Second Annual ET Comedy Festival

Liberty Hall will hold the second annual East Texas Comedy Festival June 14 and 15 in Tyler. The festival includes a contest for “East Texas Funniest Comic “ beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, two Comedy Workshops at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, and the final performance is standup comedy performed by seasoned improvisers beginning at 8 p.m.

ETCOG Honors Residents For Contributions to Region

The East Texas Council of Governments honored regional citizens who exemplify excellence in performance, innovation, and contributions to the community at its 86th semi-annual board of directors meeting.

Cliburn Defined by Big, Small Moments

Some people’s lives are defined by a single big moment, or at least it seems that way.

By Tom Geddie

Make Plans for Summer Play Time

Most families and individuals alike have more leisure time in the summer than at any other time of the year.

Shakespeare Finds Summer Home in Kilgore

New faces, returning alumni, and fresh ideas all await audience members as the 2013 season of The Texas Shakespeare Festival (TSF) opens June 27 for its annual month-long stage stay at Kilgore College.

By Patti Light

Edom, Ben Wheeler Art Jam is Scheduled for June 22

The next Art Jam on the 279 Artisans Trail is set for June 22, with music, artist demonstrations, guest artists, galleries, one-of-a-kind shopping, restaurants, and more in Ben Wheeler, Edom, and at Blue Moon Gardens along Hwy. 279.

Eisley Set To Release Fourth Full-Length Album

Eisley will release its fourth full-length album, Currents, on May 28 via Equal Vision Records. The album was self-recorded and self-produced in the group’s home studio in Tyler.

Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch Set to Play Moore’s Store

Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch, voted best blues act at the 2012 Dallas Observer Music Awards, is one of the headline acts for the upcoming schedule at Moore’s Store in Ben Wheeler. The eclectic blues-rock band, set to perform on May 24, is sometimes described as “Rory Gallagher meets Joe Bonamassa meets Johnny Winter;” its music also includes bits of hard rock, old country, jazz, and surf. The band’s live show is a high-energy workout that leaves crowds in a frenzy.

Flavorful Food and Fun Abound with Farmers’ Offerings

Hands down one of the absolute best things about the Upper East Side of Texas is its farmers and the produce they offer direct from their farms or at community markets where they bring their fresh produce to consumers. From tomatoes, peas, squash, okra, peppers, onions, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, wine, honey, dairy, and meats, this part of the country is famous for the best-tasting fresh food found anywhere.

By P.A. Geddie

El Torro Mexican Restaurant

The smell of sizzling fajitas welcomes hungry guests as they walk into the doors of Palestine’s El Toro Mexican restaurant. It promises spice, comfort, and fellowship as laughter rings out from tables. This is always the experience I encounter as a diner here.

Review by Patti Light

Fifth Sale on the Trail Spreads Across 200 Miles

The fifth annual El Camino Real “Sale on the Trail” is scheduled May 3-4 along nearly 200 miles of Hwy. 21 between Crockett, Texas, and Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Turner’s Country Store Celebrates 25 Years and Continued Success

People walking into Turner’s Country Store in Canton might think they are walking into an ice cream parlor. With its famous home-style ice cream, this is true, but it’s also so much more. It’s a family run business that dabbles in a little bit of everything.

By Leah Lynch

Hole-in-One Competition Raises Scholarship Funds

The 27th annual UT Tyler Suddenlink Patriot Million Dollar Hole-in-One Contest will be May 11-18 on The University of Texas at Tyler campus. Contest finals will be Sunday, May 19, at Hollytree Country Club.

Boy Scouts Unveil Sign For Disc Golf Course

The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department and Boy Scout Troop 335 have unveiled the sign for the new disc golf course at Noble E. Young Park. The course, built by Lawson Barrett for his Eagle Scout project last summer with help from other members of Troop 335, features nine holes with concrete tee boxes. Barrett worked closely with Paul Owen, an avid disc golfer and overseer of the Louis and Peaches Owen Foundation, to design the course.

Consider Drip Irrigation For Vegetable Gardens

People planting vegetable gardens might consider drip irrigation, suggests Tommy Phillips, Van Zandt County extension agent.

Organization Helps Build Dreams in Longview

Confucius once said, “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” Knowing this and many other reasons why a home is so important, Longview Habitat for Humanity is helping many East Texas families see their dreams become a reality.

By Patti Light

5K Freedom Run Planned at Black Beauty Ranch

The second annual 5K Freedom Run is scheduled May 11 at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch near Murchison.

Clearing Land and Psychological Thickets

These nice spring days, my wife and I often go back to the thicket near our house before supper for an hour or so of clearing. Our place is thick with oaks, pines, sassafras, cedars, the occasional hickory and maple and lots and lots of vines.

Edward H. Garcia

Tyler, Longview, Texarkana Listed in Improving Markets

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).

Long Cove Brings New Homes to Cedar Creek Community

A new private second-home community is developing on Cedar Creek Lake called Long Cove, situated on more than six miles of pristine shoreline in the lake’s deep waters.