Wild & Free on 83 is back this year from August 6-8. The towns of Wheeler, Shamrock, Wellington and Childress have planned three days of family-friendly activities for local residents and visitors alike. Some of the festivities to look forward to include live music, shows for handmade crafts/quilts/arts, cookouts, historical reenactors, and much more. Gene Watson and Jeremey Camp will also perform at the Wellington Ritz Theater on Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8 respectively. A full list of events is available on the event website The website also details points of interest, dining, lodging and shopping for each town.
The idea for Wild & Free on 83 came to event organizer Kristen Moudy after she read Stew Magnuson’s Texas installment of his Highway 83 Chronicles Series titled “The Last American Highway.” She knew there was some way to show the rich history of the communities that fell on Highway 83. Pursuing the inspiration she felt, Moudy, with the help of other organizers from Wheeler, Canadian, Shamrock, Wellington and Childress, hosted the inaugural Wild & Free on 83 in 2019. The event was a success and while restrictions for COVID-19 canceled the event the following year, that didn’t diminish their excitement to plan the event for 2021.
Moudy said that when she pitched this idea to the other Chambers of Commerce along Highway 83, they were on board right away and knew that it would be a great opportunity to boost tourism in this area and for their respective towns. Each city plans their own events, as they know their community the best, but all organizers are in contact with each other to make sure promotions, social media and website coverage features all the towns. Wild & Free on 83 has also partnered with Texas Plains Trail Region and GO TEXAN to promote the event for this year.
“People have their roots and history in these small towns and visitors can see that.” Moudy says. Because of their roots, these small towns feature hidden gems that can’t be found anywhere else. Wild & Free on 83 provides an opportunity for locals to celebrate them and for visitors to see these towns’ charm. Moudy goes on to say that anyone just driving through the small towns would assume that they are dying off, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth if they stopped and talked to the residents. She feels that these towns are real, authentic Texas, and make up the fabric of what the state actually is.
Though Wild & Free on 83 only covers a few towns in the panhandle right now, Moudy is optimistic about the event growing. Representatives are already meeting with new communities to talk about expanding the event to their towns. In her lifetime, she would love to see the event reach beyond Texas into the little towns stretching from South Texas to the north border of North Dakota along the entire highway.
“If it works for Route 66, why not Highway 83 too?” Moudy said.