KINGSVILLE, Texas — Ranch Hand Weekend is just eight days away and everyone is invited to Kingsville to celebrate the festivities Nov. 22-24.
From the tree lighting to the legendary breakfast to the festival, concert and ranch rodeo, there is something for just about everyone.
Those who have talent on the dance floor won't want to miss the line dance and two-step contest with some great prizes up for grabs. Ed Salazar with Shiny Shoes Dancing will help you brush up on your skills ahead of the 2 p.m. boot scootin’ showdown. He has lessons scheduled at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Winners will have a great spread of prizes to choose from, including a King Ranch belt buckle, some award-winning Wild Horse Distillery Rum, a leather tote from Two Dove Outdoors, great baskets from D’Vine Designs and Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy, and gift cards from Ol’ Girls Kitchen and the Novel Blend.
There is no entry fee for the Line Dance and Two Step contest, which will take place on the main stage. Lessons are available on the Young Performers Stage and at the Main Stage. There will be live music before and after the lessons and contest, so feel free to dance the day away ahead of Saturday night’s concert at the JK Northway Expo Center.
The festival will also feature inflatables for the kids, pony rides and archery, along with your chance to win a turkey and a chalk art contest. Get your wish list in to the big man himself and take Selfies with Santa at Kleberg Bank.
If you have a car to showcase, be sure to enter it in the Ranch Hand Weekend Roundup Car Show. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. Winners will be announced at 3 p.m.
The festival wraps up at 4 p.m. but, the fun continues at the JK Northway Exposition Center with the Ranch Hand Weekend Country Concert featuring Mark Chesnutt. He will be performing along with Felix Truvere and Lauren Corzine. Concert tickets benefit KISD Education Foundation.
The Ranch Hand Weekend continues through Sunday with the Coastal Bend Cowboy Fellowship cowboy church service at the JK Northway Coliseum, followed by a family ranch rodeo that features dummy roping for youth ages 6-15 and features five events, including: steer tying, calf branding, trailer loading, steer doctoring and a cowboy stampede. There will be an open calf scramble for the kids during intermission.
Ticketed events for the entire weekend are $26 per person.
Other events happening during the Ranch Hand Weekend include Friday night’s tree lighting, which kicks off at 6 p.m. with KRIS 6 News Anchor Katia Uriarte and K-99’s Big Frank. Both will help light up the downtown Christmas tree, along with the beautiful buildings in the Main Street district.
Enjoy hot cocoa, coffee and cookies while the Presbyterian Pan American School Choir fills the air with Christmas carols. Shop owners on Main Street stay open late so that visitors can pick up custom-made leather goods, hunting and fishing gear and one-of-a-kind clothing and jewelry. It’s a great opportunity to find the perfect Christmas gift. Street dancing begins at 8 p.m. with live music by Lauren Corzine.
Speak the universal language of art at this year’s Texas A&M-Kingsville Senior Art Exhibit on display inside the Kleberg Bank lobby.
The opening reception begins at 7 p.m. Friday and includes refreshments and an opportunity to meet the artists. The award-winning Texas rum, Wild Horse Distillery, will also be available for tasting during the art exhibit events. This year, the city of Kingsville will also host an opening art reception at Kleberg Bank, unveiling the Sculpture on Main project; a series of seven sculptures that will remain on display around the Main Street corridor. Pick up your guide inside Kleberg Bank Friday night.
Saturday, start your morning with the cowboys of King Ranch, also known as the Kineños. The 29th annual King Ranch Ranch Hand Breakfast is the only opportunity of the year for guests to drive on the property and spend the morning on the legendary ranch, while enjoying an authentic cowboy breakfast. There will also be roping demonstrations, cowboy poetry and storytelling. Kineños, also known as the Kings Men, have been a key part of ranch operations since the very beginning. Some will be on hand to showcase their life on the ranch.
Get more information at www.RanchHandWeekend.com.
