A brother and sister prepare for a Ballistic ride spin at Murphy’s 15th Annual Maize Days. Bob Wieland/Murphy Monitor

Just about everybody in Murphy was outside on Monday, April 8, looking up and hoping skies would clear in time to see the total eclipse of the sun. Several hundred people gathered in Central Park as the clouds parted briefly and the moon covered the sun for four minutes of totality at 1:41 p.m.

Other than having something to show your grandkids, there’s no need to keep your eclipse viewing glasses; the next total eclipse for Collin County won’t occur until 2317. 

The Murphy Chamber of Commerce kicked off the year’s fun with its annual awards gala. Mardi Gras was the theme of the Friday, Feb. 9 event and there were purple, green and gold beads galore for more than 70 chamber members and their guests. 

The Chamber also sponsored the 13th Annual Spring Fever event. Hundreds of families braved blustery winds on April 27 to visit 80 booths and tables set up in Central Park. 

In August, the Chamber held two business camps for young entrepreneurs in the Murphy Activity Center, where the Murphy Historical Society held a 1950s sock hop in March. The activity center was also the site of the Back 2 School moonlight movie of “The Little Mermaid” in July.

During June, four free outdoor concerts were held in the park as Murphy Parks & Recreation continued the Sounds at Sundown series. 

Performers included Blurry Paige, an alt-pop artist from San Antonio, Memphis Soul, which bills itself as “DFW’s Premiere Motown Band,” Luke Combs tribute band “Like Combs” and Emerald City Band of Dallas.

Other Parks & Rec events during 2024 included the Diamonds & Denim Daddy-Daughter Dance in February, the Murphy Gladiator Mother-Son Extravaganza in March and the Easter-palooza egg hunt March 28. Ten thousand brightly colored plastic eggs were scattered across six soccer fields. Next year’s event in April will be called Moonlight Movies Hop ‘n Hunt.

July was Parks & Rec month with a variety of events at the Murphy Community Center including glow dodgeball. Outdoor activities included the Summer Splash and watermelon-eating contest in Central Park. 

About 10,000 people attended the 15th Annual Maize Days “cornival” held Oct. 5 in the park. New this year was a $10 all-you-can-ride wrist band helping to move along the crowd eagerly waiting their turn.

Half of those attending the event said they spent two to four hours there and more than one-quarter said they enjoyed four to six hours in the park.

More than 100 campers spent the night in Central Park as the city hosted a community campout the third weekend in November. 

The trunk-n-treat Skelebration at City Hall was a frightening success in October but Christmas in the Park had to be cut short on Dec. 7 because of rain.  A virtual lighting of the city’s Christmas tree was later held online. Earlier in the year, young power wheels racers zoomed around the City Hall parking lot on Aug. 13.

The April and October Clean & Green events in the parking lot attracted hundreds of residents wanting to recycle items or dispose of hazardous trash, the Murphy Police Department held two drug takebacks and a weeklong Youth Citizens Police Academy in July and Murphy Fire-Rescue welcomed visitors for an open house. 

Because of higher vendor costs, the city canceled this year’s Tunes, Tails & Ales. It will be replaced next spring with a barbecue cook-off and tasting. 

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