The Bandera County Commissioners Court and the Bandera City Council have both proclaimed June 21, 2025, as Smithsonian Institution Day, coinciding with the launch of the nationally recognized “Museum on Main Street” traveling exhibition, Crossroads: Change in Rural America.
Bandera is one of only seven communities in Texas selected to host the exhibit, which will run through July 26, the National Day of the American Cowboy.
Representatives from the Frontier Times Museum, the Bandera County Historical Commission, and the Bandera County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) presented the proclamation to the Commissioners Court during its June 12 meeting.
A similar proclamation was passed by the Bandera City Council during its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 10.
“This truly is a county- wide effort,” said a representative from the Frontier Times Museum. “We will have exhibits and programs throughout the county, including Lakehills, Medina and the city of Bandera, with the main Smithsonian exhibit located at Bandera Middle School.”
The representative emphasized that the exhibit is free and open to the public for its entire five-week stay.
CVB Executive Director Patricia Moore encouraged residents and visitors to attend, highlighting that many exhibits are participatory in nature.
Commissioner Jack Moseley shared his experience visiting a previous Smithsonian exhibit in Buffalo Gap, Texas, which drew more than 10,000 visitors, underscoring the economic impact such events can bring to rural communities.
The Frontier Times representative agreed, noting that “having the Smithsonian exhibit in the community has a very strong economic impact.”
The court unanimously approved the proclamation, which read in part: “Whereas, the Smithsonian Institution, the esteemed guardian of American history and culture, has partnered with the Texas Historical Commission to bring a traveling exhibit to seven rural Texas counties, of which Bandera County is honored to be one of the host venues... the Smithsonian Institution’s presence in Bandera County on June 21, 2025, represents a celebration of local heritage, community pride, and an ongoing commitment to preserving the stories of those who shaped the American frontier.”
Exhibit Details
The Crossroads: Change in Rural America exhibition explores the evolving identity of rural America and the complex challenges it faces. Developed by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street initiative, the traveling display includes five freestanding exhibit panels and interactive video kiosks that will be housed at Bandera Middle School.
The exhibit draws attention to the decline in rural populations over the last century. In 1900, about 40% of Americans lived in rural areas; by 2010, that number had dropped to less than 18%, even though 90% of U.S. land remains rural.
The exhibit poses the question: Why should revitalizing rural America matter? The answer, according to the Smithsonian, lies in the cultural richness, resilience and innovation that small towns continue to offer.
Local displays in Bandera will supplement the main exhibit and highlight the region’s unique story through photographs, memorabilia, and multimedia presentations. Among the themed exhibits at the middle school are:
• Bandera Electric Cooperative – Rural Electrification
• Stompede Days & The Free State of Bandera Schoolhouse Memories – Bandera Schoolhouses of the PastRodeo Round Up – 100 Years of Rodeo in Bandera
• Living Off the Land – From Ranches to Travelers
• Dudes, Dances & Delights – Bandera, Birthplace of the Texas Dude Ranch
• Tejano Son of Texas – Policarpio Rodriguez
• Music History of Bandera – Come to the Jukebox Additional exhibit sites are spread throughout the county, including the Arnold- Tyron Cemetery, Bandera Kronkosky Library, Bandera Natural History Museum, Frontier Times Museum, Historic Langford Home, Lakehills Area Library, Medina Community Library, Polly’s Chapel, Polly’s Schoolhouse, Pipe Creek Community Center, Pipe Creek Dance Hall, the Sheepwalk Ranch, and River Oaks Courts.
Return of the Blue Jean Flag As part of the festivities, Bandera’s CVB also announced the return of the historic “Blue Jean Flag,” encouraging local businesses and residents to display denim flags emblazoned with the phrase “Free State of Bandera.”
The tradition, revived this year, will run annually from Memorial Day through the National Day of the American Cowboy, which falls on July 26 in 2025.
The origin of the Blue Jean Flag and the Stompede dates back to 1948, when journalist and photographer Samuel Montague, en route to a new job at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, stopped in Bandera. Inspired by the town’s friendly and independent western culture, Montague—under the pseudonym “Cowboy Zeke”—jokingly called on President Harry Truman to officially recognize the cowboy and the Pony Express or face the threat of Bandera seceding from the union in a dramatic “Stompede.”
Though the proclamation never came, the idea took root. In 1954, more than 20,000 people reportedly descended on Bandera for the Stompede’s three-day celebration of parades, rodeos and revelry. But the rowdy nature of the event divided locals.
By 1957, after increased law enforcement and public safety efforts, the once-wild Stompede began to decline. By 1961, headlines declared, “The Stompede Has Had It.” This summer’s Smithsonian exhibit rekindles that historic spirit—though in a far more orderly fashion. The exhibition will conclude on July 26, 2025, aligning with National Day of the American Cowboy.
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