Hurricane Stricken invited to attend Seafair at no charge

This year, Rockport-Fulton is welcoming anyone from hurricane-affected communities by offering free admission to the 34th annual Rockport Seafair Oct. 10-12. Just show proof of residency and you are in! This is our way of showing our support for those affected. Come on down, get away from it all and enjoy the festival on us! This Cajun-styled festival more than doulbes our porpulation. We anticipate a crowd of 25,000 for this great event.
Seafair was created 34 years ago to enhance the area's economy during a slow-period and allow for local non-profit organizations a chance to either earn extra funds, promote their organization in the parade and salute the seafood industry. Chairman Pat Hall and her crew of over 20 people do a miraculous job of coordinating this event. Hall encourages everyone to participate in the event whether it be in the Crab Races, Cardboard Boat Races, Vendor area, Parade, Food Booth, Dancing Contests, Cooking Demos, Gumbo Cookoff, Boat Ride, or whatever you choose... It is a weekend to have fun!

Best EOC in Texas

During the Hurricane Ike Emergency Operation Center Process, I had the privilege of working with a great team of people who just simply put... care about this community. The Emergency Operation Center (EOC) was the under the direction of Chief Deputy Rick McLester. The Elected officials: County Judge Burt Mills, Mayor of Rockport Todd Pearson and Mayor of Fulton Russel Cole were right by his side reviewing and listenning as messages and direction were streaming in from the National Weather Service. The process was impressive as everyone is well-trained in their particular area of service. Everyone stayed calm and prepared for the worst. We were spared this time. When the storm turned just 48 hours prior to landfall, our EOC team continued in a "drill mode" just to make sure everything would have come off like clockwork. Our hats are off to our EOC team for their outstanding work this past week.

Hummingbird is star of show: Volunteers star of Chamber

The star of the show is the hummingbird but the Chamber's stars are its volunteers that have coordinated this event, this year and over the last 20 years. Past Chairman have done a spectacular job leading this event into what it is today. Join us on Saturday evening Sept. 13 at 6:15 p.m. in front of the auditorium to celebrate this great event. Our hats are off to you!

About the event...

The 20th annual Rockport Hummer/Bird Celebration is set for this Thursday through Sunday (Sep 11-14). 17 speakers covering 21 topics, including hummers, warblers, raptors and shorebirds; and yard landscaping and water features for the above.

Scheduled keynote speakers are 5pm Thursday, Sept. 11 – Bob Sargent “All about Hummingbird Migration”, 5pm Friday, Sept. 12 – Last Chance Forever auditorium program featuring raptors flying overhead and 5pm Saturday, Sept. 13 – Sheri Williamson “Texas Hummingbirds: Art and Science of Attracting and Feeding Them”.

Field trips are offered with professional bird guides, including Victor Emanuel & Barry Lyon (of VENT), Mike Freiberg (of Nikon), Jim Booker (of Estero Llano Grande SP, David Dauphin (of the RGV), Bill Lindemann (of Fredericksburg), & Joel Simon (of Hawk Watch).

Activities of interest include guided Hummer Home bus tour (including an exclusive hummingbird banding stop), boat trips on the bay, a Butterfly tent Friday and Saturday with butterfly release late Saturday afternoon, photo workshop, a hummingbird bander for all, butterfly walks, and over 90 vendors offering hummer, bird, and butterfly oriented items & major optics company displays.

Check our website for information: www.rockporthummingbird.com. For more information, call the Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-826-0071.

Hummer and its Impact!

The 20th annual Hummer/Bird Celebration is an event that impacts our community in so many ways. For starters, the economy. This event puts more "heads in beds" than any other event in our community. People drive in from surrounding cities and states to learn and experience the Hummingbird migration. If every one of our hotel rooms were full during this event we would have an additional 3,000 people in our community. These people eat in our restaurants, fill up with gas, purchase souvenirs and visit our convenience stores. If you calculate each visitor spending $100 during the course of their stay here, then that is an $300,000 impact on our community. Restaurants, hotels, RV Parks, convenience stores and others do well for the weekend therefore creating a trickle down boost to our economy and a great "Shot in the Arm" during a generally slower economic period. Please do what you can to help these people along in our community. Help answer their questions. Give them directions where needed. And, most of all enjoy their company. They represent an industry that we count on... the tourism industry. Learn more at www.rockporthummingbird.com.