The McWilliams family — Gary “Pa Mac” McWilliams, his wife Lynna and daughters Bonnie, Annie and Ellie — has developed a loyal following through bluegrass music, community theater, historical reenactments and the Gap Mercantile store they operate in Caddo Gap.

The McWilliams Family Bluegrass Band has two performances scheduled in August. They will play Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Front Porch Stage on the lawn of the Montgomery County Courthouse in Mount Ida. A week later, on Saturday, Aug. 15, the band will appear at Old Washington State Park in Hempstead County as part of the Music in the Park summer concert series. Both performances begin at 7 p.m.

The band performs in a variety of settings. In June, they played their annual free concert on the grounds of the family store. Music is only one of the family’s many talents. 

Bonnie, who plays guitar in the bluegrass band, can also be seen performing as part of the Sisters String trio, in which she plays cello while sisters Annie and Ellie play violins. The ensemble has volunteered in the past to perform at local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Bonnie also enjoys demonstrating the art of tatting, an intricate technique used to make homemade lace. 

If you were in New Zealand last fall, you could have run into Annie on her honeymoon with husband Josh. Rumor has it they went to see Hobbiton, the movie set and popular tourist attraction where the Peter Jackson-directed movies “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” were filmed.

Annie recently portrayed Annie Oakley during the Caddo Gap Heritage Festival last October.

“This was my dad, Gary’s, idea. My name’s Annie and he’s like, ‘This would be cool,” she said. Annie plays fiddle in the family bluegrass band, while the instrument is a more formal violin in the Sisters String ensemble.

Another performer during the annual festival was Ellie, who, along with her husband Bryce, portrayed the notorious criminal couple Bonnie and Clyde. Historical records indicate Bonnie and Clyde passed through Caddo Gap in the early 1930s, so why not have them portrayed robbing the Gap Mercantile? A mock gunfight follows, making for an exciting scene. 

In the band, Ellie plays a mandolin and sings. She plays violin in the Sisters String ensemble. One daughter quipped, “It was mom’s idea to have a trio or quartet and she succeeded after paying for about 60 years of music lessons, if you add each child separately.”

The Montgomery County Council for the Performing Arts (MCCPA) provides another outlet for the McWilliams family to share their talents. 

“It began back in about 2018 when dad and I began volunteering with the MCCPA as he was auditioning for his dream role of Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” said Ellie. 

This launched her “obsession” for theater, she said, which evolved from playing extras to several leading roles while directing and assisting with multiple plays over the years.

She’s not alone in her family’s love for the theater. Another daughter, Katie Beth McWilliams Felton, has had roles in numerous plays, including a lead role in MCCPA’s “Steel Magnolias.” In addition to helping wherever she could, Felton also directed the group’s version of “Pollyanna.” And just about the entire family had roles in the production of “Little Women.”

Felton remembers learning how to play the violin at age 7, and after the family moved back to Arkansas, playing with the Henderson State University band between the ages of 15 and 18. Her sister Annie, 12 at the time, remembers playing concerts with the university’s string ensemble. 

“Mom arranged for us to take lessons from the violin teacher who played with the Arkansas Symphony and taught at HSU,” Annie said. 

Probably the most reliable place to meet Lynna, their mom, who sings and plays the large upright bass in the group, is at the Gap Mercantile. The family bought the store in 2017 and while maintaining the historical feel of the building, has introduced an eclectic collection of items that are on display and for sale. 

The Gap Mercantile feels part general store and part museum. One can buy snacks, drinks, used tools, pottery, jams and jellies, books about the area and more. It’s best to plan on spending a bit of time when visiting the Gap Mercantile to take it all in.

Gary, known to many as “Pa Mac,” plays banjo in the bluegrass group. He can be found most days at the family store. His background is in radio, producing popular evangelical radio programs. He has a love for the simple, “back-to-the-earth” lifestyle. 

Combining this with his creative streak led to his foray into YouTube video production 13 years ago. His Farm Hands Companion YouTube channel now has about 111,000 subscribers while his videos have generated more than 12 million views. The videos with the most views are older ones with titles like “Homemade Lumber,” “Log Skidding” and “Pole Barn Construction.”

Regardless of their many roles, the McWilliams family has become one of the region’s most recognizable families. It’s likely that anyone who spends time in Caddo Gap will eventually cross paths with them.