The third annual Cross Roads Founder’s Day took place at Star Ranch on Saturday, bringing together local vendors, live music and the community spirit the event has become known for.
The festival featured a variety of artisan vendors who set up shop with everything from handpainted magnets and Christmas decorations to custom jewelry.
Country singer Casi Joy joked during her set, “Where else can I buy a Christmas tree, a tumbler and meet the Chick-fil-A Cow all at once? Only in Cross Roads.”
Joy, best known for her appearance on NBC’s “The Voice,” performed an hour-long set at 5 p.m. that mixed original songs with country and rock classics.
Her smooth guitar playing and twangy vocals serenaded the crowd and had kids dancing— especially during her Taylor Swift selections.
Later in the evening, local ’90s country cover band Western Rewind closed out the night with a nostalgic set.
Founder’s Day is meant to “spotlight Cross Roads’ rural charm and creative spirit,” the town website said, and the vendors were central to that spirit.
One of the standout booths came from Kilroy’s Workshop, represented by manager Seth Schmitz who set up shop right next to Founder’s Day returners North Texas Blacksmith Association.
“The organizers reached out to us and said they’d love to have us out here,” Schmitz said. “We love doing these kinds of events. We teach classes for everyone. … We do blacksmithing, blade smithing, welding, casting, 3D printing, jewelry, machining. Anything you can think of, we’ve got our hands in it.”
Schmitz added that his booth had gotten a lot of interest.
Nearby, Samantha Campbell of Last Stitch Effort, a sewing and alterations business she runs with her sister Victoria in Aubrey, demonstrated her craft on a 100-year-old Singer sewing machine.
“We do everything from hemming pants to wedding dress alterations, rodeo shirts and leather vests,” Campbell said. “Pretty much, you name it, we can do it.”
It was their first time at Founder’s Day, and she said the response was warm.
“A lot of people stop by and say, ‘Oh, my grandma had one of these machines,’ and it’s kind of like we all have something in common,” she said. “Everybody recognizes this machine.”
With a mix of music, history and handson demonstrations, the 2025 Founder’s Day highlighted the small-town feel Cross Roads continues to celebrate year after year.
