Lockhart ready for music and bulls

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

Courthouse Nights will kick off its 2023 season with a Cajun theme Friday evening, while the next day, Running of the Bulls returns to downtown with promises of fun for all ages.

The first of five monthly Courthouse Nights of Rach & Rhodes Presents (Rachel Lingvai and Will Rhodes) begins with Commerce Café hosting a Cajun food extravaganza on its sidewalk at 6 p.m. prior to the actual musical act of Cajun Music Hall of Famer Jesse Lege going on stage at 8:30 p.m. DJ Island Time (Rhodes) will begin spinning tunes for early arrivals at 7 p.m.

Lege and his band will be playing Zydeco music, mostly in its French Creole origin.

This year, Market Street will be closed on both sides for the event, and Commerce Street will have a tailgating area on the side closest to the courthouse.

Running of the Bulls will be in its third year but have moved it up from June in hopes of beating the heat this year.

The fun begins with Lockhart Mayor Lew White opening the gate for the penned up “bulls” to start chasing runners. The bulls come in all shapes and forms, some bade on bicycles and others in a costume or made from paper mache.

They will run a .7-mile course around downtown.

DJ Island Time will also be on hand for that event, playing tunes at 9 a.m. on the square.

Participants can pick up packets Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. at Pocket Park on Main Street behind the Culinary Room.

On the day of the event, packets can again be picked up from 9-10 a.m. on the west side of the square at the Registration Tent. The Lockhart High School Band will then play for 30 minutes before the Running of the Bulls begins at 11 a.m. Ameripolitan’s Honky Tonk Band of the Year, Croy and the Boys, will play on stage on the square beginning at 2 p.m.

All of the proceeds from Running of the Bulls benefit Take Me Home-Advocates for Transport, a non-profit organization that strives to eliminate euthanasia due to lack of space by transporting dogs from over-crowded shelters to no-kill shelters that have adoption waiting lists.