Everything Nac

     Organizers of the upcoming 15th annual Nine Flags Christmas Festival are seeking both food and non-food vendors to fill available booths at the November 18 and 19 downtown Christmas in the Plaza event.

Be a vendor at the first-ever Christmas in the Plaza event, held Friday and Saturday, November 18 and 19.

     Vendor applications are available at www.nineflagsfestival.com and at the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, located at 200 E. Main St. in downtown Nacogdoches. A limited amount of booth space is available, so vendors are encouraged to make reservations early. The deadline to apply for space is Friday, October 28.

     The Nine Flags Christmas Festival will be held Nov. 17 through Dec. 10. Nine different flags have flown over the oldest town in Texas throughout its rich history, and this year’s festival will pay special tribute to the American flag and honor our Nation’s independence with several special events dedicated to our fight for freedom. The Nine Flags Christmas Festival is presented by metroPCS and platinum sponsors of the festival include Commercial Bank of Texas, Mike Perry Motor Company, and Wal-Mart.

     This year’s event will feature our first-ever snow hill, along with our Christmas Movies in the Park featuring “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Polar Express,” Santa’s workshop, pony rides, a petting zoo, a hot dog eating contest, festival food, a Whoville costume contest, an apple pie bake off, a demonstration area featuring Christmas decorating and cooking ideas, and much, much more!

     For more information about vendor booths or to have an application mailed to you, call the CVB at (936) 564-7351 or visit www.nineflagsfestival.com. Be our friend on facebook @Christmas Celebration.

     A week from now Nacogdoches will welcome an expected 200 Texas downtown leaders and their families from across the state. The group is traveling to the Oldest Town in Texas to attend the 30th annual Texas Downtown Association Development and Revitalization Conference November 1 through 4. The economic impact of the convention is considerable — with several local hotels to be filled to capacity and hundreds visiting for three or four days.

     The TDA board of directors and conference committee have been working hard to ensure that the sessions at this year’s conference will provide valuable information for the attendees to bring back to their communities. This year’s conference theme is “Delivering a Dynamic Downtown” and will feature keynote speaker Donovan Rypkema, an industry leader in the economics of preserving historic structures. Rypkema has provided ongoing consulting services to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and its National Main Street Center.

     The City of Nacogdoches Main Street Program and the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau are extremely excited about the kickoff event, “An Evening on the Red Brick Streets,” set for Tuesday, November 1, where attendees can stroll Texas’ Oldest Town and experience our Christmas Light display, late night shopping, and other fun activities planned for the group. Nacogdoches residents are encouraged to come downtown that evening and shop from the merchants. “We encourage the community to come out and visit the stores during the Holiday Open House Sip and Stroll, from 5-9 p.m.,” said City of Nacogdoches Main Street Manager, Sarah O’Brien said. “So come start your holiday shopping while enjoying various in-store specials, door prizes, gift wrapping, refreshments, and much more!”

     Exciting plans also include a trip to historic San Augustine, Texas as well as some awesome educational field sessions such as a special Farmer’s Market on Thursday, November 3 from 12:30 to 2 p.m., where the general public can come shop the various vendorsand eat lunch at Merci’s World Cuisine.

     Each community vying for the convention brings different attractions and resources, and each makes a stellar effort to put forth a convincing package to secure the convention.

     “The competition to host this convention is fierce,” said O’Brien. “Every downtown leader is proud of their community, and anxious to share their town with their peers. We’ve been to many great convention sites across Texas. I know TDA members will love Nacogdoches.”

     Sherri Skeeters, Nacogdoches CVB assistant director said Nacogdoches has proved itself worthy of hosting the state’s community leaders.

     “We will definitely impress them with our charm and hospitality. I compare this event to my experiences visiting other cities on business,” Skeeters said. “Conference visitors will see what we have, and make notes about what they will want to do when they come back to visit again and again. They’ll tell others about their experience and why Nacogdoches should be on a vacation prospect list.”

     A good example of Nacogdoches hospitality is the sweet chocolate covered blueberries and pub mix that will be placed in the attendee’s hotel room.
“We’re taking every opportunity to educate them and point out these not-so-well-known facts: such as Nacogdoches being the state’s top blue¬berry producer, and the Texas Blueberry Festival we hold on the second Saturday in June,” Skeeters said.

     Staff from the Nacogdoches CVB, Hotel Fredonia and the City of Nacogdoches have worked together for this opportunity to showcase Nacogdoches to the state’s downtown professionals. TDA staff have made pre-event visits and scouted the city for accommodations and points of interests that will make the visit informative and memorable for all.

     For more information about the Texas Downtown Association and the Texas Downtown Development and Revitalization Conference, visit www.texasdowntown.org. For more information about the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau or conventions/group tours, contact Sherri Skeeters at (936) 564-7351 or email her at sherri@visitnacogdoches.org. Be our friend on facebook @ See Nacogdoches.

     You’ve heard the phrase “living history?” Now you can experience it! On Halloween night, between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., the spirits of Millard’s Crossing Historic Village will come alive to give that phrase new meaning as they tell their stories and hand out treats to all who pass through the entrance gate. Jack-o-lanterns on the porches will signal the presence of “ghosts.” Meet Emily and Jesse Lee, Mamie & Thelma Watkins, Fannie and Matt Muckleroy, Sam & Susie Watkins, among others. Listen to the ghosts of Mamie Middlebrook and Willie Gramlin play on an antique piano in the Parsonage, and don’t forget to pay your respects to Lera Thomas as she chats with her friend Gladys Hampton in front of her home in the heart of the Village.

The ghosts of Jessie and Emmie Lee tell their story during last years Ghosts of Millards Crossing.

     But that’s not all…children will find a variety of old fashioned games in which to participate including: a kettle candy toss, pass the pumpkin, corn cob dart toss, graces, anty-over, horse shoes, pin the nose on the pumpkin, and follow the clues treasure hunt.
Take a ghostly hayride, after which you can get off at the country store to purchase candy by the ounce in the old Country Store and enjoy some freshly made popcorn as you stroll through the Village.

     “We always have a lot of fun with this event,” says Susie Lower, director of Millard’s Crossing, “and the people who come do, too. It’s a great way to learn local history.”

     “The Ghosts of Millard’s Crossing” will be held Halloween Night, Monday, October 31, at Millard’s Crossing Historic Village, 6020 North Street (Business Hwy 59) in Nacogdoches, Texas. The event begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 8:00 pm. Admission fee is $3.00 per person with children three and under free of charge to help support village operations. For more information, call Millard’s Crossing at 936-564-6631or visit www.millardscrossing.org. Be their fan on facebook @Millard’s Crossing Historic Village.