Lake Fork Hosts Bassmaster Tournament and Family Fest

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

As the 2024 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite Tournament at Lake Fork gets underway for its four-day extravaganza starting February 29, the biggest attractions might be found ashore rather than in the lake itself.

Organized by the Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC), the Lake Fork Family Fest is set to coincide with the renowned fishing competition. This festival, taking place in the recently finished Caney Point Recreation Area by Lake Fork, is designed to offer a wide array of activities, as highlighted by Christine Thomas, the WCEDC’s Executive Director.

“First and foremost, it’s a family festival with a great atmosphere,” she added. “There is so much to do, whether it’s visiting the ‘creature teacher’ area and the catfish tank for the kids, checking out the products at the vendor fair, enjoying some tasty treats from the food trucks, or participating in the cornhole or pickleball tournaments, which are new this year.”

Country music icon Neal McCoy, originating from the nearby city of Longview, Texas, is slated to be the marquee performer of the event.

The creation of the Lake Fork Family Fest was no mere coincidence. Following a decision by Bassmaster to skip Wood County for its tournament a year prior, which notably affected the local economy, Thomas along with the WCEDC board was motivated to initiate this event.

Thomas expressed that the festival was envisioned as a standalone attraction that could thrive independently of the Bassmaster tournament’s presence at Lake Fork, thereby providing economic stability to Wood County.

“There’s no doubt the festival has a huge impact,” said Tom Keenan, Board Chairman of the WCEDC. “We noticed last year, when we didn’t have it, that there was a major drop in revenue from previous years. So that was the main inspiration for making this an exciting event on its own and host it this year and every year going forward, in case one year we don’t have the Bassmaster tournament.”

Thomas added that “throughout this entire process, we viewed this year’s festival as an opportunity to create an exciting new event that could stand on its own, even if Bassmaster decided not to come to Lake Fork one year. Having a festival like this gives us flexibility and helps shield Wood County’s economy.”

In preparation for this year’s festival, the WCEDC has significantly ramped up its marketing efforts, introducing a dedicated website, advertising through billboards along local highways, featuring in regional newspapers, distributing counter cards in shops and eateries, launching email campaigns, engaging in social media promotion, and facilitating live radio broadcasts at the festival site, among other initiatives.

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