OddFest returns Oct. 1 for the oddest day of the year

The Odd Fellows invite you to the oddest day of the year full of unique art vendors, live music, food trucks and craft beer from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Singleton Plaza in downtown Waxahachie.

This year, Odd Fellow member Tommy Wright said their sister lodge, the Rebekahs, will be hosting “chicken bingo.” Five bands will play live music throughout the entire day, including a band full of Odd Fellow members. There will also be five food trucks on site.

Wright said every artist is juried by two of their members, Carl Block and Sean Cagle, both of whom have taught art in Waxahachie ISD. Block displays some of his pieces at Webb Gallery in downtown Waxahachie and is known for carrying on the Southern tradition of face jug making. Cagle is serving as the interim director of fine arts for the school district. They determine if the artist fits the OddFest show with odd, unique, outsider and folk art. Wright said they expect there will be about 30 art vendors at OddFest who specialize in pottery, painting, metal work and other media, and attendees will be able to purchase their unique pieces of art at the event.

“It comes at a good time of the year, at the end of the summer, when things are starting to cool off a little bit,” Wright said. “We really have a good time doing this thing, and we look forward to it all year long.”

He encourages everybody to stop by and check out the OddFest and to “stop by and say hi to an Odd Fellow.”

The annual OddFest event is hosted by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 80, and all proceeds go to its building fund to help restore their historic building.

Lodge No. 80 has been meeting in Waxahachie for more than 150 years. After their original building burned down, members moved into their current one, which previously held a bank. They’ve been meeting in the historic structure, which is located on the corner of South Rodgers and West Jefferson streets, for more than 100 years. The Odd Fellows value history and work hard to keep their building as historically accurate as possible, Wright said, noting they have the same furnishings in their meeting room from 1920. The original tile floor can be seen as one enters the antique store located on the first floor, and they still have the original bank vault.

Their upcoming restoration projects include restoring the original windows, updating the electrical work and painting some of the rooms.

They have five rooms that are not being used. Once the electrical work is updated, Wright said they plan to clean those out and use them for a possible library, card room and small event venue to host bands and their annual Thanksgiving member dinner.

“I don’t want to remodel, I want to restore,” Wright said. “It’s really been a labor of love for me because I’m convinced that the only way to go is to try to keep it as close to what it was as we can.”

The four main tenets of being an Odd Fellow are to visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.

As part of its philanthropic efforts, the lodge supports Campfire Creek Therapeutic Riding Center and SWAGG, a program that helps children in foster care.

For more information about OddFest or the Odd Fellows, visit https://www.oddfestwaxa80.com or follow them on Facebook @OddFellows80 or Instagram @oddfellows80. Originally published September 16, 2022 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/arts_and_entertainment/oddfest-returns-oct-1-for-the-oddest-day-of-the-year/article_f9174f0c-3583-11ed-874e-9f8c0f3fc82a.html