Everything Nac

     Soon azaleas will be blooming all over the oldest town in Texas, and that means a swarm of bugs won’t be far behind!

Hundreds of "Bugs" will swarm Nacogdoches during the annual "Bloomin' Good Volkswagen Show" on Saturday, March 31 in downtown Festival Plaza.

     The East Texas VEE-DUB Chapter of the Vintage VW Club of America will present A Bloomin’ Good Volkswagen Show on Saturday, March 31. As many as 100 Volkswagens will be on hand for the show, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Festival Plaza just south of downtown Nacogdoches.

     “This is a chance to see some really nice, old Volkswagens and see some of the most beautiful azalea blooms in Texas the same weekend,” said show spokesman Sammie Smith.

     “The show normally attracts VWs from all over Texas, as well as Louisiana, Arkansas and even Oregon. Some of the finest VWs you have ever seen – from mild to wild – will be there for everyone to enjoy. You can play ‘Slug Bug’ to your heart’s content!”

     VWs of all shapes and sizes will be represented, including the vintage restored cars from the ‘50s; the “VW Thing,” Germany’s answer to the Jeep; VW busses, the ultimate hippy vans of the ‘60s and ‘70s; as well as the new VW Beetles.

     “We are thrilled to have the East Texas VEE-DUB Club back in Nacogdoches for its annual spring show, “said Lindsey Mathews, meeting and event coordinator of the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This is a wonderful event providing a fun, family-oriented activity for our local residents, as well as attracting a lot of out-of-town visitors to our city.”

     There is no charge for spectators, but donations are welcome. All proceeds will go to the Relay for Life – Nacogdoches County, an annual fundraiser benefiting the American Cancer Society. Organizers are also soliciting sponsorships for the show at a cost of $30 per sponsor. Businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring the show and helping the American Cancer Society should call Smith at 936-569-7821 or James Perryman at 936-288-2724.
To enter a vehicle in the show, just drive it down to Festival Plaza the morning of the event. Entry into the show is $15 per Volkswagen. At the conclusion of the show, many of the VW owners will be cruising the 25 miles of designated routes of the Azalea Trail.

     “If you see a bunch of VWs driving through your neighborhood that Saturday afternoon, don’t worry – it’s not the ‘60s all over again and you haven’t lost your mind. It’s just a lot of old VW owners out for a view of the city’s beautiful azaleas,” Smith said.

     For more information about the VW Show or other Nacogdoches Azalea Trail events, call the CVB at 1-888-OLDEST-TOWN or visit www.nacogdochesazaleas.com. Be our friend on facebook @ Nacogdoches Azalea Trail.

     Whether your prized and pampered azaleas are the talk of the town or you have the blackest thumb in the neighborhood, the upcoming Azalea Trail Symposium is the place to be Saturday, March 10.

Learn about using wise watering techniques at this year's Azalea Trail Symposium on Saturday, March 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the SFA Agriculture Building. Also included is a guided tour of the SFA Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden.

     Titled “May the Drips Be With You,” the symposium will be from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10, in the Ag Building at Stephen F. Austin State University. Registration is $40 per person, $30 for SFA Gardens members, and includes lunch, a hands-on workshop by Dr. Creech on drip-irrigation, and a guided tour of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden – the largest azalea garden in Texas. The program should be helpful to master gardeners and novices alike.

     Dr. David Creech, Regents Professor of Horticulture and Director of the 68 acres of SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University, is the symposium speaker this year and will present ways to use state-of-the-art low-cost efficient watering systems. For a historical perspective, local azalea enthusiasts Brian Holt Davis and Bill Patton will also share colorful stories about propagating and growing azaleas in the 1950s without major irrigation. In addition, the guided tour led by Barbara Stump will focus on the unique features of deciduous and evergreen azaleas for home landscapes.

     “Drought issues have been a major concern this past year all around Texas, and we know that everyone who attends the symposium will gain more knowledge about how to maintain their beautiful azaleas while saving water,” said Lindsey Mathews, meeting and event coordinator of the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau.

     The Azalea Symposium is part of the fourteenth annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail, which will be held March 10 through April 7. The annual event will also feature a floral-design exhibit, a farmer’s market spring fling, a 10K race, a little princess garden party, and 25 miles of self-guided driving tours. More than 3500 people visit Nacogdoches during the Azalea Trail each year.

     For more information or to register for the Azalea Symposium, contact the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-888-OLDEST-TOWN or visit www.nacogdochesazaleas.com. Be our friend on facebook @ NacogdochesAzaleaTrail.