Gatesville Shivaree returns with family fun, vendors and Josh Abbott Band

The Coryell County Courthouse Square was the center of Gatesville’s biggest hometown gathering, with the 52nd annual Shivaree turning downtown into an all-day mix of runners, vendors and family attractions. About 47 vendors, including food trucks, set up around the square while the Color Run 5K got started at 8 a.m. from the Gatesville city pool, with runners choosing between the full 5K and a shorter 1.5-mile route.

For families, the Shivaree leaned hard into hands-on activities that kept children moving through the square. Balloon art, a magic show by David G Wonders, bounce houses, yard games and face painting were part of the daytime lineup, along with a petting zoo near 1854 Mercantile and Gateway Baptist Church. Organizers also scattered covered tables through the festival area so people could rest or eat out of the sun as temperatures climbed.

The evening program shifted the focus from daytime activity to live music. Clayton Landua opened before the Josh Abbott Band took the stage, with the event schedule also calling for the Shivaree Star winner to be named as part of the night’s program. That blend of contests, local recognition and concert entertainment has long been part of what has kept the Shivaree at the center of Gatesville’s civic calendar.

The festival’s staying power goes back to Aug. 3, 1974, when the first Shivaree was held on the courthouse square and sponsored by the Greater Gatesville Chamber of Commerce. It grew out of an older mid-summer fiddler’s festival, and chamber leaders set out to make it a multi-faceted event that would bring in the whole community. More than 50 years later, that same downtown footprint still defined the event, with 2025 listings placing the celebration from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the Coryell County Courthouse Square.

That history matters because the Shivaree is still more than a concert date on a calendar. The 2024 50th-anniversary edition included a concert, car show, carnival rides, a petting zoo, a 5K and 10K color run and a pickleball tournament, showing how the event has grown far beyond its original roots. In Gatesville, the Shivaree remained a clear sign that the courthouse square still draws residents, visitors and downtown foot traffic in a way few other events can match.