CROSBY 200 CELEBRATION
Thousands expected for Bicentennial Events on Saturday, September 23
By David Taylor Managing Editor
The final meeting of the Crosby Bicentennial Committee ended last Thursday with a group photo and committee members taking loads of signs to post throughout the community. Permits have been approved and signage will be appearing throughout the community if not already.
“It’s been a marathon,” said Donna Davenport of the Crosby Historical Society who is partnering with the Crosby-Huffman Chamber of Commerce to host the event.
The committee was formed and has met for the last 18 months discussing their vision and now the reality of those plans is days away from occurring.
“It’s amazing,” Davenport said. “We now have more than 90 vendors scattered throughout the fairgrounds,” an exceptional participation for such a small community.
Many of those are from the dozen or more churches participating who will have games and challenges for kids to participate in.
Most everything is free to the community with a few exceptions, including parking which is $5 to park at the rodeo fairgrounds. The money is a fundraiser for the Crosby Young Farmers who will also by handing out two Crosby Bicentennial keepsake buttons per car, first come, first served.
Here’s an abbreviated timeline of the events occurring throughout the day.
8:00 AM Lineup for the parade begins in the East Parking Lot of the CHS football stadium. The parade route begins at Crosby Middle School and proceeds north down FM 2100 to Wahl Street. The procession will make a left at Wahl and head west to FM 2100. They will make a left back onto FM 2100 south and return to Crosby Middle School. The public is invited to line the route on both sides and urged to use caution. Bring your lawn chairs, cameras, and friends for Crosby’s largest-ever parade!
10:00 AM A cannon from The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas will fire from the front of the parade signaling the beginning of what organizers are promising to be the largest in Crosby’s 200 years. Parade organizer Eddie Foster estimated more than 500-plus people would be in the parade, including the Crosby Big Red Machine band, the Cougar Star Dance Team, JROTC, and the CHS cheerleaders.
“The fire department and EMS will have numerous vehicles in the front and back of the parade, Precinct Three Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s folks will have several vehicles, and Pct. Three Constable Sherman Eagleton will have several vehicles as well,” Foster said. Texas All Star Jeeps will have a dozen or more in the parade and a refurbished McCormick Farmall 140 tractor from 1964. Expect floats, motorcycles, muscle cars, and antique show cars scattered throughout the parade, and yes, even Miss Jewel, the donkey from St. Francis Creative Farms Mobile Petting Zoo.
10:15 AM Shortly into the parade, the town of Crosby will receive a U.S. Army military salute with a flyover by the 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, nicknamed the “Ghostriders”, who is headquartered in Conroe, Texas. The battalion flies UH-60 Black Hawks as part of the United States Army Reserve’s 11th Theater Aviation Command.
11:30 AM The parade should end by now and crowds will migrate to the Crosby Fair & Rodeo grounds. Jeremy Reagan takes the stage to begin playing and more than 90 vendors will open their booths to the public. Food trucks will begin serving and remain into the night. Food vendors include Taqueria El Regio, Birdz Bitez, La Cruda BBQ, Chick-Fil-A, The Good Stuff Italian Ice, Simply Sweets and Kettle Corn, and Gelu Italian Ice Baytown. The Car Show begins at the American Legion Hall next door to the fairgrounds.
12:15 PM Carol’s Dance and Gymnastics perform at the Pavilion area.
1:00 PM Crosby-Huffman Chamber of Commerce hosts a ribbon cutting ceremony kicking off the celebration of 200 years with a Bicentennial cake made by the students of Crosby Bistro from CHS. Davenport, who has guided the committee was voted unanimously as the Crosby community representative to cut the ribbon. The Crosby community will also be the recipient of numerous proclamations by state and local governments all read in the Pavilion area.
1:15 PM The Crosby Dance Academy performs in the Pavilion area.
2:00 PM The Car Show Awards begin at the American Legion, 14890 FM 2100, and The 22s take the stage to play in the Pavilion area.
3:00 PM A huge Cornhole Tournament begins at the Crosby American Legion, 14890 FM 2100.
3:30 PM A live auction begins in the Pavilion area with beautiful quilts, prints from the early years of Crosby and many other unique items.
4:15 PM Bob Suttie takes the stage in the Pavilion area.
5:30 PM Cody Kouba starts playing in the Pavilion area.
6:00 PM The Crosby Bicentennial officially closes with the cannon firing once again, this time from behind the American Legion. Food Trucks can stay until 9 p.m. when the last band is finished.
7:00 PM Leroy Thomas and The Zydeco Roadrunners begin playing. The event ends at 9 p.m.
There are several exhibits of note for residents throughout the day. St. Francis Creative Farms Mobile Petting Zoo is available to kids as well as several small carnival rides. Life Flight will land their helicopter on the rodeo grounds and will be available for tours. Several fire, EMS, law enforcement vehicles will also be available for the public to view and explore. The Texas Rangers and DPS will have their mobile museum open to the public. A group of Crosby Fair & Rodeo members have created a salsa just for the bicentennial occasion called “1823,” a nod to the first year of Crosby’s existence. Other unique items will be books, train whistles, and Crosby postcards offered by the Crosby Historical Society. The chamber of commerce will be selling Crosby Cookbooks with tons of recipes including numerous kolaches. The Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motorized Firefighting of America will have two antique fire trucks available for viewing. The Texas Parks and Wildlife will also have a vehicle and boat for kids to check out. The Alamo will have three cannons on site, and kids can meet the Harris County Sheriff’s mascot McGruff. San Felipe de Austin will be handing out copies of the original Humphries land grant.
Next week, the Star- Courier will publish a Bicentennial Souvenir Edition with a short story of the history of Crosby, photos from the early years, a list of vendors and a vendor map, a parade route map, and much more.