The Hot Club of Cowtown will headline the Texas Natural/ Western Swing Festival in San Marcos May 19. COURTESY PHOTO

STAFF REPORT

The 20th annual Texas Natural and Western Swing Festival will celebrate Texas history, Texas traditions and Texas music at the San Marcos Courthouse Square and on the San Marcos River on Saturday, May 19.

The event is free and open to the public, with a limited number of reserved table seating tickets available for the nighttime concert in the park by the San Marcos River.

Concert goers are invited to bring lawn chairs to the River and enjoy the music free of charge. A free shuttle to all events will be available from Strahan Coliseum parking lot.

The Texas Natural Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Courthouse Square in San Marcos with live music, food booths, Texas-made arts and crafts, farmers market, children’s art booth, a trail ride encampment, antique stagecoach, blacksmiths, and authentic chuck wagons with Dutch oven cooking demonstrations and more.

Morning performances feature Tony Harrison and the Hot Texas Band (9:30-10:45 a.m.); and Picker’s Paradise with Erik Hokkanen, Neal Clausnitzer, Herb Remington, Rick McRae, Redd Volkaert, Danny Levin, Dayna Wills, Dick Gimble and more; (11 to 12:15 p.m.)

Afternoon shows feature Al Dressen’s Super Swing Revue (12:30 – 1:45 p.m.); Tribute to the Fiddle, (2-2:15 p.m.) Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition (2:30 – 3:45 p.m.) and Carolyn Martin (4-5 p.m.)

The Western Swing Hall of Fame show begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19 on the banks of the San Marcos River at the San Marcos Plaza Stage. The concert headliners are Hot Club of Cowtown, and Al Dressen’s Super Swing Revue with a special tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, and guests Billy Mata, Carolyn Martin and Dayna Wills.

The 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees are Joe Baker, Dewey & Gloria Miers, Neal Clausnitzer, Wes Starr, Rick Crow, John Reed (Johnny X), C.M. Ensminger, Bobby Dardeman, Claude Davis (deceased), and Tony Pickens.

The public may attend free by bringing lawn chairs or pay $20 a person in advance for limited reserved table seating. Advance purchase of $12 catfish tickets is required for a cooked on site catfish dinner served from 7 to 9 p.m. at San Marcos Plaza. With the catfish dinner, reserved seating tickets are $26 each. Reserved tables for 8 are available for $120 or with catfish dinner for $168.

Tickets are available from the Main Street Office, 202 E. Hopkins. For information and reservations, call 512-393-8430.

The Texas Natural trail ride, sponsored by the GRA-Trails of San Antonio, begins Friday evening at the Freeman Ranch, ending with a Sunday morning ride. For information on the trail ride, contact gratrails.com.