Texas State Forest Festival
Lufkin- Ride the giant Ferris wheel at the Texas State Forest Festival in Lufkin this weekend, watch lumberjacks logroll, racing pigs battle it out in a hilarious snout-to-snout competition, or get in line to taste some of the best hush puppies ever made in the Deep South! If you are looking for family fun in East Texas this weekend, make plans to visit the Texas State Forest festival!
The Angelina County Chamber of Commerce began the Texas State Forest Festival in 1938, which was held as an annual county fair event until 1953. The Texas State Forest Festival was held on the 30+ acres where Lufkin Middle School is currently located, and drew crowds reaching 8,000! These days, the Texas State Forest Festival draws crowds nearing 30,000!
In 1971, the president of the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce and two other active men in the community were looking for a way to draw state and regional attention to the area. They developed a unique festival that emphasized a well-recognized characteristic of the region – its lakes and great fishing. Since nothing goes better with a plate of fried fish than hushpuppies, the idea of a hushpuppy cooking competition was born.
The Southern Hushpuppy Championships draws participants from all over the southern region of the U.S. In recent years, the Southern Hushpuppy Championships has earned worldwide fame from being a featured segment on The Food Network’s All American Festivals Series and The Travel Channel’s Taste of America Series. Currently, the Southern Hushpuppy Championships are held in conjunction with the Texas State Forest Festival in September.
Catch a Timberworks Lumberjack Show at the Texas State Forest Festival! This action-packed Lumberjack Show features log rolling, log rolling dogs, chopping, sawing, axe throwing, dragster chainsaw, tree climbing. All with World Champion Lumberjacks, and much, much more!
TimberWork’s Lumberjack Shows has been a dominant force in lumberjack sports across North America and the World. They have traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Africa and Australia, competing and performing at fairs, sport shows, corporate gatherings and specialty events. Their Lumberjacks have been featured on national television including ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games and ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
Varsity and Junior Varsity cheerleading squads across the Texas Forest Country come to compete for the crown of East Texas Cheerleading Champion. The competition will be held on Saturday morning of the festival in the main arena. The cheerleading championship is full of fun and excitement for the entire family.
Let the kiddos enjoy the petting zoo. From kangaroos to baby camels – from giant turtles to miniature horses the Show-Me Safari has a variety of animals, both exotic and barnyard, for kids of all ages. There will also be pony rides!
Local entertainment has always been a highlight of the Texas State Forest Festival and will be on tap throughout the weekend! The ZOOperstars! are a unique act that will also rock the house with routines that fans of all ages will love.
Don’t miss out on all of the fun and festivities this weekend in Lufkin at the Texas State Forest Festival!
Gate Hours
Friday: 5:00p.m. – 10:00p.m.
Saturday: 9:00a.m. – 10:00p.m.
Sunday: 11:00a.m. – 5:00p.m.
General Admission $5.00
Children 3 and under- Free
Carnival Armbands- $20
Proceeds benefit the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, George H. Henderson, Jr. Exposition Center, and Texas Forestry Museum.