Belton marks 175th anniversary with Legends on the Chisholm Trail

April 3, 2025

By Daniel Moctezuma

The Belton Journal

The City of Belton hosted the first Legends on the Chisholm Trail event on March 29–30 at The Landing at Creekside Park to celebrate the city’s 175th anniversary.

The event featured Apache Crown Dancers, Native American flute performances, chuck-wagon food, cowboy church, vendors, and educational displays from groups such as the Buffalo Soldier Program by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The City of Belton hosted the first Legends on the Chisholm Trail event on March 29–30 at The Landing at Creekside Park to celebrate the city’s 175th anniversary.

Leila Valchar, one of the event organizers, said the idea developed from two separate con-versations, one about a chuckwagon cook-off and another about a Native American flute and frybread event. 

Valchar said the goal was to bring both elements together to reflect the city’s Native and Western history.

“This is our novel event. We’re hoping to grow it to become a very big event in the future,” Valchar said.

The Diamond Creek Crown Dancers traveled from White River, Arizona, to perform a traditional Apache ceremony.

Vick White Hawk Castillo, the group’s elder, said the dance is spiritual and meant to offer protection and blessings.

“We’re coming out to bless Belton,” Castillo said. “Even in Native communities, people don’t see these Crown Dancers often.”

Teresa Velasquez, who helped coordinate the performance, said she contacted the dancers through a connection from previous powwow events. Velasquez also ran the Indian taco and frybread booth with help from her family.

“We want to bring back the powwow tradition and our culture to the Belton area,” Velasquez said.

Chuckwagon meals were served for free by volunteers. Dishes included beef tips, chili verde, cowboy beans, green beans with sausage, jalapeño cream corn, biscuits, and cobbler.

Jesse Salsido, one of the cooks, said the food was based on historical trail meals but expanded for variety.

Attendee Nicole Douglas said she came with her daughter to listen to music and see the vendors.

“It was very unique, something I had never seen before,” she said about the Crown Dancers’ performance.

Texas Parks and Wildlife interpreters represented the Buffalo Soldier Program with uniforms, artifacts, and educational materials.

“We try to show a broad perspective of frontier life,” said interpreter Ricky Dolifka. “It wasn’t just fighting. They built roads, made maps, and supported infrastructure.”

James Duncan of the Four Winds Intertribal Society led a prayer and wreath ceremony in memory of Paula Taylor, a founding member of the organization.