Bluegrass and chili at the Alamo Mission in Mount Vernon

Fifteen minutes west of the property, Mount Vernon is the kind of town where the courthouse square still anchors daily life and the local museum hosts community events that would make a bigger city jealous. The Alamo Mission Museum of Franklin County—a full-scale replica of the original Alamo Mission—is the setting for one of the area’s most distinctive annual traditions: a chili cookoff and bluegrass festival that blends food, music, and local history into an afternoon that feels like it was built for the people who live here.

What the event looks like

The Alamo Mission Chili & Bean Cookoff brings competitors from across the region to cook chili, beans, and stews in front of the museum. Attendees walk the grounds, sample entries, and vote for favorites. Bluegrass musicians play on or near the museum grounds, creating the kind of backdrop that doesn’t need amplification. It’s a daytime event, family-friendly, casual, and deeply local. There are no VIP tents or corporate sponsors dominating the stage. It’s people who live here, cooking for people who live here, with music that fits the setting.

Past and upcoming events

The museum hosts community events throughout the year, including chili cookoffs, bluegrass festivals, turtle derbies, and seasonal gatherings. Dates shift from year to year, and the best information comes directly from the museum.

The drive from the property

Mount Vernon sits fifteen minutes west of County Road 1070 via US-80. The drive runs through the same Piney Woods landscape that defines this part of East Texas—pastureland, scattered oaks, the occasional horse property, and small stretches of pine. The Alamo Mission Museum is just off the main road through town, easy to find, with parking nearby.

For anyone spending time on the property, Mount Vernon fills out the local picture. The courthouse square has antique shops and small restaurants. The museum itself is worth a visit even when there’s no event happening—the replica Alamo Mission is an unusual thing to find in an East Texas town, and the Franklin County history exhibits inside are worth the stop. The chili cookoff and bluegrass festival just give you another reason to make the drive.

A note on timing

Community events at the Alamo Mission Museum don’t always publish their schedules months in advance. The spring 2026 chili cookoff has already taken place, and fall dates have not been confirmed. If you’re planning a visit around this event, it’s worth calling the museum directly at (903) 380-2739 to confirm the schedule. The museum also hosts other events throughout the year—turtle derbies, holiday celebrations, and seasonal gatherings—that are worth checking into.