Atlanta brings back Forest Festival with music, fun for all
ATLANTA, Texas—For decades, the Atlanta Forest Festival was a celebration of the area’s timber-related landscape that helped fuel commerce in this Texarkana-area town.
“It’s tied to the Piney Woods of Northeast Texas,” says Dan Simmons, who’s one of several directors of the resurrected Atlanta Forest Festival, which returns this year. Festival organizers hope to build on this year’s rendition for the future.
The festival takes place behind the fire station on Louise Street.
The resurgent festival started Wednesday and runs through Saturday with live music as the headlining attraction. Music on tap includes tribute acts that celebrate a famous Linden native’s legendary band and a native Arkansan who became one of the most iconic of country stars.
Tonight’s concert is Terry Lee Goffee’s Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute show, while Saturday night it’s 7 Bridges—The Ultimate Eagles Experience.
Concerts start at 8 p.m. with the festival running from 5 p.m. to midnight. Downtown Atlanta hosts the Atlanta Forest Festival Parade at 11 a.m. Saturday. Bring a lawn chair for the concerts.
Goffee is an Ohio-born musician whose love for music was nurtured by family, including visits to his grandparents’ farm. As a youngster, he’d mimic musicians with a broom handle and tin can as the guitar and mic, “performing” in that way.
Later, Goffee grew a country music career, then got involved with gospel music, both in live shows and recordings. But he eventually came back to country, adding a tribute show to the mix to pay his respects to Johnny Cash, whom he admires.
As for 7 Bridges, they are a Nashville, Tenn.-based Eagles tribute band. These Eagles trib-
ute artists pride themselves on accurately playing the Eagles hits without backing tracks or harmonizers. They add numbers by Henley, too, and play all sorts of venues, from fairs and festivals to casinos.
Nashville-based Keith Thoma plays Don Henley, who hails from right down the road in Linden, another Piney Woods town with timber ties.
Fair admission gets festivalgoers into the concerts.
“(Admission) gives you access to all the vendors there, all the nonprofit organizations, access to any one of the concerts you come to,” Simmons said. Vendors include nonprofits and local churches. There’s also a carnival with rides for all to enjoy.
Food vendors, too, provide places to eat. “The Lions Club is famous for their sausage on a stick,” Simmons said.
A steak cookoff (sanctioned by the Steak Cookoff Association) Saturday offers a $1,000 first place award with a $150 entry fee. Monetary prizes are granted through 10th place. See details at the festival Website.
Simmons said the Atlanta Forest Festival ran for about 30 years or more, but eventually fizzled. Of course, Cass County’s timber-related businesses and the surrounding forests inspired the festival theme. This is the first year it’s back, he said, and they hope to build on it for the future.
“It’s the new Atlanta Forest Festival,” Simmons said.
(Gate admission: $5 for adults, $2 for children 12 and under. No extra charge for the concerts. More info: AtlantaForestFestival.com.)