125th Anniversary of the Bazaar
In Albany, mention of the “Bazaar” means the holidays are near — and this year’s event carries extra significance. Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its first Bazaar this Saturday, Nov. 15, continuing one of the town’s oldest and most beloved community traditions. What began as a small gathering of church women raising funds for local mission work in 1900 has grown into an annual event that continues to bring together friends, families, and neighbors from across the area.
The doors will open at 10 a.m. with the popular Country Store, followed by the traditional turkey and dressing lunch at 11 a.m. in the church’s Education Building. Weather permitting, the Country Store will be set up outside, offering an assortment of baked goods, casseroles, jellies, soups, crafts, and other homemade favorites that fill the tables each year. Inside, the smell of roasted turkey and fresh rolls will once again fill the building as volunteers prepare to serve guests in the same neighborly spirit that has defined the event for generations. Adult meals are $15, children under 10 are $7, and takeout plates will be available for $15. Meals picked up to-go can be retrieved at the front entrance of the church.
A limited number of mesquite-grilled beef tenderloins are also available for purchase this year. The tenderloins are frozen, shrink-wrapped, and ready for pickup, with only eight remaining as of press time. Those who wish to reserve one may call Kalico Leech at 325-513-3351 or Prissy Harvick at 325-762-5498.
The first MMPC Bazaar took place in the fall of 1900, long before the church’s Education Building was constructed in 1927. That inaugural event was held in the newly built structure that would later become Sanders Drug Store. At the time, it had not yet been fitted with shelves or counters, making it an ideal open space for the sale. Local merchants in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Waco contributed goods to support the effort, which featured handmade items, baked treats, and small lunches of sandwiches, cake, coffee, and hot chocolate. Over the years, the Bazaar has moved from location to location — from the downstairs hall of the courthouse to the old Western Skies Hotel and the Hartfield building — before finally finding its permanent home at the church.
The famous turkey dinner became part of the event around 1915. In those early days, cooks had to light ovens as early as 2 a.m. during “gas freeze-ups” to ensure the birds were cooked in time for lunch. Men carved the turkeys while the women stirred dressing in wash tubs near wood-burning stoves, filling the building with the aroma of a home-cooked feast. Prices for the dinner have changed through the years — from 75 cents in the early days to $2 in 1926, $1.50 in the 1950s, and $15 today — but the meal has always come with all the fixings and plenty of seconds.
