The newly formed Rising Star Park Improvement Committee (P.I.C.) will be hosting its inaugural “Evening of Texas Country Music” celebration on Saturday, June 30th in Rising Star. The purpose of this event is to provide an opportunity for those in attendance to hear some of today’s best Texas Country music by local artists. At the same time attendees will be supporting the revitalization of the town. Increased levels of community involvement in small towns all across America are on the rise, and Rising Star is no exception.
P.I.C. is a community improvement organization that was recently formed by a group of Rising Star residents. Its goal is to work with various other local organizations to further the improvement and revitalization of Rising Star through intensive community projects. The National Main Street Center (NMSC) research shows that the visual quality of buildings, signs, window displays and public areas are considered a crucial element of small town revitalization. Further, that a bold, imaginative and dynamic plan is tremendously effective in uniting a community towards a common goal. P.I.C. realizes the importance of these principles.
Joey McKenszie, a member of P.I.C. noted “a successful revitalization plan must be both realistic and exciting.” Adding “It has been amazing, the level of support that we have received from the community.” P.I.C. is currently involved in a project to pay for the new play structure that now resides in the city park. Proceeds from this event will go towards the completion of the project. While its first project is directly tied to the city park, P.I.C. realizes that there are many other areas of the community that will benefit from beautification projects and is not limiting itself solely to improving the park. When looking at other small towns in the area that have successfully undergone significant revitalization it is evident that projects such as new downtown sidewalks, improvement of park restroom facilities and the establishment of local youth centers all play a big part in defining exactly what it is that a town has to offer its residents. Joey concluded “We look forward to using the successes that other small communities in our area have had to really improve upon our town as a whole.”
Rising Star’s “Evening of Texas Country Music” will be held on Saturday, June 30th starting between 3pm and 4pm in Rising Star. There will be performances by The Donnie Evetts Band as well as the Tanner Strickland Band. Concessions, a firearm raffle and various other activities will be going on throughout the event. Tickets can be purchased at the event and are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. A $5 cooler fee will be charged for anyone wishing save money by bringing their own food from home. This wonderful evening could not be possible if it were not for the generous donations from Big Country Livestock, AMA Techtel, Stealth Inc., 3D-Ag, and Hardwick’s Nursery.
Organizers state that the event will “be fun for the whole family so bring your loved ones and join us for a wonderful night of entertainment that will not soon be forgotten!”
