Fans might not expect to see the likes of country superstar Eric Church in a tiny Central Texas town, but it's what they got at a new camping festival at a Gonzales ranch in April 2024. Now, the Cattle Country Music Festival is eyeing the space again for a return from April 10-12, 2025.

The festival sent out a save-the-date on July 23, promising a lineup "in the coming months." If last year is any indication, this may mean some big names in country music are forthcoming.

Alongside Church at the inaugural festival were more than 30 artists including Whiskey Myers, Koe Wetzel, and Tanya Tucker, constituting an impressive debut lineup and an even more surprising victory for a festival that's relatively out of the way. However, it's a great location for splitting audiences from Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, as long as they didn't mind a bit of a drive — for Austinites, it's about an hour and 15 minutes.

“We knew this festival was going to be special and unlike any other, but we are still in awe of the reception from the first year, with people from all over the state, country, and world still reaching out to us about how much fun they had,” said Cattle Country Music Festival founder Marcus Federman, who is based in Austin. “There is just something magical about listening to country music on a ranch surrounded by the Guadalupe River. Next year is going to be bigger and better, and we are going to bring the same spirit that captured all of us in the fest’s inaugural year.”

Besides a great lineup, this festival had nature on its side. It was held on a 400-acre ranch called “The Boot,” which includes about three miles of Guadalupe River banks and more than 150 pecan trees. That's where it will return in 2025, too.

Although crowded festivals like the Austin City Limits Music Festival get much of the urban area's attention, more remote camping festivals tend to pull very loyal fan bases thanks to their expanded activities and opportunities for down time between shows; in this case, multiple places to swim.

Adjacent to the river were multiple bars, food vendors, shopping, and plenty of space to relax without straying from the main event. Campers could also bring their own food and certain types of grills.

Changes for the festival's second year will include more GA and VIP camping areas, more tents and a private glamping lounge in the Glamping Village, and more RV spaces and on-site amenities. More information about those is also coming soon.

Besides checking social media, audiences can keep up with news from the Cattle Country Music Festival by subscribing to its newsletter at cattlecountryfest.com.