The museum plans remembrance programs, a children’s market and a welcome for cyclists honoring fallen first responders.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas. HEARTS Veterans Museum of Texas is preparing a September schedule of remembrance programs, an expanded Muster Festival and a welcome for the Texas Brotherhood Ride, Executive Director Tara Burnett said, with volunteers and local organizations helping carry out the events.
The museum's plans include a Sept. 11 program marking the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, a POW/MIA plaque dedication Sept. 18 and the Ninth Annual Muster Festival Sept. 19. Later in the month, Burnett said, the museum will help welcome cyclists riding in honor of fallen first responders.
Burnett outlined the preparations during Good Morning Huntsville, describing both the public events and the people working behind them. The museum is at 463 State Highway 75 N in Huntsville.
Remembering Sept. 11 and the Days That Followed
The museum's free Patriots Day Program begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11. Keynote speaker Dick Morton will discuss his perspective on Sept. 11 at the Pentagon. The Huntsville Fire Department is also scheduled to participate, and light refreshments are planned.
Burnett said Morton approached her about presenting the program. Their conversation turned to the public response after the attacks and the ways people helped one another through the days that followed.
“But very few people talk about 9/12,” Burnett said.
She recalled people searching for American flags, embracing strangers and stopping to help others. For Burnett, the anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on that response alongside the events of Sept. 11 itself.
The museum also plans a POW/MIA dedication at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, according to Burnett. She said a bronze plaque had arrived and would be installed on the memorial wall outside before its unveiling.
Burnett described the museum's selection to receive the plaque as a point of pride. The dedication falls on National POW/MIA Recognition Day, observed on the third Friday in September to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action.
A Children’s Market Joins Muster Festival
The following day, the Ninth Annual Muster Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the HEARTS Veterans Museum and Texas Prison Museum complex. The free festival recognizes veterans, active-duty service members, first responders and corrections personnel.
Burnett said she wanted to expand the children's activities this year and approached Chris Brown, who has provided bounce houses for museum events. Their discussion led to plans for a children's vendor market alongside a larger play area.
“The children get to showcase their things and sell them at no cost,” Burnett said.
She said organizers would not charge the children vendor booth fees. The aim is to let them participate as young entrepreneurs, offering their work for sale while taking part in the festival.
Burnett said sponsorship support would help provide additional bounce houses, inflatable games and a petting zoo. The museum's event listing also includes vendors, food trucks, an obstacle course, a silent auction, emergency vehicles and live entertainment.
The main festival starts at 10 a.m. Burnett also described a separate 5K beginning at 8 a.m. and a motorcycle activity that morning. Participants should check the individual registration arrangements for those activities. Purchases from vendors are separate from free festival admission.
Recognizing Corrections Employees
The Texas Prison Museum partnership gives the festival another connection to Huntsville's workforce. Burnett said including corrections personnel helps residents learn about the range of work performed within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
She pointed to manufacturing, logistics and agriculture among the agency's operations. About 20 TDCJ booths were being planned, she said, with participating groups preparing activities such as snow cones, popcorn, cornhole and prize games.
Burnett's connection to that work is personal. She said she moved to Huntsville, worked for TDCJ and attended Sam Houston State University. Her husband also retired from TDCJ, she said.
Veteran service organizations and local wellness providers are expected to participate in the festival as well. Burnett described bringing those groups together with corrections staff, first responders and military families as an important part of the event.
Welcoming the Texas Brotherhood Ride
Burnett said the Texas Brotherhood Ride is expected to arrive in Huntsville around 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, with the arrival dependent on traffic and weather. The group includes firefighters and police officers who cycle in remembrance of fallen first responders and support their families.
The riders plan to stay overnight at the storm shelter, according to Burnett. She invited residents to gather and cheer as the cyclists arrive, then help send them off when they depart at 7 a.m. Sept. 29.
Burnett said local supporters were arranging dinner, ice cream and breakfast for the riders. The overnight stop would give the cyclists a place to shower, rest and eat before continuing their journey.
She described the welcome as another way for the community to participate in the museum's September activities. Residents interested in the arrival or departure can contact the museum for the latest arrangements.
Volunteers Sustain the Museum’s Programs
Beyond the September calendar, Burnett discussed the volunteer effort supporting the museum's regular veterans breakfast. She estimated that the most recent breakfast served 120 veterans, despite falling on Labor Day weekend.
“There's new faces every month and that's what surprises us,” Burnett said.
Businesses, churches and other organizations sponsor meals, she said, with some returning to cover the same month each year. Family members and museum volunteers also help with check-in and other tasks.
Burnett said her daughter-in-law planned to bring her grandchildren to participate in the children's market at Muster Festival. Their involvement connects the new activity with the family help she described across the museum's programs.
For information about the September events, volunteering or vendor participation, visit heartsmuseum.com or call 936-295-5959. Muster Festival inquiries can also be sent to festival@heartsmuseum.com.