Wow! Can you believe it’s already time for AquaBoom 2018? The 49th Annual AquaBoom will be held on June 30 through July 4 with five fun-filled days of fun and sun, and a little pomp and circumstance thrown in for good measure. With 48 years behind it, for generations this “Granddaddy” of all the Hill Country celebrations has been attended by lifetime residents and new transplants, tourists and locals, young and old. This year’s celebration – with the theme A Salute to Freedom - will be no exception.
With events taking place throughout the community, you can expect music, arts and crafts, tournaments, a barbecue cook-off, parades, water events, a patriotic concert, children’s activities, pony rides, a street dance and so much more! We try to load this weekend with events so that visitors and members of our community can find entertainment and a great family celebration weekend here in the Hill Country. Apart from a few competitive events where registration fees apply, the entire weekend is a no-cost celebration in tribute to this great country.
One of the biggest changes this year is an added way to register for any event. Instead of waiting in line longer to register in person, you can now register ahead of time online at www.kingslandaquaboom.org.
“We now have online registration for all of our registered events. It’s going to make the process so much easier for all of us,” said Wendy Taylor, AquaBoom president.
Some of the many events that you can register for in advance include arts and crafts, land parade, boat parade, children’s parade, Spirit of Kingsland Contest, costume contest, barbecue contest and the golf tournament.
“Anything you register for, it’s right there online. It’s a one-stop shop for everything. That register tab has been a life-saver,” Taylor said.
After a one-year hiatus, the Spirit of Kingsland contest is back, challenging businesses to decorate and get into the festive spirit of the holiday, just in time for AquaBoom. Judging begins at 1 p.m. on June 26, and decorations must stay up through July 4.
“We bring in judges, non-partial judges. It’s judged on outside decor only, but they decorate and there are prizes,” Taylor said. “The premise behind it was to get the town decorated and go get people involved and a part of AquaBoom.”
First, second and third place prizes will be given out. The contest is being sponsored by the Kingsland Chamber of Commerce, and the deadline to register is June 22.
As a precursor the main festivities, the Annual Miss Aqua Boom Scholarship Pageant will be held Saturday, June 23, at the Kingsland Community Center, with categories from Little Mister to Miss Aqua Boom. The scholarship awarded to Miss Aqua Boom is $3,500 - one of the biggest scholarships in our area - and is open to residents of Llano and Burnet counties.
We begin the holiday weekend with the patriotic Veterans Dinner on Friday, June 29, held at and hosted by the Chapel of the Hills Baptist Church in Buchanan Dam. Volunteers will be catering steak dinners to 150-plus people, including veterans, their families, and people from the community and surrounding areas. This event is open to the public, and anyone interested in attending should contact Chapel of the Hills Baptist Church for reservations.
Saturday, June 30, is full of activities for all ages. The annual AquaBoom Golf Tournament, held at Lighthouse Country Club, starts the day full of fun.
This year’s Arts and Craft Show will be held Saturday, June 30, and Sunday, July 1, and will be bigger and better than ever. It will be held just off RR1431, behind M&M Donuts. With oak trees overhead, grass under your feet, and plenty of parking, this venue is the perfect location to come out and enjoy a day of fun for the whole family. Over 60 vendors from around the state will be joining us this year. One new addition this year will be a dedicated furniture row, where various furniture vendors will show their wares. There will also be a new and improved food court, in addition to free parking.
For the kids, we’ll have pony rides, Shortcake’s Amazing Facepainting and Balloon Art, inflatables and a costume contest, just to name a few of the exciting things for the younger generation. Don’t forget to stop by the main AquaBoom tent and get your Sea Doo Raffle tickets. Food and music will be rounding out the day and there will be a stand selling fireworks to help you get started on your own celebration.
Also on Saturday at the Arts and Crafts Show area will be the first-ever Patriotic Costume Contest for children. The event gets underway at 10 a.m., with registration at 9:30 a.m., and is open to children from birth to age 12. There will be prizes for those who place first, second or third.
Activity picks up at the Kingsland Community Park on Sunday, July 1, with the Horseshoe and Washer Tournaments, or you can try your hand at the Poker Run on the River. Then, take your winnings back down to the Arts and Crafts Show for some more shopping and fun for the kiddos! After you’ve worked up an appetite, head on over to the First Baptist Church for the annual Patriotic Meal, served by the Lambda Nu Service Organization. After the meal, make sure to stick around for the annual Patriotic Concert put on by First Baptist Church.
This community really knows how to show its guests a good time, and Monday, July 2, is the perfect opportunity to step out about town and feel the welcome. No matter what your pleasure, Kingsland has something for everyone. Shop our local boutiques, hit one of our courses for a round of golf, lunch at one of our fabulous places to eat, relax in one of our luxurious spas, or just spend a lazy day on the river soaking up the sun. Kingsland is truly a hidden secret, so take this time to come and discover its bounty.
Monday night holds a special treat for residents and visitors alike. His Joshua House has joined the AquaBoom team this year with a new event – their first Annual Wild Game Fundraising Dinner and Auction at the Kingsland Community Center. They will have dinner, live music, door prizes, raffles and silent auctions. Tickets are $20. His Joshua House provides a supportive, safe house for men whose lives have been separated from God through addictive behaviors and destructive life choices. HJH facilitates the recovery and restructuring of lives through 12-step programs utilizing Christian principles.
As Tuesday, July 3, rolls around and the AquaBoom volunteers are hard at work, this is a great day to get out and explore some of the hidden treasures you can find in Kingsland and the surrounding areas. There are the legends of Enchanted Rock to explore, river cruises, state parks and wildlife refuges, the hands-on Science Mill, historical landmarks and beautiful scenery to enjoy. You can visit the Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead and see what life was like in 1918, visit the historic hotel and train depot from the era when Kingsland was a major trading hub on the river, or grab a bite to eat in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre House (known to us locals as Grand Central Café). Be sure and get plenty of rest though, because Tuesday night you’ll want to put your dancin’ boots on and join us for the River Rat Revue at our Annual Street Dance at First United Bank, located on RR2900.
And that brings us to the highlight of our four-day celebration, INDEPENDENCE DAY! This is the day we all work towards, and it shows in the pride and camaraderie you’ll see as the community gathers along RR1431 and RR2900 early on the morning of July 4. Be sure and get your seat early – the parade route fills up fast! There are two parades, the Children’s Parade and the Land Parade, and everyone is welcome to show their creativity with an entry. Along the parade route you will find food vendors, snow cones, a carnival, and an all-around general good time.
By later that afternoon, you can feel the excitement in the air as everyone makes their way down to the 2900 Bridge. We have food, music, a boat parade, a rubber ducky race and more! This year’s band is Un-Muted, which will have you grooving to the sound of pitch perfect rock.
The culmination of our celebration – the moment we’ve all been waiting for - is an awe-inspiring fireworks show that is truly a salute to the freedom that this beautiful country affords us every day.
Extending the festivities will be the AquaBoom State Championship BBQ Cook-Off on July 7. The event is hosted by Lighthouse and the Lone Star BBQ Society.
We hope you’ll join us this year! For more information and a complete schedule of events, please visit www.kingslandaquaboom.org or contact Kingsland AquaBoom at 325-388-6211.
