Longview news journal 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 considered one of its principle cities. With a population of around 77,000 people, Longview has 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. Apart from the regular collegiate sports of football, volleyball, Baseball, golf, softball, soccer and other varsity games, they host a number of annual events that vary from boat races, balloon races, motorcycle rallies, athletic events. All these events take place throughout the year and celebrate some facet of sports combined with their culture.

In the month of January the East Texas Boat, RV and Camping Expo occurs. This three day event is organised on the last week of January each year. The building blocks of the event was laid by way of the owners of Longview Marines, Gene Brady and Dale Clark and has been active since 1982. This expo brings RVs, yachts, boats and motorcycles, ATVs from all across East Texas in one location drawing almost over 10,000 attendees each year.

Yet another major attraction in this region is 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 began in 2006 and it has been an important attraction in this region. The big event includes numerous bike games, a bikers show, music and parades and the big attraction known as the Teresi Dyno-Drag. In this interactive event, bikers test their skills in racing and find out how quickly they can really go in a quarter mile stretch.

One of the most interesting festivals that occur in Longview is the Alley Fest which is held in the start of summer. This fest began in 1978 and hosts an art show, a music festival, a food contest as well as a marathon run that is a 1 mile, 5K and 10K course. The newest introduction to the fest is the Kids Marathon run where children between the ages of 5 to 12 take part in a 25.2 miles run.

The most famous amongst every one of these is the Great Texas Balloon race which is held in the month of July every 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 over the launch of the Longview Mall as a giant celebration. It carried on thereafter and has grown into a competitive event of world class standards. This event is said to draw in world-class hot air balloon pilots from all around the globe and comprises of balloon fights and balloon glows. The added attraction in this event is to observe how these balloons get inflated and handled. It is an event that is held in association with the North American Balloon Association and invites eighty special sport balloons.

The Longview News Journal is the main newspaper publication of this area and dates back to 187. This publication carries all the local news, sports and community details.