Fall 2011 Festival Season!

This summer has definitely been one for the record books!  For years I’ve compared summer heat to the Summer of 1980 and, until this year, no other summer temps have been able to compete.  But this crazy string of insane heat mixed with drought makes 1980 look like a beautiful Spring day!  I am definitely ready for some cooler Fall weather, so we can get back to enjoying the outdoors.  There are a ton of fun events coming up in the next few months!  (NOTE:  I’m sorry.  For some reason I’m having trouble embedding links, so I’m including the website address at the end of each entry.  When you are finished looking at the festival page, hit the back button to return here.)

15th Grand Taiko Festival, September 9-10, 2011 at Miller Outdoor Theatre  www.milleroutdoortheatre.com/

11th Houston Hot Sauce Festival, September 17-18, 2011 at the Stafford Centre  www.houstonhotsauce.com/

75th Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo, September 23 - October 2, 2011 at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds  www.fbcfa.org/

66th Waller County Fair, September 24 – October 2, 2011 at the Waller County Fairgrounds  www.wallercountyfair.org/

Dewberry Farm, September 24 – November 13, 2011 in Brookshire  www.dewberryfarm.com/

45th The Original Greek Festival, October 6-9, 2011 at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral  www.greekfestival.org/

31st Katy Rice Harvest Festival, October 8-9, 2011 in Historic Downtown Katy  www.riceharvestfestival.org/

40th Bayou City Art Festival, October 8-9 in Downtown Houston  www.bayoucityartfestival.com/

37th Texas Renaissance Festival, October 8 – November 27, 2011 in Plantersville  www.texrenfest.com/

33rd Festa Italiana, October 14-16, 2011 at the University of St Thomas  www.houstonitalianfestival.com/

27th Wings Over Houston Airshow, October 15-16, 2011 at Ellington Field  www.wingsoverhouston.com/

34th Harris County Fair, October 19-23, 2011 at the Houston Farm & Ranch Club  www.hcfair.com/

18th Ballunar Liftoff Festival, October 21-23, 2011 at the Johnson Space Center  www.ballunarfestival.com/

28th Texian Market Days, October 22, 2011 at the George Ranch  www.texianmarketdays.com/

5th Puerto Rican & Cuban Festival, October 22, 2011 at Tranquility Park in Downtown Houston  www.prcfestival.com/

8th Gulf Coast Dragon Boat Regatta, October 22-23, 2011 in Sugar Land  www.texasdragonboat.com/

International Quilt Festival, November 3-6, 2011 at the George R Brown Convention Center  www.quilts.com/

1st Texas Yacht Show and Jazz Fest, November 11-13, 2011 at the Kemah Boardwalk Marina  www.texasyachtshow.com/

Via Colori Street Painting Festival, November 19-20, 2011 at Sam Houston Park in Downtown Houston  www.HoustonViaColori.com/

As you can see, there is truly something for everyone on this list!  As natives of this area, we have been to most of these events over the years and always have a great time.  Better yet, these events are just a few of the fun things going on around our area during the Fall.  Feel free to post information on any other fun festivals and community events in the comments section of this post.

Happy September everyone!

This Weekend in Katy: October 8-10, 2010

Wow!  It’s going to be another absolutely gorgeous weekend in Katy, Texas!  Gotta love this weather!!  And there are lots of opportunities to get out and enjoy it this weekend!  Check out these fun events…

Katy Rice Harvest Festival:  celebrate Katy’s heritage in Historic Downtown Katy!

Du the Bear Duathlon:  Bike & Run your way through a duathlon (or cheer on folks who do) at Bear Creek Pioneers Park.

Katy ISD Invitational Marching Festival:  One of our favorite things about football season…Marching Bands!  Come out and see some of the best compete at Rhodes Stadium.

Dewberry Farm:  A cornfield maze, barnyard animals, and lots of great outdoor activities just West of Katy in Brookshire.

Prairie Discovery Tour & The Big Sit Birding Event:  Enjoy the great outdoors with the Katy Prairie Conservancy…2 great events this weekend!

Hispanic Heritage Celebration:  Dancing, music & art from 1-3pm on Saturday at the Katy Library.

Bayou City Arts Festival:  The perfect outdoor activity for art lovers takes over Downtown Houston.

The Original Greek Festival:  Celebrating it’s 44th year…where everyone is Greek for a day!  In Houston.

Texas Renaissance Festival:  Opening weekend of one of the country’s biggest festivals…in Plantersville.

31st Annual Festival Chicano:  Billed as “one of the oldest events of it’s type in the world”…a celebration of music at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Dinosaurs at the Houston Zoo:  Dinosaurs are still inhabiting the Houston Zoo and they’ll be there until the end of the month.  And while you’re there…say “HI!” to Tupelo, the zoo’s new baby Asian Elephant!

With all of this going on there’s no excuse to stay indoors!!  Get out and have a great time!!

This Weekend in Katy: September 25-26, 2010

Fall is officially here….YEA!!  And that means a busy weekend for folks getting out and about in our area.  Here are a few of the activities going on this weekend in and near Katy, TX…

The Fort Bend County Fair: opening weekend at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds.

The Waller County Fair:  opening weekend at the Waller County Fairgrounds.

Dewberry Farm:  opening weekend of this local favorite attraction just to the west of Katy.

Tour de Cure: benefiting the American Diabetes Association.

Nature Fest: presented by Bridgeland and the Katy Prairie Conservancy

Author Signing: Kimberly Morris will be signing her Disney Fairy Series – Rani: Two Friendship Tales, Fairy Rescue Team & Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue at Katy Budget Books.

Free Day at the Museums:  The Museum District is offering free admission Saturday to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Health Museum, the Contemporary Arts Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Menil Collection, and more!

And of course, I cannot leave out…

Texans vs Cowboys at Reliant Stadium, 12pm on Sunday!!

Whatever you choose to do, have a phenomenal weekend!!

Profile on Katy Business: Fort Bend TaeKwonDo

The kids have been back in school for a couple of weeks now and as we all settle into our new routines, it’s time to start thinking about new activities.  Whether you want to get in shape, find something to keep the kiddos busy, or start a new family adventure, Fort Bend TaeKwonDo can help!

Fort Bend TaeKwonDo

Located on South Mason Road just North of the Westpark Tollway (FM 1093), Fort Bend TaeKwonDo offers martial arts training for everyone ages 3 and up.  From personal experience I can tell you that TaeKwonDo is a great family activity!  My entire family took TaeKwonDo lessons when I was in Junior High, one brother was in Elementary School and one brother was in Preschool.  My parents saw it as a healthy activity that we could all participate in together.  For them it was a great way to relieve stress and squeeze some exercise into hectic schedules while developing a common interest with their children.  As kids we learned focus and self-control while having a great time and building confidence.  I highly recommend the sport of TaeKwonDo.  I’m sure that the lessons we learned through our experience in the studio helped us in school and helped define who we are now as adults.  And mine is not the only family who enjoyed TaeKwonDo together…

Lou, Ellie & Carol Anatrella

Meet the Anatrella family, owners of FortBend TaeKwonDo.  Head Instructor Carol Anatrella began practicing TaeKwonDo in 1997, earning her Black Belt in 2002.  She is now a 4th Degree Black Belt and a Senior Certified Instructor.  Lou Anatrella joined his wife in the sport in 2003 and received his Black Belt in 2005.  Their daughter, Ellie, is a Sophomore at Seven Lakes High School.  She took up TaeKwonDo in 2002 (at age 7), received her Black Belt in 2004 and now holds a 2nd Degree Senior rank.  Ellie Anatrella is recognized as a Junior Certified Instructor.  Their son Jonathan, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, earned his 1st Degree Black Belt before retiring from the sport.  He recently became an Eagle Scout. 

As a team, the Anatrella Family’s goal is to help Katy Area families grow stronger.  Fort Bend TaeKwonDo is a Nationally Certified School featuring a family-focused, positive atmosphere.  They offer classes six days a week with special times for children, teens, adults and families.  And if you want to get into shape but aren’t crazy about the idea of sparring as part of your training, check out their KicknFit program…”a lighter version of TaeKwonDo with all of the fun and none of the contact”!

As they say at Fort Bend TaeKwonDo:  “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!”  What are you waiting for?  Fort Bend TaeKwonDo is located at 6840 S Mason Rd.  Their phone number is 281.599.3331.  You can also learn more about them by visiting their website:  FortBendTKD.com.  Tell them you read about them on GetToKnowKaty!

UPDATE 09/21/2010:  Congratulations to Ellie Anatrella…She is now a 3rd Degree Black Belt!!

The Ultimate GiveAway is Coming!

Who doesn’t like FREE stuff?  I personally love free!  Thrive Church loves free also.  To illustrate Thrive’s belief that “The Best Things in Life are FREE!” they are launching a new series on September 12th called The Ultimate GiveAway.  In case you haven’t heard about this yet, they are giving away $250,000 in FREE prizes during the 3 week series!  You read that right.  Thrive Church is giving away one quarter of a million dollars in free prizes from September 12 through September 26th.  And get this…there’s NO CATCH!  You don’t have to be a member of the church.  You don’t have to have ever gone to a service there before.  You don’t have to ever go to a service there again if you don’t want to.  Here’s the scoop…

Thrive Church has collected donations from local businesses to share with the community.  Every family who attends a service during The Ultimate GiveAway will receive a bag of prizes.  Additionally, drawings will be held for “Big” prizes…things like HD TVs, bicycles, iPads, vacations and even a motorcycle.  All you have to do to be eligible to win is attend one of the services.  Crazy, huh?  Not for Thrive.  

Started in the Spring of 2009, this church likes to do things non-traditionally and out of the ordinary.  Previous speakers include former Major League Baseball player Marlon Anderson and strongman Dennis Rogers (recently featured on the History Channel’s series “Stan Lee’s Superhumans”).  Thrive is non-denominational and come-as-you-are (seriously, you can wear shorts here and it’s really okay).  The music is live and loud with a mix of contemporary Christian, Rock & Pop.  Everyone is welcome regardless of your background or church experience.  And the messages are crafted to be fun, engaging and relevant to everyday life.  According to Pastor Tom Elmore, “The Ultimate GiveAway is about showing people that the best things in life really are free.  And what better way to illustrate that point than to give away a bunch of great free stuff?!”

If you’d like more information about The Ultimate GiveAway or Thrive Church, visit the Thrive website.

(Full Disclosure: we’ve gone to Thrive since it began.  One thing it is not…boring!)

A Katy Family Needs Your Help!

Most of us have been faced with difficult situations at some point in our lives.  Maybe you’ve lost a job, had trouble paying your bills or faced an unexpected illness or injury.  It’s truly amazing how one moment can change the course of your every day life either for the short or long term.  One local Katy family is facing a major life change right now.  I don’t personally know the Acord family.  To my knowledge, our paths have not crossed.  But when I read their story I felt compelled to share it with the rest of our community.   The information that follows comes from Good Ole Boys.  Thank you to them for sharing so that we can all pass it along.

Meet the Acord Family
Don & Cheryl Acord have been Katy residents and strong supporters of the Katy community for many years.  You may know Don from Katy Youth AAU Basketball or Katy Youth Football.  You may have met him at a Katy ISD school fundraiser at some point over the years, or perhaps your children have sat on his lap as he stood in for Santa at a Christmas event.  You might know Cheryl from her work with Katy ISD during the last 15 years.  Cinco Ranch folks may definitely recognize her from the school’s attendance office.  Their children Kimberly, Donnie and Sarah are all graduates of Katy High School.

Their Challenge
Cheryl Acord is a cancer survivor.  In 1980 she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  In 1998 she faced thyroid cancer.  She had a tumor removed from her para-thyroid in 2006 followed by skin cancer in 2007.  She’s obviously an incredibly strong woman.  She beat ALL of these cancers!  However, during a recent procedure to remove a tumor from Cheryl’s neck, doctors identified 6 tumors on her brain, cancer in her left lung, chest cancer and cancer in each hip!  She will begin treatment shortly.  But we can only imagine what the medical bills will be for her family.

What You Can Do
Jay Baker and the folks at Good Ole Boys have stepped up to spearhead community fundraisers to help the Acord family.  The Acords have given many hours of their time to the Katy community over the years.  It would be great to see the community give back to them.  Here are some of the ways that you can help…

1)  Attend a fundraiser, have a great time and donate to this very worthy cause.  All profits from these events will go directly to the Cheryl Acord Benefit Donation Fund.  There are 2 fundraisers currently scheduled:

• August 28, 2010 from 1pm – 3pm in the Pavilion at The Home Decor & Remodeling Show at the Merrell Center
  Go by Good Ole Boys (26403 Katy Frwy) to pick up your free VIP pass to the show and enjoy sausage sandwiches for donations.  Other activities include fun stuff from Jumping Kiddie Kingdom, Splatterhouse Paintball and 4 Seasons Recreation Bungee Jump.  Rhythm & Blues music will be performed by The Sugarland Brass Company.
• September 11, 2010 from 3pm – 10pm at the Elks Lodge (1050 Katy Fort Bend Road)
  $10 gets you BBQ plates with 3 meats and 3 sides dine-in or take-out from 3pm – 8pm!
  Stick around and play Black Jack & Craps from 7pm – 10pm.  (chips can be purchased for donations)  The 2 biggest winners will receive a prize.  Enjoy music, food and a silent auction.  All benefiting the Acord Family.

2) Volunteer your time and / or talents to help make these fundraisers a huge success.  They are currently looking for silent auction, door prize and raffle donations, folks to help spread the word about the events and volunteers to serve as casino dealers, ticket sellers, food servers and more.

3)  If you can’t make the events, please consider making a donation to the Cheryl Acord Benefit Donation Fund.  They are accepting checks, MasterCard, Visa, AMEX, Discover, ATM & PayPal.  Go to the bottom of the Acord Fundraiser web page for links and more information about how to make a donation.

For more information about the Acord Family, the fundraisers, or the Benefit Fund, please visit the Acord Fundraiser page.  Thank you to Good Ole Boys and all of the other folks who are stepping up to help this Katy Family.  Will you join them?

NOTE: If you own a business and are wondering if charitable giving and volunteering are worth your time, please read Charitable Giving Builds Strong Teams & Reputations on our B2B blog.

Festival Season is Coming!!!

As we near the end of August each year one thing always springs to mind.  No, I’m not talking about the beginning of the new school year.  I’m looking forward to Festival Season!! 

As the Texas weather begins to cool off just a tad, the local festivals kick into high gear.  These events are the perfect opportunity to grab your family and friends and build some memorable traditions.  We make sure to hit as many of these as we can every year.  What are your favorites?

Katy Rice Harvest Festival – It’s hard to believe that this is the 30th Annual occurrence of this fun event!  They have it all:  craft booths, food, games, rides, entertainment…all right in Historic Downtown Katy!  October 9 – 10, 2010.

Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo – Entertaining local families since 1933!  The Ft Bend County Fair is 9 days of fun:  carnival rides, nightly rodeos, concerts, livestock shows, art shows, food,…it’s a County Fair!  September 24 – October 2, 2010 at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds.  Click Here for discount tickets.

Waller County Fair – Katy resides within 3 counties which means that we’re close to 3 County Fairs!  The Waller County Fair has been going strong since 1945.  Rodeos, carnival rides, entertainment, food,…they’ve got it!  Think you’ve got the world’s best BBQ recipe?  Maybe you should enter the BBQ Cookoff.  September 25 – October 2, 2010.

Harris County Fair – The youngest of our 3 local County Fairs, the Harris County Fair is also the shortest in length.  But they pack a lot of stuff into a few days.  Calf scrambles, stick horse races, mutton bustin, livestock shows, and a BBQ Cookoff.  At the Houston Farm & Ranch Club at Bear Creek October 20 – 23, 2010.

Houston Hot Sauce Festival – They say some like it hot.  If that’s you, then check out the 10th Annual Houston Hot Sauce Festival at the Stafford Centre.  This is your chance to sample some of the best, most unusual, and yes in some cases hottest sauces around.  Go early for the best selection and to vote for your favorites.  And the music is pretty good too!    September 18 – 19, 2010

Dewberry Farm – Have you ever been lost in a giant corn maze???  It’s an experience everyone should have at some point in their life.  And thanks to the folks at Dewberry Farm, you don’t have to go far to begin your great corn adventure!  Just West of Katy in Brookshire, Dewberry Farm opens every Fall with tons of activities in addition to their fantasticly humongous cornfield maze.  Check out Golden Goat Bridge, pig races, rubber duck races, and singing chickens.  Blast pumpkins, shoot corn cannons, feed goats, rope calves, enjoy hayrides and mini train rides…there are enough activities here to keep the family busy all day!  The season opens September 25, 2010.

Katy Wine Fest – Wine lovers are represented again this year with the 5th Annual Katy Wine Fest hosted by Rotary Club of Katy Sunrise.  This is a charity event at Agave Road featuring live music, silent and live auctions, great food and, of course, wine tasting.  October 28, 2010.

And the great festivals aren’t just limited to West Houston, Katy and Brookshire!  Art lovers should definitely check out the Bayou City Art Festival (October 9 – 10, 2010) and Galveston’s ARToberFEST (October 16 – 17, 2010).  If you like learning about cultures, the Grand Taiko Concert (September 17 - 18, 2010) and the 32nd Annual Festa Italiana (October 15 – 17, 2010) are for you.  The Wings Over Houston Airshow is always thrilling (October 23 – 24, 2010).  And the Ballunar Liftoff Festival is simply amazing, especially when they light all of the hot air balloons at night (October 29 – 31, 2010).  And last but certainly not least:  No list of Fall Festivals would be complete without including the granddaddy of them all:  the Texas Renaissance Festival (October 9 – November 28, 2010).

There are so many things to do in the coming months that I’m not sure it’s even possible to hit them all!  But I hope you’ll get out there and choose a few to enjoy.  And let us know…which ones are your favorites?  What others should everyone know about?

Profile on Katy Business: Athletic Nation

Travel to the corner of Cinco Ranch Boulevard and Mason Road and you will find Athletic Nation, a full-service fitness and nutrition education facility staffed by experienced, licensed personal trainers who believe in one-on-one attention.  And they have an interesting story on what brought them here…

Will Denyko, Owner: Athletic Nation

Owner Will Denyko is an 11-year veteran of the U.S. Army who served in Iraq.  His post-military career began in oilfield services during which time he found himself moving through New Mexico, Louisiana and Texas including the Houston area.  It was during this time that Will began to gain weight.  When he had trouble physically fitting into areas that were required for his work on oil rigs, he knew he had to make a change.  Through months of research, Will learned to change his nutritional habits and began to exercise.  As his health and physical appearance improved, friends began to ask him for guidance and advice.  Will saw an opportunity to help others change their lives, and decided to pursue formal education to become a personal trainer. 

While he was working as a professional fitness trainer at a large national gym, Will met fellow trainer (and Mayde Creek alum) Adrian Gonzalez.  Will and Adrian share the belief that working with a personal trainer should be about more than just a 20 or 30 minute appointment running through exercises.  They started Athletic Nation to provide personal attention to each client, to learn their goals and their history in nutrition and fitness…to answer questions and provide guidance…to teach proper form and nutrition.  Denyko and Gonzalez believe that time spent with clients in one-on-one counseling is critical to success.

The Athletic Nation model is based on what Will and Adrian believe are the “3 Keys to Success:  Dedication, Motivation & Determination”…all things that folks tend to apply to the education and

Adrian Gonzalez, General Manager: Athletic Nation

career facets of their lives, but often forget in regard to their health.  So what can you expect when you walk in to Athletic Nation?  personal consultation with a Certified Fitness Professional, nutrition education, fitness assessments, 2-3 weeks of foundation building followed by re-assessments…a full, truly customized fitness program based on mini-goals and progress.

Perhaps Will says it best, “It’s not a body style change, it’s a lifestyle change”.  

Are you ready to change your life?  Athletic Nation is located at 2944 S Mason, Suite F, Katy, TX 77450 (in the Compass Bank strip center at Cinco Ranch Blvd).  Call them at 281.693.3656 or visit their website:  http://www.athleticnationhtx.com.