Uniquely Longview 2024 by Author

David & Jennifer Johnson

In our community andin your home

From your food and cosmetics to paint and your car interior, you’ll nd innovative Eastman materials in products you use every day — and they’re made here in Longview. We’re focused on improving the quality of life for people around the world, and that focus is built on the foundation of our values, especially safety. We take our commitment to operating responsibly very seriously. From our employees and contractors to our friends, colleagues and neighbors, it’s our priority to protect you and the environment.

Operating responsibly also means we go beyond safety to care for society. Whether we’re volunteering our time, advancing education for the future workforce or helping local organizations meet critical needs, our community investments re ect the rich heritage of Eastman teams around the world. We not only work here; we live here. Eastman is proud to be a member of the Longview community.

Together, we’ll continue to enhance the quality of life — today and for future generations.

To learn more about what we do, visit eastman.com.

For more information, please contact us at: 903.315.5400

As leaders in our community, the expert cardiovascular team at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Heart & Vascular Institute are here for you, right at home, providing nationally recognized heart care with a dedication to our mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

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• Quick, convenient access to 24-hour emergency care.

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• 24/7 imaging services, including digital X-ray and CT.

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• Access to Longview Regional Medical Center’s full spectrum of care.

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Longview Regional Emergency Center E. Loop 281 Longview, TX 75605

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For the past nine years it has been my great honor to serve as mayor of Longview, a City I love and that will always be home. Together, we’ve overcome challenges, invested in our future, and taken steps to make life better for everyone who plays, works, and lives here.

Through the 2018 Bond Election we’ve made signiﬁcant improvements to our parks and recreation facilities, roadways, and public safety infrastructure. Community partnerships and investment has brought a variety of new recreation and artistic activities to Longview. A focus on the city center has nurtured a ﬂourishing and vibrant community in our downtown.

When I ran for mayor, I had a few simple goals. I wanted Longview to close the gap, reunite our city, create new opportunities for business, look at new e ciencies, and create a new legacy to leave for future generations. Together, we have done all that and more.

I’m conﬁdent future leaders will continue the trajectory we have set and together with organizations, businesses, and residents will make the city an even greater place to live for everyone who calls Longview home.

Dr. Andy Mack Mayor, City of Longview

Michael Cavazos An award-winning photographer, serving East Texas and beyond.

By Christina Cavazos

Growing up just outside of Longview near the Elderville-Lakeport area, Shawn Hara’s family traveled across the Sabine River nearly every day to go into town.

A family that loved the outdoors, the Haras took vacations to places like Arkansas and North Carolina where they’d canoe and spend time exploring the natural landscape. However, they never did those same activities at home on the river that they traveled over every day.

Its brown water nestled between muddy, red clay embankments adorned with pine trees and hardwoods, the Sabine River wasn’t thought of as a place for recreation. In fact, it wasn’t really thought of at all.

Sabine River Drainage Basin

Fast Facts: SABINE RIVER

•Three forks of the Sabine River that start in Collin and Hunt Counties merge in Lake Tawakoni to form the Sabine River proper.

•The river flows for about 580 miles. From Hunt County it flows southeast to Panola County where it turns south and flows until it discharges in Lake Sabine at the Gulf of Mexico.

•The Sabine River discharges more water than any other Texas river into the Gulf of Mexico.

•Spanish explorer Domingo Ramón gave the river its name. The name, “Sabine” comes from the Spanish word for “cypress.”

In 2019, well into adulthood, he took his ﬁrst trip on the Sabine River with a small group of friends. That’s when he realized just how beautiful the river really is and all the potential that it holds.

“You’re only a couple of miles away from Longview, but it feels like you are miles away because you’re just completely in the East Texas Piney Wood forest,” he said. “There’s a beauty there that you don’t always expect.”

In the last ﬁve years, the number of people who enjoy traveling the river has grown exponentially as more individuals come to know the true beauty of the river. Now community leaders are considering options to improve access to the Sabine so that a river that was mostly overlooked for more than a century has the opportunity to become a place of recreation and tourism.

“Part of the goal is to have an additional recreation opportunity that is accessible for visitors and for locals to be able to go and enjoy.” Hara said.

The River

Archaeological evidence shows the Sabine River has been inhabited for more than 12,000 years to when, according to the Texas State Historical Association, the Clovis tribe, an ancient culture in North America, lived there. The Caddos likely arrived in the area by about the year 780 A.D., according to the state historical association. Early Caddo mounds have been discovered along the river. The Caddos culture ﬂourished until the late 13th century.

Europeans arrived in the area in the 16th century. In 1716, Spanish explorer Domingo Ramón gave the river its name, according to the Texas State Historical Association. The name Sabine River, or Río de Sabinas, comes from the Spanish word for “cypress” as cypress trees are prevalent along certain portions of the river.

Shawn Hara kayaks the Sabine River with his son.

When standing at the river bridge on a clear day, the scenery is iconic to East Texas. Oil derricks stand tall amid pine trees with the water of the Sabine River flowing below.

The river starts just south of Greenville at Lake Tawakoni where three forks merge. Those forks originate in Collin County and Hunt County, respectively, and converge at Lake Tawakoni to form the Sabine River proper. The river ﬂows southeasterly from Lake Tawakoni to the southeastern corner of Panola County where it turns and takes a southern course. It empties into Lake Sabine at the Gulf of Mexico where it has the largest water discharge at its mouth of any Texas river, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The approximately 580-mile-long river forms the boundary lines between several counties — Rains and Van Zandt, Van Zandt and Wood, Wood and Smith, and Smith and Upshur. When Gregg County was founded in 1873, the Sabine River served as the original southern boundary; however, in 1874, Gregg County acquired the northern portion of neighboring Rusk County as it extended its area. When it turns south in Panola County, the river also forms the border between Texas and Louisiana.

Throughout history, the river served as transportation for cotton and lumber; the basin was the site of logging operations; and many sawmills were built along banks. After the oil boom, the river basin became the site of large-scale oil exploration and led to growth in the oil industry.

In East Texas, the oilﬁeld dates back to 1930 with o -shore drilling expanded to the Sabine River in 1932. Today, many oil derricks remain along the river and in 2011, the Texas Historical Commission placed a

marker along the Sabine River at Texas 42 and River Road, cementing the river’s place in East Texas’ oil history.

When standing at the river bridge on a clear day, the scenery is iconic to East Texas. Oil derricks stand tall amid pine trees with the water of the Sabine River ﬂowing below. While thousands of people travel over the bridge each day, few stop to get on the river and explore its unique beauty.

There are many reasons why people don’t stop to explore the Sabine. For one, there are limited access points, which is something local leaders want to improve, but there’s also public perception of the river, which in some ways has to overcome a longstanding local stereotype of itself.

When Hara was growing up, he said, the perception of the Sabine was “always very negative.” It was often described as “dirty” and “dangerous.”

The Sabine River doesn’t have crystal clear waters, and it’s never been a local swimming hole. Instead, its waters typically take on a brownish hue as do several other rivers in Texas. That hue is caused by several factors, but predominantly the fact that as rivers ﬂow south toward the gulf, they pick up sediment and soil, like East Texas red clay, which a ects the color.

Meanwhile, the river has few access points and mostly ﬂows through undeveloped areas. That means when you travel on it, it can feel like you’re isolated from the rest of the world even if you’re only a couple of miles outside of the city.

Paddling the Sabine

For those who enjoy exploring the outdoors, that feeling of being miles removed from the city is often something to be appreciated. It was 2019 when Hara ﬁrst began to question why he’d never been on the Sabine River, so he put a ﬂoat together and then another, and it continued to grow as more people joined in.

“Along the way, we have met a lot of people who share a mutual interest for the river,” Hara says. “Some have been already using the river for recreation for many years and others had been wanting to do so but didn’t know how to access for kayaking.”

Hara said it took a while to ﬁgure out how to make the trips happen because there are few public access points along the river. In Gregg County, there are two public access points, but they’re forty river miles apart. One is in Gladewater at U.S. 271; the other is in Lakeport at Texas 149. Hara knew he and his travel companions couldn’t paddle forty miles in a day.

For one trip, he and Keith Bonds decided the group could start at the Gladewater access point and get out fourteen miles later at The Sandbar, a small bar located right o the Sabine on River Road. There is a tall, rusty staircase that can be used to get out of the water at the bar, so that’s exactly what the group did.

“This was October 2019. So we get out there and the river was really low, and there was no ﬂow, so we paddled the whole way,” he recalled. “By the time we got to the end, we were all just dead tired. We pulled our kayaks up these tall stairs, and then we ate at the Sandbar. And I thought, well that was fun.”

As he began coordinating trips along the Sabine with di erent entrance and exit points, Hara said it’s been interesting to meet individuals who have used the Sabine River for recreation for years. Despite limited access points, there are still many others – like him – who enjoy what the river has to o er.

For his trips, Hara occasionally works with private landowners to arrange an entrance or an exit point from the river. Some trips have been eight miles or fourteen miles, and some have necessitated an overnight stay.

The number of people joining the excursions has also grown and annual “Floatsgiving” trips o er an opportunity for friends to get together and ﬂoat the river amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

“The thing that I’ve really enjoyed is putting together these groups and seeing other people going down and seeing the river and exploring it and enjoying being down there,” Hara said.

Each time someone new joins a ﬂoat, Hara said he enjoys hearing their experience afterward.

It’s often not what they thought it would be – the Sabine River defies the stereotypes the locals have given to it. Instead, people often are mesmerized by the natural beauty as they float along the river amid the Piney Woods.

“Probably one of my favorite moments was when we got to see bald eagles,” Hara said. “There’s a spot just down river from Highway 42 where there was a bald eagle nest. That was really neat. That discovery was cool.”

He also recalled a trip along the river with his wife, Bethany, when they found “huge” freshwater clam shells. “I just had no idea that kind of thing would be there,” he said.

Meanwhile, with East Texas’ oil history, there’s a section of the river between Lakeport and Tatum where there’s an abundance of lignite shoal. “There are these cli walls that are basically all lignite so it’s like this gleaming black wall as you go by,” he said. There are also a few white sandy beaches along the river. The Sabine is full of surprises.

The Sabine River is home to anglers, boaters, and recreational kayakers.

Texas State Paddling Trails

In organizing the ﬂoats, Hara began researching Texas Paddling Trails. A program of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Paddling Trails are designated trails where the public can canoe and kayak.

In the Piney Woods, there are several trails. There are ten designated trails at Caddo Lake and Big Cypress Bayou in the Je erson-Karnack area. In Carthage, there’s the Sabine Sandbar Paddling Trail which o ers four, ﬁfteen, or nineteen miles of paddling trail. In Mineola, the 11.9mile Mineola Bigfoot Paddling Trail invites visitors to traverse that portion of the Sabine River. Meanwhile, there are several designated trails along the nearby Neches River in the Athens, Tyler, Jacksonville areas.

There are criteria in place to become a paddling trail.

“You’ve got to have public access points and parking; you’ve got to have amenities nearby. It has to be somewhat close to a community, and you have to have trails that would be between four miles and twelve miles in distance,” Hara said. With the nearby publicly owned ramps being forty miles apart, Hara began to wonder if there might be opportunities for other public access points.

In Longview, the Sabine River is one of three water resources for public drinking water. The others are Lake Cherokee and Lake O’ the Pines. Like Longview, Kilgore also draws some of its water from the Sabine.

Wildlife, sand bars, and oil derricks from a by-gone era are just a few of the sights paddlers will see along their trip down the river.

Potential Access Points

HWY 271, Bridge Crossing (Gladewater)

HWY 42, Bridge Crossing

HWY 2087, Kilgore Water Intake

HWY 2087, Bridge Crossing

HWY 149, Bridge Crossing (Lakeport)

Map information courtesy MHS Planning and Design.

Hara reached out to the City of Kilgore to see if it might be interested in exploring the paddle trail program. It was. Soon, Gladewater, White Oak, Lakeport, Easton, and Gregg County itself had also joined in.

John Waltz, a planner with MHS Planning and Design, said the company’s research was a combination of physical tours as well as planning sessions and soliciting feedback from the community.

“When I called Kilgore, their sta had already also been considering a river access e ort. Similarly, in Lakeport, they were already very interested in how to improve the river as an amenity in their community. So, it was a good opportunity for collaboration.”

The county applied for and was awarded a grant by the Sabine River Authority to study improving access to the river for recreational usage as well as emergency response. Gregg County contracted with MHS Planning and Design for the study.

An Underutilized Resource

MHS conducted a study to review access exploration to the Sabine River throughout Gregg County. The study area went from Gladewater to Easton, revealing twelve potential access points along the river.

The overwhelming message, Hara said, is that the Sabine River through Gregg County is “an underutilized natural resource.”

The team compiled a list of strengths and weaknesses as well as areas for opportunity. Waltz said strengths include that the Sabine provides a water resource to several communities in East Texas as well as that the project has strong local support and diverse wildlife prevalent in the area. Weaknesses included lack of safe general access, high banks that limit emergency access to the river, and occasional log jams that require strenuous clearing e orts.

Opportunities or goals of the project, Waltz said, include increasing recreation and public wellness access as well as potential to draw untapped tourism into the area.

“Kayaking nationwide is increasing in popularity … We do want to take advantage of that growing interest in kayaking to increase public awareness of the region’s history,” he said.

With potential access points identiﬁed, the plan will continue to be ﬁnetuned. Once a plan is in place and access points are prioritized, it will still take time, fundraising, and development to see it come to fruition.

After public access points are increased, there is long-range potential for a state-designated paddling trail through Gregg County. That’s still likely several years away at least, Hara noted.

Hara said the Sabine River is ideal though for a future paddling trail. It’s easily navigable in the region, it’s beginner friendly, and there are not many rapids.

“The goal is to have an additional recreation opportunity that is accessible for visitors and for locals to be able to go and enjoy,” he said. “We want to make it be a natural resource that’s accessible and that other people can go, ﬂoat, enjoy and see East Texas.”

Watch a video

As East Texas communities work together to research infrastructure development around the river, the unexpected beauty of the Sabine River will doubtlessly be discovered and spur further interest in the potential of this hidden gem.

of East Texas residents seeking out adventure on the Sabine River.

TIFFANY JEHOREK Executive Director

Photograph by Tyler Ellison in the 1940s Gallery

The Heart of Our Chamber

by Kelly Hall

The Longview Chamber is dedicated to the prosperity and success of our vibrant community. Our Chamber is not just a collection of businesses; it’s a collective force committed to shaping the future, not just for today but for generations to come. We believe in the power of free enterprise capitalism--the kind that fosters economic growth, innovation, and prosperity for all.

Jessica LaRue, our past chairman, speaks from the heart when she says that being part of the Longview Chamber is an investment in the future, especially for our children. We share her vision of a thriving economic environment that empowers our youth to chase their dreams and build a prosperous life right here in Longview.

“At the heart of our Chamber is a network of over 1,000 members, representing more than 50,000 hardworking East Texans. Together, we are a powerful voice, advocating for probusiness policies and influencing decisions at local, state, and national levels. We’re not here to create laws, but we certainly have the clout to shape policies that foster a thriving business climate.”

“Our investors have access to exclusive tools and marketing opportunities that can give their business a competitive advantage. Engagement isn’t just about handing out business cards; it’s about building meaningful relationships in a community that values connections and collaboration.”

The Longview Chamber of Commerce is a network of over 1,000 members, representing more than 50,000 hardworking East Texans.

“When businesses invest with the Chamber, they become part of a family that cares deeply about the success of their business and our entire business community. Therefore, we o er numerous opportunities to engage, build relationships, and learn more, through our Business After Hours, Business Solutions Summit, signature luncheons with relevant content, talent development programs and much more. These programs are all designed to help businesses grow and thrive in our dynamic business environment.”

“Our commitment goes beyond business as we also focus on the quality of life in Longview, promoting development, downtown potential, and tourism. We celebrate the achievements of our local businesses at our Annual Meeting/Banquet and Business Solutions Summit. We are here to champion your cause and make our community an even better place to do business.”

“So whether you’re a business owner, an entrepreneur, or a professional considering relocating to Longview, know that the Longview Chamber of Commerce is here to support you. Together, we can create a prosperous future for you, your family, and the generations to come. Join us in leading for the next generation, and let’s make Longview the thriving hub of opportunity it is meant to be.”

Photos provided by Longview Chamber

Jessica LaRue Past Chair

Longview Chamber of Commerce

Harbour Smith Harris & Merritt PC

Chamber Member Programs & Opportunities

Annual Banquet & Awards

Longview Chamber’s premiere business event. It brings together top business and community leaders to celebrate the vibrancy of our trade area. The Large Business and Manufacturer of the Year are recognized, as well as other organizational awards.

40 Under 40

Small Business Awards

Recognizes remarkable small businesses in the Longview trade area who demonstrate success through sales and proﬁt, potential for long-term success, and their commitment to the community.

Ribbon Cuttings

New member businesses enjoy the opportunity for a Chamber ribbon cutting during their ﬁrst year of membership!

Business Solutions Summit

Brings the business community together in one location on one day for collaboration opportunities. This summit also features power networking sessions, Small Business Awards, the Leadership Longview graduation.

Spring & Fall Golf Tournaments

Our annual golf tournament that marks a celebration of years of community support, honor, spirit, competition, friendships, and charity. The ﬁeld of 100 golfers is made up of some of the most inﬂuential members of the local business community, as well as dignitaries from the surrounding area.

Cyber Summit

In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity is a pressing concern, with frequent cyberattacks targeting businesses. Phishing emails and malware attacks continue to compromise sensitive data. The question is: Is your organization adequately protected? We are excited to announce the return of our Cyber Summit on October 17th at the Inﬁnity Event Center. Our Technology Council has crafted a compelling program to train your entire team. We o er ﬂexible registration options, including morning and afternoon sessions, day passes, and the chance to lunch with the Secret Service and FBI. Join us to fortify your organization against cyber threats and secure prosperity for the next generation.

East Texas Coalition

In today’s dynamic corporate landscape, the challenge of talent retention and development is more pressing than ever. Like many forwardthinking organizations, you likely invest considerable e ort in nurturing your team’s potential. Recognizing this, we’re excited to introduce the 2024 - 40 Under 40 Executive Series – a program speciﬁcally designed for your most promising employees under 40. The essence of professional growth is a commitment to long-term development. Our series o ers a comprehensive blend of personal and professional enrichment, mentorship opportunities, and a platform for sharing industry best practices, all aimed at fostering success. This initiative not only equips your younger team members, from entry-level to management, with a mindset geared towards continuous learning but also positions them as role models for their colleagues. Engaging in our series is more than an investment in individual growth; it’s a step towards cultivating a culture of excellence within your organization.

State of the City

The annual luncheon is held for community leaders and business professionals as Longview’s Mayor celebrates the city’s accomplishments and its future.

State of the County

Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt is joined by the four city managers in Gregg County to discuss topics important to the future of our area.

State of the Economy

A luncheon focused on where we are as a city, county, and nation in regards to our economy.

State of the Workforce

Acquiring and retaining talent is a huge issue today and this luncheon will seek to address not only the challenges, but also o er possible solutions.

Code!Longview

Code!Longview is an event where middle and high schools from across the Longview area will come together to build apps, games, and much more with the power of code.

Leadership Longview

this vision into a reality. In this endeavor, we’re not just sightseeing; we’re learning and growing. We’ll explore Lexington’s unique approach to community building, understand their successes, and draw inspiration to reshape Longview for future generations. Our trip to Lexington is more than a visit; it’s the cornerstone of Longview’s future—a future where our town blossoms into a community that embodies health, prosperity, and happiness. We aim to focus on nurturing a healthy community, knowing that growth naturally follows. Join us in this pivotal mission to create a Longview that attracts families and businesses—a community where future generations can not only live but thrive. Let’s build Longview together!”

Business After Hours

Make sure you are part of one of the Chamber’s most eagerly awaited and bustling eventsBusiness After Hours! This isn’t just an event; it’s a chance for exceptional networking. Business After Hours stands out as a premier platform for local enterprises to display their outstanding services and cutting-edge facilities. It’s more than a showcase; it’s your opportunity to di erentiate your business and make a memorable impact on our distinguished Chamber members. We urge you to bring your team along and dive into the Business After Hours experience. This event isn’t just an evening out; it’s a springboard for growth, o ering you essential networks and insights to propel your business. So, mark your calendar and make sure you’re there at the upcoming Business After Hours. Let’s harness the power of networking together and open the doors to a world of endless business possibilities.

Washington D.C. Fly-In

The Chamber’s bi-annual event in collaboration with other area Chambers of Commerce to meet with Texas elected o cials in Austin to discuss pressing needs in East Texas.

Leadership Longview is a 9-month program that provides participants the opportunity to better understand our community by meeting with and learning from today’s community leaders.

InterCity Visits

Imagine a Longview where every resident, every business, every family thrives. Join us, alongside key inﬂuencers, as we embark on a transformative journey to Lexington, KY, to turn

Embark on a transformative journey with fellow business advocates from Gregg and Smith Counties at our upcoming Washington D.C. Fly-In this early December! This event, tailored for Chamber members, is a unique chance to directly engage with your congressional representatives and have a meaningful dialogue on the issues that matter most to your business. Whether you’re a seasoned advocate or new to the political sphere and eager to learn, the D.C. Fly-In is the perfect platform for voicing your legislative and business concerns. The event o ers an invaluable opportunity to meet face-to-face with o cials and their sta within the halls of Congress. To ensure productive discussions, the Chamber team will compile a comprehensive list of pressing business issues, based on member feedback, along with relevant background information. Participants are encouraged to contribute to and familiarize themselves with this material in preparation for insightful exchanges with their representatives. Seize this opportunity to be part of a collective voice that shapes the future of business in our community. Join us in Washington D.C. and make your mark on the legislative landscape!

RECOGNIZED

From startups to succession plans …

We are a community partner who is customer-focused.

We’ll meet you where you are.

Couch Potatoes

“It’s about being in business together. They’re in this community with me. They understand what my goals are.”

Brian Morgan, Owner Furniture Mall of Texas and Couch Potatoes.

Energy Weldfab Inc.

“Banking’s a big, important part. The beautiful part is when you can make it like a family. The relationship you (Alan) have, the way you take care of Michael, that means the world to me.”

Mike Clements, President Energy Weldfab Inc.

KMC Equipment

“With VeraBank, it was more one-on-one. It does make a difference having a local feel to it.”

Keith McElroy, Co-Owner KMC Equipment.

Mayor Mack Leaves a Legacy of Promoting Unity, and Sparking Revitalization in Longview

by Christina Cavazos

When Dr. Andy Mack decided to run for mayor nine years ago, he had a couple of key goals in mind.

He wanted to unite the city to bridge the gaps between north, south, east, and west. He also wanted to help transform Longview into a place that younger generations – like his children – would return to work and start families of their own.

In the last nine years, Mack led Longview through a bond election that has enhanced city parks, facilities, and infrastructure. He prompted changes at Longview Economic Development Corporation that set LEDCO on a trajectory to bring more than 4,000 new jobs and $157 million in development to the city. He advocated for development on Interstate 20 and promoted efforts that helped revitalize Downtown Longview. Mack also helped guide the city through a health pandemic, striving to provide accurate information to citizens.

Through every moment and milestone, he believed in and advocated for the idea that Longview is better together. The term “#OneLongview” is synonymous with his tenure as mayor.

“When I ran for mayor, I had a few simple goals. I wanted Longview to close the gap. I wanted to reunite our city, create new opportunities for business, look for new efficiencies, and create a new legacy to leave for future generations. Together we have done all that and more,” Mack said. “We’ve supported each other through hard challenges and been, in a word, #OneLongview.”

“...I wanted to reunite our city, create new opportunities for business, look for new e ciencies, and create a new legacy to leave for future generations. Together we have done all that and more...”

From City Council to Mayor

Throughout the years, Longview has meant many things to Mack. A Longview native, he was in the ﬁnal tenth grade class at the former downtown Longview High School campus and was a member of the second graduating class at the “new” North Longview campus.

He attended Stephen F. Austin State University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biology and minor in chemistry. He received a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1985 and went on to complete his residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

He returned home in 1989 to start his own practice, East Texas Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In addition to common procedures such as removal of wisdom teeth, Mack also performs facial reconstructions and cosmetic surgery.

In addition to opening a practice in Longview, Mack and his wife, Kelly, raised their children in the community. The couple has three children – daughters, Spencer and Madison, and son, Luke.

Mack served on the City Council in the late 1990s and early 2000s prior to making his

ﬁrst bid for mayor in 2005. During his time on the City Council, Mack led the charge on items that, while controversial at the time, have proven to be beneﬁcial to the city.

The non-smoking ordinance prohibits smoking in public places. Though some people at the time felt the ordinance was overreaching on the government’s part, Mack maintained his position that it was a matter of public safety. At the time, Longview was a leader in the East Texas region for passing such an ordinance; a few years later the state would implement a similar rule.

“As science became clearer as to the e ects of secondhand smoke, it became apparent that we needed to make a change in our community,” Mack recalled. “At the time, it wasn’t incredibly popular to tell businesses what they could or could not do. I completely understand that, but this was a matter of public health.”

The other item that proved controversial during Mack’s time was the Lear Park project. Mack championed the idea of developing a ﬁrst-class sports complex at Lear Park. The issue of developing the park was brought before voters in 2003 and received approval.

While Longview generates visitors and hotel stays Monday through Thursday due to laborers who come into the city for work, those visitors decrease on the weekends.

“We needed something to bring people to our community. We needed sports tourism,” Mack said. “Lear Park opened us up to being a leader in sports tourism. We have developed an incredible network of teams and sports that come and utilize Lear Park.”

Lear Park holds a special place for Mack. It’s been an important project throughout his legacy, and in 2015 it was the site of his announcement for that year’s mayoral election. Longview voters elected Mack as mayor in May of 2015.

Photo courtesy of The City of Longview

Andy Mack photographed with his family.

Public Safety and Bonds

At his ﬁrst meeting after being elected mayor, the Longview City Council voted in May 2015 to eliminate red light cameras.

“We had heard from many residents who had issues with the cameras. We didn’t have the data that they made a signiﬁcant di erence, and ultimately, we decided to remove them,” Mack said. “Our city made that choice before the state changed the laws to prohibit them more broadly.”

While that was the first decision during Mack’s tenure, it certainly wasn’t the last. In 2015, the city also addressed pay for police, and in 2017, the city increased its compensation for firefighters. Public safety compensation had long been a concern in Longview as the city wasn’t paying its police and fire personnel enough “to be competitive with other communities in our region and throughout the state,” he said.

Mack recalled that when he ﬁrst took o ce, Longview was experiencing a signiﬁcant amount of crime and gang violence. At the time, Longview ranked as the seventh most dangerous city in Texas.

“We were ﬁnding drugs that were out of control and gang violence that we couldn’t get a grip on,” Mack recalled. “We realized it’s not that we were doing a bad job; we just didn’t have enough people do the job. So we had to ﬁnd a way to have more police on our

The

“crowning jewel,” as Mack described it, of the 2018 bond is the new Longview Police Department, which features a multi-story design and more than 68,000 square feet of space with state-of-the-art equipment.

force and pay them to stay, and that ﬂipped us around in a year. We went from having double digit homicides to the single digits, and we have had gang violence and drug violence under control pretty much for the last nine years because of the awesome job by our police department.”

In 2022, the City Council approved a budget that provided another increase to the rates to make Longview’s pay scale on par with nearby Tyler’s. That year, voters also approved a

$45.6 million pension obligation bond to stabilize the Longview Fire Pension fund.

In addition to the 2022 bond election, Mack also led the city through a 2018 bond election when voters approved a $104 million package to invest into the city’s public safety facilities, streets, and parks. Lear was among the parks that received improvements as a result of the 2018 bond election, and Mack said it was nice to see that project come full circle.

“Everything about this project, now more than twenty years old, has been worth it,” he said. “Every year, Lear Park brings millions of dollars and thousands of visitors to our community, and it pays for itself year after year.”

The “crowning jewel,” as Mack described it, of the 2018 bond is the new Longview Police Department, which features a multi-story design and more than 68,000 square feet of space with state-of-the-art equipment. The city celebrated the building’s completion in December 2023 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. Among other public safety items, Longview also was proactive in supplying its police o cers with body cameras. The late Tom Chinn, a local businessman, donated the funding for that endeavor.

“This commitment provides accountability to our residents and ensures we continue to provide professional policing, which is what we are charged to do with our city,” Mack said.

Economic Development and Revitalization

When Mack ﬁrst took o ce, he provided a new vision for the Longview Economic Development Corporation and made adjustments to the board in line with that vision.

“The projects they’ve supported in the past eight years are mind blowing – accounting for more than 4,000 new jobs and $157 million net to the city,” Mack said. “LEDCO is blowing it out of the water. Projects like Nation Star, El Dorado, Dollar General, GAP, Eastman, AAON, Komatsu, STEMCO, Aviagen, Total Card, and more have changed the landscape of our city.”

The city also saw an increase in park amenities, such as a new skate park, dog park, disc golf courses, and more.

“We also re-imagined how we support the homeless population in our community. Recognizing a problem, we called together a task force to review the situation and make recommendations. From that task force came the Homeless Resource Day initiative, which each January provides homeless people in our community a one-stop to connect with services,” he said.

Mack noted that one area of town that has changed dramatically is downtown Longview.

“Growing up in Longview or even just a few years ago, people didn’t just go downtown,” he said. “Now we have a vibrant city center with food, shops, and activities.”

Mack attributed several factors to the revitalization of downtown Longview. First, the City of Longview laid the groundwork for revitalization by making infrastructure improvements. Mack recalled the old brick roads downtown and noted that while they have a lot of “character,” it was necessary and signiﬁcant to reconstruct the downtown streets capes.

“The impact is immeasurable,” he said. “This work really was the prerequisite for everything that has gone on since that time.”

The renovation of the former blighted Petroleum Building into Alton Plaza, which features residential living, also was a contributing factor. Along with other downtown apartments, the facilities have brought residents to the city center. Those residents have contributed to the success of downtown businesses by patronizing and supporting them.

The city also decided in 2016 to allow food trucks to operate in the community. Food trucks not only oftentimes pop up downtown at events like Downtown Live and ArtWalk but also appear throughout the city.

Coming Together

Just as he led the city through many accomplishments, Mack also served as a leading ﬁgure who guided the community through di cult moments as well. Notably, he served as a leader during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mack used social media throughout his nine years as mayor to update residents on a variety of things, but during the pandemic, social media became a primary way of sharing factual information with residents.

“I felt it was necessary because I feel like fear comes from the unknown. If you know something – even though you may not like it – at least you know it, so I thought it was important for our residents to stay informed,” he said.

Courtesy of The City of Longview

“It’s challenges like COVID that show what you are really made of, and we pulled together and we’re stronger for it. ”

That was another time when Mack was criticized by the community. Some people thought he shared too much; some thought he didn’t share enough. Some thought he pushed face masks too much; others thought he didn’t promote wearing them enough.

“It was a no-win situation, no matter how I turned from a messaging perspective,” he recalled. “But we struggled every day to provide our residents with the information they needed to live healthy, safe, and happy lives.”

The city and county also partnered with CHRISTUS Good Shepherd to bring a vaccine clinic to Longview for those who wanted to take advantage of it.

“The clinic provided care for our community through a worldwide time of uncertainty,” he said. “It’s challenges like COVID that show what you’re really made of, and we pulled together and we’re stronger for it.”

As it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, the community also pulled together to support each other during a winter storm in 2021 that was dubbed “snowmageddon.” Mack said he was pleased with how people came together during that time.

The city also has celebrated some of those people throughout the years. Through programs like the Walk of Honor and the Go-Giver Gala, Mack said he’s been proud to recognize people who give back to Longview.

The Go-Giver Gala raised money for a variety of causes, including a plan to renovate East Marshall Avenue and Teague Park. The GoGiver Gala raised about $360,000 for the project, and in September 2023, LEDCO decided to contribute $1 million toward the endeavor.

“Teague Park is one of the most beautiful areas of our city, and most people drive right by it without ever even knowing it is there,” he said. “They don’t know about the tremendous Veterans Memorial Plaza, the pond, the playground facilities, or the acres of open play space right in the center of our community.”

The city is continuing to seek support for the project, which will include extending the

trail and providing access to the park from Marshall Avenue.

“I believe in future years Teague Park will be considered one of the most important areas of our community, and the steps we have taken for the past ﬁve years have given us a solid foundation for the work ahead,” he said.

The Future

While the Teague Park project started under Mack’s tenure, it did not come to completion; however, the groundwork has been laid for a strong future for the endeavor.

Similarly, Mack believes the city needs development along the Interstate 20 corridor. It’s an issue he’s talked about publicly since

he ran for mayor and one which he hopes to see come to fruition in the future.

“It’s been clear since I ﬁrst ran for mayor that I believe Interstate 20 is a vital corridor for our community. We need to see development and redevelopment along that highway to continue to thrive in future years,” he said. “We have a gift of an interstate running through the southern part of our community. We need to capture that gift and utilize it for our betterment. We can. It’s just going to take some e ort.”

Many ideas have been tossed around for development of the area – most notably, the idea of an amphitheater that ultimately didn’t move forward. Mack said it doesn’t have to be

an amphitheater, but there needs to be some sort of anchor development on I-20 that will draw tourism and encourage people passing through to exit the highway to stop in Longview.

If an anchor development can be secured, Mack believes it will have a far-reaching e ect that will kick o a redevelopment process along the main roadways, such as Estes Parkway, that feed o of I-20 and lead into South Longview.

“I believe is vital for our community leaders to continue to look for ways to provide and promote growth and revitalization in and around Interstate 20,” he said.

While he looks forward to seeing the city continue to progress, in May, he will end his

While Mack feels Longview took many strides forward, he said there is still more work to be done, and he is hopeful that the next mayor will continue to push for progress in the city.

tenure as mayor. Due to City of Longview term limits, mayors may serve no more than three terms with each term being three years.

While Mack feels Longview took many strides forward, he said there is still more work to be done, and he is hopeful that the next mayor will continue to push for progress in the city.

“We need someone with a vision who will not be afraid to make tough choices,” he said.

“We’ve come a long way in nine years, but we have a lot more we can do. … I hope the citizens of Longview elect someone who has that attitude because otherwise we’re going to slide backwards. You’re either going forward or you’re going backward because there’s no stationary – not in a city like Longview.”

Photos Courtesy of The City of Longview

I KNOW

Greenside Beverage Co.

Books & Barrels

The Bourbon Alley

Shivers Natural Snow

A SPT

by Christina Cavazos

10 Places to Relax & Unwind in Longview

When Oil Horse Brewing Co. ﬁrst opened its doors in 2016, downtown Longview was a virtual ghost town. There were few businesses open and little foot tra c on a day-to-day basis.However, today, downtown Longview is vibrant and thriving as people ﬂock to the area to enjoy the dozens of local businesses that have opened in the last eight years.

“We wanted to open here to help revitalize downtown and make a change and be a place where people want to go,” Ellen Oglesbee said. “What we originally envisioned and wanted was to create a place where people could just come and hang out.”

in the last eight years, it’s been joined by many others–both downtown and in other areas of the city. New spaces have given the community areas to gather, share ideas, collaborate, and hang out.

Today, Oil Horse remains one of the top “hangout” spots in downtown Longview, but

This is a look at 10 of the trendiest hangout hot spots in Longview in 2024.

Evergreen Coffee & Dessert

Oil Horse Brewing Co. Silver Grizzly Espresso

Café Barron’s

903 Billiards

T. Blanco’s

903 Billiards

One of Longview’s newest hangout spots, 903 Billiards is bringing an up-scale billiards experience to downtown Longview and o ering a premier spot to play a precision sport.

Owned by Je and Dawn Goodeman, 903

Billiards opened its doors July 15, 2023, with a goal of being a billiards-focused spot in downtown Longview. Unlike bars that have pool tables, 903 Billiards is focused ﬁrst and foremost on being a pool hall.

children are invited to come in with an adult until 9 p.m.,” he said.

Leagues play Sunday through Thursday, and then Thursday through Saturday there are tournaments. They even o er a junior league for minors. In addition to opening for leagues, 903 Billiards is also available for the general public to come in and try their turn at pool.

Goodeman said he personally enjoys pool because it’s a skill-based sport that poses a di erent challenge each time.

“I’ve been playing pool competitively for 23 or 24 years now. We had a couple of places in town that closed during COVID, so everybody was going to Kilgore to play,” Je Goodeman said. “We wanted to bring it back to Longview.”

It was a three-year process to launch the business from the initial concept to ﬁnding a location to opening. 903 Billiards is located in the former Landmark Social, which operated as an event venue space. Goodeman said the building had good bones, which streamlined the process of converting it into a pool hall. The couple hung pool table lights and put in pool tables.

Oil Horse Brewing Co.

“The pool table doesn’t discriminate. It’s a skill game,” he said. “A lot of people don’t think of pool as a sport, but if you get into a competitive pool, it really is. You may be playing a tournament for eight hours, and every single time you go to make a shot, you’ve got to have 100% focus.”

As for the future, Dawn Goodeman said they want to expand to have di erent o erings, perhaps occasional live musicians and perhaps growing into other types of gaming.

210 E. Methvin St., Longview, Texas

When it opened, there was instant business with pool leagues that began playing there. While 903 Billiards has a bar, the focus is on o ering a “good, clean place to play pool,” Goodeman said. “It’s family friendly, and

Oil Horse remains a cornerstone in downtown Longview, and owners John and Ellen Oglesbee said they’ve been excited to be part of the revitalization of the heart of the city.

“I grew up with a downtown that was vibrant and had all these fun places. That’s one of the things we wanted for Longview,” Ellen Oglesbee said.

The concept for Oil Horse started years prior to opening when John Oglesbee started brewing at home in his kitchen and later in his garage and even later in another structure he built. Eventually, the couple decided to transform from brewing at home to opening a business.

When they opened their doors downtown in May 2016, they sold out all of their stock in one night. They brewed some more and opened up again for a night in June 2016 when they sold out again. From there, they began to develop a more consistent schedule. What started as Fridays and Saturdays has turned into a brewery that’s now open ﬁve nights a week.

Hours: 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Monday - Thursday; 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday; 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday; 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday 903-883-6464

Find 903 Billiards on Facebook

gluten doesn’t change the taste for the quality of the beer. It just allows it to be more accessible to people,” he said.

What makes Oil Horse unique from other breweries is that its beers are crafted to remove gluten. John Oglesbee is gluten intolerant, and he decided to create beer that was accessible to him and all of those who have a gluten intolerance.

The names of their beer selection were created to shed light on local history with names like “Big Inch,” “Loblolly,” “Hundred Acres,” and more.

The family-friendly brewery o ers many events, such as live music, trivia nights, and Theology on Tap.

“While that may seem like a terrible thing to some people, gluten as a whole or removing

101 W. Tyler St., Longview, Texas

Hours: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday 903-241-4686

oilhorsebrewing.com

Evergreen Coffee & Dessert

The couple moved to Longview from New York, where community co ee shops abound. He wanted to bring that vibe to Pine Tree.

Since opening in 2000, Evergreen Co ee and Dessert has helped bring renewed life and energy to Pine Tree and has helped develop a community hub where young residents can gather to study, work, create art, talk, and cultivate ideas.

Evergreen Co ee and Dessert was founded by Seajin Kim and his wife, Stella Park, who owns the neighboring Evergreen Tattoo in the Royal Park Shopping Center. The couple also owns Evergreen Food Factory, which serves Korean fusion fare.

“Our main goal is to bring new experiences to Longview to give people more options,” Kim said.

Prior to the co ee shop and tattoo shop opening, the Royal Park Shopping Center on Evergreen Street contained mostly vacant buildings. Since opening, the co ee shop has become one of the trendiest hangout spots in Longview, especially among students who often study and gather with friends for conversation at the co ee shop. The tattoo shop also is bustling. More businesses have followed suit and opened up in Royal Park, leading to revitalization in the area.

At Evergreen, popular co ee favorites include the Horchata Latte and the shop’s signature Tiger Latte. However, Evergreen o ers a robust

T. Blanco’s

menu that includes teas, frappes, and bubble tea. The bubble tea with boba is among the top sellers on the menu and is one item that sets Evergreen apart from other co ee shops. With many ﬂavors of bubble tea and many ﬂavors of boba, there are endless pairing combinations for patrons.

In addition to drinks, Evergreen also o ers many desserts, such as macarons. Most of the desserts are made in-house and prepared fresh daily.

1111 Evergreen St., Longview, Texas

Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday - Friday; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 903-331-6059

Find Evergreen Co ee & Dessert on Facebook

Each weekend and nearly every weeknight, Longview residents drive south to the Lakeport area to dine at T. Blanco’s where the patio, margaritas, and Tex-Mex combine to create an atmosphere that people have loved for more than a decade.

T. Blanco’s opened in 2010 and was purchased by the Maxey family, which also owns Jucy’s, in 2018. Located in Lakeport, T. Blanco’s is known for its Tex-Mex o erings. The restaurant’s menu items are prepared fresh each day, using high-quality ingredients, according to General Manager Je Gruppi. Top menu items include the Fried Avocado, Beef Fajitas, and spicy Tacos De La Rosa.

“We have some great recipes, and we have great cooks working in the kitchen,” said Dustin Anthony, a part owner of the restaurant. “They do a good job and are really hands-on every day. We strive to work to do the best we can and just improve on our quality at all times.”

“The atmosphere helps set the restaurant apart from other Tex-Mex options,” Gruppi said.

“We have a great patio. There are not many restaurants like this around. It’s really laid back, and then on top of all that, the food is just really delicious,” he said. “I feel like it sets us apart from anybody in the surrounding area.”

It’s family friendly but also has a “happy hour type of vibe,” she said. The atmosphere invites people to stay longer than just their meal.

The bar also features a variety of options with specialty and holiday drinks that rotate. Kiefer said the frozen margarita is her personal favorite. As it does to prepare its food, T. Blanco’s also uses fresh, high-quality ingredients in its mixed drinks, she said.

1045 Gardiner Mitchell Pkwy, Longview, Texas

Hours:11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday - Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 903-643-0100

Megan Kiefer, who’s a part owner of the restaurant, agreed that atmosphere is key.

tblancos.com

Shivers Natural Snow

In North Longview, a vintage Airstream, snow cones, picnic tables, and yard games combine to create a communal atmosphere where the community can relax and connect.

At Shivers, owners Chad and Rachael Reeves strive to create an atmosphere where families and friends can often be found gathering at picnic tables or enjoying each other’s company while sitting on picnic blankets.

While the atmosphere has a sense of community, the snow cones themselves are naturally a draw. Shivers signature snow cones feature ice that’s soft as snow and syrups that are made with all-natural, real ingredients.

In the spring, summer and fall, Shivers serves snow cones while in the winter the menu shifts to holiday drinks. All of the items are served from the Shivers food truck, an Airstream that’s located on U.S. 259 near Spindletop Market, formerly known as the Bar K Ranch Store.

On the summer snow menu, popular items include the Honeymoon, which is made with juiced pineapple and cream of coconut, and the Strawnilla, which features a combination of strawberry and vanilla. In the fall, snow cone ﬂavors shift to fall ﬂavors such as The Great Pumpkin, which features pumpkin spice and cinnamon, and Caramel Apple.

Books & Barrels

In both the summer and fall, the Brown Cow is a popular choice that features cold brew co ee along with homemade sweet cream, whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and chocolate drizzle.

In the wintertime, Shivers shifts to holiday drinks including a variety of hot chocolate ﬂavors. In Texas, it can often be warm even in November and December, so Shivers also o ers a frozen version of a few of its popular hot chocolate drinks.

Nestled in downtown Longview, Books & Barrels is an indie bookstore that also houses a wine bar and weekly schedule that’s ﬁlled with events the community enjoys.

5651 U.S. 259, Longview, Texas

Books & Barrels opened in 2020 as the brainchild of Laura and Chad Nevils and Laura’s mother, Joanna Burrows. Laura Nevils has described herself as an avid reader, but there were limited places to purchase books in the Longview area. She wanted to make that opportunity available to the community and wanted to be part of the revitalization e orts happening downtown.

promotes drinking local. Wines are available from nearby wineries, such as Enoch’s Stomp and Los Pinos. The store also sells a selection of craft beer, including Oil Horse Brewing Co.

Wine and books make for the perfect pair, and Nevils has played on that concept by created a book club called “Perfect Pair Book Club.”

Hours: 2:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday - Friday; 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday shiversnaturalsnow.com

The store caters to readers of all ages and those interested in a variety of genres. Its selection includes contemporary ﬁction, nonﬁction, and a variety of children’s books. Meanwhile, the wine bar housed inside

Each month, Books & Barrels chooses a book club pick and pairs it with a speciﬁc type of wine. The book club meets the third Thursday of each month for discussion.

The book club is far from the only event Books & Barrels hosts. The bookstore’s robust event calendar includes children’s story time, poetry nights, and open mic nights.

206 N. Center St., Longview, Texas

Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday 903-265-9205

booksandbarrelstx.com

Café Barron’s

No list of hangout spots in Longview would be complete without Barron’s, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Greenside Beverage Co.

Since opening in 2022, Greenside Beverage Co. has quickly become one of Longview’s prime spots to relax with friends.

Owners Hudson and Bessie Johnson share a lot of interests, and owning their own business was a shared dream. They also both enjoy wine, especially natural wine. Meanwhile, Hudson Johnson also works in real estate investment, and in 2021, he and his business partner invested in a building at the corner of Green Street and Tyler Street in downtown Longview.

“We would come back here and have beers or wine on what would become the patio,” Hudson Johnson said, noting the patio was in disrepair at the time. “We would come back here and dream.”

Barron’s was founded in 1972 by Jim and Julia Barron as a bookstore that grew into a boutique and gift shop. In 1995, the couple also opened Café Barron’s to serve upscale cuisine in a modern setting in Longview. Today, the shop and restaurant are operated by the couple’s son, Brandon, and his wife, Lacy.

Located on Loop 281, Café Barron’s features low club seating and sleek décor that exudes the atmosphere of a 1930s jazz club with a modern ﬂare. The restaurant

They worked together to renovate the building, which also houses neighboring businesses like Cace’s Kitchen and Solo Sandwich Co. The

renovation process began in November 2021, and Greenside o cially opened its doors in August 2022.

Greenside o ers a selection of natural wines, which Johnson described as being prepared by simpler or more traditional methods.

“The cool thing about natural wine is it’s grapes fermented into alcohol and then maybe a little bit of sulﬁte and that’s it,” he said. “The grapes are well-grown. It’s really nothing new; it’s just kind of going back to the older, more traditional methods of winemaking. It’s small wineries, small vineyards--it’s people like us who put themselves into it. There’s not a big machine harvesting the grapes. It’s people out there caring for the grapes.”

features a full-service bar that is classy, upscale, sophisticated, and ideal for young professionals. Both the restaurant and bar are casual and a space where people feel comfortable dressed up or dressed down.

On the restaurant menu, fan favorites include the ribeye, the hot ’n’ crunchy chicken, and the bison burger. Barron’s uses high quality, fresh ingredients for both its food and drinks, and everything is prepared to order.

405 E. Loop 281, Longview, Texas

Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday; Bar open all day 903-663-4737 cafebarrons.com

events, including live music, yoga, pop-up food experiences, ﬂea markets, and other events.

The Johnsons said one thing they love about their space is that it’s located in the heart of the city, giving them a chance to be part of the downtown revitalization. Supporting local is something they do even in their own travels.

“Everywhere we go, we seek out what’s local. I want to go somewhere where I can experience what that place has to o er, the local culture.

In Longview, that’s downtown,” he said. “If you dropped a pin at the courthouse, and you went a mile in any direction, this is what Longview is. It stands out. This is uniquely Longview.”

102 N Green St., Longview, Texas

In addition to natural wines, Greenside also o ers an assortment of beers, including some that are made in house.

Greenside also o ers a variety of occasional

Hours: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday - Thursday; 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday - Saturday; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday greensidebevco.com

Lindsay Steele Photography

Silver Grizzly Espresso

When Silver Grizzly Espresso opened its doors in Longview in 2016, it was with the goal of being a “third-place” space--an area outside of work and home where people can meet together and feel a sense of belonging.

In the last eight years, the downtown co ee shop has become just that to its multitude of patrons who come not just for co ee but also for a space to talk, collaborate, exchange ideas, and “belong.”

Silver Grizzly purchases what is known as “green co ee.” It’s the pit of a co ee cherry that starts out green and is turned brown during the roasting process. In 2020, Silver Grizzly opened its own roastery at which it roasts the beans to create its co ee.

The co ee shop was made possible by four business partners–Connor Walters, Vincent Purvis, David Samford, and Vance Freeman–who had di erent backgrounds but a common thread. All four grew up in and around Longview and wanted to invest in their community.

The Bourbon Alley

One of the newer hangout spots in downtown Longview, The Bourbon Alley has quickly built a following with its trendy atmosphere and high-quality craft cocktails.

While the downtown co ee shop remains the cornerstone of the business, Silver Grizzly also sells its co ee online and has partnered with other local businesses to o er its product.

At the co ee shop, the most popular drink tends to be lattes paired with one of Silver Grizzly’s house-made syrups. Latte art is often a delight to customers. The co ee shop also occasionally hosts pop-up events, such as latte art competitions and collaborations.

Silver Grizzly o ers high quality, craft co ee. Co ee beans are ethically sourced, and Walters works with individuals he knows who visit farms in other countries, such as Guatemala and Ethiopia, during harvest season.

Owner Christopher Wilks is originally from Longview but had moved away. When his job went fully remote amid the pandemic, he and his husband decided to return home. He said he couldn’t really ﬁnd a place to get a drink with the exact atmosphere he was seeking, so he decided to build it with his family.

The Bourbon Alley, a speakeasy style bar that blends New Orleans ﬂair with Old Hollywood charm, opened its doors on September 1, 2023. Patrons enter a storefront and are asked for a password to enter the speakeasy.

The Bourbon Alley originally was located behind Big Wood Haus & Home, but the owners quickly realized that it needed more space due to growing popularity. Today, it occupies the entire space at 115 E. Tyler St. though the Big Wood storefront still exists to add to the speakeasy vibe.

100 W. Tyler St., Longview, Texas Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday - Saturday 903-309-2766

silvergrizzlyespresso.com

“We both mutually decided it would be beneﬁcial for us if we could expand into this extra space which has been a lot of help,” Wilks said.

Cocktails rule the menu, but The Bourbon Alley also has a few signature drinks that patrons love.

The Blood Moon, for example, o ers a vibrant twist on the classic margarita; meanwhile the Bourbon Alley Sazerac features a bold blend of rye whiskey, absinthe, and bitters.

smile on their faces, like they had an amazing time, and they felt kind of transported to New Orleans or just somewhere else other than Longview,” Wilks said. “As they say in New Orleans, ‘let the good times roll.’ If people come here and have fun, that’s when I feel like we’ve done a really good job.”

115 E. Tyler St., Longview, Texas

“I want people to come here and leave with a

Hours: 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Wednesday - Saturday thebourbonalley.com

SCAN to watch the spirits ﬂow as bartender Carson makes a Dragon fruit Gin Sour at The Bourbon Alley.

Longview ISD believes in Education With Purpose, and our innovative and diverse Magnet School curriculums and programs allow students to become lifelong learners, develop marketable skills, and prepare for their futures wherever they may lead.

MAGNET SCHOOLS

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by Christina Cavazos

“You played the music of my heart, and I’m so very moved by all the wonderful memories invoked in me tonight,” Mitchell said. “We are sitting in the Longview Community Center where I ﬁrst started in 1972, and we stayed here about three years. It’s wonderful to gather again this evening. … It was very touching for me to be here.”

PAT GEORGE MITCHELL

2023 Arts!Longview

Honors Lifetime Achievement Award

“I consider this one of the highest honors that I’ve ever received. It’s a tremendous moment not just for me, but for my whole family to be honored in this way. But this honor has to be shared with the people I’ve worked with over the years. I’ve been involved in music for over 50 years, but I never played a note myself. All of the people who have been part of the Longview Symphony Orchestra and the East Texas Symphonic Band deserve a lot of the credit. They’ve been incredible to work with.”

DR. JAMES SNOWDEN

2024 Arts!Longview

Honors Lifetime Achievement Award

Longview Longview

Photo by O. Rufus Lovett

The inaugural Arts!Longview Honors celebration was one of the highlights of Arts!Longview’s year in 2023. The celebration started a year filled with many new endeavors for the Cultural District. In 2023, Arts!Longview also hosted its first MLK Jazz Concert, installed its first sculptural bench, and brought in grant funding for a new project.

performers in East Texas who gave of their time and talents to spend the evening with us,” Cavazos said. “The ability to bring everyone together to share a stage made the Honors celebration one of the most special evenings in our Cultural District.”

“We have and will continue to push forward by bringing innovative projects and programming to our community.”

The event serves as the primary fundraiser for Arts!Longview, a nonproﬁt organization that manages the 343-acre, state-designated Cultural District in Longview. The evening featured a red-carpet entry and complimentary valet parking; a pre-show reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and live music; a Broadway-style program with performances by all of Longview’s performing arts groups; and the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Arts!Longview named Pat George Mitchell as the recipient of the inaugural award. Mitchell founded Longview Ballet Theatre in 1972 and served as its artistic director through its ﬁnal production in 2022.

“For more than 50 years, Ms. Mitchell has shared her passion for dance and her love of the arts with our community. She has inspired and served as a mentor to thousands of students, teaching them not only about ballet but also about life,” Cavazos said. “She spent her life developing the talents of young dancers, nourishing our arts community, and creating memorable ballets that our community will collectively treasure forever.”

In addition to celebrating Mitchell’s career, the evening also highlighted the Cultural District with performances by all of Longview’s performing arts groups. The Longview String Quartet, whose members are part of the Longview Symphony Orchestra, provided pre-show entertainment. Meanwhile, the program included performances by representatives and members of ArtsView Children’s Theatre, The Dance Studio Longview, East Texas Symphonic Band, the Kilgore College Rangerettes, former Longview Ballet Theatre dancers, soloist Miranda Doliveaccompanied by pianist David Berryhill, and Theatre Longview.

“The Honors celebration may not be the first time that all of our performing arts partners appeared on a stage together, but if it wasn’t the first time, it was certainly the first in many years. We have incredible

In January 2024, Arts!Longview brought back its performing arts partner organizations for the second annual Honors celebration. The evening included the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Artistic Excellence to Dr. James Snowden. “The East Texas Symphonic Band and the Longview Symphony Orchestra are absolute gems and Dr. Snowden has been such a visionary leader in our arts community for more than ﬁfty years,” Cavazos said.

Snowden founded the Longview Symphony Orchestra in 1968, and also started the orchestra program at Longview High School that same year. He served as the symphony’s conductor for 10 years. He served as the musical director for the former Longview Community Theatre and also served as a musical director for ArtsView Children’s Theatre. He served as Pine Tree ISD’s Director of Bands for many years, eventually retiring in 1998.

In 1988, Snowden founded the East Texas Symphonic Band and has been its only conductor in the organization’s 35-year history. The East Texas Symphonic Band is comprised of about 70 volunteer musicians. The group consists of adults, many of whom are band directors from area high schools, as well as high school and college students. Through the Symphonic Band and previously with the Longview Symphony, Snowden conducted joint performances with Longview Ballet Theatre and has sought to incorporate other facets of the arts into the groups’ performances.

“Dr. Snowden is an individual who seeks to bring together our arts community. It has been important to him to incorporate other aspects of the arts, such as song and dance, into his leadership of the Symphonic Band,” said Dan Sorey, 2023 President of the Arts!Longview Board of Directors. “He has touched nearly every facet of our performing arts community and we are proud to recognize him.”

The Honors celebration marked one of several new programs for Arts! Longview. The organization also teamed up with the City of Longview

Arts Honors Gala 2023

Longview Ballet Theatre

East Texas Symphonic Band

Learn more about the Arts!Longview Cultural District

to be part of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. In 2023, the City of Longview took over coordination of the MLK weekend of events for the ﬁrst time since 2009. Arts!Longview took part in the weekend by holding a jazz concert in January 2023 featuring performances by Low D and Mack Guice. The two local musicians performed to a nearly sold-out crowd at the Longview Community Center and Cavazos said the organization was excited to continue being part of MLK festivities. In the fall, Arts!Longview played a role in Dia de los Muertos festivities by commissioning local artists to create a festive wrap for the “Longview” letters at Heritage Plaza. Artists Charles Arnold, Leti Beau and Kelly Ramon used canvas to create a wrap for the letters that was colorful and inviting. “As a Cultural District, we want to be part of events that are culturally signiﬁcant to our community.

“I grew up in this wonderful community theatre where dozens of volunteers put on stellar plays and musicals to sold out crowds in the Longview Community Center,” Knutson said. “I want to see our community theatre, Theatre Longview, reach that status again where community members from all walks of life can come together and create, participate in, and attend excellent theatrical productions.”

Theatre Longview performed to sold-out audiences at the Longview Community Center throughout the year and brought back a musical for the ﬁrst time in several years.

ArtsView Children’s Theatre completed major renovation work to its stage in 2023. The former stage at ArtsView was built on multiple levels with various steps and platforms. With support from the Longview Greggton Rotary Club, ArtsView renovated the stage so that it is solid

“Collaboration has been key among the organizations as Arts!Longview celebrates the successes and milestones of its partner agencies.”

The MLK weekend is among those events that we want to have a role in,” she said.

Arts!Longview also continued to host its quarterly ArtWalks in 2023, drawing hundreds of artists and thousands of attendees to downtown Longview. ArtWalk is a free festival that Arts!Longview organizes four times each year in the spring, summer, fall and winter. The event pairs artists with downtown businesses to showcase their work. Artists set up inside businesses and along the downtown sidewalks with the community coming out to view the art and patronize the businesses. All of Arts!Longview’s arts partner organizations participate in the ArtWalks, hosting artists and setting up booths downtown.

In 2023, Theatre Longview hired its ﬁrst executive director, Denise Knutson, who has been involved in the organization for several years. Knutson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts.

and ﬂat, which improves the accessibility and safety of the stage. ArtsView also completed some exterior work to the building, including a new mural painted by Longview artist Dana Huber. The mural, which is titled “The Stage is Set to Soar,” features hot air balloons, each one depiciting a scene from a di erent ArtsView production, including “The Sound of Music,” “Newsies,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Jungle Book,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” The Little Mermaid,” and “The Pirates of Penzance.”

“We wanted to celebrate the hot air balloons in Longview and to incorporate the worlds that theatre o ers, so we have di erent landscapes that are from our previous plays and musicals,” Huber said. Longview World of Wonders hired Sara McKinley in 2023 as its new executive director. McKinley previously served as the organization’s assistant executive director.

“Leading the team at Longview World of Wonders has been a tremendous privilege. My ﬁrst year as executive director has brought both exciting challenges and opportunities,” McKinley said. “One of my key objectives

Pops in the Park

Theatre Longview

‘Circlets Magnum Opus’ Sculpture Bench

“Since 2019, Arts!Longview and its partner arts agencies have been awarded $764,004 in total state funds, including both Cultural District Project grants and the smaller grant programs o ered by the Texas Commission on the Arts.”

since assuming this role is to foster and strengthen our community partnerships. I am passionate about our involvement in the cultural arts community, and my team is continuously working to enhance the experience for our patrons.”

LongviewWOW cultivated collaborative partnerships with several other arts organizations, including participating in a joint Family Day hosted by all three of the downtown museums. Longview Museum of Fine Arts and the Gregg County Historical Museum also participated in the Family Day event.

Gregg County Historical Museum delighted patrons from across East Texas with its 2023 exhibition lineup, particularly its “NASA: Beyond Earth” exhibition. The exhibit, which was made possible in collaboration with the Johnson Space Center, featured historical artifacts from the Apollo and Gemini missions. The historical museum also helped Gregg County celebrate its 150th anniversary, or sesquicentennial, in 2023. The county’s sesquicentennial was celebrated as part of Dalton Days festivities. Historical Museum Executive Director Lindsay Loy and her team helped make the county’s celebration special. Dalton Days featured special appearances, such as Bill O’Neal, a retired Texas state historian, who gave a presentation on the county and State Representative Jay Dean who issued a proclamation for the county’s anniversary. A cake in the shape of Gregg County also was created to help commemorate the milestone.

LMFA made progress at its new location and continued to o er exhibitions at its current space. The museum held its ﬁrst “State of the Museum” in 2023 with LMFA Executive Director Ti any Jehorek speaking directly with the museum’s members, volunteers and supporters. LMFA also returned its Magic and Mayhem event to the Cultural District, including partnering

with Theatre Longview to have actors dressed in costume at the “Alice in Wonderland” themed evening.

Meanwhile, the Longview Symphony Orchestra played to a sold-out crowd at the 2,000-seat LeTourneau University Belcher Center during its “Star Wars: Through the Years” concert in April 2023. The concert invited attendees to hear music from the iconic ﬁlm franchise and marked a milestone achievement for the orchestra to sell out the Belcher Center.

The Mandalorian Mission Maze, which served as a prelude to the concert, attracted thousands to the Longview Arboretum & Nature Center to interact with volunteers who were dressed as various characters from the “Star Wars” franchise. The symphony partnered with volunteers from several arts organizations for the Mandalorian Mission Maze and began making plans for its 2024 family concert, which will feature music from the Marvel and DC comics ﬁlms.

Arts!Longview also completed projects in 2023 that were funded by a grant received from the Texas Commission on the Arts. As a state-designated Cultural District, Arts!Longview and its partner arts organizations are eligible for speciﬁc grant funds from the state’s arts commission that are not available to cities without the state designation.

The organization’s grant helped fund the ﬁrst “art bench” in the community. The new sculptural bench adds another pop of color to downtown Longview and the Cultural District. The bench, which is titled “Circlets Magnum Opus,” is located at the corner of Tyler Street and Fredonia Street in front of the Sculpture Garden. It was designed by Holly Forbes of Longview and fabricated by Modisette Welding of Kilgore. The bench depicts an artist’s palette and brush. “The name ‘Circlets Magnum Opus’ is a very loose interpretation meaning ‘Great Work of Circles’ — it’s just more ‘artsy.’ The concept represents an artist’s brush and palette and varying sizes of abstract circles of color,” Forbes said. “As a graphic designer, I could create the concept but needed the expertise of a professional welder to actually make the bench. Modisette Welding did

ArtWalk Downtown

MLK Concert

Longview World of Wonders

a fantastic job taking my idea and engineering, building, and painting the bench. The bench is intended to be a happy and inviting spot that attracts people to come take a closer look.”

Regarding state funding, Arts!Longview learned in September that it would be awarded a $45,000 grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts to install wayﬁnding signage that will help direct visitors to the Cultural District and Downtown Longview.

Executive Director Nathaniel Olson said ArtsView will expand the lobby to triple the current size “to allow our patrons to have a comfortable and climate-controlled environment to wait in before the shows since they currently have to wait outside due to the small size of our lobby.”

Longview Museum of Fine Arts received a $35,000 Cultural District Project grant that will assist with the renovation of the 1940s section of LMFA’s future home on Fredonia Street. LMFA is in the process of renovating a former bank at the corner of Fredonia and Methvin Streets into a new art

“Earning the TCA Cultural District designation from the state pushed us to the next level for our artistic community...it has opened doors to grant funding and more local support that has helped us elevate the culture of downtown Longview.”

“Through tra c data, we know that more than 150,000 people travel through Longview daily on some of the major roadways, including Interstate 20, U.S. Highway 80, U.S. Highway 259, and Texas 300,” Cavazos said.

“Our goal is to help direct visitors to experience the beauty and uniqueness of our Cultural District, including our downtown business community and our nine partner arts and culture agencies.”

Meanwhile, the Cultural District as a whole brought in $159,000 in state grant funding cumulatively between Arts!Longview and its partner organizations.

ArtsView Children’s Theatre received a $23,298 Cultural District Project grant that will be used to remodel and expand the existing theatre lobby.

museum. Jehorek said the museum’s goal is to prepare the ﬁrst ﬂoor of the building for immediate use for LMFA events and for the community to rent for events. Meanwhile, the museum will continue its plans and fundraising for future phases of renovations at the new building.

Longview Symphony Orchestra received a $28,000 Cultural District Project grant that will assist with funding for its upcoming DC vs. Marvel concert.

Executive Director Niki Groce said the DC vs. Marvel concert will continue the orchestra’s tradition of engaging the community through a familyfriendly concert that ties together music and cinema. The concert will feature music from the DC and Marvel comics ﬁlms.

“Earning the Cultural District designation from the state really pushed us to the next level for our artistic community,” Cavazos said. “It has opened doors to grant funding and more local support that has helped us elevate the culture of downtown Longview, helped our arts partners make improvements to existing and future buildings, and allowed for worldclass programming to be brought to our community.”

Cultural districts are special zones that harness the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community vitality. These districts can become focal points for generating businesses, attracting tourists, stimulating cultural development and fostering civic pride. www.arts.texas.gov

Longview Symphony Orchestra Star Wars

ArtsView Children’s Theatre Mural

Longview Museum of Fine Arts

Matthew Nehrling Vizcre8ve

CULTURAL DISTRICT

Downtown Area

1.ArtsView Children’s Theatre

2.Central Fire Station

3.City Hall / Visitors Center

4.First Baptist Church

5.First Presbyterian Church

6.First United Methodist Church

7.Gregg County Courthouse

8.Gregg County Historical Museum

9.Heritage Plaza

10.Historic Longview Farmers Market

11.Historic Longview Train Depot

12.Kilgore College - Longview

13.Longview Chamber of Commerce

14.ARTS!Longview Community Center

ARTS!Longview Logo Guidelines: The logo is intended to be used by approved entities within the designated Cultural District, see https://artslongview.org/explore for a map of area.

15.Longview Museum of Fine Arts

16.Longview Public Library

17.Longview Safety City

18.Longview Symphony

19.Longview World of Wonders

Limit to groups listed on our website?

Use with or without the TCA logo?

20.Magrill Plaza

21.Pelaia Plaza and J.T. Smith Sculpture Garden

LeTourneau

University Area

22.Belcher Center

23.Servant Sculpture

24.Ingenuity Sculpture

25.R.G. LeTourneau Museum

26.Speer Chapel

27.Historic Longview Fire Station

artslongview.org

Contact for more information on logo usage: director@artslongview.org 903.738.1865 www.artslongview.org

Arts!Longview Board of Directors

Michael Cavazos

to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect with nature in the heart of the city. The Arboretum hosts community events, science camps, a live music concert series each spring and fall, and so much more.

Open year-round, come stroll the piney paths to experience how the gardens attract birds, butterﬂies, wildlife, and indigenous ﬂora and fauna. Visit the website for garden hours, admission, membership information, and a calendar of upcoming events.

Nature, Beauty & Soul

ArtsView Children’s Theatre

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East Texas Symphonic Band

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Gregg County Historical Museum

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LeTourneau University’s S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center

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Longview Arboretum and Nature Center

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Longview Museum of Fine Arts

LMFA.ORG

Longview Parks and Recreation

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Longview Public Library

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Longview Symphony

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FEATURE ON PAGE 62

Longview World of Wonders

LONGVIEWWOW.ORG

R.G. LeTourneau Museum

LETU.EDU

Theatre Longview

THEATRELONGVIEW.COM

Symphony

By Christina Cavazos

With a mixture of classical and family concerts, Longview Symphony Orchestra is experiencing unprecedented growth that Executive Director Niki Groce says has helped it become “a symphony for everyone.”

“We’ve expanded on our outreach and getting into our community, and we’re bringing new people into becoming classical music lovers,” she said.

Founded in 1968 by Dr. James Snowden, the Longview Symphony Orchestra is composed entirely of professional musicians from Longview, the greater East Texas area, Shreveport-Bossier City, and Dallas-Fort Worth. Musicians audition to be part of the orchestra and are paid performers.

“What we have is incredible,” Groce said. “I’m constantly blown away by them.” The orchestra has grown over the years and adapted its performances. During 2020, for example, the orchestra performed free virtual concerts.

More recently, the symphony has focused on using its annual family concert to drive more people to the symphony and raise awareness of its programs.

The Longview Symphony Orchestra o ers a robust season of programming. The season starts in the fall with a classical concert. Then, in December, the annual Home for the Holidays program kicks o the holiday season in Longview.

“It is magical. So many things happen at this concert. It puts the jolly in your season,” Groce said.

In the winter, the symphony performs a classical candlelight concert, and throughout the year, it o ers free Bach’s Lunch classical concerts. The Bach’s Lunch concerts are held at churches in Longview and Kilgore as a lunchtime concert series to give people a small taste of classical music.

The symphony concludes its season with its family concert, which typically features music from popular ﬁlm franchises.

The tradition started with the symphony’s “Harry Potter” concert. Leading up to the concert, Groce organized a Harry Potter-themed maze at the Longview Arboretum and Nature Center. For the maze, she partnered with other arts organizations and City of Longview departments to have volunteers dress up in costume as characters from the franchise. She constructed a maze where visitors used clues to solve a puzzle.

A free event, the maze attracted more than 1,400 attendees. Many of those individuals purchased tickets to come to the concert, which followed the maze about a month later.

In 2023, the symphony held a “Star Wars” concert with a maze that preceded it. The Longview Symphony Orchestra performed the “Star Wars” concert to a sold-out crowd at the 2,000seat LeTourneau University Belcher Center. It marked the first time for the symphony to sell out the venue and capped a season that set many records for the organization.

With new conductor Dr. Greg Grabowski, the symphony played to a crowd of more than 1,500 people at its Home for the Holidays concert during the 2022-2023 season. That was a record for that particular concert. The symphony followed that by performing to a sold-out audience for its chamber candlelight concert at the Longview Community Center and then performing to a sold-out crowd at the Belcher Center for the “Star Wars” concert.

Photos by Matthew Nehrling

Star Wars Concert

“I’m so excited at the direction we’re going in,” Groce said. “Last season, we made Longview Symphony history under the direction of Dr. Greg Grabowski, our conductor, who is an amazing person to work with. He’s an incredibly talented, visual person who just knows how to engage the audience and the musicians.”

This spring, the symphony’s family concert will feature music from the DC and Marvel comics ﬁlm franchises. Leading up to the April 27 concert, the symphony will once again bring back its maze at the Arboretum. Titled “The Joker’s Gauntlet,” the maze will feature volunteers dressed up as characters from popular comic series and will feature a showdown between the Joker and Batman.

“The big challenge this year is to find the Infinity Stones, but you will have several smaller challenges to complete to fill out your map along the way,” Groce explained of this year’s maze. “And, of course, you get to put your name in for prizes at di erent levels. It’s going to be good.”

With the maze and the family concert, she expects to again bring in new audiences who may have never attended a symphony performance before.

“I feel like we have really expanded and become a symphony for everyone, which was a major goal,” she said. “I feel like we are really now seeing the fruits of our labor.”

Home for the Holidays Concert

Harry Potter Marauder’s Map Challenge

OUT & ABOUT

SPRING

MARCH

LeTourneau Car Show

LETU.EDU

The LeTourneau University Automotive Society presents its annual Car Show with proceeds beneﬁting missions around the world.

Zonta Antiques Show and Sale

ZONTAANTIQUESHOW.COM

A perennial favorite for antique hunters of all stripes, this event typically draws jewelry, carpet, and furniture vendors to the Maude Cobb Convention Center. One of the longest running antiques shows in East Texas, it also hosts a tearoom and its famous Pie Bar. Sponsored by the Zonta Club of Greater East Texas.

APRIL

Chautauqua Fest

LONGVIEWTEXAS.GOV

The Longview Public Library hosts this free event celebrating diverse culture with music, performances, local authors, artists, and artisans.

Dalton Days

GREGGHISTORICAL.ORG

A family-friendly event recapturing the drama

and nail-biting frenzy of one of Longview’s most iconic pages of history, the infamous bank heist by the Bill Dalton Gang. Recreated on a blocked-o portion of Fredonia Street, and coupled with a fair-styled afternoon of activities, Dalton Days brings the bang and pop excitement that professional actors create when putting Longview citizens in peril, and all straight from local history.

Harvest Festival Crawﬁsh Boil

HARVESTFESTIVALLIVESTOCKSHOW.COM

Each year at the Maude Cobb Convention Center, the Crawﬁsh Boil brings thousands of people together for music and amazing food. The Crawﬁsh Boil, a fundraiser for the Harvest Festival livestock show and sale in October, provides scholarships to area 4H and FFA students.

Downtown Longview Wine Swirl

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Deﬁne a perfect Spring Saturday: strolling through Downtown Longview, sampling wines from across East Texas and beyond, listening to live music, and shopping from unique local vendors.

PRCA Rodeo

LONGVIEWPRCARODEO.COM

The Greggton Rotary Longview PRCA Rodeo is one of the hottest tickets in town. Fans say it’s one of the most popular bull-riding, calfroping, bareback-riding, saddle-bronc-riding, stick-horse-racing, clown-dodging rodeos ever to stir up dust at the Longview Rodeo Arena. The Rotarians say it’s just good, family fun. The Longview (Greggton) Rotary hosts this annual spring-time event to the delight of rodeo fans of all ages, and, as their primary fundraiser, allows the Rotary to give back $30,000 - $50,000 to the community in support of local non-proﬁt organizations.

MAY

Cinco De Mayo

LONGVIEWARBORETUM.ORG

Celebration of Hispanic music, food, vendors, and performances all located within the beautiful Longview Arboretum gardens.

Gregg County Historical Museum Dalton Days

Downtown Longview Wine Swirl

LeTourneau Car Show

SUMMER

JUNE

Great Texas Balloon Race

GREATTEXASBALLOONRACE.COM

FEATURE ON PAGE 68

Gregg County is the Balloon Race Capital of Texas because this world-class event attracts the best competitive balloon pilots from across the United States and around the world. During the third weekend in June, balloons will ﬁll the skies over Longview on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and then concerts, a balloon glow, and entertainment will thrill crowds on Friday and Saturday night. This world-class competition features sport and special shaped balloons and covers a three-day weekend every summer.

The Great Texas Balloon Race was founded by local dentist Dr. Bill Bussey in 1977. Dr. Bussey has held many balloon world records and was inducted into the National U.S. Ballooning Hall of Fame, the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, and the Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions. Ballooning has become a beloved part of the Longview community and local pilots can been seen ﬂying over Longview on any given morning throughout the year.

In conjunction with their annual event, The Great Texas Balloon Race is also hosting three consecutive U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship events starting in 2023. Yet another great opportunity to watch some of the ﬁnest pilots in the world compete.

Juneteenth Celebration & Dance

LONGVIEWTEXAS.GOV

A parade, a dance, and a rodeo are among the many fun activities planned each June for this historic occasion.

Longview Pride Festival

An annual LGBTQ+ festival in June, the event features music, vendors, and activities.

JULY

Fireworks & Freedom Celebration

LONGVIEWTEXAS.GOV/FIREWORKS

Enjoy amusement rides, live music, food and beverages, vendors, and a variety of other entertainment. Festivities take place throughout the day with a gigantic ﬁreworks show set to patriotic music beginning at dark.

Longview Kennel Club Competition

LONGVIEWKENNELCLUB.ORG

Dog breeds from 38 states, Mexico, and Canada compete in the two-day Longview Kennel Club License All Breed Dog Show at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. This exciting and well-mannered, AKC-sanctioned event is great entertainment for children and adults.

Texas Shakespeare Festival

TEXASSHAKESPEARE.COM

Located just a stone’s throw from Longview’s city limits is one of the nation’s premiere summer Shakespeare festivals hosted by Kilgore College. This renowned summer tradition brings a variety of high caliber stage productions and gifted actors to a local platform. From The Queen’s Tea to meet and greets with the actors, this is a fun and a ordable departure from ordinary entertainment.

AUGUST

Grape Stomp at Enoch’s Stomp

ENOCHSSTOMP.COM

Help harvest and stomp grapes, plus enjoy music, food, and contests during the annual Enoch’s Stomp Harvest Festival in late July and August.

SEPTEMBER

Gregg County Fair

GREGGCOUNTYFAIR.COM

The Longview Jaycees host a week-long, old-fashioned county fair with carnival rides,

games, music, petting zoos, cotton candy, and corny dogs. Always in mid-September, the cooler temperatures bring out families and everyone enjoys a variety of good clean fun.

HomebierFest

Prost! Hosted by the East Texas Brewer’s Guild, this Oktoberfest-style event provides visitors the opportunity to enjoy unique and varied beers made by home-brewing enthusiasts. Held in September, the event also features music and food trucks.

Landmarks of Longview Tour

GREGGHISTORICAL.ORG

Every September, several homes and/or businesses of architectural signiﬁcance are open to the public for a two-day tour beneﬁting the Gregg County Historical Museum. Always interesting, with a glimpse into the stories of many of the places distinctive to our local culture, the tour provides an opportunity for an easy day spent in homes that have, or will have, an impact on our community’s history.

Neal McCoy’s East Texas Angel Network Beneﬁt Concert

EASTTEXASANGELNETWORK.COM

Longview resident and country singing star, Neal McCoy, invites his celebrity friends to an annual September concert to raise funds for children with serious illness. Always an anticipated autumn event, Neal revs up the show with fun and good times and the result gives back to his fans, and ultimately to the children close to his heart.

Texas Shakespeare Festival

Photo by John Dodd

Neal McCoy

Photo by Stefanie Yoder

OCTOBER

Harvest Festival & Livestock Show

The largest show of its kind in East Texas, the Texas Cooperative Extension O ce junior livestock show and sale is the highlight of the year for area 4H and FFA members.

Haunted Houses, Library, and Zipline

With the Zombies

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Every October Longview gets spooky with hair-raising activities at various venues like

the Haunted Library, Graystone Haunted Manor, Doc Wilkes House of Horrors, and Thomas Falls Outdoor Adventures’ Zip-lining with the Zombies.

Barrels & Brews

ETXALZ.ORG

Beneﬁting the East Texas Alzheimer’s Alliance, the festival showcases area wineries as well as music, food, and vendors.

Touch A Truck

LONGVIEWCOMMUNITYMINISTRIES.ORG

Unique community event designed for children and adults to see, touch, learn, and interact with fascinating vehicles like ﬁre trucks, cranes, dump trucks, school buses, helicopters, and more.

NOVEMBER

Día De Los Muertos

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A celebratory festival and parade remembering loved ones. The event at Heritage Plaza in Downtown Longview features folkorico dances, face painting, children’s arts and craft, Latino-owned businesses, vendors, and food.

Downtown Christmas Tree Lighting

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Longview celebrates the lighting of the Christmas tree with a visit from Santa Claus, holiday music, and other festivities.

Photo by VizCre8ve

Barrels & Brews

DÍa De Los Muertos

Photo by Dale Lessenberry

Downtown Christmas Tree Lighting

WINTER

DECEMBER

Christmas in Downtown Longview

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The Gregg County Courthouse is transformed into a beautiful light display, a huge Christmas tree brightens Heritage Plaza, and special holiday events fill downtown. The Longview AMBUCS Christmas Parade proceeds through downtown on the first Thursday of December with an impressive fleet of floats, antique cars, marching bands, and the ever-popular hot air balloon torch glow.

Carmela’s Magical Santa Land

Located just north of Longview, Carmela’s Magical Santa Land o ers a free drive-thru Christmas wonderland each year from November through early January. This light show extravaganza is spread across a beautiful 30-acre property and has quickly become an East Texas holiday favorite.

JANUARY

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

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Community celebration featuring concert, parade, festival, and ecumenical service.

FEBRUARY

Big Techs

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Longview has a long history of inventors, builders, and makers. Explore factories to see how the world’s largest front-end loader is built and learn about other amazing stu made in Longview. Free tours are provided on this special weekend at industries throughout Longview and give participants a chance to look behind the scenes at the technology that makes our city work.

Freeze Your Fanny Bike Tour

This annual February bicycle tour is a fundraiser for Special Olympics and takes place no matter how cold the weather. Participants

willingly “freeze their fannies” for bragging rights after they’ve completed the Tour-de-EastTexas. Also includes a 10K run which begins at Doris McQueen Primary School.

SEASONAL

ArtWalk Longview

ARTWALKLONGVIEW.COM

Several times a year, downtown Longview galleries and businesses stay open late, and exhibit art on the sidewalk, for an afterhours event designed to showcase local art and artisans. ArtWalk provides an urban environment where many retail stores prop open the front door and o er special purchases to complement the live music and restaurant hopping. It’s family and pet-friendly fun.

Downtown Live!

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Heritage Plaza, in downtown Longview, is ﬁlled with music, beverages, food trucks, and lots of people on Friday nights in April, May, September, and October. This free music series is a family friendly event featuring some of the best regional talent in various music genres.

Historic Longview Farmer’s Market

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Under white pop-up tents, regional and organic farmers o er vegetables, herbs, eggs, and specialty items for sale to the public. The HLFM holds a permanent station in the parking lot at High and Cotton Streets on a seasonal schedule. Starting early on Saturday mornings, the 7:30-11:30 a.m. schedule has at times included live music, cooking demonstrations, and crafts.

Downtown Longview Cruise Night

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The ﬁrst Saturday from April - November, you’ll ﬁnd cool cars and trucks of all varieties gathered in Downtown Longview for a free cruise night. Admire the vehicles and then grab dinner or a beverage from one of your downtown favorites.

Parade of Homes

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Presented by the East Texas Home Builders Association in May and November each year, this event showcases several beautiful new area homes. Visitors can learn about the latest home trends and admire the distinct craftsmanship presented by local builders.

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Great Texas Balloon Race: National Competition Brings Dozens

By Christina Cavazos

of Hot Air Balloon Pilots to Longview

Each summer, visitors and residents in Longview are invited to look up as nearly a hundred hot air balloons take to the skies above.

This year, the Great Texas Balloon Race will be back for its 47th year. From 2023-2025, Longview is also the site of the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship, the national competitive race hosted by the Balloon Federation of America. In 2024, there will also be an added day of ﬂights as the national championship increases its competition days.

The U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship will be June 10-16, 2024, and the Great Texas Balloon Race will be June 14-16, 2024. The two events run concurrently but have di erent tasks for balloon pilots to complete.

Gai Bennett, who is co-chairing the 2024 event with Michelle Ford, said it is an honor for Longview to host the national event. The national competition was previously held from 2012 to 2015 in Longview.

“The Great Texas Balloon Race is an invitational race. Pilots must be invited because we want seasoned pilots who are very competitive,” Bennett explained. “Similarly, with the U.S. Nationals, pilots must have earned a certain ranking in the national eligibility point system. It’s kind of like NASCAR or the PGA. Pilots earn points for every competition. For the Nationals, they must earn a high ranking with that point system.”

The national championship brings the top ﬁfty hot air balloon pilots in the nation to Longview.

“Historically, a lot of those nationally ranked pilots are always at the Great Texas Balloon Race anyway,” Bennett said.

The success of Longview’s event, she explained, is due to its reputation among the ballooning community and the hospitality shown to the visitors.

The festival features entertainment, such as live music. A balloon glow is also held each evening, weather permitting. Pilots cannot inﬂate their balloons in certain weather, such as high wind or rain. That rule also applies to the daily competition ﬂights themselves.

“The reputation of our competition keeps the pilots coming back for sure. In fact, in 2023 we had a visiting pilot from Switzerland. We have several world champion pilots who have always come to the Great Texas Balloon Race,” Bennett said. “The balloon race has a reputation of quality competition and hospitality. We take care of our pilots. They do like to come to Longview.”

Because the two events run concurrently, pilots who participate in Nationals will not participate in the Great Texas Balloon Race, but more balloonists will join them when that competition begins. In 2019, the Great Texas Balloon Race also launched the Young Guns competition, an event open to pilots who are under the age of 29, have a balloon pilot license, and meet a minimum number of qualifying hours.

“Those pilots in the National Race will start flying competitively on Monday of that week and will fly through Sunday. The Great Texas Balloon Race pilots and the Young Gun pilots will join them in the competition flights on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,” Bennett said. “So for those last three days, competitions will run concurrently, but they’re scored di erently.”

While all of the pilots will be in the air at the same time for the last three days, there are di erent tasks and a di erent scoring rubric for the di erent events.

In addition to the competitive ﬂights, the Great Texas Balloon Race also features a festival on Friday and Saturday nights at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center. This year, the festival will take place on June 14-15, 2024.

Started in 1978 by Dr. Bill Bussey, the Great Texas Balloon Race continues to be a signature event in Longview that brings much tourism to the city as people enjoy seeing the balloons. In fact, Gregg County was designated by the state Legislature as the “Balloon Race Capital of Texas” due to the success of the event.

“It’s really all about the balloons,” Bennett said. “I talk to people all the time who are just looking at the balloons and saying, ‘Oh, this is so lovely. This is beautiful.’ A lot of times they don’t even realize there’s a competition going on. These pilots are performing magniﬁcent feats of navigation.”

Because of the success of the event, ballooning as a serious hobby has been passed down for several generations in Longview.

“It’s amazing to me. Dr. Bussey started this because he was a pilot, and he wanted to do something. We now have fourth generations of pilots in our area. We have young pilots under 30 here who are buying balloons and getting their licenses. And it’s because of the long history of this little event.”

Read more about the history of the Great Texas Balloon Race.

Watch video from the 2023 Great Texas Balloon Race.

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ADVENTURES

by Kristin Koonce Burroughs

2023 started o with me wearing a helmet while interviewing Zachk at Ollie’s Skate Shop. The year ended with me falling into the Sabine River in 40 degree weather with 23 mph winds. Throughout the last 12 months, I ate Czechoslovakian pastries, jumped on bounce houses, poked my head through cardboard stand-in cutouts, attempted pullups on camera at the Boorman Trail, and built my own bouquet in a ﬂower garden. There were helmets involved….and sweat. A lot of it. I occasionally drank on the job--all for the good of my community, of course. Who knew my VERY legitimate, not fake at all VIP Press Pass came with so much clout?

As I reﬂect on the places I’ve been and the people I both met (and pretended to meet) through UL Live, a few things come to mind. The ﬁrst is this—there is nowhere else I’d rather be…and not just because I get to interview my dog, Gwennie, from time to time or eat Shivers shaved ice and call it work either. I truly cannot imagine myself living anywhere but here. This is my community, my home.

Second, having the opportunity to see our city through a di erent perspective has shown me just how special it really is. There is an unbelievable amount of fun to be had. I think about all the interviews and behind-the-scenes experiences. At ﬁrst I thought, “I cannot for the life of me put my ﬁnger on any one thing that makes Longview unique.” Then it hit me. I can. It’s the people.

The reality is that I get an up-close look at the men and women who are making our little corner of the world a lot hipper and livelier. It’s the risk takers and daydreamers who had a vision and took o after it who keep adding ‘oomph’ to our neck of the Piney Woods.

If you would have asked me a year and a half ago if I ever saw myself beebopping around town making videos for Uniquely Longview magazine, I wouldn’t have believed you, mostly because I still can’t believe this is what I get paid to do. Every conversation, every wink, every sneak peek makes me stop in my tracks and breathe deeply, especially when I watch the bloopers. We giggle and mess up and forget what we were talking about. Ultimately, we are just having a really good time promoting our city as a wonderful place to live, work, and play…so, don’t forget to follow us for my next unique adventure!

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