On Saturday, March 12, SpringsFest will celebrate the history of Comanche Springs and gather memories of this iconic Texas spring with an event at the historic Annie Riggs Museum, 301 Main St, from 1:30-5:30 pm. The celebration will also include a performance by Ken Baucham, who will be making his first appearance in Fort Stockton.

Baucham sings traditional cowboy songs, vintage country, and western. He will provide great entertainment that is free for all attendees. Baucham will be performing in the courtyard of the Annie Riggs Museum from 3-5 p.m.

Bring your lawn chairs and coolers for a good time.

Other highlights of SpringsFest will include the following:

• Oral historians will be on hand to capture memories of Comanche Springs from anyone who remembers when they flowed year-round.

• Another team will be on hand to scan and digitize any photographs that individuals may have of the springs flowing.

• An exhibit at the Annie Riggs Museum will showcase the springs, with period photos of it in its heyday, and items from the Water Carnival, Fort Stockton’s annual celebration that started in 1936.

• A tour of the spring heads and a look at the passages that lie beneath the historic pool will commence at 1:30 pm. (Visitors will not be going underground but will be viewing the openings to the cave passages.) To join the spring tour, please arrive at the Annie Riggs Museum no later than 1:30 pm. The tour group will convoy to the historic Comanche Springs Bathhouse, which attracted thousands of swimmers and tourists every summer during its heyday.

It will be a day for visitors and local residents to reflect on a rich history that includes many icons of the west and to capture new memories. The event is free of charge, courtesy of Texas Water Trade—a nonprofit organization that is working to restore flows at Comanche Springs using voluntary water markets—Comanche Tortilla Factory, Fort Stockton Insurance Agency, and Belding Farms.