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 The 42st Gingerbread Trail and Tour of Homes is shaping up to be one the best. The 2010 Gingerbread Trail event will take place June 5th and 6th, 2010 Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM.
THE 42ND ANNUAL GINGERBREAD TRAIL. Victorian, Gingerbread, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne are a few architectural styles you'll see in Waxahachie. The 42nd Annual Gingerbread Trail celebrates this architecture on Saturday, June 5th and Sunday, June 6th, 10 AM to 4 PM. $15.00 Adults and $7.00 children. Tickets available at the Ellis County Museum on the downtown square or at the tour homes. Tour our special selection of five private homes. Get the inside scoop on restoration triumphs and local ghost lore. Visit historically recognized buildings such as the newly restored Ellis County Courthouse, the Ellis County Museum, Sims Library, Ellis County Art Museum and view vintage automobiles parked around the downtown square.
This is one of the highlights of the Summer Season in Waxahachie Texas. The citizens of Waxahachie graciously open their historic homes to visitors during the Gingerbread Trail. The tour began 42 years ago to showcase the unique surviving homes and public buildings designed and constructed during the era of the ornate gingerbread style. Before the turn of the Century and well into the 20's, the town of Waxahachie and Ellis County were among the most wealthy and influential areas in Texas. Cotton was KING. The rich dark earth of the black land region of Texas produced tremendous crops of cotton which led to the growth of all sorts of assorted industry and commerce for the area. With this newfound wealth, many of the businessmen, farmers, bankers and industrialists during this time built large beautiful homes for their families. Many beautiful public buildings were constructed in the city as well. The Great Depression dealt Ellis county and the cotton industry a devastating blow. Many farmers and businesses went bankrupt. Most people could not accept the fact that the unbelievable prosperity of the past 50 years had come to an end.
From around 1929 to the 1970's, nothing much changed in Waxahachie and Ellis county. Very little new industry sprang up. Many believed that PROGRESS had completely passed them by. The bank robbers, Bonnie and Clyde, had even visited the local bank in the 30's but left with very little.
During this time in Texas, many towns experienced change with new growth and new industry. But it also took something away. That progress erased their past. Many historic structures lost out to the developers and land speculators. Many towns lost those things which had made them great. They lost their history and their identity!  Ironically, in Waxahachie, this absent of progress preserved many of the historic buildings and homes. There were some unfortunate losses nevertheless and some of the historic structures were lost. One of the most devastating losses was the Central Fire Hall in the early 1960s. The Central Fire Station was built in the 1880s and had 100% horse drawn fire fighting equipment. This location is now a service station and store!
Primarily because of this absence of progress, Waxahachie is now world-renowned for possessing an enormous area of surviving examples of early architectural styles, including the gingerbread style from which the Gingerbread Home Tour takes its name. Today, one has the opportunity to visit many of these fine elegant homes and buildings and, for a moment, step back sixty to a hundred years to a time and place long since past. You can also stroll the beautiful downtown square and see the jewel of Ellis County and Waxahachie, the Courthouse!. Completely restored to its original condition, it is really something to see inside and out.
Gingerbread Trail Homes for 2010
Homes from past Gingerbread Home Tours
THE ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR IN GETZENDANER PARK. Under cool, towering oaks, enjoy colorful crafts and artwork from across the state. Artists present creative gift ideas. There are fun children's activities and plenty of refreshments to satisfy your gastronomic adventures. If you are an arts & crafts vendor and wish to exhibit during the Trail, the number for applications and information is 972-937-0681 or e-mail
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For an online application and show information, follow this link, print out the application , and mail it to: Gingerbread Trail Arts & Crafts Festival, P. O. Box 706, Waxahachie TX 75168. Food vendors should call 972-938-0940 or e-mail
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.
PAINT HISTORIC WAXAHACHIE! The Ellis County Art Association presents a PAINT OUT competition from May 28th through June 6th. Landscape artists set up their easels and paint "on location" throughout the historic downtown and along Waxahachie’s "Gingerbread Trail". Special artist activities include a 90 minute "quick draw" competition on the Square (Saturday, May 29), live auction, and "wet paint sale" of more than 100 paintings completed during the 10 day event. For more information call 972-937-3414, email
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, or visit www.elliscountyart.net .
COURTHOUSE TOURS. The Ellis County Courthouse is open for public tours during the Gingerbread Trail. Take this opportunity to view this exquisite building, ranked in the top twenty architecturally significant structures in Texas. Tours offered from noon - 4 PM on Saturday and noon - 2 PM on Sunday by Historic Waxahachie, Inc. and the Ellis County Historical Commission.
COVERING WAXAHACHIE IN COLOR. Quilts will be displayed around the courthouse square, on the porches of houses on Main Street and in many downtown businesses. Sponsored by Common Threads Quilt Shop, activities at the shop (315 S. Rogers Street) include an exhibit from the American Quilt Study Group of Red & Green Quilts made by members of the group using designs taken from antique 19th Century appliqué quilts. A private collection of antique appliqué quilts will accompany the "new" quilts for comparison.. "Covering Waxahachie in Color" is sponsored by Common Threads Quilt Shop, the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce and the Waxahachie Downtown Merchants Association.
Gingerbread Trail Crafts Festival If you are planning on coming to the 2010 Gingerbread Trail or just visting, and would like information and recomendations on available accomodations, please call 972-723-0295 Our accomdations editor has expert knowledge on the best places to stay in Waxahachie and will be happy to help and recommend a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast Inn. If you would like to sponsor this years Waxahachiedowntown.com Gingerbread Trail Section, please 972-723-0295 Gingerbread Trail Crafts Festival If you are planning on coming to the 2010 Gingerbread Trail or just visting, and would like information and recomendations on available accomodations, please call 972-723-0295 Our accomdations editor has expert knowledge on the best places to stay in Waxahachie and will be happy to help and recommend a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast Inn. If you would like to sponsor this years Waxahachiedowntown.com Gingerbread Trail Section, please 972-723-0295 |
