Upcoming Breckenridge events include a memorial bike ride, community-wide garage sale, health fair and more
Breckenridge has several annual events on the calendar, while a few events that typically take place each year have been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Note that any of the events listed below could be postponed, rescheduled or canceled due to any changes in the local coronavirus situation.
Sloan Everett Pure Country Pedal Memorial Bike Ride
The fourth annual Sloan Everett Pure Country Pedal Memorial Bike Ride is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, in the Breckenridge City Park. New to the event this year will be the Urban Pioneers, a “hillbilly swing” band from Albany, who will perform during the lunch.
The event will start at 8:30 a.m. with a welcome at the Sloan Everett Memorial, which was dedicated at the first bike ride in 2017, just a few months after he died in a wildfire on a ranch in the Texas panhandle. The memorial is located near the park’s Disc Golf Pavilion, behind the old American Legion Building (611 E. Walker St.).
All riders must be registered for the ride. The registration fee is $25 for all riders age 12 and older, and that includes a t-shirt and lunch. Those younger than 12 can ride for free, lunch included, but still must be registered. Those interested in riding in the event can register online on the Chamber of Commerce’s website, https://breckenridgetexas.com/purecountrypedal. T-shirts will only be guaranteed for those who are registered on or before Thursday, Oct. 1.
For those who would like to support the fundraiser but who do not plan to participate in the bike ride, lunch tickets are available for $10 each. Also, commemorative t-shirts are available to order. Lunch tickets and t-shirts may be ordered through the link listed in the above paragraph.
Last year, the organizers of the bike ride decided to make the event a fundraiser for local volunteer fire departments. That practice continues this year, and net proceeds will go to the Caddo, Hubbard Creek and Wayland volunteer fire departments of Stephens County.
This year’s event will include four routes for riders to choose from, including a new 100k ride:
- Family Ride – 4.83 miles
- Short Ride – 17.46 miles
- Medium Ride – 30.85 miles
- Long Ride – 100k or 60.17 miles
Community-wide Sidewalk and Garage Sale
Breckenridge’s annual Community-wide Sidewalk and Garage Sale, sponsored by the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce, is also scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17.
Local residents and businesses holding garage sales and sidewalk sales can have their names and addresses added to the list and map that the Chamber will distribute. To get a sale on the list, call 254-559-2301.
Stephens County Health Fair
Stephens Memorial Hospital has tentatively scheduled the annual health fair for Saturday, Oct. 24, at First Baptist Church’s Family Life Center, 301 S. Rose Ave.
The event, with the theme of “Let’s Taco Bout Your Health,” is planned from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. More details will be available closer to the event.
Walker Street Trick or Treat
The Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its annual Walker Street Trick or Treat during regular business hours (mostly, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) the day before Halloween, Friday, Oct. 30. Many of the downtown businesses will be closed on Saturday.
Chamber members on and near Walker Street will participate in the event that allows local children in their Halloween costumes to visit Breckenridge businesses and receive treats. The wide range of hours allows younger children and daycares to trick-or-treat early in the day, and then school-age kids can stop by after school.
Participating businesses will have a pumpkin posted in the window of their store as long as they are still handing out candy. The specific time each business will be open and handing out candy will depend on their own business hours. If the pumpkin has been taken down, that means they have run out of candy.
November Events
The Breckenridge Lions Club will host a Scholarship Cornhole Tournament beginning at noon Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Trade Barn in the Breckenridge City Park. There will be cash prizes, and proceeds will benefit local scholarships. The Open Division, double elimination, will cost $50 per team; the Social Division, double elimination, will cost $20 per team; and the Challenge Matches, best two out of three, will cost $10 per team. Teams may be registered at the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce, 100 E. Elm St. The entry deadline is Wednesday, Nov. 4. For more information, call 325-665-9603.
Later in the month, the Chamber has scheduled the annual downtown Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to coincide with the Mingle & Jingle downtown shopping event on Friday, Nov. 20. Mingle and Jingle features a variety of local businesses that stay open late for holiday shoppers.
The Chamber also will host “Small Business Saturday” on Nov. 28, following Thanksgiving Day.
December Events
The annual Christmas Parade through Downtown Breckenridge is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12.
Cancellations
A couple of annual events have been canceled or postponed because of concerns about gatherings during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chamber of Commerce board of directors decided to cancel its annual banquet and auction that had been scheduled for Nov. 14. However, they are trying to plan another event for the spring.
Additionally, the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center has postponed its Casino Night fundraiser. It is now planned for April 2021.
Calendar of Events
To keep up with what’s going on in Breckenridge, be sure to check the Breckenridge Texan’s Calendar of Events regularly. If you have a local event for a non-profit organization or group, send the necessary details to: news@breckenridgetexan.com. We’ll be happy to include it on our Calendar of Events.
Breckenridge Texan’s E-Newsletter
Additionally, the Breckenridge Texan includes upcoming events and activities in our Weekly News Roundup that goes out in email each week. The e-newsletter includes a list of the articles published on the Breckenridge Texan website in the previous week, a list of recent obituaries, upcoming events and more.
Signing up for the Weekly News Update is free and easy. Click here to sign up for the email newsletter.
Cutline, top photo: A crowd of cyclists take off in the 2019 Sloan Everett Pure Country Pedal Memorial Bike Ride. This year’s event is scheduled for Oct. 17. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
