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City Spotlight: Atkinson Candy Company

By on January 17, 2012 in City Spotlight

Lufkin is rich with East Texas history, and we are proud of the businesses and companies that have originated here. One of our favorite claims to fame is Atkinson Candy Company, also known as Atkinson’s Candy. Founded in 1932, Atkinson’s is renowned for producing the very popular “Chick-O-Stick” candy. Specializing in peanut butter and peppermint candies, Atkinson’s list of favorites also includes Coconut Long Boys, mint twists, Peanut Butter Bars, and Gemstone Candies. Under family ownership for four generations, Atkinson Candy Company is steeped in tradition. 80 years later, they continue to produce sweet treats, enjoyed by many all over the world.

Atkinson Candy Company, located on 1608 Frank Avenue, is open Monday thru Friday, 8am-5pm. Should you wish to stop by and see Atkinson’s for yourself, or perhaps pick up a fresh batch of peanut brittle, visitors and patrons are welcome. While tours are not permitted at this time, the store showcases a live feed of the production area, so that visitors are able to watch the candy as it is made.

There are many fun and interesting locations in Lufkin, and Atkinson’s Candy Company is no exception. For more information about the candy company or to order some Chick-O-Sticks for yourself, visit their website, or call 936-639-2333.

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City Spotlight: The Museum of East Texas

By on December 28, 2011 in City Spotlight

The Museum of East Texas is committed to bringing cultural development and art education to the City of Lufkin. Through their many programs and exhibits, the MET offers a charmingly creative element to our city.

The Museum of East Texas was founded in 1976, and has continued to grow ever since. In 1972, seven women had the vision and inspiration to renovate the oldest church in Lufkin, St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, into a beautiful place for adults and children to celebrate art and history. Built in 1905, the church in which the museum resides is rich with stories of Lufkin’s past, present, and future. The museum’s anthology of paintings and sculptures are the work of a wide range of talent. The locations of these artists range from here in East Texas to all over America, Latin America, and Europe.

Along with art displays, the museum offers quite a few educational programs. Art Camp, a program designed for children to experience hands-on creativity, is offered during the summer months. Super Saturdays are free to the public and provide safe, fun, and family-friendly events such as the Pumpkin Party and Family Day. For students who are unable to travel to the museum, they offer themed Traveling Trunks, which are full exhibits in containers available to educational groups at no charge. Throughout the year, the MET presents an assortment of public lectures and programs for all ages.

Visitors to the Museum of East Texas will be dazzled by its beautiful grounds, gorgeous interior, and masterful art collection. The MET adds another dimension of beauty and culture to the City of Lufkin, and we are proud to call it ours. For more information, call (936) 639-4434 or visit their website, metlufkin.org.

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Texas Forestry Museum: Christmas at the Company Store

By on December 21, 2011 in Annual Events

Lufkin has really been getting into the Christmas spirit this month. Many of Lufkin’s businesses are finding their own unique ways to celebrate in the holiday season and get the community involved.

 

On December 9th, the Texas Forestry Museum hosted its annual “Christmas at the Company Store,” which lasted from 10am-6pm. Patrons received 10% off all purchases, with museum members and volunteers experiencing additional savings. Those who made gift shop purchases were also entered to win a drawing for the grand prize of a gift basket full of holiday treats.

Carolers from Coston Elementary came to participate in the festivities and put everyone in the mood for Christmas with their beautiful songs. Delicious holiday snacks were served all day to shoppers and museum visitors.

The Texas Forestry Museum is a huge part of Lufkin, and all of East Texas. It is a non-profit organization that depends on its members and donors. Events like Christmas at the Company Store help keep the museum open, so that it can be enjoyed by our community. For more information on the museum, visit their website: Texas Forestry Museum or give them a call: 936-632-9535.

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Festival of Trees 2011

By on December 14, 2011 in Annual Events

If you think the only way to ornament a Christmas tree is in traditional red and green, think again. The Museum of East Texas is currently hosting the 17th annual Festival of Trees. In the halls of the museum, you will see every color of the rainbow adorning 90 fully decorated Christmas trees.

Every year during the Festival of Trees, the museum is transformed into a beautiful Christmas tree forest. Each tree is bedecked with baubles galore. The trees vary in size – anywhere from three to 12 feet tall – and are uniquely decorated specifically for or by the tree’s sponsor. Trees can be sponsored by local families, individuals, or businesses. The Lufkin Daily News, Atkinson’s Candies, and Popeye’s are just a few of the businesses represented by their own tree this year.

The Festival of Trees is one of the museum’s largest fundraisers. Donations are accepted and go towards scholarships for Art Camp, as well as other needs the museum may have throughout the year. Children who may not otherwise be able to afford attendance to Art Camp will now have the opportunity, thanks to Festival contributions.

If you’re looking to get into the Christmas spirit, head to the Museum of East Texas. Walking through the halls filled with gorgeously embellished Christmas trees is sure to warm your heart and put a holiday smile on your face.

The Festival will continue from now until January 3rd. For more information, such as hours of operation, visit the Museum of East Texas website or call (936) 639-4434.

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Pumping Unit 2011

By on November 29, 2011 in Annual Events
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Pumping Unit is a Lufkin Christmas ritual steeped in holiday cheer and East Texas tradition. For over 40 years, crowds have gathered to watch the lighting of the festive pumping unit, decorated to look like Santa’s favorite reindeer.

 

Brought to us by Lufkin Industries, Rudolph is a full-size Mark 640 oil pumping unit. The unit is fully operational; however, the red paint job is a special touch reserved only for the holiday season. It takes nearly three days for a crew to get Rudolph moved in to his holiday spot in the Lufkin mall parking lot. It takes an electrician about four days to set up the 1,000+ 7-watt lights that adorn Rudolph. When the unit is fully extended, it is 45 feet from top to bottom. Talk about a Christmas miracle! Attached to Rudolph is a 38-foot dump trailer decorated to look like Santa’s sleigh, complete with a wooden cutout of Santa and all of his gifts for the good boys and girls of Lufkin.

 

 

This year, there was a holiday warmth in the air as people interacted with one another in the time leading up to Rudolph’s lighting. The Christmas spirit was palpable and clearly showed in the expectant faces of the children taking in the sights and sounds. Santa was available in the parking lot for photos, and as the children saw him, their faces lit up and there were many squeals of excitement. To bring even more festivity to the event, there were fun foam reindeer antlers for the kids to wear. Santa’s favorite snack, milk and cookies, were provided to everyone by Foremost. As children munched on cookies and craned their necks for glimpses of Santa, Christmastime officially settled over the city of Lufkin.

 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Fuel Pump has become known as the kick-off to the Angelina County holiday season. As an exciting, family-friendly event, the lighting of Rudolph brings the whole community together to begin the celebration of the Christmas season. Let the holidays begin!

 

Photo credit: JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News

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Welcome to our new blog!

By on November 29, 2011 in General

Greetings from Lufkin! We would like to welcome you to our new blog, where we will be posting regularly about our community and the events that are taking place here.

Lufkin is the regional hub of East Texas. Home of many amazing attractions, Lufkin is the perfect place to visit or stay. With a full range of hotels, bed and breakfasts, and camping options, Lufkin can accommodate any kind of trip or vacation. Visitors and locals need never wonder what to do; with our active community event calendar, there’s always something going on in Lufkin!

If the outdoors is your thing, Lufkin boasts gorgeous nature: hiking and biking trails, parks, and more. If you would rather shop than hike, Lufkin has a wide variety

of shopping options, from fun flea market finds all the way to high-end merchandise. For our business travelers, Lufkin has different options to accommodate meetings of all sizes. There are also lots of attractions for the kids, including the Ellen Trout Zoo, with nearly 800 wild and exotic creatures from all over the world. Children and adults alike will love riding the pre-Civil War replica train around the zoo and lake.

A growing retirement population is developing here, and many are choosing Lufkin as the location to enjoy their retirement. Lake Sam Rayburn is the ideal place to fish or enjoy the water. Crown Colony, Lufkin’s beautiful country club, was rated by Golf Digest as the #1 golf destination in the state of Texas. There are plenty of things to see and do.

Thanks for visiting our new blog. We are very excited to highlight the exciting events and hidden treasures of our city. Check back often for news and updates!

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Super Saturday Pumpkin Party 2011

By on November 14, 2011 in Annual Events

On Saturday, October 29, the Museum of East Texas hosted the Super Saturday Pumpkin Party from 1 to 3 p.m. A Halloween-themed event, the Pumpkin Party was a delightful experience for the whole family. Some even came to the museum dressed in their Halloween costumes, ready for fall frivolity!

The museum did a fantastic job of converting their outdoor space into a festival-type area, with multiple stations. There were hauntingly fun games, such as Ghostbusters Bowling and Jack-O-Lantern Bean Bag Toss. If you were looking for the ideal Halloween photo opportunity, there was a ghostly photo board with space to take a comic Halloween photo. The museum also provided refreshments, lemonade and cookies, which were perfect for the sunny day.

The Museum of East Texas strives to offer family-friendly events allowing children to use their creativity, and the Pumpkin Party was no exception. Children were encouraged to tap into their inner artist through face painting, and many enhanced their Halloween costumes through imaginative designs. There was also a sugar cookie decorating station, where children were able to decorate plain sugar cookies with a variety of icing, sprinkles, and other decorations. There were a lot of designers sampling their work! The most exciting part of this event was the pumpkin decorating. Children were able to select a pumpkin and use a variety of craft supplies to give their pumpkin personality and character. There were many different styles of pumpkins, all original and unique!

The weather was gorgeous and there was a great turnout for this event. Thank you, Museum of East Texas, for hosting the Pumpkin Party. This event was open to the public and completely free of charge. Hoping everyone had a safe and spooky Halloween!

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Lufkin’s Bistro 2011

By on November 14, 2011 in Annual Events, CVB Events

Lufkin’s Bistro is an annual event that takes place on the beautiful main street of downtown Lufkin. Local restaurants and caterers as well as Texas wineries come together to showcase their finest food and drink. This year, the following vendors participated, making it a truly delicious event!

Restaurants / Caterers

  • Stevens Catering / Sweets & Eats
  • Red Lobster
  • Bryan’s Smokehouse
  • Downtown Café
  • Manhattan Fine Dining
  • Cotton Patch Café
  • Grandoughs Baking Company
  • Standpipe Coffee House
  • Brookshire Brothers Central Catering
  • Posados Mexican Café
  • Luckett’s Hole in One Café
  • Lufkin Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
  • Case Ole
  • Sugar Cookie Confections
  • La Unica Mexican
  • Milagros Tea House and Gifts
  • Miss Candi’s Cakes
 Wineries

  • Keipersol Estates Winery
  • Maydell Country Wines
  • Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards
  • Salado Creek Winery & Vineyard
  • Fall Creek Vineyards
  • Messina Hoff
  • Wimberley Valley

For $30, Bistro attendees were able to sample to their heart’s content. There was also live music from Lords of Denman, making it a fun and memorable evening. That night, the culinary talent of the city really shone, and guests were able to experience the many different types of food available in Lufkin by spending an elegant evening under the stars.

With live music, food, and wine, Lufkin’s Bistro is a special evening for Lufkin to enjoy. If you weren’t able to make it, be sure to visit our featured restaurants and caterers for a little taste of what you missed. We’ll see you next year!

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