Celebrate Texas Independence Day

You love your state—what other in the U.S. has so many state flags waving for all to see? So it only makes sense that so many Texans will want to celebrate its independence this March 2. After all, the Alamo isn’t just a car rental company to us.

One way to do it up is with a celebration.

Why not have nametags with each party guest representing one of the 59 people who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence? Each attendee can learn facts about their signer and share it with others—this way you’ll really get to know the people who made our state possible (just remember that James Woods didn’t go on to be an actor and David Thomas wasn’t later the founder of Wendy’s!).

Or, you can keep it light with Texas trivia and facts, and decorate with historic photos and costumes.

If a road trip is more your style, you can go to the actual site of the signing at the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site in the town of Washington, 90 minutes from Houston. A free two-day festival will be going on in honor of Independence Day—come watch historical reenactments and listen to Craig Toungate perform in the one-man historical show, “In the Shadow of Giants.”

Of course, you could just take a road trip to the Alamo! Until March 7, the site is celebrating the Texas Revolution and Independence by featuring the famed “Victory of Death” proclamation of the Travis letter, along with an exhibit on the author, William Travis.