Memorial Day Event: Monday, May 30

The City of Huntsville Rec Services Dept. is hosting a Memorial Day event on Monday, May 30 from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM at the Aquatic Center (912 Avenue N).

There will be free swimming, a DJ, a hot dog eating contest, sugar cookie painting, a patriotic swimsuit contest, etc. Don't get too excited about the swimsuit contest, though. It is for children ages 12 and under.

Sugar cookie decorating starts around noon, and the hot dog eating contest starts around 1:00. The swimsuit contest will happen around 3:00.

The hot dog eating contest is limited to the first 10 people that sign up, so if you are interested in participating, get there early. For the rest of us, the concession stand will be open all day. You have to be 12 or over to participate in the hot dog eating contest; kids under 18 must have a parent sign a waiver.

6th Annual SAAFE House Crawfest: Thursday, May 26th 6pm

6^th Annual SAAFE House Crawfest

Walker County Fair Grounds

Thursday, May 26^th 6pm

Tickets: $25 per person or $200 for a table of eight
Features: LIVE MUSIC, Silent Auction, Drawings for Prizes, and TONS of food!

This Thursday, The SAAFE House will be hosting the 6^th Annual SAAFE House Crawfest. It will feature live music by Desert Road, a silent auction and all of the crawfish and food that you can eat! Not only will this be a very fun event, but the money raised will also be going to a very good cause.

The SAAFE House works very hard to help fight Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in our community, but they need our help. The SAAFE House is currently down 32% in revenue compared to last year, but this event will hopefully alleviate this problem. So, if you are feeling guilty about the cost, remember that it is going to a worthy cause AND for a heck of a good time.

If you can’t make it to this year’s Crawfest, there are still plenty of ways that you can help. Click HERE to visit the official SAAFE House website to make a donation or find out about how you can volunteer.

2011 Amateur Photo Contest--Sam Houston Memorial Museum

2011 Amateur Photo Contest

Sam Houston Memorial Museum

Deadline to submit: September 9, 2011

Cash Prize!

$5.00 per entry

If you have an interest in photography and are not already a professional photographer, then now is the time to explore your talents! The Sam Houston Memorial Museum is currently accepting applications for this year’s Amateur Photo Contest. Grab a camera and start taking pictures TODAY! Only the pictures for the Huntsville category need to be taken in Huntsville. There are multiple categories to choose from and each individual is allowed to enter a maximum of two photographs in each category. The categories include the following:

• Huntsville
• Sam Houston Museum
• Floral
• People
• Architecture
• Animals

Click HERE to see the official Rules and Regulations and HERE for the official Application .

CONTACT: Casey Roon (936) 294-3292 or Megan Buro (936) 294-3839 for more information

Good luck to all aspiring photographers who enter! Remember, even if you do not win the contest, ALL entries will be on display in the Walker Center Exhibit Gallery from October 3rd -November 25th for public viewing.

Want to be in a zombie film? Zombie extras needed!

Zone Zero: Decampment!

Montgomery Village 118

TOMORROW Monday, May 23, 2011

Samuel Sanchez is working on his latest zombie film,  Zone Zero: Decampment!, and he needs your help! If you are free tomorrow and/or have always dreamed about being a zombie super star, then go to Montgomery Village 118 tomorrow morning and get zombified up!  I would be there, but unfortunately I have a day job. Click HERE to see the Facebook event page and click "ATTENDING" if you are interested. 


Straight from the event page: 


PLEASE READ:
We are very near the end of filming for Zone Zero: Decampment!
There are just a few more zombie scenes to go!

We need 3 seperate units of zombies, each consisting of at least 5 or 6 zombies each. You are welcome to be a repeat zombie, but bear in mind you will be there longer and will need to change makeup and clothing (we can provide extra clothing if needed.)
snacks and refreshments will be provided

UNIT A zombies:
Since it is summer vacation and we are on a crazy time crunch, the zombies will need to arrive at 118 Montgomery Village apts. at 8am for makeup. At 1pm we will travel to our location and begin fight choreography, and we shoot from 2 to 4:30

UNIT B Zombies
Meet at 118 Montgomery Village at 12 NOON for makeup. Travel to location at 4pm. Fight choreography, shoot from 5 to 7

UNIT C Zombies
Meet at 118 Montgomery Village at 3pm for makeup. Will be done no later than 8:30pm

BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT UNIT YOU WILL BE IN

Remember to invite your friends and anyone you may know. Also, remember that anyone who is a zombie is invited to the premier party, which will feature a keg and other wonderful beverages!

Don't Forget! This is the last day to see the stars! Expanded View on campus 7pm

Expanded View

Farrington Building Room 102

Friday, May 20^th at 7pm

Free Admission!

Today is the last day of the Expanded View program on campus. Click HERE to see our original article about this event.

HEARTS Memorial Day Concert--6:30pm on May 30th, 2011

Memorial Day Concert

Veterans Conference Center

455 State Hwy 75 South

Huntsville, TX 77320

The HEARTS Museum will be having their Memorial Day Concert On May 30^th, 2011. It will be held in the Conference Center which is adjacent to the HEARTS Veterans Museum.

The concert will feature music from The Huntsville Men’s Choir and conducted by Norman Ward.

 The following is the program for the event:

Memorial Day Program

May 30, 20ll

6:30pm 

Prelude Music by Jan Cole 

Introduction – LTC Yebra

Boy Scout Color Guard (Eagle Scout Attention, Post the Colors)

Pledge – lead by scout

Men’s choir –National A

Invocation

Chaplain LTC Bill Miller, Retired USAF

Jan Cole

2 songs-Men’s Choir

TEAM LARUE Major Ross

Intro

Video

Congressman Brady

Jan Cole – Armed Forces Medley

Memorial – LTC Yebra

For the Fallen

Taps

Covenant 

Major Ross

Jon Sheptock – Proud to Be an American

Special Recognition

Richie & Charlotte

Birthday

Awards

Norman – Closing Remarks, 2 songs

 

We hope to see you there! This will be a very special event.

Quidditch Training for Muggle Kids: Friday, June 3 at 2:00 PM

If you have kids that like the Harry Potter books/movies, this event is for you!


The Sam Houston State University Quidditch Team will be at Thomas Henry (Josey) Park (2250 Sam Houston Ave.) on Friday, June 3, at 2:00 PM. SHSU Quidditch players will teach the kiddos about the rules and requirements for the sport of Quidditch, featured in the Harry Potter books and movies. 


The kids will train, practice, and play a match. Participants will need to bring their own brooms, so don't forget to grab one on your way out the door.  


This program is free and open to all ages (I wonder if 20-something is too old!), and it is being sponsored by the Huntsville Public Library. For more information, you can contact Janelle Valera at (936)291-5910.


This sounds like it will be adorable, so if you take any pics, feel free to share them with us on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/HeyHuntsville!

Huntsville Public Library Forever Bricks—Last Day to Purchase is on May 31, 2011

"Forever Bricks"

Make you mark on the Public Library!

Did you know that the library has been selling “Forever Bricks” to any resident interested in making a “lasting impression” upon the new library? For $20.00, you can have two lines of text engraved on a brick that will be used in the Plaza of the new entrance for the library.

This sale has been going on since last December and … uh oh… it is almost over! The last day to purchase a “Forever Brick” is on May 31, 2011.

We will be purchasing one ourselves! I am hoping to come up with something clever like: “Hey, Huntsville! http://heyhuntsvilletx.com Love Jess & Shana!”
The size of each brick is 4” by 8”.

Click HERE for the form that you will need to fill out and bring to the library to reserve your special “Forever Brick.”

Sam Houston Memorial Museum-Upcoming Events

The word that I just received from the Museum is that “their volunteers have been sporadic in their visits” due to just recently attending the Folk Festival, and that is the reason why the Cherokee volunteers did not show up for their demonstration. They have not rescheduled that event, but they will be hosting the following demonstrations this month instead:

May 21, 2011 10:00am -2:00pm

Kick Wheel Pottery Making Demonstration

Raven’s Pottery Shed-Museum Grounds

May 28, 2011 10:00am -2:00pm

Blacksmithing

Joshua’s Blacksmith Forge

We are going to try again this weekend! =)

UPDATE: We have been notified that the May 28th Woodworking Demonstration has been canceled because the woodworker will be out of town that day (everyone needs a vacation!), but still come out for the Blacksmithing Demonstration that day! =)

First Annual Town Creek Music Festival

We had a great time at the First Annual Town Creek Music Festival!

The festival began with Mayor Turner proclaiming that he hoped that the Town Creek Festival would grow with each year and that he would be able to see its growth in twenty years to give another proclamation—even if he has to be pushed in sitting in a wheel chair (his words not mine). He also declared this week the “Official Tourist Week” for Huntsville, Texas.  

Oldest 2009 SHSU graduate and one of Huntsville’s most beloved residents, Frank “Poncho” Roberts also gave a short speech that included his familiar phrase: “My family, that’s togetherness one more time.”

Many bands played yesterday including the One Percenters Prison Ministry, Rosenwall, the David Gerald Band, and Gary-Michael Dahl. We missed Gary-Michael Dahl, but we heard from others that they were the crowd favorite. These bands were a mixture of different genres including gospel, country, blues, and R&B. There was enough variety to satisfy almost everyone’s tastes in music. The City of Huntsville did a great job in organizing this festival, booking talented bands, and setting up other activities and vendors. The festival was also near two volleyball courts and the public pool.

One Percenters Prison Ministry:

Excellent gospel music:

The David Gerald Band:

The art walk: 

This crazy checkers board was back! We saw it last week at the Airing of the Quilts:

We had fun yesterday at the Town Creek Music festival. Unfortunately, this event may not have been properly marketed. The turnout was decent, but there was definitely room for MANY more people. I suspect that the majority of the people there were friends or family of one of the bands or were the locals who manage to find out about and go to everything--kind of like us =) . We saw several familiar faces including Smithers and his bohemian entourage. This festival was a great idea and hopefully more people will be aware of this event and attend the festival next year. 

Click HERE to visit our Facebook page and to see many more pictures.

Cherokee Indian Culture and Crafts Demonstration--Canceled

We went to the Cherokee Indian Culture and Crafts Demonstration, but unfortunately it was canceled at the last minute due to the demonstrators not showing up. The person working in the Wigwam Neosho Museum Store said that he had no word on why they did not come to their own scheduled event. Hopefully, this will be rescheduled, because we really wanted to go.

Even without the demonstration, this building is very interesting. Check it out sometime!

Cherokee Indian Culture and Crafts Demonstration TOMORROW, May 14th

Cherokee Indian Culture and Crafts Demonstration

Wigwam Neosho Trading Post (former Exhibit Hall)

Sam Houston Memorial Museum

Saturday, May 14th, 2011

10:00am – 2:00pm

The Sam Houston Memorial Museum will be hosting a Cherokee Indian Culture and Crafts Demonstration this Saturday, May 14^th, from 10:00am until 2:00pm at the Wigwam Neosho Trading Post. The Wigwam Neosho Trading Post is the new name for the former Exhibit Hall, and it was recently remodeled. It is located near the Black Smith Shop. We are going to try to make it out there after visiting the Farmer’s Market again for week two of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other homegrown or made treats!

Fun Facts:

Sometimes the word “wigwam” is used in reference to ANY type of Native American structure, but a wigwam is really a domed shaped dwelling made with a wide variety of materials. Depending on the availability of materials, wigwams are usually made out of wood with grass, brush, or cloth used for the roof. They are called “wikiups” in the South West, and should not be definitely not be mistaken for tipis.

One of the first references to the term “wigwam” in writing by a European settler was in the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, which is a diary written by Mary Rowlandson twenty or so years after her release from captivity during King Philip’s war by the Narragansett tribe. The Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson is the probably the most influential work in regards to captive narratives and also a more honest account than many that followed her work.

Wigwam is ALSO the name of a Finnish Progressive Rock band performed in 1968.

The Sam Houston Memorial Museum is also currently accepting entries for the 2011 Amateur Photography Contest. Click HERE for the Rules and Regulations and HERE for Application Information! Go take some beautiful pictures and submit them today! The deadline for submitting photographs is September 9^th. ALL submitted photographs will be showcased starting on October 3^rd.

Expanded View 05/13 & 05/20: “In space, no one can hear you scream.”

Expanded View

Farrington Building Room 102

Friday, May 13^th & Friday, May 20^th at 7pm

Free Admission!

As a part of the campus' planetarium series, this Friday and next Friday, the Physics department will be “exploring some of the most beautiful deep space objects through the eyes of the Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes.”

The SHSU Planetarium contains the Mediaglobe I projector, which allows visitors to take a virtual journey through space. It also allows its guest to see the night sky as it would appear to someone in any part of the world, how it appeared in the past, and how it will look in the future. The best part about this is that it is FREE and open to the public. You don’t have to be a SHSU student to appreciate the beauty and wonders of the deep space!

We will be at the Café Texan this Friday, but we are hoping to be able to visit the Planetarium next Friday. If you have no plans either evening, then I highly suggest that you check this out! Seating is limited to the first 29 visitors.

Town Creek Music Festival (Sat., May 14)

This Saturday, May 14, will be the first Town Creek Music Festival at Eastham-Thomason Park (7th Street and Ave. N). It starts at 4PM and lasts until 9PM. This festival is FREE.


The festival will feature several genres of music, including gospel, jazz, blues and Texas country and will include local Huntsville artists. Some of the musicians include: Rosenwall, the David Gerald Band, and Gary-Michael Dahl. 


There also will be craft and food vendors, an art walk, and a children’s corner. You're encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to sit on.


For more info or to volunteer to help at the festival, you can call Calvin Webster at (936)291-9726. 

Huntsville Community Theater Presents: Cinderella

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Huntsville Community Theater

May 13^th, 14^th, 20^th, and 21^st at 7:30pm

May 15^th and 22^nd at 2:00pm

Ticket Prices and Information

No synopsis should be needed for this timeless fairytale classic. Everyone is hopefully familiar with the story of Cinderella, her wicked step-mother and sisters, her fairy godmother, Prince Charming, and hopefully a happily ever after. There have been many versions of this fairytale—with a multitude of books, plays, musicals, movies, and TV adaptations—and many modern versions have added their own touch to the storyline. The Huntsville Community Theater has based their version on the 1997 teleplay written by Robert L Freedman and starring Brandi and Whitney Houston, but expect the HCT’s version to also add their own style and humor to the story.

Directed by Marjean Creager, and starring Chelsea Dunivan as Cinderella, Jack Coughlin as the Prince, and Angela Towler as the Fairy Godmother, this is a version of Cinderella that should not be missed! Many members of the community have worked very hard to bring this play to the stage, and we are looking forward to watching this performance. Buy your tickets today, because tickets will most likely sell out fast!

10th Annual Airing of the Quilts

Our first entry about The 10th Annual Airing of the Quilts covered the basics of what exactly this event is. We attended the event, and now we are sharing our pictures.

Quilts hung all around the the Walker County Courthouse:

They were also hanging along the sidewalks in front of the shops in downtown Huntsville:

There were many performers throughout the day who performed inside of the gazebo near the courthouse. This proved to us that we have some very talented people in our town!

A large checkers board was set up on display in the middle of the street. I think it would have been fun to play an over-sized game of checkers, but unfortunately this was just a display and was not meant to be touched. Maybe some other time it will be available for game play. 

Here are some closeups of a few of the quilts:

Many vendors had booths set up to sell an assortment of items. We did not take a picture of her booth, but a favorite of ours was the Blue Daisy jewelry booth. I was sadly out of money by the time I reached her booth, but she gave me her card and also sells her jewelry online. Click HERE to check out Patricia Holm's inventory! She makes the jewelry herself, and it is very pretty!

Click HERE to see more pictures of the Airing of the Quilts. 

Hopefully, you were able to attend this year's event, because after this year it will no longer be an annual event. The next Airing of the Quilts will not be held until 2013. 

Farmers Market: Week One

The Huntsville Downtown Farmers Market

Corner of Avenue M and 12^th Street

8:00am - Noon

Yesterday, we woke up bright and early to go check out the grand opening of the new Farmers Market. Well, bright and early for us is about 9:00am, so we missed the best vegetables—if you are truly serious about wanting to get the best stuff from the Farmers Market, then the best thing to do is to get there before it opens at 8:00am instead of 10:00am like we did. We have learned our lesson for next Saturday. =)

This first weekend was small, with only five or six vendors, but it is expected to grow with each weekend. I can’t wait for an abundance of fresh fruits! The items on sale for this first Farmers Market included fresh teas, handmade soaps, hanging and potted flowers, berry trees, and vegetables that were still growing such as tomatoes and egg plant.

There was a decent turn out for the first Saturday of the Farmers Market. I hope that number continues to grow as more venders arrive and that the high turnout rate wasn’t merely a result of the Airing of the Quilts also being on the same day. So, if you did not make it this first Saturday, then come out next weekend, and if you came this weekend but were disappointed by the small number of vendors please keep in mind that the Farmers Market is a fast growing work in progress.

If you interested in becoming a vendor, please call Kim McAuliffe at (936) 291-5920 or at kmcauliffe@huntsvilletx.gov.

Click HERE to see the Farmers Market Vendor Guidelines.

Airing of the Quilts- TOMORROW, May 7th, 9:00am - 4:00pm

Airing of the Quilts

Saturday, May 7^th, 2011

9:00am -4:00pm

Down Town Huntsville/On the Square

FREE EVENT!

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Wake up early to get your fresh fruit and vegetables from the new Farmer’s Market (located on the corner Avenue M and 12^th Street), and then make your way downtown to witness the beautiful quilts that will be on display—Over 300 quilts will be hanging around the Courthouse!

If you are interested in purchasing a quilt, there will also be a Mini-Quilt Silent Auction located at the Old Town Theater. Vendor booths will also be set up and selling various antique and other interesting items. This might be a great place to purchase a Mother’s Day present if you haven’t already bought one!

Official Website

Trade Days in Huntsville (Fri-Sun, 10 AM - 4 PM)

Hey, Huntsville! We just received news that Huntsville will be having a "flea market" type event this weekend, May 6 - 8. The local antique shops have been helping spread the word: Kate Garrett of Kate's Gilded Lily (2299 US Hwy 190) will be opening up some of her land for merchants to set up booths.

This weekend will be the very first Trade Days at Kate's property, and she will continue to have this event the first weekend of every month. There are currently 8 vendors, but there is a waiting list, and more will be added in June. The price for a booth is only $10 right now, and she encourages all kinds of vendors, especially those with hand-made goods, to sell at Trade Days.

If you are interested in becoming a merchant, you can contact Kate Garrett at (936)439-9156 or simply go to Trade Days this weekend and talk to her. 

We wish Kate luck with this new endeavor and hope to see you guys out there this weekend!

Free Comic Book Day! Saturday, May 7th, 2011

For the past ten years, every first Saturday of the month of May has been Free Comic Book Day, and this year is no exception to the rule!

What is Free Comic Book Day?

The title explains itself—on this SUPER, FANTASTIC, AMAZING, X-TREME (insert your own comic related adjective here) day, participating sponsors give out free comic books! It’s as simple as that. People are allowed to grab as many different titles as they want until the store runs out. However, with great power comes great responsibility. Don’t take comics that you are not interested in actually reading, and don’t take more than one of each issue. Most local sponsors usually DO run out of comics before the end of the day. Leave some for other people!

What is the catch?

There isn’t one. The whole point is to get more people interested in comic books.

What kind of comic books will be available?

There are usually a wide variety of comic books given away for free.  Click HERE to see information on all of the comics that will be given away. The highlight of the bunch (in my biased opinion), appears to be Amazing Spiderman. This is a sneak peek into a new Spiderman series that will be released late summer.

Synopsis:

“The new MADAME WEB can sense a great conflict brewing in SPIDER-MAN'S future and his only hope for survival lies in the hands of SHANG-CHI, THE MASTER OF KUNG FU!  Can Spidey gain mastery of the martial arts in time to stop a deadly foe from his past?  Watch out, True Believers, 'cause this is the issue that changes up Spider-Man like never before!”

I, for one, am excited!

Other free comics will include a Betty and Veronica issue (Team Veronica!), Green Lantern Flashpoint (just in time for the new movie), and The Mis-adventures of Adam West #1. I have no doubt that the last one will be a real treat. I met “the man, the myth, and the legend” last year at Austin Comic Con, and he was actually FUNNIER in person than on TV!

Where do I get them in Huntsville, TX?

Both our local comic book store, Deep Blue Sea, and Hastings celebrate Free Comic Book Day—so check out one or both of those locations this Saturday!

Deep Blue Sea Comics & Games

1302 Sam Houston Ave # B

Huntsville, TX 77340

 (936) 291-2216

24th Annual Sam Houston Folk Festival

This weekend, residents and visitors of Huntsville, Texas were invited to attend the 24^th Annual Gen. Sam Houston Folk Festival located near the duck pond and Sam Houston Memorial Museum. The festival lasted three days and brought in quite the crowd and showcased an assortment of historical activities, dancing, performances, and vendors.

On Saturday and Sunday, the No Foolin’ String Band performed in costume on the front porch of the Woodland Home. 

Don’t worry if you missed their performance this weekend—this (mostly) Huntsville-based band performs regularly in Huntsville at various festivals and concerts, the Wynne Home, Hastings, and the Stardust Room. Click here to join their Facebook page and learn more about their upcoming performances. This fiddle playing band is definitely worth checking out. They were a great addition to this year’s Sam Houston Folk Festival!


We also spotted local country singer and musician Jarrod Sterret right after he finished an impromptu performance with the No Foolin’ String Band.

There were many people wandering around wearing period piece costumes, and it wasn’t uncommon for some of them to burst out into performance. That is because most of the costumed attendees were a part of the Society for Creative Anachronism – “an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe.” Click here to view the official SCA webpage and here to view their Facebook page.

We watched this group as they enthusiastically recreated a shotgun wedding. It didn’t matter who the poor young pregnant girl married as long as she married someone to save the family name!

Did you know that there are over fifty different types of edible plants, nuts, and berries around just the duck pond? Neither did I—until we went on Mark Suter’s Edible Plants tour. On this tour, Mark took us around the festival grounds and showed us various edible plants, bark that can also be used as a tooth brush, and other survival tips. So, if you are ever looking for a free and healthy alternative to the fast food options around the campus, you might want to consider walking over to the duck pond and feasting on the buffet of edible leafy options. However, be careful—it is also filled with similar looking poisonous plants including a LOT of poison ivy. Mark Suter’s tour was very informative, and it would be best to take one of his classes before eating plants around the duck pond or in your front lawn. Click here for more information about Mark Suter’s classes, including information about his summer camp for children.

Make sure to keep your animals away from this pretty flower. According to Mr. Suter, it is very poisonous when ingested.

The Hearts Museum had a display on military history and their booth was also selling dog tags that they were able to stamp with the purchaser’s name on it. Click here for more information about the Heart’s Museum and find out more about their upcoming Memorial day event.

One of the most impressive sites at the festival was near the Mexican Culture tent, where we watched traditional folk dancing.

Children were allowed to participate in the dancing and were taught traditional moves.

Others around the festival also demonstrated some very impressive dancing.

While walking around, we watched as people gave demonstrations on weaving, panting, soap making, and other historical skills.

Not only were there an assortment of demonstrations and activities, but there was also a number of vendors. A favorite of ours was the lemonade stand with the upside down, eye-catching sign as well as the root beer stand with very tasty root beer and other flavors.

And of course… as always, the area was filled with lots and lots of ducks!

A big thanks to the Museum, the Sam Houston Raven’s Rangers, No Foolin’ String Band, and all of the folk festival demonstrators and vendors for helping to keep the tradition alive as well as educating both adults and children about the history of Texas and Sam Houston.  Don’t miss next year’s Sam Houston Folk Festival. If you are too impatient to wait until next year, then check out the website for the Sam Houston Memorial Museum to find out about upcoming events and also how to support the museum through donations.

 Visit our Facebook page to see more pictures from this event.