MEXIA, Texas — Tickets for the first ever "Cindy Walker Days" (July 21 - 22) in Mexia, Texas are on sale now. It's a milestone moment for the small town festival that was birthed out of the effort to save the historic home of Country Music Hall of Fame Songwriter Cindy Walker.
Walker lived in Mexia for more than five decades and wrote international hits like "You Don't Know Me" and "Dream Baby."
She was born near Mart, Texas and lived in Central Texas until she traveled to Hollywood with her family on what turned out to be a life-changing trip.
Walker wrote her first song "Dusty Skies" at the age of 12 and while in Hollywood, many years later, pitched her song "Lonestar Trail" to Bing Crosby.
He recorded it and Walker also landed a recording contract with Decca. She ended up writing multiple hits for Bob Wills and carved out a successful Hollywood career as a songwriter.
She moved to her home on 114 S. Brooks Street in Mexia in 1954 and lived there until her death in 2006.
The Cindy Walker Foundation bought the home in 2022 and organized the upcoming festival to help raise money to restore the home and work toward historic site designation by the state of Texas.
Celebrities would often visit Walker at her Mexia home including Ernest Tubb and more.
Cindy Walker Days will become an annual event surrounding the birthday of Walker.
This year's event is July 21 - 22, 2023 with a lineup including The Bellamy Brothers, Rick Trevino, The Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts, Sunny Sweeney, Kaitlin Butts, Brennen Leigh, Melissa Carper and Katie Shore Trio, Hot Club of Cowtown, Billy Mata, Monte Warden and the Wagoneers, Ginny Mac, Tiger Alley and more artists to be announced.
You can purchase tickets now at cindywalkerdays.com and all proceeds benefit the work of the Cindy Walker Foundation.