Music festival on Temple’s horizon
Special Events plan would add ice rink to Holly Jolly Christmas celebration in 2025, convert Bloomin’ Temple to beer and wildflower-related event
DAVID STONE | OUR TOWN TEMPLE
A new special events package under consideration by the city of Temple would add a country music festival, expand Christmas activities into a multi-week Holly Jolly festival and make big changes to other celebrations.
The Special Events Strategic Plan is part of a six-year business plan that will be presented to Temple City Council next week, and if approved, it would be implemented in Fiscal 2024, according to Temple City Manager Brynn Myers.
Myers said the plan is to identify events that will serve residents and attract visitors to Temple.
“One of the key elements of the Special Events plan is the creation of a new signature event,” she said. ”It’s being proposed as the Railyard Music Festival.”
According to Erin Smith, Temple’s assistant city manager, the inaugural Railroad Music Festival would be held in October 2024 and feature a top country music headliner such as Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton or the Turnpike Troubadours. The festival likely would feature regional and local bands as well.
“The festival would be held at the Martin Luther King Festival Grounds and would initially be a single-day event that could expand in the future,” Smith said. “In addition to country music, the festival also would feature regional breweries, wineries and food vendors.”
“Temple is in the heart of the Texas Triangle along with metro areas such as Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth and Dallas,” she said. “There are more than 20 million people in that area, and we think we could bring a large crowd to Temple.”
The new Railroad Music Festival would be one of four top-level events produced by the city of Temple. The others would include the Draughon-Miller Airshow, the annual Fourth of July Celebration and the Holly Jolly Christmas Fest.
“The Holly Jolly would eventually become a five- to six-week celebration that includes several events already in place,” Smith said. “New events and attractions would be added each year through Fiscal 2027.
“The annual Temple Christmas Parade, the Holiday Market and Santa at the Depot would all remain, and the existing Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony would continue but move to Santa Fe Plaza in 2024,” Smith added. “A Christmas Movie at the Plaza — and other activities for kids — would also be held next year.”
Big changes would come to the Holly Jolly in 2025 with the addition of an ice rink, live music and community holiday lighting displays.
“I think the ice rink would be located in the grassy area at Santa Fe Plaza, and it could be open for the duration of Holly Jolly,” she said. The rink would host community skating and ice shows, and a youth hockey league could be added in the future.
In 2026, a city-coordinated Holiday Market would be held, as would the inaugural Candlelight Walk. The walk would link Santa Fe Plaza to the MLK Festival Grounds via Market Trail.
“The plan calls for the addition of a snow attraction of some sort in 2027, but as of right now I don’t know exactly what that would look like,” Smith said.
The Draughon-Miller Airshow would return to a two-day event format designed to connect with and honor the area’s large active duty and retired military population, she said.
“The proposed plan also reimagines the city’s Bloomin’ Temple Festival as Petals & Pints, a family event featuring live local music, games, crafts and local breweries and wineries,” said Smith. “The event would focus on Temple’s Wildflower Capital of Texas designation, and it would be held on the last Saturday in March.”
Petals & Pints is one of four “Tier 2” events listed in the proposed Special Events Strategic Plan, along with the Father-Daughter Dance, Hot Summer Sounds, and Haunted Hayride.
The city’s other popular Halloween-themed event — Fright Fest — is one of four planned “Tier 3” events in the proposed plan. The city’s pup play day, Paws on the Plaza, as well as a Farmers Market and Down at the Yard round out Tier 3.
Myers said the new strategic plan will also improve guidelines and update fees associated with outdoor event applications.