by Brynna Williamson
10,000 people. Sound crowded?
Nah, it wasn’t. Not really. After all, the Caney Point Recreation Area, adjacent to Wood County, Texas’ own Lake Fork, features a huge pavilion, six-lane boat ramp, public parking, and restroom facilities to accommodate local and national fishing tournaments, community gatherings, and recreation enthusiasts on Lake Fork Reservoir.
Bassmaster Elite and Lake Fork Family Fest
I’m talking, of course, about last weekend’s Bassmaster Elite Tournament and the Lake Fork Family Fest, which ran adjacent to one another. The Bassmaster Elite Tournament is a huge deal in and of itself. Only the best of the best are eligible to compete in this tournament, which the Bassmaster website says is “the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments… the world’s premier professional bass angling circuit.”
But the accompanying Lake Fork Family Fest is so much more than just another festival, too. In 2025, the event featured several typical festival-type attractions, such as vendors, food trucks, and even a kangaroo. Wait… a kangaroo?
I’m Listening!
Let me back up.
Like I said, the Lake Fork Family Fest was not just another festival. Oh, sure, it had some of the “comfort items” of an East Texas festival, like food vendors (mmm… think ‘BBQ,’ ‘shaved Ice,’ ‘tacos,’ ‘burgers,’ ‘lemonade,’ and more! Hungry now, aren’t ya?), vendors for jewelry, carved sculptures, apparel, and much more. However, the Lake Fork Family Fest went above and beyond to be something the whole family would enjoy—something that would keep rowdy kids entertained just as much as hot and tired adults.
To that end, this year, one of the highlights of the festival was an appearance from the Creature Teacher, an East Texas-based organization that specializes in “incredible animal encounters” and “wildly educational live animal programs.” This passionate group of “current and former educators” brought an immersive program to Wood County to keep adults and kids alike delighted. How, you might ask? By bringing animals for people to learn about and actually touch. And not just any animals! Creature Teacher says that, in 2025, the animals they brought included a kangaroo, a porcupine, a chameleon, a uromastyx (a spiny-tailed lizard), and a tegu (which is, they said, “a big lizard that looks like an alligator, kind of.”)
Of course, highlights of the attraction didn’t just include animals. There were cool people to see, too. One of these—a guest that the Wood County EDC was excited to be able to book—was Chris Cagle, a famous country music star who is known for his many hits such as “Miss Me, Baby,” “My Love Goes On and On,” “Laredo,” “I Breathe In, I Breathe Out,” and “Chicks Dig it.” According to billboard.com, Cagle has nine songs in the Billboard Top 100, amassing a total of more than 120 weeks on the charts.
Cagle had a few things to say about coming to Wood County and performing at the Bassmaster Elite Tournament and Lake Fork Family Fest. “All my life, growing up in Texas, I’ve heard about the myth of Lake Fork—how great the fishing is. I have not had the opportunity to fish it, and fishing is one of my favorite things. But being here is great.”
“I’ve watched Bassmaster on television a lot,” Cagle added. “I never can quite catch fish like they can. That’s probably why I sing! It’s an honor and privilege to be here.”
Wood County’s Lake Fork Family Fest had other popular and fun things to do, too. What’s great about the Family Fest is how wholesome and complete it is—no matter what type of person you are, they had something for you, guaranteed. For instance, in addition to all the vendors and attractions, the Family Fest also featured a race and a fun run/walk, a cornhole tournament, an equine exhibit, and a catfish tank (which was actually pretty cool), axe throwing, a chainsaw carving demo, and even a wine and beer garden!
The Lake Fork Family Fest is actually a “reel” community event. (“Reel…” get it? Because it’s all based around the Bassmaster Elite Tournament!) In fact, sponsors from all across East Texas joined together to make the event happen, from Stitchin’ Heaven to Wood County Electric Co-op, UT Health Quitman, The Links at Land’s End, and the city of Mineola, just to name a few. Goodness, even a local Whataburger franchise got in on it!
Lake Fork Family Fest 2026
So. If you missed Wood County, Texas’ Lake Fork Family Fest this year, don’t worry—the Wood County EDC is already putting plans in the works to bring it back for 2026. And next year, they say, it’ll be even bigger and better than it was this year!
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, 23-year-old Tucker Smith—who is a rookie to Bassmaster Elite tournaments—won the tournament with a 127.8 pound total. Funny enough, the runner-up was also a 23-year-old Bassmaster Elite rookie named Paul Marks! What are the odds, huh?