Things kicked off Friday night, May 24, for the 31st annual Authentic Bonnie and Clyde Festival with a historians’ meeting held at the Gibsland Grill. Owner of the Ambush Museum Perry Carver lined up several guest speakers including Buddy Barrow Williams, Rhea-Leen Linder, Bert Largent and Ben Hendrickson.

On Saturday, the Lions Club held their annual pancake breakfast. Visitors were able to get their bellies full before shopping with numerous vendors lining the street downtown selling anything from paintings, food, clothing, homemade goods, jewelry and more. The museum was open all day at no charge for visitors, who came in to see Bonnie and Clyde memorabilia and artifacts collected by “Boots” Hinton, son of Ted Hinton, a Dallas County deputy who participated in the ambush. 

Entertainment including music, Bingo, cake walks, a look-a-like contest, parade and shootouts took place throughout the day all leading up to a reenactment at the historic ambush site by Public Enemies of 1934. 

This organization has been performing 1930’s era reenactments since the 1980;s; first as Reenactments, E.T.C. and later as Public Enemies of 1934. Public Enemies of 1934 performs at the annual Authentic Bonnie & Clyde Festival in Gibsland; the Great River Festival in Mason City, Iowa, home of the First National Bank robbed by Dillinger in 1934; the Chisholm Trail Museum, Kingfisher, Oklahoma., where Wilbur Underhill the “Tri-State Terror” robbed the local bank; the biennial Roaring Twenties event at Old Cowtown Museum, Wichita, Kansas; as well as appearing on The History Channel, Discovery Channel and A&E. Their multi-state membership includes historians, published authors, researchers, re-enactors, motion picture technicians, and law enforcement; sorry – no real bank robbers.

Next year’s festival is already on the books and set for May 23-24, 2025. The Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum is open Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 2419 Main Street in Gibsland.