Colleyville actor Larry Wells is co-hosting a Western festival near Cleburne to raise up to $200,000 for a historic museum and a children's cancer charity.
The inaugural Sand & Saddles Music Fest & Trail Ride opened Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum and runs through Sunday, Sept. 20. Southlake Style first reported on Wells' involvement in the event.
Wells has appeared in Taylor Sheridan projects including 1883 and 1923 and is the longtime face and voice of Tractor Supply commercials. He spent 35 years building a gate automation business before his acting career began in his 60s, according to a Hollywood Times interview published in February. He is also producing and starring in the independent film Anderson County.
"I've always been interested in acting and never really dreamed that I would get the chance at this stage of my life," Wells told Hollywood Times in February. "But fate had other plans."
The festival spans more than 10 acres of historic Chisholm Trail land. Brandon Rhyder headlines Friday night. Tyce Delk takes the stage Saturday. More than a dozen Texas artists round out the lineup across the weekend.
Activities include trail rides, chuck wagon cooking, living-history demonstrations, a petting zoo, face painting, artist meet-and-greets and more than 75 vendors. Saturday opens with a chuck wagon breakfast and a morning trail ride. The festival website also lists horseback riding, bank fishing, campfire acoustic sessions and a Cowboy Church on Sunday.
Proceeds benefit restoration and educational programming at the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, operated by the all-volunteer Johnson County Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that runs entirely on donations. The museum sits on the site of Wardville, Johnson County's first county seat, established in 1854. Its 1855 log courthouse, built by pioneer William O'Neal for $49, is described as the oldest surviving log courthouse in Texas.
The festival is also partnering with Dusty's Lines of Love Foundation, a charity established in 2022 in memory of Dusty Lane, the son of the foundation's president, who died of cancer in 2015 at age 16. The foundation provides fishing experiences for children battling cancer and their families. During September, the charity is collecting fishing equipment and donations at the museum; every donation earns a free museum pass.
Thursday, Sept. 17, and Sunday, Sept. 20, are free admission days. Paid days cost $30 per person or $50 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and younger get in for $10.
Primitive camping is free.
Tickets and details are available at SandAndSaddlesTX.com.
Upcoming community events:
- Oct. 5 and Oct. 9: Colleyville police blood drive competition
