KERRVILLE, Texas - A year after floodwaters upended Kerrville’s Fourth of July festivities, families returned to Louise Hays Park on Friday to celebrate “Fourth on the River,” gathering along the Guadalupe River amid trees still slanted from the force of last year’s flooding.
People spent the day in foldable chairs listening to country music from artists including Junior Brown and William Beckmann, while also marking the nation’s milestone 250th birthday.
Francesca D’Agostaro, an event visitor from Ingram, said, “It’s truly a miracle to be able to celebrate after what we went through last year.”
Jan Bradley, a Kerrville resident, said the entertainment lineup and planned displays were part of the draw. “I love the music. We’ve got fireworks. I understand we’re gonna have a drone show,” Bradley said.
Attendees said they will never forget what happened last July 4, but described this year’s celebration as a chance for the community to heal.
D’Agostaro said, “Awesome this year has been compared to last. I’m really excited to see William Beckmann play and spend some time with my dad.”
Bradley said, “It’s a very bittersweet kind of feeling but overall I feel a sense of celebration.”
Media on scene saw people were “enjoying the river now that it has been cleaned up,” and said attendees told him they were thankful for cleanup crews who made the recovery possible. Sterling said the party had been going on since 10 a.m., with plenty of food and drinks available.
Gov. Greg Abbott is scheduled to travel to Kerrville on Saturday, July 4, to deliver remarks during a remembrance ceremony and concert at the Cailloux Theater.
Abbott will speak at the Symphony of the Hills Stars, Stripes, and Spirit Remembrance & Resilience Ceremony and concert.
He is expected to be joined by First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., Symphony of the Hills President Dr. Tim Summerlin, along with other local officials and community members.
The event is set for the Cailloux Theater Auditorium, 910 Main St. in Kerrville. The concert is set to begin at 4 p.m., with Abbott’s remarks scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
One year after the deadly Hill Country Floods, which killed at least 139 people, with 117 of them in Kerr County, communities are still fighting to pick up the pieces.
Recovery efforts are still ongoing, with local and state agencies, as well as volunteers, coming together to rebuild the affected area, as well as search for the two bodies that remain missing.
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