TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Some things have a way of bringing everyone to the same place at the same time. For this region, the Four States Fair and Rodeo is one of those things. It does not matter how packed the calendar is or how many other obligations are competing for the weekend. When the fair comes to town, families show up. It has always been that way, and I hope it always will be. My own fair memories start in Cass County, sneaking in every possible ride at the Atlanta Forest Festival before my parents came back to pick me up. And I do mean pick me up, because that is how it worked back then. They dropped me off, named a time and a meeting spot, and trusted the rest to work itself out. There were
no cell phones and no check-ins, just the Kamikaze, the Gravitron, the Zipper, and a few hours of pure, unsupervised joy. Looking back, I am equal parts amazed we survived and grateful we got to live it. Parenting looks a little different now, and honestly, I am fine with that. The age restrictions that exist today have quietly saved me from battles I never wanted to fight. But what has not changed is the feeling. Watching my kids lose themselves in the excitement of fair week, the rodeo, the demolition derby, the complete sensory overload of it all, and knowing this is their version of what I had—that is the part that stays with me. The fair has a way of making the whole family show up together, fully present, not looking at a screen, completely caught up in the moment. Those memories are worth every funnel cake calorie and every dollar spent on ride wristbands. This issue is built around that same spirit of togetherness and community. Everything needed to plan your fair visit is inside, including armband and discount nights and the full rodeo schedule. Amanda Gainey, a local mother who knows a thing or two about raising cowboys, shares a column about exactly that. Her sons were on our April 2021 cover and have made a real name for themselves in bull riding at just 18 years old, but Amanda’s perspective is less about the spotlight and more about the work it took to raise them into the hardworking young men they are today. April is also Autism Acceptance Month, and this issue features a local family who opened their lives to us with remarkable honesty and grace. It is the kind of story that stays with you, and I am proud we get to tell it. Add in a beautiful home feature, our monthly staples, and two standout special sections, Insurance Profiles and Outdoor Pros, and this issue has something for everyone. Thank you for reading, for supporting the advertisers who keep this magazine going, and for being a community that still shows up for each other.
A special thanks to the cowboy featured on our cover, Lane Hawkins. He hopes to see you at the Four States Fair & Rodeo!
cover photo by Matt Cornelius
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
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