Throughout the course of their musical union, the members of Almost Legal have won over the hearts of music lovers from all walks of life. Performing at a variety of venues and making countless public appearances as a new upcoming band, they play mainly cover songs, all the while working on writing their own music, this talented young group has earned the admiration and affection of young and old fans alike. Get in touch to learn more about their musical expertise, repertoire, and performance rates.
Christmas in the Pines (Angelina County)
Christmas in the Pines starts in the afternoon with vendors lining the streets of Downtown Lufkin creating a Christmas shopping extravaganza starting at 2:00pm. They’ll have vendors from all over the state of Texas joining the event just in time to get your holiday shopping done. From craft vendors to boutique clothing you will find the perfect gift.
Be sure to come hungry as they will also have some of your favorite local food trucks (as well as a few new ones) ready to serve up something delicious!
From 2:00pm-4:00pm there will be live performances on the stage from local groups who will be showcasing some of their fun programs, and Susan’s Studio of Dance is sure to put a smile on your face. You won’t want to miss out on the fun!
From 2:30pm-5:30pm Santa Clause will be posing for photos inside the historic Pines Theater. Photos will be taken by Texas Size Selfie and are complimentary for attendees.
At 5:30pm, join us as Brookshire Brothers will have milk and cookies as we prepare to light Rudolph.
At 6:00pm, join in and honor a Lufkin tradition- The Lighting of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Pumping Unit! Thank you Lufkin Industries for this time honored tradition!
Once Rudolph is lit the celebration will continue with more shopping and entertainment by Pineywoods Jamboree presented by Hughes Entertainment until 8:00pm.
Events in Deep East Texas this Weekend
This coming Friday Texas Country Music artist Tiffani Watkins will be live at Tia Juanita’s in Lufkin! If you like country music, don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear some it live!
East Texas Swingout is also starting this Friday! Go out this weekend and enjoy some swing dancing, workshops, and live music!
This Saturday is the Annual Huntington Catfish Festival, which is a huge deal, so come down to Angelina County and bring your family and friends with you to share the fun! There wile be live music, catfish plates, a catfish cook-off, food vendors and arts and crafts, plenty of fun games for kids which includes face painting, bounce houses, Roselake pony rides and a petting zoo, rock climbing, and an exhibit. Don’t forget to participate in the raffle!
Also held this Saturday is the sixth Annual Art in the Park. There will also be live music (and art from local artists)! Not only will there be live music and art, there will also be free lunch, creative interaction stations, art demonstrations and prizes! Plus, a special performance by Ballet After Dark brought to you by the Angelina Arts Alliance.
These two events are not the only events happening this Weekend! Events also held this weekend include Pineywoods Purgatory, Fall Fest, the 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the Fall Butterfly Festival, and the African American Heritage Project Annual Barbeque Fundraiser. If you want to know more about these events, click here to view our event calendar!
The Salvation Army Prepares for Hurricane: Ian’s Historic Impact
Potentially catastrophic landfall conditions make community support vital
The Salvation Army is preparing resources and personnel to meet the immediate needs of survivors and first responders ahead of Hurricane Ian’s potentially historic landfall in Florida. Ian comes just days after Hurricane Fiona ravaged Puerto Rico, where The Salvation Army is still serving survivors and first responders.
Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 storm the night of Wednesday, Sept. 28, on the west coast of Florida. If Ian stays on its projected path, it will mark the first direct impact of a hurricane in the area since 1921. Main concerns include a heavy storm surge leading to severe flooding conditions along the coastline. With the entire state of Florida now under a state of emergency and about 1 million residents planning to evacuate ahead of landfall, The Salvation Army is positioning resources and personnel to respond to widespread needs as efficiently as possible.
A Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) team from Texas, including an Incident Management Team and six mobile feeding units, departed Arlington, Texas on Wednesday morning headed for Florida. The team will provide additional support and resources for the anticipated response effort. Mobile feeding units from Austin, Granbury, Irving, Houston, San Antonio, and Pasadena, each manned by trained Salvation Army disaster volunteers and Officers, are part of the initial response team from Texas.
“One of the major advantages of The Salvation Army’s structure is that we are able to mobilize resources and people very quickly in times of disaster to provide practical help and support where needed,” said Alvin Migues, EDS Director for The Salvation Army in Texas. “After Hurricane Harvey, more than 50 Salvation Army feeding units staffed by Officers and volunteers from literally around the country deployed to Houston and the surrounding areas. Our team is ready and prepared to be there with a hot meal, a cold drink, and a word of encouragement and a prayer for those impacted by Hurricane Ian in Florida.”
Disaster response updates can be found below:
Ian Prep/Initial Response:
• Nationally, The Salvation Army has as many as 37 mobile feeding units and one field kitchen ready to mobilize across the impacted area immediately after the worst effects of the storm are realized.
o Each unit can feed 500-1,500 people per day.
• The Salvation Army has also started to serve some of the predicted 1M evacuees at a few shelters in Florida.
• Two major warehouses in Tampa, Florida, and McDonough, Georgia, (near Atlanta) are being prepped with food, water, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and anything else that will be needed by the thousands of people in the storm’s path.
The Salvation Army disaster personnel are also collaborating with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies and other social services organizations in both locations to monitor ongoing impacts and adapt response efforts, if necessary.
A digital media kit with current disaster assets can be found here.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s continued response, visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.
To make a financial gift to support Hurricane relief efforts: • Donate online: www.HelpSalvationArmy.org.
• Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
One-hundred percent of designated disaster donations go to direct services for survivors and first responders.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services, visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a broad array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org
Senior Living: 5 Ways Traditions Help Us Stay Healthy and Happy
Health experts say that establishing and maintaining family traditions can boost overall well-being and vitality, especially as we age.
“As children become adults and move out of the house or away, the family traditions that bind us can sometimes get lost in the process,” says Aparna Abburi, president of Medicare and CareAllies with Cigna, which provides insurance to hundreds of thousands of older adults through its Medicare plans. “Forming new traditions or reigniting old ones can keep us connected to loved ones, ultimately helping us feel more fulfilled, happier and healthier.”
Here are some insights into the importance of traditions to well-being and vitality as we age, along with tips for keeping those connections going in your own circle of family and friends:
Traditions help combat loneliness: According to a 2020 survey by Cigna, 61% of adults reported being lonely – a 7 percentage-point increase from 2018. That feeling was likely exacerbated by the pandemic that followed. Traditions can help to combat feelings of isolation. Consider setting up weekly video calls or trading letters and notes with relatives who live far away. Regular trips to a favorite destination, such as a lake or beach, or celebrating important holidays together every year, can provide meaningful time together.
Traditions pass on family values: Having shared values can help us feel connected to one another. Telling stories from the past or practicing cultural, spiritual and religious traditions are great ways to pass these values down from one generation to the next.
Traditions can make us feel young again: From cooking and gardening to sports and games, family traditions often evoke old memories and make us feel young again. Sensory memories can be particularly powerful. Whether it’s a cookie bakeoff, ballpark peanuts and hot dogs, or a singalong around the piano, family rituals that include special sights, sounds and aromas are often the ones we think of most fondly.
Traditions strengthen communities: Traditions are not just for families; they can also strengthen ties among friends and communities. Consider getting a group of neighbors together for morning walks or meeting friends for shopping excursions. Make visiting the farmers market, attending free concerts in the park, playing community center bingo and gathering for other recurring local events part of your routine.
For more information about how to stay healthy while aging, visit www.cignamedicare.com.
As you embrace the rituals that matter most to you, remember that traditions don’t need to be rigid or set in stone.
“Just as you might modify a family recipe to suit your dietary needs or switch from weekly phone calls to weekly video calls, don’t be afraid to tweak and expand on older traditions so they’re relevant and interesting today – and for years to come,” says Abburi.
(StatePoint)
Photo Source: (c) JLco – Julia Amaral / iStock via Getty Images Plus
2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s
This is an event held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research.
Holiday in the Pines (Nacogdoches County)
Holiday in the Pines is a three day select vendor market event sponsored by Nacogdoches Junior Forum.
Thursday night, known as “One HIP Night,” is a special ticketed event that includes free beverages and appetizers, all sponsored by local businesses.
Friday and Saturday are general admission market shopping days. Nacogdoches Junior Forum volunteer members, working in shifts throughout the weekend, provide customer service assistance to both vendors and shoppers.
Every penny earned by Holiday in the Pines is put back into our community. Since 1990, Nacogdoches Junior Forum has hosted Holiday in Pines as its ONLY fundraiser supporting over 20 annual service projects and scholarships. Nacogdoches Junior Forum has no paid employees. We are a volunteer-only service organization. Every booth fee, ticket sold, and individual contribution helps us help our community.
6th Annual Art in the Park
Come see, experience & create art at the 6th Annual Art in the Park! Enjoy FREE lunch, live music & art from local artists, creative interaction stations, art demonstrations & prizes! Plus, a special performance by Ballet After Dark brought to you by the Angelina Arts Alliance.
City-Wide Trunk or Treat (Jasper County)
Join the Chamber of Commerce for the 4th annual City-Wide Trunk or Treat! This event has been a huge success and we want to grow bigger and better! This is a drive-through event for your safety!
Businesses, churches, social organizations…sign up to hand out candy. Simply pull into a parking space, decorate your trunk and have fun!!!
Boo Bash (Angelina County)
This year for the annual down town Trick-or-Treat, we are rebranding and relocating for the safety of the children.
This year we will have our new Halloween event known as the “Boo Bash” at the Pitser Garrison Convention Center 601 N. Second St. on October 28th, 2022 from 4-7p.m