Oatmeal Festival a hearty, small-town event
The 48th annual Oatmeal Festival serves up a bowl full of fun on Saturday, Sept. 27, in downtown Bertram. The festival is named after the tiny town of Oatmeal, Texas, just south of Bertram, not the tasty oats often served for breakfast—although these have been incorporated into event.
How the festival began: In 1978, it came to the attention of Oatmeal residents that the town had been omitted from the official state map, reportedly for not having an “intersection of two main highways.” Residents decided to hold a festival to bring attention to this atrocity. The new event would serve two purposes: bring a bit of fun and visitors to the area; and put the town back on the map.
It worked! And 48 years later, the Oatmeal Festival is still going strong and has become a Burnet County staple.
The 2025 event gets trotting with a horseback trail ride from the old Oatmeal schoolhouse to downtown Bertram. Festival activities include a fun run, pet parade, grand parade, vendors, oatmeal bake-off, washer tournament, quirky contests, children’s games, and street dance with music by Texas country artist Jarrod Birmingham. See the festival schedule below.
Saturday, Sept. 27
8 a.m.
- Trail ride (Oatmeal schoolhouse to Bertram)
- Run for Your Oats 5K (Bertram City Hall)
- Vendors open (downtown Bertram)
9-11 a.m.
- Bake-off entry drop-off (fire station)
9:30 a.m.
- Pet parade signup (Wheeler Park)
10:30 a.m.
- Grand parade (Panther Park to downtown Bertram)
Noon
- Washer tournament (behind City Hall)
1:15 p.m.
- Live music starts on the main stage
8 p.m. to midnight
- Street dance with Jarrod Birmingham
The Oatmeal Festival largely takes place along West Vaughan Street in downtown Bertram. Parking is allowed along area streets.
