Alumni Relations hosts HSU night at Palo Duro Canyon

(ABILENE, Texas)–Last Friday, HSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni traveled to beautiful Palo Duro Canyon to watch the Texas Outdoor Musical, the Official Play of the State of Texas. The Alumni Relations office hosted the HSU Night at Palo Duro Canyon, along with HSU Nights at both the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.

The night began with a traditional chuck wagon BBQ, complete with brisket, sweet tea, and old-fashioned cobbler. A gift shop and square dance provided extra pre-show entertainment, before the amphitheater doors opened at 8:00 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., the show began with the infamous cowboy on horseback carrying the Texas flag across the rim of Palo Duro Canyon.

The Texas Outdoor Musical is performed at the Pioneer Amphitheater inside Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The theater itself is a tourist attraction, as it is “carved out of and nestled into a natural basin in the majestic Palo Duro Canyon.” 2019 marks the musical’s 54^th year in production.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott calls the play “a production as grand and spectacular as the beautiful canyon in which it is performed, Texas celebrates those courageous men and women who settled our rugged frontier. This story reminds us of the great challenges many of the first Texans overcame and encourages us to carry on their legacy of blazing trails for generations to come.”

The music and lyrics featured are taken from “authentic western folk songs, ballads, and hymns,” and help tell the vivid story of Texas history. The story takes place in the 1880s and includes a colorful cast of historical characters, including cattle ranchers Charles and Molly Goodnight, and Comanche war leader Quanah Parker.

Each year, the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation hosts the show. The foundation is “a nonprofit organization created to preserve and present Texas history and culture through entertainment and education,” according to the official Texas Outdoor Musical souvenir program.

If you missed HSU’s Night at Palo Duro Canyon, you can still see the Texas Outdoor Musical until August 17. For more information, visit the show’s website.