Sam Houston remains Texas’s greatest hero, and Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library does a great job of honoring his legacy and achievements throughout the year. This is perhaps most authentically exemplified on “General Sam Houston Day,” which takes place each spring, and was held this year on April 26, 2025.
The event has myriad activities for those who want to learn more about General Sam Houston and his times. This includes demonstrations of blacksmithing, spinning…
…kick-wheel pottery, medicine…
…period music…
…19th century dance, cooking, woodworking, and even wagon rides.
With volunteers, reenactors, and other participants coming in from across the south and southwest, the grounds of the SHMM were bustling.
Indeed, there were amateur and professional historians on hand, volunteers, families…
…horses, and–of course–chickens, all enjoying themselves.
General Sam Houston Day has its origins in the “East Texas Folk Festival,” which was created in 1988 to help fund the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. For close to three decades, the event was known as the “General Sam Houston Folk Festival.” The shift reflects more than a name change; the “General Sam Houston Day” is less a festival and more of an exploration of 19th century life.
Whatever the appellation, the event is a celebration of Texas’s greatest hero, offered generously by the talented staff at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, contributing to a vibrant community.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 