Story by Sarah Naron
LOVELADY – Each year during the second weekend of February, the small East Texas town of Lovelady gets festive for the annual Lovefest celebration, an event which spans three days and includes various events sure to provide fun memories for both the young and the young at heart.
“This is the 40th year,” said Lawana Monk, an organizer of the event. “Originally, we had it on the grounds of the high school. We did the for a couple of years, and then, it moved down to the community park.”
As Monk explained, Lovefest was the creation of the Lovelady Civic Club.
“They had it for about 15 years, and from there, the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) took it over for a couple of years,” she shared. “They couldn’t find enough people to man it, so we kind of formed a Lovefest Committee.”
The committee, she added, is made up of parents of Lovelady High School students.
“All of the money raised during Lovefest goes to Project Graduation and the FFA (Future Farmers of America),” Monk said.
The theme of this year’s festival – set to kick off Thursday, Feb. 10 – is A Royal Celebration, Monk shared.
“The first thing is the queen’s coronation,” she explained. “That is totally the school’s part. The sophomore class is the one that takes care of the coronation; they set up the decorations and all of that, and they get the profits at the gate and use that for their prom their junior/senior year.”
Prior to the coronation, one female student from grades 9-12 is selected by her peers and named the class princess. Each contestant must then write an essay and give a speech to the student body, both of which will be judged. The winner – who is crowned Lovefest Queen – is announced during the Thursday evening festivities. The seventh and eighth grade classes will each be represented by their own princess, while two prekindergarten students will serve as the flower girl and crown bearer.
“The elementary classes do the entertainment at the coronation,” Monk added. “Lisa Allen is the one that’s over the entertainment, and actually, she was the first Lovefest Queen.”
The coronation is held in the Lovelady High School gymnasium and begins at 7 p.m.
“There is also a barbecue cook-off that benefits the Masonic Lodge,” Monk said. “The cookers will start moving in Thursday and Friday, but the true contest is Saturday.”
Those participating in the competition will show off their skills behind the grill as they prepare dishes in five categories – beans, brisket, chicken, chili, and ribs.
Also taking place Saturday, Feb. 12 in downtown Lovelady is the Lovefest Parade, set to kick off at 10 a.m.
“We have the arts and crafts booths,” Monk said. “We also have the food vendors, of course. We have entertainment during the day that is scheduled by the FFA.”
Other events include a baby beauty contest hosted by the First United Methodist Church of Lovelady and a baking contest sponsored by the Weldon Civic Club.
Rounding out the activities of the weekend is the Lovefest Dance, set for Saturday at 7 p.m.-12 a.m. in the Lovelady Old Gym.
For more information on the 2022 Lovefest, call Monk at (936)-636-7212.
