We are now less than a month away from the Texas State Forest Festival.  It's coming up September 15-18 at the George H. Henderson, Jr., Expo Center in Lufkin.  The event is organized by the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, and once again, it is being presented by Brookshire Brothers.

New to the Forest Festival this year are the 'Pirates of the Sky - Nerveless Nocks' and the 'Extreme Raptor Show'. You'll also have a shot at the Axe Throwing Championships presented by McWilliams & Son Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing. Back again this year will be the Lumberjacked 5K and Fun Run, Big Axe BBQ Competition, Pineywoods Car Show, and, of course, carnival rides galore.

The Cheerleading and Pom Squad/Dance Team Championships are also returning to the Texas State Forest Festival.  This year, they will both be held as one event starting at 1 pm on Sunday, September 18.  There will be several divisions and categories for area middle school and high school teams.

Townsquare Media helped to launch the Pom Squad/Dance Team competition at the Forest Festival many years ago.  I can't remember what year it kicked off, but I do remember that one of the early years of competition was canceled due to Hurricane Ike in 2008, or was it Hurricane Rita in 2005?

I was digging around through some old files on my computer a few days ago and happened to stumble upon some photos that were taken at the 2012 Pom Squad/Dance Team Championships at the Texas Forest Festival. Take a look at these photos and let us know if you recognize anyone.

We're looking forward to a great time at this year's Texas Forest Festival in Lufkin.