Texarkana Entertainment Blog

Halloween is just not what it used to be … at least in my eyes. But with the decline, it seems, of kids making the neighborhood rounds to scare up treats, Halloween festivities focus more on interesting events as an alternative. There surely will be lots going on Saturday, which is Halloween, to celebrate the ghoul inside all of us, but a unique event this Halloween night is to pair a monster mudbath with monstrously large vehicles and get the kids watching. That’s the plan for what’s being billed as the 1st Annual Halloween Mudfest at the Four States Fair Entertainment Center in Texarkana. The Four States Fair and Red River Mudbog teamed up to get this event rolling; the doors open at 5 p.m. that night with a “Trick or Teat” and meet-the-drivers event. Then the mud show starts at 7 p.m. Kids 12 and under can compete in a costume contest. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. More info: 870-773-2941. So go get your Halloween freak on … in the mud.

- Aaron Brand

Got my hands on a full lineup for Saturday’s entertainment and music happenings at the Quadrangle Festival in downtown Texarkana. Here’s what’s on tap for the day …

8:00 5K Road Race
9:30 Children’s Pet show
10:00 Colt Baker
11:00  Voodoo Cowboys
12:00   Bluebirds
1:00 – 3:00 Youth Talent show
3:30 Texarkana All Stars
4:00 Michael Rhodes – Jazz Band
5:30 Battle of the Bands
8:30 Jawbone

- Aaron Brand

Jawbone, one of the most popular Texarkana bands, are the main headliners for the 28th Annual Texarkana Museums System Quadrangle Festival this year on Saturday, Oct. 10. They’ll take the stage at 8:30 p.m. after the Battle of the Bands is held between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. that night. (To sign up for that band competition, contact Andy Darby at 870-772-3771.) Music and entertainment are happening throughout the day, whether it’s other local musical acts, a magician, traveling museum, kid’s talent show, pet show, and activities aplenty. This year’s festival is one day, unlike previous years. The festival opens bright and early that Saturday at 8 a.m. with a 5K road race. Tickets are $10 starting at 5 p.m. to get in to the Street Dance and Jawbone show. Prior to that admission is $5 for adults, $4 for kids 5 and older, and free for youngsters 4 and below. More info: 903-793-4831 or the Texarkana Museums Website.

- Aaron Brand

Submitted photo:

If you’re in the neighborhood Saturday in Jefferson, Texas, you may want to stop on by the town’s City-Wide Rummage Sale. Bargains galore will be found in the participating neighborhoods and businesses, and the Marion County Courthouse Parking Lot. I just spent the day in Jefferson on Wednesday to watch filming of the “Boggy Creek” movie, and it’s a lovely time to check out Jefferson’s tree-lined streets and interesting downtown shopping district. Perfect, crisp fall weather for it. To get a free map of sale locations stop by the Marion County Chamber of Commerce (101 N. Polk) after 5 p.m. tomorrow; there will be a rack with free maps. More info: 903-665-2672.

- Aaron Brand

The public is invited to the 2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Texas A&M University-Texarkana tomorrow, Wednesday. At 11 a.m. a program titled “Engaging Latino Students for Higher Education” is held at the Aikin Building, Quad 116. Speakers include Dr. LuzMary Rincon, associate professor of bilingual and Spanish education at TAMU-T, Genaro Camarillo, mass communication student at TAMU-T, and Alex De La Rosa, AEP/SWEPCO supervisor for IT field operations in Texarkana.

At 11:45 a.m. in the University Breezeway there is a Mexican fiesta with a Mexican dance performed by Ballet Folklorico Alma Latina from Texarkana. There is also a Mexican buffet. You can visit a Latin American market replica and try Columbian coffee and Mexican desserts compliments of the bilingual education program. The event is organized by the TAMU-T Office of Enrollment Management and the Multicultural Association.

- Aaron Brand

(Correction: the Hispanic Heritage Celebration is on Wednesday.)

There’s an interesting arts- and culture-oriented activity on tap for Tuesday.

A singing zoologist Lucas Miller will entertain starting at 6 p.m. at the Regional Arts Center for the Arts on Main at Stewart Title Kickoff Party. TRAHC hosts the party, which is free and open to the public. Adults and kids are invited to come on down and enjoy refreshments, drawings, and an opportunity to register for classes. More info: 903-792-8681.

- Aaron Brand

A Friday night benefit show at Fat Jack’s Oyster and Sports Bar from 8 p.m. to midnight right here in T-Town helps the Animal Care & Adoption Center of Texarkana. It’s a good chance to have some fun and do right for some lovable critters in need. On tap for the evening’s entertainment is live music from Texarkana band Synergistic. Those guys will be joined by Jon Taylor, billed as a master comedy hypnotist, and comedian Brent Reed. They have quite a long list of door prizes lined up for the evening, and they’ll be given out all night long.

- Aaron Brand

The headlining musical acts for Red River Revel have been announced by organizers. Shreveport’s eight-day arts extravaganza has a pretty diverse group of musicians to help you shake your groove thang from Oct. 3-10. Mississippians Saving Abel, best known for their 2008 hit “Addicted,” kick it off on Saturday, Oct. 3. Also that day Tower of Power, the urban soul groovesters who’ve been at it for more than four decades, take the stage. Indie rock band Caroline’s Spine plays Oct. 8; their top tune, “Sullivan,” made it to the Billboard/R&R Top40 chart. The next day, Oct. 9, sees Little River Band and Chubby Carrier play. Carrier will be playing some zydeco, and that’s music guaranteed to make you swampaliciously happy with its accordion greatness. Saturday, Oct. 10, then has three headlining acts on tap: Pat Green, The Terms, and Ian Neville’s Dumpstaphunk. Along with some great arts action and fine, fun foods, the music will be rolling along.

More info: RedRiverRevel.com.

- Aaron Brand

That excellent 2007 Denzel Washington film was about the Marshall, Texas-based Wiley College debate team and some of its members who achieved pretty amazing things. Some scenes were even filmed in that town just down U.S. Highway 59, and Washington came in for a red carpet opening.

Next week the modern debate team from Wiley will tackle a problem fresh on the minds of many Americans, and that’s health care. During a free event from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the debate team will argue the positives and negatives of health care reform. The event is sponsored by the AARP and will be held at the Marshall Civic Center’s Caddo Hall, 2501 East End Blvd. A check will be given to the Wiley College Debate Team, and a reception will follow the debate.

- Aaron Brand

For the 39th year the city of New Boston, Texas, will celebrate its pioneer times, a celebration that began when the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1970. The New Boston Pioneer Days festival takes place right downtown at T & P Trailhead Park. In addition to the usual varieties of entertainment you’d expect at this festival—a lumberjack show, street dances and rodeo (both on Friday and Saturday nights), amusement rides starting Wednesday night, concessions, arts and crafts, pony rides, a petting zoo, mechanical bull, four-wheeler mud race—there’s storyteller and musician Brian Burns. He uses music about Texas to portray the rich history of the Lone Star State. He’ll perform from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday at the festival. The parade will be held at 10 a.m. that day. More info on the festival: 903-628-2581. 

- Aaron Brand