Longview news diary and sporting events
Longview is a city spread between Harrison County and Gregg County in Texas. This city is regarded as the commercial hub for the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area and it is one of its principle cities. With a population of approximately 77,000 people, Longview features a majority population led by Whites, Hispanics, Native Americans, African Americans, Pacific Islanders and Asians respectively.
The Longview sports scene is quite different and unusual. Aside from the regular collegiate sports of football, volleyball, Baseball, golf, softball, soccer as well as other varsity games, they host a number of yearly events that range from boat races, balloon races, motorcycle rallies, athletic events. Each one of these events take place throughout the year and celebrate some facet of sports coupled with their culture.
From the month of January the East Texas Boat, RV and Camping Expo takes place. This three day event is held around the last week of January every year. The foundation of this event was laid by way of the people who own Longview Marines, Gene Brady and Dale Clark and has been active since 1982. This expo brings RVs, yachts, boats and motorcycles, ATVs from all of across East Texas in one location drawing almost over 10,000 attendees each year.
Another significant attraction in this area would be the Annual Memorial Day Motorcycle rally. This rally brings individual bikers and motorcycle riders and such clubs from all over Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. This event started in 2006 and it has been a major attraction in this area. The big event includes numerous bike games, a bikers show, music and parades as well as the big attraction called the Teresi Dyno-Drag. In this interactive event, bikers test their abilities in racing to see how quickly they can really go in a quarter mile stretch.
One of the most exciting festivals that occur in Longview would be the Alley Fest that is held in the start of summer. This fest began in 1978 and hosts an art show, a music festival, a food contest and a marathon run that is a 1 mile, 5K and 10K course. The latest introduction to the fest is the Kids Marathon run where children between 5 to 12 take part in a 25.2 miles run.
The most famous amongst all these is the Great Texas Balloon race which is held in the month of July each year at the East Texas Regional Airport. This event is regarded as the “longest running hot-air balloon race in Texas”. This race began in 1978 during the launch of the Longview Mall as a giant celebration. It continued thereafter and it has evolved into a competitive event of first class standards. This event is considered to attract world-class hot air balloon pilots from all across the world and consists of balloon fights and balloon glows. An added attraction of this event is always to observe how these balloons get inflated and operated. This is an event which is held in association with the North American Balloon Association and invites eighty special sport balloons.
The Longview News Journal is the major newspaper publication of this area and goes back to 187. This publication carries all the local news, sports and community details.