Fourth Annual Bison Music Festival Hosts First-Ever Street Dance for Buffalo Herd Restoration Project

Media Contact: Stephanie Salinas, stephanie.salinas@tpwd.texas.gov or (512) 389-8756; icle__media__contact">Media Contact: Stephanie Salinas, stephanie.salinas@tpwd.texas.gov or (512) 389-8756; Donald Beard, donald.beard@tpwd.texas.gov or (806) 455-1492

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QUITAQUE— The public is invited to join in celebrating and supporting the official state bison herd at the fourth annual Texas State Bison Music Festival, Saturday, Oct. 4.

The Caprock Partners Foundation and Caprock Canyons State Park are sponsoring this year’s event, which will be along Main Street in Quitaque.

Home of the last remaining bison of the Great Southern Herd, Caprock Canyons State Park relies on the event to help fund restoration of the Texas State Bison Herd to its historic range at the park. The park is currently restoring more than 11,000 acres of native habitat to benefit the bison herd. The fall fundraiser also allows visitors to experience the cultural and natural history of the Texas Panhandle, which once held millions of Southern Plains Bison before unregulated commercial hunting nearly wiped them out.

“The long-term goal of the project is to restore the park to what it would’ve looked like prior to European settlement,” said Donald Beard, the park’s superintendent. “The Texas State Bison Herd, the last known remnants of the Southern Plains herd, is one of the keystone species in this ecosystem and is vitally important to the restoration of the park.”

Money raised during the festival funds restoration efforts such as fencing, invasive plant eradication, prairie grass restoration and other bison-related projects.

The festival kicks off with the 5K/1 mile Buffalo Stampede run, with registration at 8 a.m. The all-day music event features some of Texas’ best music artists, as well as a variety of arts, crafts and food vendors.

For the first time, the festival will include an old-fashioned street dance on Main Street.

Food vendors open at 10 a.m. along with the craft show, which will include artisans selling everything from jewelry to paintings to furniture made of mesquite. Arts, crafts and food sales will continue throughout the afternoon and close at 6 p.m., with all proceeds going to the restoration project.

Music will begin at 1:30 p.m. and feature seven live bands, including Caleb Allemand, the Randall King Band, Zac Wilkerson, Casey Berry, Matt Caldwell and Mark Powell. Headlining the festival is Texas native Mark Chesnutt, a renowned singer-songwriter who has charted more than 30 singles on U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs.

No seating will be provided at the festival, so visitors are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. Folding chairs may also be purchased at the event, though no tents or canopies are allowed.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at the park or online through TicketRiver for $20. They may also be purchased at the gate on the day of the event for $25. This event will be held rain or shine.

During the festival, visitors will have the opportunity to donate directly to the Texas State Bison Herd Restoration project or purchase merchandise to support prairie restoration efforts. Donations can also be made online by visiting www.caprockpartnersfoundation.com or by calling (806) 455-1441. Event sponsorships are still available by calling (806) 455-1492.