Kilgore Mercantile and Music owner explains charm of downtown Kilgore

KILGORE, Texas (KLTV) - Fred Gebhardt and his wife sold their home and bought a historic 1930s building in downtown Kilgore in order to open the combined music store, ice-cream parlor and giftshop they run now.

They often partner with other local businesses to create community events. “If you come downtown Kilgore, there’ll be something fun to do,” he said.

From 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on every second Saturday of the month, they host music jams at the store. He said about 20 musicians attend each one to take turns performing and listen to the other acts.

“You never know who will show up -- we have professional musicians...we have beginners, just everything,” Gebhardt said.

His store also runs music classes for “everyone, from age 7 to 107,” so there are many reasons to check it out.

You can learn more and access the community calendar at the mercantile website.

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