Burnet Gunfighters bring Wild West to life
Gunfighters dressed in period costumes put on a Wild West show almost every Saturday afternoon in Burnet. The action starts soon after the Austin Steam Train arrives, bringing along an audience as well as participants. The Burnet Gunfighters are volunteers who pass around a donation bucket and give the proceeds to local charities such as Meals on Wheels.
The gunfight starts at about 1:30 p.m. every Saturday just off the square in Burnet — but not without a presentation and demonstration on gun safety first. The shows run Saturdays, January-May and September-November, weather permitting and based on the train schedule for the Hill Country Flyer. Gunfighters stage a train robbery on the first two Saturdays in December at about 2 p.m.
The guns keep cracking during the 20-minute fight at the Old Burnet Town on League Street one block from Jackson Street, east of the Courthouse on the Square. Gunfighters use six-shooters with a maximum load of black-powder blanks for the biggest bang!
During the gunfight, women between the ages of 12 and 108 years old are chosen to be saloon girls in the show, complete with historic costumes. But don’t worry, the shooters are trained experts — your ruffles won’t get feathered!
Call for specific shootout times at (512) 756-1872. You also can visit the Burnet Gunfighters website.
PHOTO: A bounty hunter finds a saloon girl instead of an outlaw at the Burnet Gunfighters Wild West show in Burnet, Texas. Staff Photo