Thursday, July 15, the George H. Henderson Jr. Expo Center in Lufkin will be hosting an event that will be a dinner and show that East Texas has never quite experienced.  The inaugural Summer Stampede is coming to the Expo Center.

The evening will kick off at 6:30 p.m. with the Roundtable serving a delicious ribeye sandwich dinner.  There will be a beer/wine/margarita bar plus live music by Sam Shupak.  Then, at 8 p.m., get ready for the 'show'.

The show is a competition in which 16 area businesses are sending their best wannabe cowgirls and cowboys to compete in horseless rodeo events. These corporate cowpokes will be exchanging their business attire for boots and jeans as they try their hand at mechanical bull riding, steer roping, cattle round-up, and pole bending (on a stick horse, of course).

I'm sure the business folks will be taking this rather seriously for the trophy and bragging rights, the rest of us will be taking photos and videos for the purpose of trolling them on social media.  Here's a look at the teams competing in the Summer Stampede:

  • Brookshire Brothers
  • Commercial Bank of Texas
  • Goodwin Lasiter Strong
  • Kovar Wealth Management
  • Leadership Lufkin Alumni Association
  • Lufkin Coca Cola Bottling Company
  • Lufkin Police Department
  • McWilliams & Son Heating & Air Conditioning
  • Morgan & Bartlett, Baggett & Shands Insurance Agency - Morgan Insurance Agency
  • Nature's Eye
  • Regions Bank
  • Security & Guaranty Abstract Co.
  • Southside Bank
  • The Advanced Financial Group
  • UBank US
  • VeraBank

KICKS 105's Danny Merrell will be emceeing the event and providing the makeshift rodeo play by play.  Individual tickets are $40 which includes the meal, two drink tickets, and sticking around for the competition.  RSVP your tickets through the Angelina County/Lufkin Chamber of Commerce.

The Expo Center brings in numerous events, large and small, to our community, but did you know that they receive no funding from the city or county? The Expo Center is a non-profit entity and they must fund the cost of their operation through events and fundraisers.  One of their biggest fundraisers is the annual Expo Party, and that once again did not happen this year due to safety issues.  Plus, they're also funded by some of the proceeds of the annual Texas Forest Festival.  That event in 2020 was moved downtown for a one day event.

So, the Expo Center is in dire need of funds to offset the lost finances of the past year and a half. Buying tickets and coming to the Summer Stampede would be a big step in helping, so, please consider coming out and enjoying this great night of food, folly, and networking.

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