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Buda to celebrate 143rd birthday

BUDA — Hundreds will gather and dance to music at the Buda Amphitheater this weekend, as they enjoy delicious food and create lifelong memories at Buda’s Birthday. The city will host the third annual celebration on April 5-7, in honor of its 143rd birthday.
Buda to celebrate 143rd birthday
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Author: PHOTO BY ASHLEY KONTNIER Rylee Ganther, 2, slides down the fun slide with grandpa “Poppy” Ganther and sister Lyla Ganther, 3, (right) at the 2023 Buda Birthday event.

BUDA — Hundreds will gather and dance to music at the Buda Amphitheater this weekend, as they enjoy delicious food and create lifelong memories at Buda’s Birthday. The city will host the third annual celebration on April 5-7, in honor of its 143rd birthday.

“The event itself is a celebration of Buda’s founding and we use this as an opportunity to celebrate our past and our present and our future,” explained director of Destination Services Lysa Gonzalez. “It is similar to a Founder’s Day, [but] it has more of a music festival vibe to it.”

The celebration originated in 2018 when the Welcome Center, which was then located at Stagecoach House, hosted a birthday party for the city, where they gave out cupcakes, had a pinata and activities for kids. Expecting only a hundred individuals, the employees were shocked when more than double that number arrived at the scene. It was then that they recognized the possibilities that could stem from this “small get-together.”

The first year of Buda’s Birthday celebration was in 2022, which was combined with the grand opening of the Buda City Park in its new form, including the opening of the amphitheater.

This year, the birthday celebration will be held from Friday to Sunday, with the hopes of involving local businesses and encouraging visitors to explore the city. According to Gonzalez, there has always been the additional elements on Friday, where they do the live music kickoff, but this year on Sunday, there will be a “Birthday Blues Brunch,” featuring live music at various venues throughout downtown. Some of which are: Austin Mayse at Brooklyn’s Down South, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Curtis Lee at Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Erica Michele Longoria at Mud Bugs – A Cajun Joint from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; and more.

Friday’s Live Music Kick Off will include: Nether Hour at Nate’s Coffee & Cocktails from 5-7 p.m.; Seth James at Meridian from 8-11 p.m.; Suzanna Choffel at Inspired Minds Art Center from 6:30-8:30 p.m.; and Taking Back Funday at Willie’s Joint Bar & Grill from 8-11 p.m.

“We wanted to incorporate our businesses, as well, because our businesses are what make us unique and they’re a part of our culture and history,” said Gonzalez.

This has been in the plans all along, Gonzales stated, but it took time for the city to prepare to expand to a multi-day event.

The main event on Saturday will feature Greyhounds as an opening act, with Shakey Graves as the headliner. Food and craft vendors, a carnival and a birthday cake structure will be available for photos at the event.

All events are free and guests can bring their own coolers and food, if wanted. There will also now be screens available, so that the concert can be seen throughout the park.

Additionally, the city takes the time to properly honor their Local Legend award at the event.

According to Gonzalez, the idea of a local legend was spawned by Buda City Council member Paul Daugereau, who said that celebrating Buda’s history should include an element recognizing a community member who has had a large impact on the community. Each year, residents can nominate an individual who they feel meets the requirements and then, council members determine who the winner is.

Past recipients are former mayor Jim Hollis and late blues singer W.C. Clark. This year, Donald Muchow, a highly decorated Navy veteran, has claimed the title. Muchow serves as the police department and city of Buda’s chaplain.

“He has been a huge support to our community,” Gonzalez said. “He has done a lot of volunteer work for our community, especially during times of crisis.”

To end the festival, a drone show sponsored by Verge Aero will take place at 9:30 p.m., Saturday night — the first time the city has showcased one, according to Gonzalez.

“We’re super excited about the caliber of musicians that we have out there,” Gonzalez said. “Our idea is always to scale up and make this event a larger event that the entire city is celebrating and not just the festival at the park.”

For more information, visit www.budaamphitheater.com/budasbday.

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