September 25–27, 2026
Frio Canyon, TX
Three days of murals, music, and made-things in Leakey & Concan. Free, like the river’s always been.
Seven Crossings — the seven places the old river road fords the Frio.
A 22-mile canvas.
Legends of the Land is the Frio Canyon’s first public arts pilgrimage — three free days threading the twenty-two miles between Leakey and Concan with murals, songwriter circles, ranching stories, and hands-on craft. We follow the river because the canyon has always told its own story through the people who live beside it.
This year the program braids four currents — the land itself, the craft made on it, the lore carried across it, and the kin who tend it. Every artist on this page is here because the canyon asked for them.
House Pasture — where the artists are working.
— Three voices opening the canyon: one painter, one songwriter, one rancher-storyteller. Click a spread to meet the artist.
Visual Art · Murals
“Large-scale oil and copper work that pulls the canyon's quiet histories onto the wall.”
Fri 25 Sep · 10:00 AM · House Pasture Wall
Saturday, Sept 26 · 10:00 AM · Live painting continues
Sunday, Sept 27 · 2:00 PM · Wall reveal & artist talk
Texas Soul · Songwriter
“Acoustic Sunday mornings under the old oaks — a sound built between Houston soul and porch-swing country.”
Sat 26 Sep · 8:00 PM · Cypress Stage
Sunday, Sept 27 · 11:00 AM · Songwriting circle (free, all welcome)
Rancher & Storyteller
“Mixed-media work in native clay and reclaimed wood that tells the Real County vaquero's story.”
Fri 25 Sep · 7:30 PM · Storytelling Oaks
Saturday, Sept 26 · 7:30 PM · Legends of the Land
The Full Lineup
Muralists, songwriters, ranchers, and workshop leaders — the full roster opens in the directory.
Meet all artists →Free, drop-in, supplies provided. Bring a hat and a willingness to get your hands dirty — the canyon’s craft tradition is older than most of the houses in Leakey.
Fri · 11:00 – 12:30
with Lila Cardenas, Concan dye gardener
Press wild plants from the riverbanks into pigments and dye your own square of linen to take home.
Cypress Pavilion · all ages · kids 6+ with adult · drop-in · supplies provided
Sat · 10:00 – 11:30
led by David Casillas
Throw small forms with native Real County clay and learn how the river's limestone shapes the way the canyon's ceramics fire.
Ranching Heritage Tent · all ages · family-friendly · limited to 12 families · sign up at the pavilion
Sat · 2:00 – 3:30
with Beth Aragon, Texas naturalist
Walk a half-mile of the riverbank, gather what you see, and ink-press a found-object zine to keep.
Bear Creek Trailhead · 10+ recommended · walking required · drop-in · bring water
Workshop slots fill fast — pre-register at the Blue Hole below to get the workshop signup link the week before the festival.
The program — first pass; the full index lives on the schedule page.
Morning · 10:00 AM
Gates open · Mural wall begins
Matt Tumlinson
Afternoon · 4:00 PM
Cliff-swallow walk (naturalist-led)
River Trail
Evening · 7:30 PM
Legends of the Land — opening night
David Casillas
Morning · 9:00 AM
Cairn-building workshop (free)
Rosa Villanueva
Afternoon · 3:00 PM
Afternoon dance — The Frio String Band
The Frio String Band
Evening · 8:00 PM
Micah Edwards — headline set
Micah Edwards
Morning · 11:00 AM
Songwriting circle (all welcome)
Micah Edwards
Afternoon · 2:00 PM
Mural wall reveal & artist talk
Matt Tumlinson
Evening · 4:00 PM
Closing second-line to the river
El Paso Brass Collective
10:00 AM
Gates open · Mural wall begins
Matt Tumlinson
9:00 AM
Cairn-building workshop (free)
Rosa Villanueva
11:00 AM
Songwriting circle (all welcome)
Micah Edwards
4:00 PM
Cliff-swallow walk (naturalist-led)
River Trail
3:00 PM
Afternoon dance — The Frio String Band
The Frio String Band
2:00 PM
Mural wall reveal & artist talk
Matt Tumlinson
7:30 PM
Legends of the Land — opening night
David Casillas
8:00 PM
Micah Edwards — headline set
Micah Edwards
4:00 PM
Closing second-line to the river
El Paso Brass Collective
The Lookout — everything you need to plan the drive.
Leakey is roughly two hours from Austin (US-290 W → US-83 S), two and a half hours from San Antonio (I-10 W → TX-127 N), and four hours from Houston. The last gas station before you drop into the canyon is in Leakey itself — fill up there. Cell coverage is patchy past House Pasture; download your map first.
Concan and Leakey have very few rooms. By July, most cabins, RV sites, and the one motel are booked. If you’re reading this in August, plan to drive in for the day or look at Uvalde (45 min) and Bandera (1 hr).
In Concan
In Leakey & Rio Frio
Farther out
Camping along the river is regulated — see the full visit guide for permits and rules.
Late September in the canyon is warm by day, cool by night — pack layers, a wide-brim hat, sturdy water shoes for the river crossings, and a refillable bottle. Water stations are at every venue. Cash for vendors, though most take cards. Sunscreen is non-negotiable; the limestone reflects.
Kids are welcome everywhere; the workshops at the Cypress Pavilion are designed for ages 6 and up. Three of the trail’s installations are wheelchair-accessible; the river crossings are not. Shaded benches sit every quarter-mile, a nursing tent is open all three days, and the Ranching Heritage Tent has a quiet room. Reach out before you come if you need anything specific — we’d rather know.
Pool-Out — the map.
Twenty-five miles of art along the Frio.
A few highlights plotted here — every site, plus parking and restrooms, lives on the interactive map.
Filter by day, save a route, share with your party.
You’ve followed the river. Leave your name and we’ll send you home with the rest — the printable trail map (a week before), workshop signups, lodging openings as they free up, and the artist lineup the day it drops. We don’t email often, and we don’t sell your address.
these neighbors decided a canyon weekend of murals, music, and made-things shouldn’t cost anybody a ticket. What follows is a thank-you, not a pitch.
There’s room in the ledger for one more name. Leave an email and a real person will write back with the sponsor kit.
