Following two years of the Cotton and Crude Fest which combined a day’s worth of activities and an evening concert, the Levelland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and staff have announced a brandnew and revamped festival: Home Sweet Ho.Co.
The festival is set to take place on Saturday, August 24 and is an entirely separate event from what will be Cotton and Crude Fest which will only be comprised of the concert. Cotton and Crude Fest will be held on September 7.
President of the Levelland Chamber of Commerce Mary Siders explained that the task forces responsible for the event review its outcome. This ranges from the overall success and issues or adjustments that may need to be made in the future.
“Our board of directors, who are twenty-one elected leaders from our membership, have spent countless hours reviewing event evaluations, financials, and possibilities,” said Siders. “In many conversations with longtime supporters of community festivals, they asked if the annual event could be divided into two separate events. Many of these local contributors, who donate and volunteer time and staff, were stretched when the festival day started at 7 a.m. and ended after midnight.”
While suggestions of splitting the overall event into two were posed this year, Siders shared that the sponsors, vendors, volunteers, security provided by the Levelland Police Department and additional city staff such as the streets department have worked hard throughout the long day during the past two years without complaint.
However, making the change will provide a better experience for those involved as it is their work that keeps the events running smoothly from an operational standpoint.
“The input of our local businesses that volunteer, sponsor and have been long time supporters of the Chamber events is invaluable,” said Siders. “They truly play a key part in providing quality events for our citizens and out of town guests to enjoy.”
One key aspect that has been a main focus for all groups involved in planning these events has been catering to not one particular generation but finding ways to bring all generations together to celebrate the community.
“After the storm devastated our community in May, it became apparent that we need a qualityof- life event that is complimentary of the city,” said Siders. “There are a lot of people who rely on free quality-of-life entertainment here in Levelland.”
Another adjustment for this year’s event is the festival is limiting vendors to those in town and in county. No food vendors outside of Hockley County were allowed in the efforts to keep money locally.
“By exclusively hosting county food vendors, our goal is to provide a unique opportunity for our local clubs and organizations to benefit financially. This money will stay in our town,” said Siders. “That came by as a result of surveying our downtown merchants. They asked the chamber to stop allowing people to take money out of the community.”
In addition to food, the event will feature informational street vendors, and there will be a strong emphasis on promoting shopping in downtown stores. There will be roughly 20 vendors for the event which was an intentional decision to encourage community members to consider any one of the downtown merchants for their shopping needs while the event is happening.
Food vendors will be located along the north side of the courthouse while the remaining vendor booths will be located along the east side of the courthouse.
“This creates economic opportunity, it will bring additional people to the square and we hope that the main street business will capitalize on that,” said Siders.
The festivities will kick off with the Levelland Morning Rotary Pancake Breakfast, a community tradition, followed by the grand Smith Auto Family Parade.
The Home Sweet Ho Co calendar is as follows: The Levelland Breakfast Rotary Pancakes will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Avenue G and Houston Street. Plates will be $6 and kids under five-years-old can eat for free.
The Smith Auto Family Grand Parade will begin at 10 a.m. Lineup will begin at 8:45 a.m. and entries will need to lined up by 9 a.m. to be judged before the parade begins. Parade judges will select from all entries. “Best of Parade” floats win prizes. First place will be awarded $300, second place will be awarded $200 and third place will be awarded $100.
Lineup locations for entries include: In category one, parade sponsor Smith Auto Family will line up along Avenue H, in front of Chamber of Commerce.
In category two, youth and bicycle entries will line up in the Chamber of Commerce parking lot on Avenue H.
In category three, municipal, elected officials and first responders will line up along Avenue H by Lobo Lake in front of Tattlers.
In category four, automobiles and motorcycles will line up along 11th Street and Avenue G in front of LISD Administration Building.
In category five, antique tractors will line up along 11th Street between Avenue H and Avenue I.
In category six, commercial and businesses will line up along 13th Street and Avenue H (by Sodexo in the street).
In category seven, nonprofits, schools, bands and churches will line up along the old LISD football parking lot which is east of the LISD Administration Building with entries facing south.
In category eight, all entries other entries will line up along 12th Street between Avenue H and Avenue I. In category nine, horses, wagons and carriages will line up in the empty grass lot west of LISD bus barn.
Restrictions for the parade include: Candy or other items may not be thrown in the parade.
Candy or other items may be distributed by persons walking adjacent to the crowd only. This will be strictly enforced for safety.
No water guns will be allowed in the parade.
No one under the age of 16years-old will be allowed to operate a motorized vehicle in the parade. (Includes: go-carts, motorcycles, 4-wheelers, dirt bikes and other such vehicles) An adult (over 18-years old) must be on or around any float to supervise at all times.
Participants who walk should be prepared to complete a onemile route in less than an hour.
Any entry using horse or mule must participate in parade in category nine (mounted horse and horse drawn wagon/carriage).
The Hockley County 4-H events will begin with the Sack Race starting at 11 a.m. The Stick Horse Race will begin at 11:30 a.m. The Turtle Race will begin at 12 p.m. and the Best Decorated Turtle will be decided at 12 p.m.