We had a great event! Pictures coming soon! Be sure to subscribe to updates in order to stay up to date on our future events. You will also receive an email with information on our private Facebook groups.

We plan on having additional dance practices and heritage days throughout the year. Then, you can start the New Year by getting back to the basics in 2024. We’ve been told the Pineywoods Living History and New Year’s Ball is a heart warming way to remember and honor traditions and family values.

Tentative Event Details for Pineywoods Living History & New Year’s Ball 2024

Friday, January 5, 2024

  • Living Historians and re-enactors prepping for the weekend (If you’ve arrived for the weekend, you’re welcome to join us.)
  • Evening–decorate for the ball
  • More details coming soon
  • Subscribe to updates

Saturday, January 6, 2024

  • Living History – 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Dance Practice at 1:00 pm
  • New Year’s Ball and Social– Light meal and social starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the ball.
  • See photos from previous events further down the page
  • Always the first full weekend after Canton weekend in Texas.

You have choices!

  • Day Pass Only
    • Pay at the gate the day of the event
    • Come and see the demonstrations during the day such as camp cooking, dance practice, soldier’s encampment, weapons demonstration, blacksmithing, family life, who wore what, colonial Texas and much more
    • Learn more about history spanning from the colonial period to 1865
    • Shop with our demonstrators and purchase unique items
    • You won’t go hungry after visiting our cafe in the “hotel” on site
    • Mill around and visit at your own pace as well or follow the schedule for demonstrations scheduled between 9 am and 4 pm
  • New Year’s Ball and Social
    • Includes DAY PASS to come out in your modern clothing and see the demonstrations
    • Enjoy the living history AND the ball that evening
    • You’re welcome to use the spacious bathhouse to change clothes for the evening (or just book a cabin or RV site and stay the weekend)
    • Light meal included at the ball
    • Limited capacity so you will want to register as soon as we open registration. Be sure to subscribe to updates.
    • Need overnight accomodations? Be sure to contact Salmon Lake Park directly!
    • As you can tell by the pictures below, we love it when you wear period attire to the ball, but you can dress in dressy, modern clothes instead.

Location

Salmon Lake Park in Grapeland, Texas. This is a wonderful, family friendly environment and perfect for our event. If you need overnight accommodations you will want to make your reservations with the park. (Demonstrators–see your registration page for further details.)

Why Pineywoods Living History?

Coordinating these events each year has become a passion project of mine. Events like this are becoming few and far between. So, as long as I’m able I will do my best to share events like this with you.

The name Pineywoods is fitting as I was raised in the Pineywoods area, mainly East Texas. Plus, this event was born in Palestine, Texas in January 2013 and consisted of the ball only. Then we moved the event out to Salmon Lake Park in Grapeland, Texas in 2020 in order to add the living history and offer accomodations to out of town guests. So, the upcoming event will be our eleventh! Hard to believe.

What a blessing to be able to give back to our community and share our love of history and this old-fashioned way of socializing and providing learning opportunities. Be sure to Subscribe to our website in order to receive email updates about the event.

If you have any questions, you can leave us a comment below or use the Contact Form.

See you in January!
Deborah

Pineywoods Photo Album

Additional Photos available on Facebook

The photo albums on Facebook are public. So, you will not need a FB account to see them.

18 Comments

  1. We are members of a vintage dance group. Please tell me what dances are done at your ball.
    Thank you.

    1. Hi Ashley! I answered this question in the message you sent me. I hope your group is able to make in next year! We would love to have you.

  2. I would like some information on the dress maker who was at this event. I was told she had a Facebook page, and thought maybe I could order something I saw in the “shop.”

    1. Hi Martha! Awesome! Looks like you’re on the email list for updates since you subscribed. I will email you to see if you have any questions.

    1. Hi Martha! We will be updating this page soon. We are working through a few things first to make sure we will be providing accurate information. Looks like we will have a schedule of events to include some dancing during the day as well as different demonstrations as usual. We also plan to have food available for sale this year and will be having a dance in the evening for the demonstrators as well as those guests that would attend in period dress. This will all take place on January 8, 2022. Looks like you have subscribed to updates on Living History events. So, as soon as we have more information available you will receive an email.

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