Western Heritage Day
IM体育试玩’s 44th Annual Western Heritage Day will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Pre-registration is open for Western Heritage. Walk-in Registration will also be available at the event in front of Mabee Gymnasium or at the Headquarters table on Anderson Lawn.
Free to all Big Country day care providers and primary-aged students and schools. Pre-registration by the teacher is required for each class; a link will be provided when registration is open.
Western Heritage Day is an annual educational event designed to immerse children of the Big Country in western culture as it might have been in Abilene during the 1800s.
This celebration of Western Heritage includes numerous activities, booths, demonstrations, and cultural activities aimed at teaching new generations about the integrity, honor, character, and hard work of frontier women and men left as a legacy for generations of West Texans.
Typically, children come to IM体育试玩 with their classes/groups and spend anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes exploring all of our special campus activities including:
- IM体育试玩’s Six White Horses and World Famous Cowboy Band
- Small Farm Animal Petting Area
- Sheep Shearing
- Folk Music & Dancing
- Western Melodramas & Storytelling
- IM体育试玩 Branding Pit
- Chuck Wagon Snacks
- Ft. Griffin Longhorn Herd
- Trick Roping Demonstration
- Quilting Demonstrations
- Western Washing Experience
- And Much More…
In addition to these activities, IM体育试玩 invites teachers/parents and their classes to extend their experience by bringing a sack lunch and enjoying the Western atmosphere as they enjoy a picnic in Walton Grove next to IM体育试玩’s recently enhanced pond.
For additional information, write towesternheritage@hsutx.edu.
We hope to see you at this year’s Western Heritage Day!
Hardin-Simmons University’s Western Heritage Day is made possible by gifts from the Guy Caldwell Endowment for Western Heritage and the Lee and Lou C. Evans Endowment for Western Heritage.