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Lake Texoma Attractions & Events
There are many attractions, events, and activities for the whole family: rodeos, parades, minature golf, bumper boats, amusement parks, historical sites, art shows, horseback riding, biking, sailing, skiing, fishing tournaments, hunting, casinos, and much, much more!
The National Sand Bass Festival, held the first full week in June, attracts 30,000 people each year from all across the United States. Held in Madill's town square, the festival features a carnival, an arts and crafts fair, food booths and an entertainment state. Events include the Sand Bass Run, benefiting the County Hospital Physician Recruitment Fund, the 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, which benefits Madill High School Athletic Department, and the King Sandie Golf Tournament, benefiting the Madill Community Day Care Center. There are also terrapin races, a car show, talent search, and games and competitions for children. Free Concerts feature gospel singing and live entertainment nightly. Past performers include John Anderson, Sawyer Brown, T. Graham Brown, Billy Joe Royal, The Forrester Sisters, John Conlee, Exile, Eddy Raven, Kingsmen, The Florida Boys, and Brian White.
Fort Washita, dating back to 1842, is located between Madill and Durant on Highway 199. Established to protect the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians from the more warlike Plains Indians, the fort was active until the start of the Civil War, about 1861, when it was abandoned. Confederate forces from Texas occupied the fort and it became a major supply depot for Confederate troops. The Fort Washita Volunteers meet at the fort every fourth Thursday at 7pm to study the fort's history. There are many reenactments groups who use Fort Washita for their camps. One of the largest and most interesting is the Mountain Man Rendezvous, held the first weekend in April. Over 200 participants camp out in authentic surroundings and dress in period clothing. Visitors will number 25,000 to this event, and the reenactors are especially interested in showing school children through the camp and explaining life in the 1800s to them. In October, the fort sponsors Aunt Jane's Arts and Crafts Fair and a Ghost Stories program. A Candlelight Walk in November enables visitors to visit scenes of fort life as it was in 1842, complete with reenactors. Reservations are required for Ghost Stories and the Candlelight Walk. The fort is open year-round during daylight hours at no charge.
The Madill FFA Rodeo occurs in April and is the oldest rodeo in Oklahoma. August brings the 58th annual Madill Round Up Club Rodeo. Each showcases rodeo competitors and have earned state and national recognitions.
The annual Madill Art Show, held in October in the Madill Community Center in City Park, features amateur and professional artists from Southern Oklahoma and North Texas competing for prize money and ribbons. The show features several hundred entries of original oils, watercolors, mixed media, pottery, sculpture and junior division entries. At the Guaranteed Purchasers Reception, local business respresentatives and individuals come to a special reception prior to the opening and select their art object for purchase. This special patronage of the show guarantees that 30 or more entries will be sold prior to the opening of the show to the public. Artists may request a brochure or entry blank from the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce.
Lake Texoma is famous for its striped bass, or striper fishing. The lake record stands at 35.12 pounds! Kingston offers a long weekend of food, fun and family activities called the Kingston Striper Festival each fall. A fishing tournament, arts and crafts, musical entertainment, food booths and a beauty pageant are some of the many events which "lure" people to the festival.
Golfers are in luck with three excellent courses to use, 2 with views of the lake. The original course at Lake Texoma State Resort Park plays hosts to many golfers. Across US 70 from the Resort is the championship Chickasaw Pointe Golf Resort, a world-class layout of nearly 7,000 yards of scenic rolling hills, picturesque lake views, and super-smooth bent-grass greens.. Although located in a rural area, the Buncombe Creek Golf Course offers an ever-changing course to meet the levels of performance of any golfer.
Within minutes of both Madill and Kingston, there are many activities for Texoma guests and residents such as Texoma Land Fun Park featuring miniature golf, bumper boats, batting cages, arcade games, and go-karts. Horseback riding is available next door at the Texoma Riding Stables.
The Reuel Little Classic is an annual 5K, 10K and a half-marathon run which honors long-time attorney and political figure Reuel W. Little and is quickly becoming one of the best organized, best attended runs in the state. The run takes place every October in Madill. Proceeds benefit Marshall Memorial Hospital.
Fourth of July Fireworks at Texoma Resort celebrate Independence Day as well as the glory of Lake Texoma. Madill also has it's annual Independence Day Parade and in November the Veterans Day Parade.
Both communities hold holiday parades. Kingston's first Saturday showcases a Holiday Parade and Madill takes the second Saturday with a Christmas Parade. Also occurring in December is the Tour of Homes.
Lebanon celebrates their heritage with over the Labor Day holiday with Stampede Days. Also in September is the Marshall County Free Fair.
Other celebrations are announced in the local newspaper and through the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce .
National Sand Bass Festival photo provided by www.SandBassFestival.com
© 2004-2006 Marshall County Chamber of Commerce, Marshall County Tourism Board
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