Life’s Better Outside® Experience Comes to AlleyFest June 5-6

Tom Harvey, 512-389-4453, tom.harvey@tpwd.texas.gov

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LONGVIEW – For the first time, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is bringing its Life’s Better Outside® Experience to this year’s AlleyFest in Longview June 5-6. Visitors of all ages will be able to see and try various outdoor activities, including fishing, archery, and rock climbing.

After TPWD made a decision to suspend Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo in Austin in 2009, the state agency essentially took the show on the road, creating the traveling Life’s Better Outside® Experience presented at partner festivals like AlleyFest. Similar events have been hosted in San Antonio, Houston and Corpus Christi. At AlleyFest, area partners the Texas Forest Service, Texas Wildlife Association, and the Texas Master Naturalists will be on hand to help introduce families to outdoor skills and fun.

Now in its 32nd year, AlleyFest is an East Texas celebration of the arts which takes place on the streets of downtown Longview’s historic Main Street District. The festival, which takes place June 4-6, will include original work from artisans from all over the United States, live music, a variety of free activities for children and a 5K and 10K run.

The following Life’s Better Outside® activities will take place at AlleyFest:

  • Fishing FUNdamentals — Explore and learn the basics of fishing. Kids will also have a chance to fish themselves.
  • Archery — Learn how to shoot a bow an arrow with a hands-on activity patterned after the National Archery in the Schools Program
  • Backyard Bass — Perfect your casting skills on land before you hit the water by learning how to cast and catching plastic fish.
  • Buffalo Soldiers — Step back in time to a Buffalo Soldiers encampment, where living history reenactors portray African-American federal troops who helped tame the Texas frontier in the 1800s.
  • Texas Outdoor Family Camping Display — Learn about the Texas Outdoor Family program, which hosts weekend overnight workshops where families learn to pitch tents, cook over a campfire, and otherwise get back to nature.
  • Texas Wildlife Association — Take the Wildlife Challenge and try your hand at Laser Shot, a virtual hunting game.
  • Game Warden Whodunnit — Texas Game Wardens will be present to talk about fishing regulations and invasive species.
  • Take Me Fishing Trailer — Instructive dioramas will be display information about freshwater and saltwater fishing in Texas.
  • Texas State Parks Displays — Find out more about East Texas state parks and participate in a tent race to see how quickly you can put up a tent.
  • Wall of Shame – Operation Game Thief — See an educational display showing poached game and illegal methods of fishing and hunting.
  • Sea Life Treasures — See, and in some cases touch, shells, bones and other artifacts from the Texas coast.
  • Aim to Recycle — Play a fun shooting sport using plastic bottles and compressed air. Players are encouraged to bring their own “ammo” (empty plastic bottles).
  • Wildlife CSI (Critter Scene Investigations) — Use your sleuthing skills to identify skins, skulls and various other wildlife artifacts.
  • Rock Climbing — Scamper to the top of a 25 foot climbing wall.

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