Avinger's celebration for the Texas Wildflower Trails festivals always involves participation from Eagle Landing, a nearby planned lakeside community at the southeast corner of Cass County.
Working together, the town and lake community create a good time that is focused on art and friendliness. The big moment is the parade, which stops for a patriotic moment when hats are off and veterans hold the flag. Then a prayer is said before the horses, fire trucks and floats parade by, drawing applause from the crowd.
Sue Moulton, a resident of Eagle Landing, is mayor of Avinger and also puts on the festival's art show each year.
Eagle Landing is a community built around 250 acres of the private Simpson Lake, a lake whose water has about seven deep feet of visibility.
The community has its own homeowners association and regulations but is also a part of the town of Avinger, contributing to events there.
Here are three examples of Eagle Landing's involvement.
1). In 2013, Eagle Landing's Adopt a Highway program which involved many of the residents won a first place in Texas out of 4,500 programs judged as entries.
2). A Eagle Landing group participates in the Texas Ramp Project, which builds home ramps all over the region for the mobility impaired.
3). The community also partners with the Forest Service in being a Firewise community, which means it takes measures to make the community fire safe, teaching others what everyone can do. The Texas Forest Service in return helps with equipment needs.
Here are several parade scenes as Eagle Landing joined in with Avinger to celebrate the Texas Wildflower Trails event in April.
Terri deNatale is a Linden, Texas, artist who enjoys participating in community festivals, showing her art, and also participating in Fine Art Studio Online. Her portrait interpretation here has just won Best of Show in Avinger’s Wildflower Trails art show. (photo by Neil Abeles)
This well-dressed cowboy was part of the Wildflower Trails trail ride and parade. He rode away too quickly for the photographer to get his name. (photo by Neil Abeles)
The community of Eagle Landing likes to participate in the life of Avinger. For the wildflower parade, members made a display of life around Simpson Lake, which is central to their community. With the banner are, left, Shelby Trimble and Sue Maxinoski. Paddlers at left are Tina Miller and, in back, Carolyn Johnson. At right are Tina Boitnott and Tonia Evans. (photo by Neil Abeles)
Avinger, Texas, volunteer fireman Matthew Kirtman is riding the fire truck leading an actual trail ride occurring at the Texas Wildflower Trails festival in Avinger. The Trail Ride usually has campfire dinners Friday and Saturday before the trail ends at Hickory Hill Baptist Church. (photo by Neil Abeles)
Leading the Wildflower Trails parade in Avinger recently were these veterans from the American Legion Post 351 of Hughes Springs. From left, they are Ervin Gould and J. T. Spencer, both of Avinger; Steve Wilmeth and Harry Campbell, both of Daingerfield; and Carl Stoermer of Lone Star. (photo by Neil Abeles)