George Strait visited Rockport with Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott after Hurricane Harvey devastated the town in August 2017. He owns a second home there and will be helping the community in a campaign to bring back tourists. Courtesy photo
The Rockport Seafair will go on as originally planned before Hurricane Harvey packed a powerful destructive punch on this seaside community. The Category 4 storm caused the cancellation of the annual HummerBird Festival, the Shopping Tournament and the Hero’s Cup, but that was as far as the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce was willing to go.
“It’s been very disheartening because so many of our efforts have been thwarted,” said Sandy Jumper, director of tourism and museums at the chamber. “That’s why we felt it was so important to have the Seafair.”
All the land-based events will be included in the three-day event set for Oct. 12-14 at the Festival Grounds at Rockport Harbor. The only events cancelled are those that involve getting into the bay, which is still full of debris and dangerous.
Another change includes the hours. The fair will close Friday and Saturday nights at 10 p.m rather than 11 p.m. Admission prices have been adjusted so anyone 18 or younger will be allowed in free this year.
“We had to do something for the young people,” Jumper said. “They have been affected, too. They’ve been bused out to different schools; they’ve lost their sense of place. This will be a good way for everyone to all come back together.”
Schools are scheduled to reopen Oct. 9, but that date is tentative, Jumper said.
The biggest problem will be places to stay overnight as only a few of the hotels have reopened. Most were damaged during the storm. The chamber is working with neighboring communities to find everyone a place to stay.
“We still have a lot of community here,” she continued. “We have the National Guard here with ice and other care packages. FEMA is here. The Red Cross, the Salvation Army. Right now, the main effort is people’s safety.”
Roads are being cleared along with debris-filled yards.
“There’s a lot of broken glass and debris with nails that can puncture tires,” she said. “You have to be careful.”
The community is pulling together to have the place ready for visitors by mid-October.
“We are working neighbor to neighbor, cooking for each other, helping clean, doing whatever we can,” she said. “It’s been a blessing and a curse all in one.”
The curse of the cancelled HummerBird Fest was offset by the response of bird enthusiasts across the country. People have been sending bird feeders and nectar. Neighboring communities have set up feeders, keeping them supplied with nectar for migrating hummingbirds that need the fuel for their long trip south for the winter.
“It’s heartwarming for us,” Jumper said. “It just one of many humanitarian efforts that have kept us going, even though this one is for the birds.”
Seafair will help perk up the community, which took a direct hit from the hurricane Aug. 25-26.
“We want to bring some normality back to the community. We need this shot in the arm,” Jumper said. “It’s not going to be an easy feat, but the community is ready for it, people are asking for it. It’s going to be our comeback event.”
A full schedule can be found at rockportseafair.com.
