Good Evening TXK
In the always true words of my good friend Ali Deal, “I thrive in the summertime.”
Summer is my jam. Summer is MY season. Summer is the feeling you get staring at a sunset while listening to the crickets chirp and watching the passing fireflies. I love nostalgically submerging myself back into my blissfully naive middle school days where I would run the streets on hot summer nights with my friends, then stay up with them until 4 am listening to our favorite summer songs playing on the tiny radio I had in my room. Gosh, I am making myself sound OLD!
The point I am trying to make is that even now as a working-class adult (I use the term “adult” very loosely), I still feel like school just got let out for three months and I’m ever so determined to soak up every moment of this “freedom” before I have to go back. Only, I do not have to go back. If you’re a teenager in high school reading this, feel very lucky that you DO have to go back. You think sitting at a desk all day is hard until you are out in the real world. Good grief, I am making myself sound old again.
Whether you’re a child, a teen, or a clearly ancient feeling 23-year-old like myself, there are plenty of fun events happening in Texarkana this month to help you enjoy that wonderful summer sunshine! Here are some of them…
Freedom Fest, T&P Trailhead Park—July 4
AHHHH! It is time for fireworks again and I could not be more thrilled! No, seriously, I couldn’t be more thrilled! There is not another ounce of thrill I could muster up in this moment. I have always had such a strange fascination with fireworks. I also can’t even think about fireworks now without the Katy Perry song replaying endlessly in my head for hours after. Iconic.
Fourth of July celebrations are always lots of fun for the entire family, and this event is no exception! The New Boston Freedom Fest is an annual event, and each year it gets better and better. You just cannot beat food, live entertainment, and yes, fireworks, all in one night.
Food, fun and entertainment will kick off at 6 pm, and the fireworks show begins at 9 pm! All this excitement is taking place at T&P Trail Head Park Pavilion and Festival Grounds! So come on out and let’s celebrate the red, white and blue! For more information call 903-628-2581.
4 States of Freedom Cowboy Camp, Circle J Cowboy Church—July 4-6 & 7-9
Summer is in full swing, which means bring on the camps! I spent most of my childhood summers at church camp, and it most definitely helped mold me into the human I have become.
However, I very regretfully have to admit I’ve never been to anything that sounds quite as fun as this church camp. The 4 States of Freedom Cowboy Camp targets young Christian cowboys and cowgirls who want to take part in a fun cowboy-themed entertainment while also praising the Lord!
Pre-teens, join camp pastor, Chase Pope, and worship band, Alvarado Road Show on July 4 through July 6, and teen camp will be held July 7 through July 9. For more information, head to the Circle J Cowboy Church Facebook page or call 903-277-1499!
WinShape Camps for Communities, Red Lick ISD—July 5-9
If you are a parent looking to distance yourself from your child for a few hours (I’m kidding of course. Why would you ever want space from the precious children you’re responsible for 24/7), WinShape Camps for Communities might be of some service to you!
“WinShape Camps for Communities brings the ultimate day camp right to your neighborhood, combining fun, faith and friendship into an action-packed week. Campers completing grades K5-8 cultivate their God-given skills and talents in a mix of indoor and outdoor moments, physical activity and creative play, with epic adventures at camp all day and sleeping soundly back at home each night. At the end of the week, we serve up a day of fun for the whole family—complete with a yummy lunch from Chick-fil-A.” (They explained everything better than I would have, so I just went with that thorough summary from their website. Thank you WinShape.)
Texarkana’s WinShape Camp will take place at Red Lick ISD from July 5-9 from 8 am-5 pm and will be for children who have completed Kindergarten-8th grade. To register, all you have to do is log onto WinShape.org! Prices and time information can be found there as well.
TechKNOW Camps, St. James Day School—July 12-16, 19-23, 26-30
Summer at St. James Day School sounds super fun for the kiddos this year! The school will host TechKNOW Camps from July 12-16, July 19-23 and July 26-30 featuring a wide variety of super awesome learning opportunities for your child!
TechKNOW camps are in-person and hands-on learning experiences with topics ranging from Lego Masters, Video Game Design, Mechanical Engineering, Home Economics, Maker Space Engineering, Photography, Robotics and Sci-Tech Extravaganza. Each week will host different themes and develop skills in topics your child is ACTUALLY interested in; these are not your basic arts and crafts. These are FUN, interactive activities!
For all information on how to register your child, head on over to St. James Day School’s official website!
Silvermoon Children’s Theatre Camp and Mini Shows—July 12-16 and 26-30
You would think as dramatic as I am in everyday life that I would be super interested in theatre. While I am not much of an onstage performer, I can always appreciate a good show when I see one and Silvermoon Children’s Theatre has ALWAYS put on a good show.
“A MiniShow is basically a DRAMA CAMP... a weeklong process of putting together a ‘public-ready show’ in ONLY 5 days. It will be a fun, fast-paced week of all things theatre! Kids will learn how to explore different characters, design and construct costumes and sets, learn and practice theatre etiquette and stage direction, move their bodies in fun choreography, prepare and memorize lines and learn skills to help present lines to an audience, get out of the box with fun and creative improv games, etc... all while having fun, making new friends, and using teamwork to put it all together. Cost includes a week of theatre learning and fun and two comp tickets to see the show. Tickets for purchase will be available the week of camp! Camp is daily for kids ages 7-16 from 10 am-3 pm.”
I know there’s got to be some exceptional young actors and actresses who want to take part in this fun opportunity! Silvermoon seems like it is nothing but a good time, all the time! Visit the official Silvermoon Children’s Theatre website for more information!
Scooby-Doo Mystery Party (For Adults), PJ Ahern Home—July 31
If you are up for a unique and exciting night of mystery, this is the event for you. It is a chance to flashback to yester-year when times were simpler and a cartoon dog solving crime was all it took to fill your Saturday mornings with excitement. This event sounds FUN!
It will be a night of mystery, fun and detective work! “It’s 1971 and the Texarkana Historical Society is working diligently to open the city’s very first museum, but things keep going bump in the night. Are they accidents or is it sabotage? Join us and help the Scooby Gang solve the crime!” Sounds spooky and thrilling and you will have the opportunity to be the detective you’ve always secretly thought you could be!
This Scooby-Doo Mystery Party will be held at the Historic P.J. Ahern Home and will be hosted by the Texarkana Museum System. The fun night kicks off Saturday, July 31 at 6:00 pm and will run until 8:00 pm. Tickets are $40 per person or $75 per couple. To find out more, visit TexarkanaCentral.com.
Live Music Opportunities!
July 2—Bad Rona at 67 Landing
July 10—The Steel Woods and Ethan Kuntz at Crossties
July 10—Billie Jo at Redbone
July 10—Curtis Grimes at 67 Landing
July 17—Tailgate Poets at Crossties
July 17 & 24—Relentless Unplugged at Redbone
For more events visit
