2014 Poetry Contest Winners

Upper East Side of Texas 2014 Winning Entries.

Farmers, Markets and Festivals Bring Food and Fun to Guests

Over the past few years the terms “culinary tourism,” “gastronomads,” and “farm to table” are heard often in the Upper East Side of Texas as people continue to embrace the need for fresh produce for better nutrition and tastier food.

Pat Green Kicks Off Summer Concert and Festival Season in the Upper East Side of Texas

Life is good for three-time Grammy nominee Pat Green, an icon of the third generation of Texas country-rockers who considers himself both hardworking and lucky, and who’s got a new album, Home, coming out sometime this summer featuring duets with Sheryl Crow and Lyle Lovett.

By Tom Geddie

Live Music Fills the Air This Summer

Justin Moore performs May 11 at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Fork. For a second consecutive time, Moore debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and #2 on the all-genre chart with Off the Beaten Path. The project has already produced Justin’s fourth #1, “Point At You,” and current Top 25-and-rising single “Lettin’ The Night Roll,” which has sold over 120,000 downloads.

Texas Shakespeare Festival Gears Up for Season

Last summer’s Texas Shakespeare Festival hosted by Kilgore College attracted audiences from more than 150 towns in Texas, 44 different states and nine foreign countries.

Groups Enjoy Painting with Erin

One of the first things people notice about Erin Simmons is her infectious smile and they soon learn about her passion for art.

By Tamara Stokes

Music Notes

Miranda Lambert will release her new album, Platinum, on June 3. The title is not only a song on the project, but also represents a way of life for Miranda.

Little Big Town Keeps the Party Rolling

Critically acclaimed country group, Little Big Town takes the Toyota Texas Bass Classic stage Saturday May 10. The band — consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook- — first entered the music scene over 13 years ago with hits such as “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Good As Gone” and Grammy-nominated single “Little White Church.”

The Back Porch

Some restaurants function simply as a means to get food, while others seek to provide diners with a unique experience.

Review by Patti Light

Kitt’s Kornbread Sandwich & Pie Bar

Sitting down to eat in historic downtown Jefferson is always a great way to step back and enjoy good fellowship with family or friends and watch the antiquing couples, nostalgia seekers and bikers as they stroll through shops and sidewalks.

Review by Patti Light

Rocket Fizz Takes Guests Down Memory Lane

Sometimes the only thing to make someone’s day is to provide them with a time machine — a passageway to a time that at least seems easier and happier than the present.

By Jeremy Light

Design With An Edge At D&P Interiors

Décor & Price Interiors (D&P Interiors) — a branch of Paul Michael Company — brings a warehouse concept to a furnishings showroom in Canton accompanied by 28,000 square feet of inventory.

By Tamara Stokes

Lake Fork Offers a Variety of Things To Do in the Summer

For those who think of lakes as having mirror-like surfaces, never interrupted by anything but an occasional skating bug, Lake Fork near Emory must cause some bewilderment.

By Jan Adamson

Splash Kingdom To Open New Location In Greenville

Splash Kingdom Waterpark announces it is opening a new location in Greenville. A ground breaking ceremony for the new waterpark on Interstate 30 was held in February, and the park is expected to open in early June.

Visit Texarkana for Art, History, and More

A recent visit to Texarkana made me wonder why I hadn’t made this staycation trip before and it certainly sealed the deal for a return trip soon. It was also the perfect mid-way spot to meet friends from Little Rock.

By P.A. Geddie

There’s Room at the Inn in Jefferson

Make plans this fall to step back in time, to slow down the fast pace and simply enjoy the pure romantic magic of Jefferson, Texas. This lovely little town has kept its rich history and beautiful antebellum and turn-of-the-century homes, many of which are now bed and breakfast inns.

By Cindy Anne Duncan

Wilhite Landscape Hosts Spring Photography Contest

Wilhite Landscape is hosting a photo contest called “My East Texas Spring.” Photos for the contest should capture spring scenes in East Texas.

Paul Michael Company Expands Home Decor Experience

Paul Michael Company recently opened new doors to a two-story, 60,000 square foot building next to their existing store on Highway 19 near Interstate 20 in Canton. The facility is filled with antiques, furniture, and hand-made recycled home decor.

By P.A. Geddie

Children’s Advocacy Center Raising Awareness Of Abuse

It is the birthright of every child to be loved, protected and nurtured. It is also a child’s right to grow up healthy and with their boundaries intact.It is the birthright of every child to be loved, protected and nurtured. It is also a child’s right to grow up healthy and with their boundaries intact.

Living As If

When my grandmother reached her sixties, she stopped buying nice shoes. By nice, I mean (and she would have meant) something at a department store. Instead, she bought her shoes at Pay-less and discount stores.

By Edward H. Garcia

Discover Living on Lake Bob Sandlin

Choosing the right lakefront property involves many factors. Family-run BG Development Group searched every possibility near Dallas to find exactly the right situation for families in need of a peaceful lakefront retreat.

Tyler, Longview, Texarkana Listed in Improving Markets for Homes

Tyler is now among 23 Texas cities – including Longview and Texarkana – on the March National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI).

East Texas Golf, Lands End

One would be hard-pressed to find a more unlikely setting for a top-level golf course than off a pasture-laden, one-lane country road in Yantis, Texas. Yet its quaint, if inauspicious, surroundings are a distinct part of the charm that makes The Links at Land’s End easily one of the most unique golf courses in the Upper East Side of Texas.

By Kevin White

The Resurrection of Ben Wheeler

Just about the only thing Brooks Gremmels has failed at, it seems, is retirement. The Tyler native, now 64 years old but looking 20 years younger, ran a successful natural gas development and production company, raced motorcycles, and created and partnered in several other companies. He retired nearly five years ago, but couldn’t sit still.

By Tom Geddie