Cattle Country Festival creates sonic temple fit to celebrate Texas

It’s T-minus just one week until the Cattle Country Festival launches Gonzales again into the stratosphere by bringing thousands of people to the cradle of the Texas Revolution to celebrate three days of great music, camping, cuisine and the beauty of the Guadalupe River.

This year’s festival, set for April 10-12, has already been named one of the Top 15 music festivals in the United States by Holler magazine. Add to that a celebration of the 200th anniversary since the city was first founded in 1825, and you have all the makings of an event that will be out of this world.

"In our opinion, there’s no better way to honor the bicentennial of Gonzales, Texas, than with a weekend full of live music, camaraderie and good times on a sprawling 400-acre ranch,” festival founder Marcus Federman said. “Cattle Country is our way of bringing people together to celebrate the legacy of Gonzales and Texas in the most epic way possible."

And what can be more epic than a lineup which includes Parker McCollum, Nickelback, Midland, Tanya Tucker, Clint Black, Wyatt Flores, Chase Rice, Clay Walker, Reckless Kelly, Aaron Watson, Pecos & The Rooftops, Giovannie & The Hired Guns, 49 Winchester, Wade Bowen, Drake White, Shenandoah, Ty Myers, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Tyler Halverson, Black Pistol Fire, Josh Ward, Cameron Sacky Band, Braedon Barnhill, Logan Mize, The Ransom Brothers and late night sets by Ghostland Observatory playing on three stages over three days with no overlap.

The party will actually start a day earlier on April 9 with a sneak peak at the Templin Saloon at 621 Saint Paul St. in downtown Gonzales as the historic bar will soon reopen to the public once more. Cattle Country Fest ticket holders who did not have their bands shipped are welcome to pick them up from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. during the preview, grab a drink and chow down on crawfish from Let’z Geaux Boil and listen to live music from Sean McHargue of The Ransom Brothers.

It’s the last-chance oportunity as well for procrastinators to buy passes to the festival if they haven’t yet, so don’t miss out on what is sure to be the best shindig yet!

Set on an iconic ranch at 1630 County Road 348 known as “The Boot” for its unique shape with three miles of Guadalupe River frontage, Cattle Country Festival creates an experience that is second to none when it comes to creating a landscape that must be seen and felt to be believed.

"Out here on the ranch, with the wide-open skies, rolling pastures, and music playing into the night, you get to experience something truly special,” Federman said “Cattle Country isn’t just another music festival — it’s a full-on celebration of Texas culture, music, and the spirit that makes this place so special.”

Holler thought so as well as the magazine gave high praise to an event that is just in its second year of existence, calling it “another masterful mix of mainstream country, red dirt, Americana, soul and rock for a three-day spread under the Texas sky.”

“While there are so many festivals all across the country to give your money and attention to, there's something charming about this independently ran event deep in the heart of Texas that puts it in the top of our 2025 festival bucket list,” Holler published a Feb. 13 online article.

“Hosted on a 400-acre ranch in Gonzales, Texas, the festival honors everything that makes the Lonestar State what it is, fit with wine samplings, bespoke culinary offerings and craft cocktails, as well as a heavy helping of the state's homegrown crop of talent and beyond.”

All answers pertaining to festival ground hours, prohibited items, info on camping, RVs and more, can be found on the Cattle Country FAQ page at https://cattlecountryfesttx.com/info. If you still need tickets, it’s not too late! You can find more info on tickets, packages, lodging and more at cattlecountryfesttx.com.