Texas Sawmill Festival holds activities for community

Alvin Smith showed the community how a sawmill worked in the 1800s at last year's Texas Sawmill Festival. The demonstration will take place again at this year's event on April 18.


By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
Updated: 04.08.09
In conjunction with the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County, the R.B. Tullis Library is getting on the Texas Sawmill Festival bandwagon.

On April 18, the third annual festival, which is a fundraiser for the chamber, will attract community residents to the East Montgomery County Improvement District and library’s parking lots to participate in games, activities and more.

“We are planning activities to help enhance this year’s event,” said Daniel Schwartz, R.B. Tullis Library branch manager, said.

At the R.B. Tullis Library, which relocated next to EMCID in 2007, the will host a gaming event from 1 to 4 p.m. inside the library for teenagers to come out and play “Dance Dance Revolution” on the library system’s Wii machine. Barring inclement weather, Friends of the R.B. Tullis Library will hold a book sale in the parking lot.

“We hope these activities will get people into the library to see what we have to offer.”

Historical side


In addition to the book sale and gaming event, the library’s parking lot will also have Grandma’s and Grandpa’s Tool display by the East Montgomery County Historical Society. This display will feature tools that both men and women used in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

“This exhibit will show people, especially children, what tools people used back then to make a living and the home,” said Jerry Gay, president of the historical society. “It will show them how hard life was back then without all of the things that we have today.”

At the Sawmill Festival, the historical society will also feature its museum filled with photos, documents and and other items depicting the history of East Montgomery County.

“We are involved in this event and others in the area because we are capturing and showing the history of EMC,” Gay said.

In the spirit of capture, the organization will set up its Old Timey Photo Booth where community residents can have their picture taken inside of an old pioneer home wearing old shawls, hats and overalls and holding various items such as a musket or a bowie knife.

“We will have a computer and printer on site to take the photo, print it out and give it to people,” Gay said. “There will be a fee (not yet determined), which will go towards us renovating the old Porter Community House into our museum.”

The Old Timey Photo Booth and the historical society’s museum display will be in the EMCID’s parking lot.

Entertainment


The annual Sawmill Festival will feature headline entertainer, Sundance Head, a 2007 American Idol contestant, who will perform in the afternoon. In addition to Head, Juda Myers, Fretted Friends, Catch 22 and Julia Hammock and Southbound will also perform outside. Elementary and junior high school choirs and junior high and high school bands from New Caney Independent School District, Splendora ISD and Caney Creek feeder zone will take turns performing inside EMCID.

Games and Activities


While the entertainment is ongoing, groups of junior high and high school students, chosen by the Porter Fire Department, New Caney Fire Department and Splendora Fire Department, will participate all day long in friendly competition activities.

“Students from Splendora, New Caney and Caney Creek junior high and high schools will compete against each other at various firefighter training exercises,” Behnken said. “At the end of the day one group will be declared the winner and will have bragging rights.”

This is the first year the friendly competition games will be held and students will compete in pumper races, tug-of-war, water polo and rock climbing. The rock climbing wall is provided by the United States Army Recruiting Services.

“We are getting involved in these games because we want to get the youth more involved in community activities,” said Walter West, fire prevention officer for Porter Fire Department. “This will boost our mentor program and engage the schools in our youth services.”

Middle or high school groups that want to participate in this competition can call one of the three fire departments.

While the competition games are going on, there will be a variety of vendor booths that will sell arts and crafts; jewelry; food and more to community residents.

For guests that are not old enough to participate in the friendly competition games, there will be many activities for children including moonwalks, a petting zoo, the rock climbing wall, carnival games and more.

“The library will also have a variety of activities for children, young adults and adults to participate in,” Behnken said.

The Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL) will have activities for senior adults as well.

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