Boonville Days, a fun and family-friendly event hosted annually by the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, will look different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will still take place. On Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9am through noon at the Brazos Center, the community will be able to experience Boonville Days in a free, drive-thru format. This year the event is dedicated to all the frontline heroes serving the community during this global pandemic.
“Our drive-thru event will snake through the parking lot,” says Deborah Cowman, executive director of the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. “There will be demonstrations along the way, and people can pick up a free activity pack to take home and do with the family.”
Some of the demonstrations and entertainment include Pat Gavin and the Buckaroo Band, a full-size replica 19th century stagecoach from the Buggy Barn Museum, and reenactors dressed in the traditional clothes of the time period.
“Raffle tickets for a $50 U.S. mint gold Buffalo coin worth about $2,500 will be presold, and participants do not need to be present to win,” says Cowman. “There will also be a few other cash prizes. Tickets may also be purchased that day, and winners will be notified later that afternoon. All proceeds benefit the museum.”
No food will be served at this year’s Boonville Days due to COVID-19 to keep the event as efficient as possible.
“Not serving food allows us to keep the line flowing. People can just pick up their activity pack without having to get out of their cars,” says Cowman.
However, Cowman
says that people can still walk around and explore the nearby Boonville Heritage Park.
“The park is always open. It is an important part of Boonville Days,” Cowman says. “There will be museum staff at the park, and people are welcome to enjoy the day there.”
The Buffalo Stampede Half-Marathon and 5K, which typically occurs as a part of Boonville Days, will be in an online format this year. Participants will be able to track the race on their own time.
Registration information is available online on the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History website and the B/CS Buffalo Stampede Facebook site.
Cowman says an informal poll was taken to move forward with Boonville Days, and people were excited about the idea.
“So much has been canceled and taken away, so we wanted to be sure we could put on a safe, fun, and family-oriented event,” says Cowman. “Normally we would have a crowd of 5,000 or more people, but we are not expecting those kinds of numbers this year.”
To learn more about Boonville Days or to register for the Buffalo Stampede Half-Marathon and 5K, visit www.brazosvalleymuseum.org.
