th year anniversary,” DeWitt said.
Advanced discount tickets are available at phfmuseum.org. For more information, call 512-858-2030.
The Pound House Farmstead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been a Texas State Historical Landmark since 1965. It has operated as a museum since opening to the public in 2003 and continues to serve as a center for historical education and community gatherings.
