Newly constructed Veterans Memorial Wall to be dedicated November 11

The East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society is home to the newly constructed Henderson County Veterans Memorial Wall and Plaza, that will be dedicated at 11:30 a.m. on Veterans Day.

The memorial wall honors more than 9,000 military veterans from Henderson County beginning from the Civil War to present.

The two red brick curved walls, located within an open plaza with a bronze eagle sculpture overlooking the plaza, are embedded with names of veterans engraved on granite panels.

Visitors to Athens can see the new memorial wall daily from dawn to dusk at the East Texas Arboretum, located at 1601 Patterson Road.

Christmas Park Land of Lights opens for holiday season November 10

Christmas Park Land of Lights will be opening for the holiday season on Sunday, November 10 and will remain open through January 2.

Christmas Park Land of Lights first opened in 1998 and has grown each year with visitors from all 50 states and many international visitors. Lights have been purchased from all over the United States and from other countries. All the wood cut outs and the majority of metal art were designed and constructed on the park grounds.

The drive through Christmas Park is more than a mile long with over four million lights, 2,000 wood cut outs, more than 60 scenes, 50 motion controlled lighted scenes, six tunnels, eight arches and a concession stand. Don't miss Santa Claus starting Thanksgiving night.

Due to the heavy bumper to bumper traffic on weekends, it is recommended that tour buses give prior notification in advance of arrival and it is recommended that buses visit during the week, if possible. Please note that trailers are not allowed due to steep grades.

For more information, including admission, please visit www.AthensTX.org.

Scenic Fall Foliage Driving Trail

Vibrant red foliage of the Sumac can be
seen at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries
Center in Athens, Texas.
Photo courtesy of
Larry D. Hodge, TFFC.

Each autumn in Athens, the picturesque landscape transforms to the vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow as leaves begin to turn throughout the East Texas woodlands.

The City of Athens Department of Tourism offers a scenic driving trail for visitors to take this fall season to view the fall foliage of East Texas. Henderson County has breathtaking scenic highways and byways that are identified on the easy to follow interactive map.

Athens borders the Texas Forest Trail and Texas Lakes Trail Regions. Here you will find beautiful autumn color displays of the deciduous trees including oaks, maples, sweetgums and sumacs.

The 55-mile self-guided driving trail begins and ends at the Athens Partnership Center, located at 201 W. Corsciana Street, where visitors can pick up additional information about Athens before heading out on the tour.

The scenic driving trail includes several points of interest such as the NY-TX Zipline Adventures, located atop the highest point in Henderson County; the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, where visitors can walk the interpretive wetland trail and learn about the hatchery; next visitors can stroll through the gardens at the East Texas Arboretum & Botanical Society and view the fall foliage from the Arboretum's observation deck; Tara Vineyard and Winery is the oldest winery in Henderson County and offers a panoramic view of the rolling hills of East Texas including the stately Murchison Home, which overlooks the vineyard.

Autumn color is expected mid to late November but it is recommended to call ahead. Visit www.AthensTX.org for foliage reports and to download the interactive map.

It's Time to Register for the 16th Annual Turkey Trot

Come out early Thanksgiving Day to the Cain Center and join in the fun for the 16th Annual Turkey Trot!

Early bird registration is now open through November 15 and walk-in registration is open November 16 through November 27. Participants will also be able to register the day of the race starting at 7 a.m. on November 28.

This year, there will be a Drumstick Dash for children ages 0-12. Participants are allowed to bring their dogs, which must be kept on a leash at all times and a registration form must be filled out on their behalf.

For participant fees, event schedule and online registration information, please click here.

Texas Swing and Heritage Festival coming up October 19 at the Cain Center

Athens will be the hottest place in the Lone Star State when the Texas Swing & Heritage Festival gets
underway at 10 a.m. on Oct. 19 at the Cain Center.

Robyn Ludwick, Deadman, Elizabeth McQueen and many other performers will grace three stages during the 12-hour festival, which also features the Austin Blues Society's Heart of Texas Blues Challenge (East Texas division), the Swing Chick fiddle contest, swing-dancing contest, and barbecue cook-off and more. Late Texas honky-tonk legend Al Dexter will be honored with a presentation by Dr. Gary Hartman, director of the Center for Texas Music History at Texas State University.

Admission is $35; VIP tickets are $150 and includes access to a special festival lounge with open bar (noon to 10 p.m.), food from Railway Cafe and exclusive performances. Tickets are available online at texasswingfestival.com or by calling 903.677.4247.

Other performers include Bordertown Bootleggers, Lone Star Swing, JT Coldfire and Shoot Low Sheriff, with more to be announced, including entrants in the Heart of Texas Blues Challenge. The winner of this regional preliminary for the Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge, held annually in Memphis, will receive an expenses-paid trip to compete in the Austin Blues Society Heart of Texas finals in Austin. The final winner will compete in Memphis.

"Our festival is built upon the idea of bringing people together, and one of the ways we're doing that is through good old-fashioned competition," says festival director Michael Lenz. "We're just updating ours a bit."

But celebrating heritage is equally important, which is why the festival also is paying homage to musical legend Al Dexter. Dexter co-wrote and recorded Honky Tonk Blues, the first song to use that term, in 1936. Born in Jacksonville, Texas (conflicting reports list the year as 1902 and 1905; he died in 1984), Clarence Albert Poindexter also ran his own honky-tonk, the Roundup Club, in Turnertown, and in 1943, recorded his biggest hit, Pistol Packin Mama. The first country singer to perform on Broadway, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

About the Texas Swing Festival: Formed in 2011, the Texas Swing & Heritage Festival is committed to celebrating and promoting Texas musicians, artists and cultural heritage, and strives to become the premier festival showing unique and emerging Texas music and arts. Held in Athens, Texas, the festival combines music, education, workshops, blues and barbecue competitions and other forms of creative expression in a family-friendly format.

Athens Department of Tourism Hosts Texas Friendly Hospitality Training

The City of Athens Department of Tourism hosted its second Texas Friendly Hospitality Training on August 22 at the Athens Partnership Center for hospitality industry employees.

The Texas Friendly Training offers essential training for all front-line employees, including front desk staff, hotel staff, guest services, restaurant staff, etc. Excellent customer service is a vital key to the lifeline of all successful businesses as well as the success of the tourism industry here in Athens.

Attending the training was representatives from the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Athens Chamber of Commerce, Holiday Inn Express Athens, Coker and Qualls P.A., and the Cain Center.

Registration Now Open for the Annual Bluegill Family Fishing Tournament at Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center

Join the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center for a fun-filled day of trying to catch the biggest Bluegill at the
Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center and on Lake Athens.

The annual Bluegill Family Fishing Tournament will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 28, 2013.

The cost is $15 per family team, entry includes family admission.

Numerous prize packages will be awarded, including an X-Box 360 with game, fishing equipment and gift cards from local businesses. More than $2,500 in prizes will be awarded.

The tournament awards prizes for the heaviest stringers of sunfish, but the event is really about adults and children having fun fishing together.

Teams must consist of one adult 18 years or older and one child under 18 years of age. Each team can weigh in a maximum of four fish. Multiple teams can fish from the same boat, making it possible for both parents to partner with different children and still fish as a family. Team members are not required to be related.

Teams may choose to fish either on Lake Athens, which is adjacent to TFFC, or in TFFC's ponds and streams, some of which have been stocked with bluegills.

All species of sunfish or bream, except largemouth bass, are allowed. For information on identifying them, please click here.

For more information about the Bluegill Family Fishing Tournament, visit the event page by clicking here. To request an entry form, contact Craig Brooks at TFFC at 903-670-2222.