Shivaree 2026 returns to Gatesville square with Josh Abbott Band

Gatesville’s biggest summer draw will again center on the Coryell County Courthouse Square, where Shivaree 2026 is set for Saturday, June 6, from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The full-day festival will pack the downtown square with vendors, a kid zone, food trucks and an evening concert led by the Josh Abbott Band, with Clayton Landua opening. Tickets are listed at $20, and vendor applications and Miss Shivaree forms are available online. Miss Shivaree is open to girls from infancy through age 18.

The festival’s setting gives it a strong local anchor. The courthouse at the center of downtown Gatesville was built in 1897-98 and is still in use today, making the square more than a backdrop for the event. Shivaree itself dates to Aug. 3, 1974, when it began as an old-fashioned celebration sponsored by the Greater Gatesville Chamber of Commerce. This year’s promotion marks that tradition as continuing since 1974, putting the 2026 celebration into its 52nd calendar cycle.

A mile or two away from the square, the Gatesville Riding Club will put on its own June 6 gathering at its Veterans Memorial Drive location. Gates open around 9 a.m., with lead line starting at 10 a.m. The playday will include poles, barrels, straights and speed events, and riders will pay $15 per race plus a $10 office fee. Riders who compete in enough of the season’s playdays become eligible for awards in age divisions from 6 and under through 45 and up. The club says it has been established for more than 40 years and draws a mix of riders, ranchers, breeders, rodeo competitors and others who want to stay tied to equine life.

The following Saturday, June 13, the Gatesville Exchange Club will stage the 30th annual Fire Ant Tour bicycle race at the Gatesville Civic Center, with a 7:15 a.m. start. Riders can choose from four courses ranging from 11 to 60 miles, and the ride will again include SAG stations, packet pickup, a SWAG bag, a T-shirt and a shower pass at the local fitness center or pool. Last year’s 29th ride drew 213 pre-registered cyclists and 19 on-site registrations, with SAG stations spaced about every 10 to 13 miles, a sign that the event already reaches well beyond Coryell County.

The Exchange Club is also shifting to a new Monday meeting time beginning June 1 at The Gathering on Main, another reminder that the volunteer groups behind these events stay active well past festival day. Between the courthouse square, the riding club grounds and the civic center, Gatesville’s June calendar is built around places that still pull neighbors together in person.