Corsicana
is a city in North Texas, the county seat of Navarro County. Founded in the mid nineteenth century,
the city has thrived and developed.
Originally home to one of the largest oil wells west of the Mississippi,
Corsicana has seen a variety of industries and history over its century plus
range of life and times. Corsicana city events reflect this rich history and heritage. For those in the North Texas area or visiting the Dallas/Fort
Worth Metroplex, Corsicana can be a wonderful day trip or destination of its
own. Below is a brief highlight of
just a few of the many events hosted in the city and surrounding area
throughout the year.
Perhaps
one of the longest standing traditions in Corsicana is the Derrick Days
event. This city event occurs each
spring and was started in 1976 to commemorate the importance of the oil and gas
industry in Corsicana. And the
event also recognizes how much of the oil boom in Texas and the rest of the
nation started in this once sleepy Texas town. The festival ranges over an entire weekend, featuring a
cooking competition, parade, bike race, fun run, live music, horseshoe
tournament, even an art tour. The
capstone event to the Derrick Days weekend is the Oil Baron’s Ball. Derrick Days has become such the
phenomena that it has its own website and social media pages.
During
the Second World War, Corsicana became home to a training school for airman,
the Corsicana Air Field (CAF).
This institution trained thousands of pilots, playing an integral role
in the war efforts both locally and nationally. Another spring event, normally held in early to mid-May, the
Commemorative Air Force puts on an air show, hosted by the Coyote
Squadron. This event recognizes
and honors the CAF. There are a variety of planes, squadrons, and acts,
including acrobatic air stunts.
For military members, active or veteran, and their families, the
admission fees are waived.
The
summer months hosts a variety of festivals, including the Cotton Harvest
Festival, which kicks off the summer season each Memorial Day weekend. Fourth of July is a huge celebration
with the Freedom Festival. The
Wortham Blues Festival closes out the summer in September. This city of Corsicana event is held in
nearby Wortham and honors the history of blues and jazz in the area as well as
showcasing new talent. The weekend
is a nod to a famous Wortham native, Blind Lemon Jefferson.
For
those looking for a bit more action, other Corsicana city events include the
National Polka festival in next door Ennis. This is the largest Czech festival of its type in
Texas. Both motorcross and hot
rodding have tracks and homes near Corsicana. Each have their own activities, namely in the form of
championship and national events. There
is also a bike race weekend in May, the Corsicana TXBR Stage race, which is
hosted by the chamber of commerce and the convention and visitors bureau. Clearly, for those looking for weekend
activities, whether out of town guests or locals, city of Corsicana events will
keep the calendar full.
