With spring on the horizon, the area’s state parks are gearing up with another packed year of events.
Between the Greenbelt in Aubrey, Isle du Bois in Pilot Point and Johnson Branch in Valley View, Ranch Cities residents are spoiled for choice when it comes to outdoor events at the three branches of the Ray Roberts Lake State Park.
“With all of our events, everything is free,” Johnson Branch Park Interpreter Izzy Mabry said. “You just have to pay the normal park entry.”
Events at the park fall into two broad categories. There are the annual events, which tend to happen around the same time each year, and smaller events scheduled a few months in advance.
“We put all our different events on our Facebook page and try to have our events posted and thought up two to three months in advance,” Mabry said. “We try not to go too much further out than that because we have school groups who ask for field trips and want to make sure we have the time to provide that as well. We want to make sure that if the community is asking something of us, we can do that along with our regular programs.”
Events are also available at tpwd.texas.gov/calendar, which will bring up all the events scheduled for every state park.
“That way, if you’re trying to travel and plan ahead, you can go onto that and it gives you listings,” Mabry said. “If you want to look for only archery, it will show you which state parks are doing it in the near future.”
Upcoming annual events include GreenFest on the Greenbelt as well as Spring Fling and Carleton’s Catfish Catch-A-thon at Johnson Branch. Mabry shared some information on the latter two.
“The first major one we’re having coming up is in March; that will be our Spring Fling,” Mabry said. “We’re really excited this year because we’re trying to expand. Instead of just having tabling events and games like three-legged races, we’re adding on this year. We’re going to offer archery classes and kayaking classes throughout the day.”
She continued. “We’re really excited to expand it further than what we’ve done the past couple of years,” Mabry said. “We’re also hoping Cabela’s will be over at the fishing area, and fishing will also be going on. It’ll be fun to try to incorporate more of our park into our Spring Fling to really celebrate the beginning of spring.”
Booths at the event will include booths for the Texas Master Naturalists and Texas State Park Police and may include Inland Fisheries, Texas State Parks on the Air and TxDOT.
“These are groups we’ve reached out to and have helped us in the past,” Mabry said. “We’re just waiting to get confirmation they have someone available to send.”
The Catfish Catch-A-thon, which was canceled last year because of the tornado, will return in full force June 7.
“It’s just like the Trout Derby we do in January, but the Kids Fish Pond will be stocked with catfish,” Mabry said. “Cabela’s and Bass Pro donate prizes, so every hour we’ll do biggest and most fish caught and overall later for the grand prize.”
The event is focused on kids, though anyone can come toss a reel in the water.
“Anyone will be able to come fish in the pond, but for prizes they have to be 16 and younger,” Mabry said. “We recommend that if they have their own reels to bring them. We do have some to loan out, but it will become a first-come-first-served basis.”
Mabry further explained that, in addition to the weekend events, she and Mindy Shumate at IDB do other things to help raise awareness of the natural spaces dotting the state.
“The job of interpreters is not just to do the programs on Saturdays,” Mabry said. “We’ll also go to schools and outreach events. That’s a big way for us to get out there and talk to people about the importance of our state parks, protecting them and what they can do as families or individuals, and the recreational activities we can provide.”
For those looking for some nature a little farther from home, the second-largest state in the U.S. offers plenty of opportunities.
“What you can do at Ray Roberts is completely different from what you can do at Sea Rim or anywhere on the coast,” Mabry said. “It’s fun to get to talk to people and remind them Texas is so big. We have 13 different ecosystems, so if they’re looking for a weekend getaway, they can do that at a state park and see something completely different if they drive two or three hours away.”
