HOWDY

‘Howdy Liberty Hill’ seeks to connect community

BY RACHEL MADISON

STAFF WRITER

Nicci Bontrager, a native Texan and the creator of social media page Howdy Liberty Hill, has always had a passion for sharing people’s stories, which is why when her family made the decision to move to Liberty Hill earlier this year, she wanted to put that passion to work.

That’s when she created Howdy Liberty Hill, her social media presence that features all things Liberty Hill, from local businesses to community events.

“I started planning this idea before we moved here,” Bontrager said. “I knew I wanted to do something that would help me get to know everyone. Liberty Hill is growing but it’s still small. I wanted to soak all of that up and relish in that small town vibe and go out and meet people and fi nd all the talent we have here in town.” The Bontragers have owned land in Liberty Hill since 2015 but didn’t break ground on their home until early 2022. Until their home is fi nished, they are renting in the area and spending a lot of time ge ing to know the people who make up Liberty Hill.

Bontrager keeps a running list in her mind of who she wants to interview and learn more about. Some people reach out to her with a request to feature their business, while others are ones she sees while driving around town.

“I’ll drive by a business and think, ‘I want to interview them,’” she said. “Everyone has a story. I think that’s the push behind Howdy Liberty Hill, so that even as the city grows we can still know each other’s stories and where we are coming from.”

Bontrager has even stopped people at local gas stations to ask them what their favorite drink is and what their plans for the day are, which she said is another fun way to connect with the community and get to know people.

Bontrager offi cially started her Howdy Liberty Hill page, which can be found on Instagram and Facebook, in May. Complete with a homemade Panther purple T-shirt that reads “Howdy!,” Bontrager tries to visit three to four diff erent businesses a week to learn more about them and feature them on social media.

“My very fi rst interview was with the owner of Jubilee Po ery,” Bontrager said. “I got to see her studio and it was awesome. I love to just listen and hear people tell me their stories, and how they got started in whatever their talent is.”

Bontrager aims to be as interactive as she can when she visits a business. She takes photos, creates videos and writes up each business owner’s story. Since starting in May, Bontrager said she’s had the opportunity to do a lot of interesting things around town, including washing windows, making hot sauce and painting with an artist.

“I write the post fi rst and then I’ll share in my [Instagram] stories,” she said. “I just try to highlight who the people are and give them their fair share of time and a ention. I try to do right by them.”

A er her interviews, Bontrager does all the Instagram magic herself by creating the posts and editing videos to go along with them.

Howdy Liberty Hill can be a bit of a family aff air, as well, Bontrager said. Occasionally, her husband or one of her fi ve children will join her for interviews if they are interested in the topic.

Overall, Bontrager has found a love for highlighting Liberty Hill, particularly because everyone she’s met so far puts in a lot of hard work and eff ort into whatever it is they do.

“Liberty Hill is the American dream,” she said. “People have an idea, run with it, and the community supports them.”

While Bontrager said Howdy Liberty Hill will remain a side gig -- she’s a family therapist by trade -- she also has a lot of goals for its future.

“I want to host a Howdy Week when the weather cools down, which would be like holding a playdate group each day for diff erent ages at a park as a way to get to know people,” she said. “I see that a lot in counseling. A lot of young moms feel stuck and lonely with no way to meet people, and I would love for Howdy Week to be a way for families to meet each other.”

Bontrager would also like to create other community events in the future, like a fun run, a lip sync ba le and a movie making contest.

“I don’t quite know how to pull these ideas off yet, but I want to create even more ways to bring people together,” she added.

Howdy Liberty Hill is approaching 600 Instagram followers, which has been fun for Bontrager to watch grow over the last several months. She hopes to continue growing her following so that more people can learn about the businesses that make up Liberty Hill.

“We’ve never been in a town that has so much small-town pride as Liberty Hill,” Bontrager said. “I want to soak that up and

Nicci Bontrager, creator of Howdy Liberty Hill, makes it her mission to get to know the people who make up the community. One of the many places Bontrager has featured through her social media page is Bar-K Ranch, a local farm that raises chickens, bees and sheep. (Courtesy Photo)

be a part of it, and I want to help preserve that in any way I can.”

Find Howdy Liberty Hill on Instagram at @howdylibertyhill and Facebook at Howdy Liberty Hill | Facebook.

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