O’Toole performing for Iron Horse street dance

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For the first time, the Mineola Iron Horse Heritage Festival will feature a street dance Saturday, Sept. 24 starring chart-topping Texas country artist Rich O’Toole and his band. 

At 37, O’Toole has compiled 23 top ten songs and three No. 1’s on the Texas Music Chart, over 125,000 albums sold and over 15,000,000 Spotify steams over a 13-year career, according to his website, richotoole.com. 

“My songs are true stories about my life. I can’t just write about what might happen tomorrow,” he insists on his website. “More than anything, I want to do as Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Steve Earle have done – create great American songwriter rock.” 

The street dance will begin around 8 p.m., with dance music played until the concert’s start. There’s plenty of other fun and activities beginning at 10 a.m.

Additional entertainment will be on tap all day in the downtown gazebo at the intersection of Commerce and Johnson Streets, next to the rail line that is the heart of the festival and genesis of the community. 

Some of the event attractions include the following:

• Texas Parks and Wildlife “Operation Game Thief” mobile exhibit

• Live music

• Food and merchandise vendors, beer and adult beverage garden

• Car show

• Weenie dog race

• Pie baking contest

• Corn hole tournament

• Active wall mural painting

• Dance Dimensions performance

• Watermelon eating contest

A number of high-profile sponsorship opportunities remain that not only help provide needed funding for the event but offer VIP and marketing perks. 

For information on becoming a sponsor or how to apply for a vendor’s permit, contest entry or other details about the day’s events visit mineolachamber.org, email the chamber at chamber@mineola.com, call the Chamber office at 903-569-2087 or visit 101 E. Broad St.