Bluegrass (and Classic Cars) on Ballard
I’ve lived in Wylie, TX for a decade, and every year I think about attending the annual Bluegrass on Ballard Jubilee, but it’s never happened until this year. The event is filled with 250+ classic cars, a park full of vendors, and, of course, lots of great Bluegrass music.
Classic Cars
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Local Vendors
Food
El Tricolor Antojitos Mexicanos
El Tricolor had good street tacos with cilantro, onions, lime, and hot sauce, rice, and refried beans. I enjoyed watching the food being made as I waited!
Mister Softee
The heat was brutal and the later it got, the longer the line was at Mister Softee! I had run out of water and needed to rest and cool down before heading home, so I waited in line and grabbed a vanilla milkshake and a cold bottle of water.
There were other food vendors at the festival offering everything from fried Oreo cookies to foot-long corndogs to grilled sirloin steak on a stick. I preferred something a little less “fair food,” so tacos it was.
Local Vendor Stalls
While I wasn’t able to stop and talk to everyone, I did get photos and contact information for a few local vendors (listed in photo order). Many of these are regulars at farmers’ markets and other local events such as this.
The Blueberry Lemon Scones are fantastic!
Tracy’s first historical fiction, Answering Liberty’s Call, is based on her 6x-great-grandmother’s life story!
Tracy is also the author of the “Revolutionary Belle Series,” and “The Resistance Series,” an award-winning YA dystopian series.
I had a great conversation with Tracy, and she is passionate about her writing, her research, and her stories. You can buy them at Amazon and other book sellers!
Bluegrass Bands
The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation put together a great lineup for the 2026 Bluegrass Festival:
11:00 a.m. Bobby Giles & Texas Gales
12:00 p.m. Randy Collier & Grassland
1:00 p.m. Riley Gilbreath & Lone Star Blue
3:30 p.m. Dave Adkins & Mountain Soul
As much as I was enjoying the music, I, unfortunately, wasn’t able to stay for all the bands. With high temperatures of 90 degrees (F) and 50% humidity, 6 hours in the sun had taken its toll, and I had to call it a day. Before then, however, I was able to photograph Randy Collier, Riley Gilbreath, and Kristy Cox, so still a good day all in all, even if I wasn’t able to stay for the 3-time Grammy-nominated band The Grascals. Lesson learned, and I’ll plan better next time.
Click or tap photos to enlarge them.
Randy Collier and Grassland
Riley Gilbreath & Lone Star Blue
Kristy Cox, Australia’s Queen of Bluegrass
According to Kristy Cox’s personal story, Bluegrass and Country music came to Australia honestly, by way of the US and Australian servicemen working side by side. She grew up listening to them on her Granddad’s radio. Having grown up in Australia, Kristy now calls Tennessee home.
Random Photos - Just for Fun
When I’m out for hours like on this day, it’s easy to take hundreds, if not thousands, of photos. Editing them down for a blog post means 95% or more never see the light of day. You won’t believe the number of classic car photos I have! Here are some photos I liked, but didn’t fit anywhere in this blog post, but they give you an idea of the local culture.
Click or tap photos to enlarge them.
On my way out I heard these two young men strum’n and sing’n and grabbed a quick photo. The young man in the sunglasses is Edward Echeverria and you can find him over on Instagram at @dtx.edech (Ed, thanks for the follow!).
Flags and Blue Shirts
I kept seeing the flag-lined street and wanted to see what I could make of it. Between songs, I turned to frame it up and was lucky enough to get two men in blue shirts next to a blue building. A nice complement to the blue in the flags.
Click or tap photos to enlarge them.
