"Over the long haul, when they rebuild, downtown Gatesville's going to be amazing." Jesse Bolgiano, owner of Leon River Mercantile, said that to KWTX in May. He had moved his store onto the courthouse square on March 15. The west side of the square burned the next evening.
Seven months later, the square works with three sides. The west side is still empty, but new names have filled spots on the other sides, and this Saturday, Oct. 24, the city's 26th annual Boozaar will fill all of it with costumes. It's the first time since the fire that the whole town is invited onto the square at once. The businesses there now are a different lineup from the one that hosted last October.
The square's 2026, in order
Here's what happened between the fire and this weekend:
- March 15. Leon River Mercantile finishes moving into its restored building on the square.
- March 16. A fire on the west side destroys three century-old buildings: Leaird's, The Gatesville Messenger and A-1 Bail Bonds, according to the Gatesville Messenger.
- April 25. A benefit is held on the square, approved by the city council at its April 14 meeting.
- May 16. Leon River Mercantile holds its grand reopening.
- Mid-June. City demolition crews start taking down what's left of the burned buildings.
- June 20. The Messenger, under new ownership, celebrates its new home with a ribbon cutting and a meet-and-greet.
- July 25. Whitney's Barbershop & Co. on East Main holds a community grand-opening event.
- Early September. The Messenger reports that concrete foundations are all that remain of the west side.
- October 24. The 26th annual Boozaar happens on the square.
Downtown kept adding businesses while the west side was being cleared. And no rebuild date appears anywhere on it.
Who's on the sides still standing
Leon River Mercantile has been in Gatesville for more than 30 years. Bolgiano bought it from its original owners in 2013 and kept it a western wear store. He told KWTX that he moved to the square because of the push to revive downtown. In his words, "Downtown Gatesville was granted to be a historic district, there's a lot of effort from the city and the local community to start building up the downtown area." The building he chose dates to the 1800s and had sat empty for years. By his account, it was a mercantile in the 1850s, and when he got it, the ceilings sagged. Restoration started in December. The building's eight-foot water well is still there, now under a sheet of glass, and the original floors stayed. Boots and western footwear are the main stock on the store's website.
Kyle's Cuts, at 103 S. 7th St., is the newest name on the square. The Gatesville Chamber of Commerce calls it the "newest barber in town, right on the square" and made it the Chamber's Business of the Month for September 2026.
A few blocks off the square, Whitney's Barbershop & Co. at 719 E. Main St. added more than haircuts this summer. The Messenger reported that the shop now hosts antique vendors and sells beauty products.
The Messenger itself left downtown. The newspaper had written about 145 years of Gatesville news from its square office. It now works out of Gatesville Primary School, where bricks from the original building are on display. Most of its archives burned, and staff are asking the public for old copies and clippings. Publisher David Morris told KWTX that "maybe within the next couple of years" the paper could move back downtown, into a vacant space or a building he has the chance to buy. If you have Messenger editions sitting in a closet, the paper wants to see them.
The west side has no timeline yet. In March, City Manager Brad Hunt told FOX 44 that the city hoped the buildings would come back with "a historic facade" once insurance claims and funding were settled. That decision belongs to the property owners and their insurers.
Why Boozaar depends on who's on the square
Boozaar has run on the square for a long time. The Messenger's 2024 preview of the 24th annual event described a route of several blocks around downtown. Businesses on the square handed out treats as kids passed. Businesses and groups from elsewhere in town set up their own treat stations around the square, with no fee to host one. In 2025, the 25th Boozaar ran on the square from 6 to 8 p.m., with food trucks, vendors, booths, and local businesses handing out candy and running games. The city council approved street closures for it on Oct. 25, 2025.
The format depends on two things, storefronts on the square and outside groups willing to set up a table. This year, an entire side of the square has no storefronts. The west side used to hold three of the oldest buildings downtown. Now it's foundation slabs. So the 2026 event leans harder on the other three sides and on booths from around town.
The City of Gatesville's listing for the 26th annual Boozaar puts it "on the square in Downtown Gatesville." The details:
- When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 to 8 p.m.
- What: Trick-or-treating around the square, food vendors, costume contests, pumpkin contests, games, activities and face painting
- Booths: Businesses, nonprofits, churches, clubs and organizations were invited to decorate booths. Registration opened Aug. 1.
- Contact: Shea Harp, (254) 865-5367
The 2024 Messenger preview listed that same number for the Gatesville Public Library. The listing doesn't include a route map. If you want to know where treat stops will be set up this year, call that number before Saturday. The event is also on the city's calendar.
After Halloween, the calendar spreads out
Boozaar is the season's last big event centered on the square. The events after it are spread around town, and each one needs a different plan.
Market Day, Saturday, Nov. 14. The Chamber holds Market Days on the second Saturday of each month from March through November, so this is the last one of 2026. The city calendar lists it at 8 a.m. Chamber members set up for free. Other vendors pay $25 per 10-by-10 space.
Christmas Parade, Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to noon. This year's theme is "Hometown Holiday - Past Present or Future." The Chamber says it will share the route once TxDOT approves it, so don't plan your curb spot yet. The Gatesville Police Department leads, followed by Boy Scouts carrying flags, then other first responders, vintage cars, show cars and the Cruzin Cruziers. Gatesville ISD groups come next. Everyone else lines up first-come, first-served. Floats entered for judging line up on Hornets Way, and other entries line up on Marshal. Entries are due Dec. 11, and first responders and nonprofits enter free.
Holiday Extravaganza, Saturday, Dec. 12, after the parade. The vendor market moves to the Gatesville Civic Center at 301 Veterans Memorial Loop. The Civic Center runs it with the city, and it's set up to follow the Chamber parade. Vendors get indoor spaces with a table and two chairs, plus covered barn spaces on concrete. Food trucks park next to the barn. Unlike Market Days, the Extravaganza charges every vendor a fee, Chamber members included. Two listings give different opening times, so plan to head over once the parade ends rather than show up at a set hour.
That makes Dec. 12 the busiest day of the season, with a morning parade on the streets and an afternoon market at the Civic Center. The square is now one stop in Gatesville's holiday season.
The square's next big change will come when the west side is rebuilt. Until then, Saturday's Boozaar runs on the three sides still standing.
Thinking about how downtown's comeback could affect what your Gatesville home is worth? Amy Kirk keeps up with what's opening on and around the square. Get your instant home valuation or schedule a free consult, and we can talk it through over coffee.
