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Country Music Star Chris Cagle to Headline Lake Fork Family Fest this May

Chris Cagle

By Love Wood County

The Wood County Economic Development Commission (WCEDC) announced today that the headline act for the 2025 Lake Fork Family Fest will be country music star Chris Cagle.

The festival, which is held in conjunction with the prestigious Bassmaster Elite Tournament, will be held May 10-11 at the Caney Point Recreation Area on Lake Fork.

Last year, the festival attracted more than 10,000 patrons, with similar number or more expected this year, given the re-introduction of the very popular Great Dam Race 5K Run. In addition to the race, the festival will include another musical act, cornhole tournaments, pickleball tournaments, and many kid-friendly attractions.

Not surprisingly, sponsors include companies like UT Health East Texas and Stitchin’ Heaven, a nationally known, Wood County-based, family-owned quilt shop and online destination for quilters and sewists of all levels. “More sponsors are expected to follow,” according to Christine Thomas, Executive Director of the WCEDC.

Thomas went on to call the procurement of Cagle as a headliner as a “massive triumph” for the county. “The amount of interest in the festival, from all over the state, has been phenomenal as word has gotten out.”

Born in De Ridder, LA and raised in Houston, Cagle embarked on a path to stardom shortly after he moved to Nashville in 1994. While in the Country Music Capitol, he signed a publishing deal with Caliber Music, cutting his first song, “I Breathe In, I Breathe Out.” He continued to emerge on the national stage in 2000 when he signed with Virgin Records as he co-wrote and co-produced his debut Gold record, Play It Loud, which included several top 10 singles. Other successful projects followed, leading Cagle to be named CMT’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2002.

The WCEDC, with help from local groups, is still eliciting sponsorships for the event through its partners:

  • The Quitman-Lake Fork Kiwanis Club, which will be identifying sponsors for the Great Dam Race 5K Run and
  • The Pilot Club of Quitman, which will focus on finding sponsors and vendors for the overall Family Fest.

“We are extremely proud of how everyone in Wood County has rallied around the community to grow the festival,” said Thomas. “With the re-introduction of the race, we expect this year’s edition of the Lake Fork Family Fest to be the best-attended ever.”

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About Wood County Nestled in the Piney Woods of East Texas, Wood County is “the Texas you expect in a county you’ll love:” Active downtown districts, engaging outdoor activities, and friendly neighbors! Wood County is the ideal location for a weekend getaway or extended vacation, starting or expanding your small business, or becoming a permanent part of any of our welcoming communities. Home to Lake Fork—named the #1 bass fishing destination in the nation by Bassmaster Magazine—Wood County also has a variety of attractions to appeal to just about everyone, such as the Mineola Nature Preserve and the Links at Land’s End golf course to name just two. For more information, visit LoveWoodCounty.com.

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