It all started as a simple 4th of July fund-raiser. In 1925 Walter & Audrey Crider hosted a rodeo to benefit the Hunt School PTA.
The guests of Heart of The Hills Inn (now a girls camp) and some folks who had summer homes, wanted a place to learn folk dances, etc. A wooden dance floor was built on the lower banks of the Guadalupe River on the Crider property.
The rodeo, dance and barbeque were held each 4th of July. In the early 1930's this became a weekly event during the summer months. Friendships, love affairs, and general good will towards men have been engineered at Crider's ever since.
After several years of floods, the wooden dance floor was moved across the highway, next to the Crider's country store and Humble gas station. After World War II, the dance floor was moved to its present location overlooking the river. The rodeo area was built nearby and the rodeos were held every Saturday night as well.
A large wooden sign, embossed with rope letters reading "Crider's", stands over the entrance to the dancehall. Massive Oaks grow out of the roomy dance slab. A building housing a cafe stands to the side. This establishment is typical Texas. Crider's has no specialized clientele.
The charm of it lies in the unpretencious mingling of people. They are rustics, sophisticates, oil men, grounds keepers, high school students, teachers, professional football players, TV personalities, Presidents, Governors, Astronauts, movie stars, camp counselors, truck drivers, cowboys, grandparents, grandchildren, business executives, the works! Not all that go to Crider's dance..... some go to hear the music, watch the dancers or just have an evening out with friends. Crider's is a great place for a family outing.
