TEXARKANA, Ark. - Cool and mild evening weather seemed to add more then a spark of life to the Downtown Texarkana Entertainment District Celebration Party on Thursday.
Even before dusk brought its deep orange to the western sky, upbeat music seemed to create an exuberant feeling along East Broad Street. Residents started to scope out some of the roadway's businesses within within a three-block stretch.
For Nancy Luman, a Texarkana area resident for most of her life, the festive sound and atmosphere reminded her of the downtown area's stronger heartbeat from about 50 years ago.
"I remember going downtown in the early 1960s, to watch movie cartoons at the Perot Theater (Paramount movie theater back then)," she said. " At that time, my mom worked at TSO at the corner of Texas Boulevard and West Broad Street. Seeing people come out for this occasion makes me hopeful and excited about this area's potential to come back alive - and a I really like the camaraderie."
For local resident Jerry Garrett, the Broadway Sports Bar and Billiards at 203 East Broad St. has become one of his favorite places since the business opened last year.
"I think this whole area of Broad Street has the potential to be great once again," Garrett, as one in a family of 11 kids who grew up who here and continues to live in Texarkana, said. "I love billiards and I love to shoot a lot of pool."
One of Garrett's older brothers, Charlie Garrett, thinks the same way.
"The owners of this place have put together a fun place with a nice atmosphere and all of us kids are still a very close family,"Charlie Garrett said. "We hope the same thing that happened to El Dorado, Arkansas' downtown years ago can also happen to our downtown."
While the evening was still young, Texarkana, Arkansas, Mayor Allen Brown, along with 1894 City Market Project Developer David Peavey, stopped by Broadway Sports Bar to survey the crowds.
"We might be able to have a party like this, maybe at this time of year for every year for now on,"Brown said.
Paul Baird, manager of Verona Restaurant, at 201 East Broad agreed.
"We usually have two great months in Texarkana - May and October," Baird said.