The 30th Annual Chisholm Trail Fest is FULL of FUN History!

Caldwell enjoys celebrating her riotous past as WILD and ROWDY cattle town days every first full weekend of May since 1995. The Chamber of Commerce and Caldwell Historical Society are putting together a bang-up weekend, and even ordered up some delightful weather!

FRIDAY - is a fun slide into the weekend with self-guided tours at your own pace. Enjoy the

Historical Walking Tour signs, the Border Queen Museum, and check out the old Caldwell

Messenger Printing Press in the lower level of Messenger Suites. The first edition of the War

Chief Newspaper is hanging on the wall – it is a must-see gem for history buffs!

NEW – the Turtle Trail map will be installed on the far west windows of Edigers Venture Foods this week! This will map the locations of Caldwell’s Public Art Exhibition on full display all year long. The turtles are 4’ x 2’ in size, made of blown fiberglass, and painted locally by artists. The turtle project was paid for by a Kansas Creative Arts Industry Commission grant and in-kind volunteer hours by artists and City crews.

The Turtle Pub Crawl is a 5-8pm stroll along a Caldwell city block with 5 stops! This is a great

fundraiser for the Festival. Register in front of What in Carnation (8 S Main) to begin. This

includes THREE FREE shows! We have live music in Joe Bs and Bluff Creek Distillery PLUS a

comedy show by Scott Shaffer – WOW!! And we’ll throw in a fun koozie keepsake to boot!

SATURDAY - is FULL of music – this was inspired last year to kick off a Byron Berline tribute

Music Festival to celebrate our own local fiddler legend plus add a full lineup of music for all

ages to the outdoor festival! The musicians will play from 12PM to 12AM or thereabouts.

Leonard Rinehart, Jess Bowling, Lora McDonald, Sometimes on Sunday, Levi Walker, and Gus Burns will bring the tuns all afternoon and evening! Bring a lawn chair! Consumption Alley will be a fenced-in common consumption area where you can intermingle in and out of our local establishments.

Be sure to watch the 2PM Turtle Art Award celebration on stage plus the 4PM Annie Oakley

Western Fashion Show! The 5PM Opera House Dinner & Show will bring the laughs with “Blazing Cattle” as their stage show! Fuel up with KOLACHES and a coffee – you’ll need it for a BIG Farm & Art Market, How the West was RUN races, a dance recital on stage at 9am, Roost’s new room unveil at 9am, historical reenactments, an ART SHOW at Creative Vibes, Old Tyme Photos at the Shooting Gallery, a Shooting Range (laser), and watch CRAFTSMEN make guitars and ammo blanks in the old Distillery!

The Main Street CATTLE DRIVE will hoof it into town from the Oklahoma line at 10AM if all goes to plan. The Buffalo Soldiers will be accompanying the drovers to bring in the herd. They will then setup an interactive historical camp at the corner of Chisholm & First Streets!

HISTORY is EVERYWHERE in the Border Queen! The Caldwell Public Library assisted in bringing TWO Humanities Kansas speakers to delight the crowds. Enjoy John Burchill speak on 1880s People, Places and Politics at 10:30 and Kara Heitz at 3pm, about our Post Office 1937 artwork. Grab a 2025 festival t-shirt to pair with your cowboy hat and boots, or pull out the full-on Western attire and DRESS for the FEST! The HIGH NOON gunfight is followed by a Border Queen Bellas saloon show INSIDE the Opera House at 12:15, followed by Wild West characters in the Roost all afternoon!

GAMES - Kid Games are 12:15-2pm, Mutton Bustin at 2pm, and Corn Hole 2pm-5pm near the Food Trucks at Chisholm & First Streets near the music! Pace yourself, stay hydrated, wear a hat, and plan on a FULL weekend of activities to have a little fun with our unique and awesome HISTORY in Caldwell!