Creative costumes and unusual pets parade down the brick streets at the Texas Blueberry Festival. See the True Blue Pet Parade on at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, on the east end of Main Street and following is the Blueberry Star Pet Talent Contest in Festival Plaza. Photo by Bruce R. Partain. A big crop of contests has always been a part of the Texas Blueberry Festival, presented by Brookshire Brothers and produced by Nacogdoches County Chamber. More fun competitions have been added for this year’s festival, scheduled 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, on the downtown brick streets and Festival Plaza. The Bob Murphey Storytelling Contest will showcase an art perfected by its namesake. Contests will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Regions Bank Community Room for children to the age of 11-years-old and adults, 12-years and older. “To be able to tell a story is a great gift. To make people laugh while telling a story is an even greater one. Bob Murphey could do both,” said storytelling event organizer Dylan Parkhurst. “As a humorist and storyteller, Bob entertained audiences around the country and in Mexico and Canada, with a unique style of country-wit and close observation, and it also garnered him an appearance on Hee-Haw.” Parkhurst said the contest grew from the idea that stories could continue to be told in the Bob Murphey style. “Anyone who’s a fan of Bob's and wants to tell one of his originals or share another humorous story will get the chance. Stories will be judged on the merit of style, delivery, originality and adaptation of a Bob Murphey original,” Parkhust said. “Awards will be presented at 2:30 p.m. We plan to have a display about Mr. Murphey available to all visitors during the festival day.” Also new to this year’s event schedule is the Blueberry Star Pet Talent Contest that will follow one of the festival’s well-known and crowd-pleasing events, The True Blue Pet Parade. “Registration for the pet parade begins at 8:30 a.m., and we’ll be registering pets for the pet talent contest at that time and then again, after we finish parading down the brick streets,” Carla Vaughn, festival event organizer said. “The talent contest will give our furry friends an opportunity to perform any type of pet tricks.” Festival organizer Stacy Dicks said The Blueberry 42 Tourney has found a new location at The Fredonia Hotel & Convention Center in the Banita Room. “Since the Blueberry 42 Tourney is now internationally sanctioned and nationally sanctioned, pre-registration is strongly encouraged,” Dicks said. “Registration forms are available at www.TexasBlueberryFestival.com. If you are not able to pre-register, please be at the Banita Room at 8 a.m. for registration, because the event will begin at 9 a.m. sharp.” The Blueberry Festival of Quilts, sponsored by the Nacogdoches Quilt Guild, is back for 2008 and will be held at the Fredonia Hill Baptist Church on South Street. The exhibit will be open Friday and Saturday, June 13 and 14. Admission is $5, and beautiful quilts, vendors, demonstrations and a raffle quilt will be part of the show. Brookshire Brothers will award prizes for the best and most creative blueberry pies at the Blueberry Pie Contest. Registration forms and contest rules are available at Brookshire Brothers stores and online at www.TexasBlueberryFestival.com. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m. Hungry judges are ready to taste entries for the Blueberry Ice Cream and Cobbler Contests that is sponsored by Commercial Bank of Texas. CBTx also will hold the Blue Threads Costume Contest that begins with registration at 9:45 a.m. in the CBTx lobby. “The Blue Pies Smiling at Me Pie Eating Contest is in a new location on the Festival Plaza Stage. Six contests will run from 11 a.m. through 3 p.m. for children and adults,” said festival Chairman Joe Scifo. “The Blue (Horse) Shoes and Washers Tourney will begin at 9 a.m. in Festival Plaza.” More Texas Blueberry Festival information including events, contest rules and registration forms can be found at www.TexasBlueberryFestival.com. The site is updated frequently, so check often for latest news. Blueberry festival t-shirts, posters, hats and cooling neck wraps are available at the Chamber office. Festival T-shirts are available at the downtown Convention & Visitors Bureau. A limited number of these items will be available at the festival information booth on Main Street in front of the CVB on June 14. Proceeds from the Texas Blueberry Festival benefit the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce various community and business development programs. ### 19th Annual Texas Blueberry Festival sponsors: Blue Diamond Sponsor – Brookshire Brothers Blue Topaz Sponsors – 1st Choice Personnel Wal-Mart Blue Ribbon Sponsors – Consolidated Communications Kroger Region’s Bank Hayter’s Mill Creek Farm Lehmann Eye Center Texas Farm Products Huntington State Bank Nacogdoches Pediatric Dentistry Suddenlink Blue Sky Sponsors - Citizens 1st Bank Sam’s Club Timber Springs Nacogdoches Medical Center Blue True Sponsors - BancorpSouth The Blood Center The Daily Sentinel Blue Buddy Sponsors - Adams, Belanger, Atherton, LoStracco Aflac Allcom AT&T Authorized Dealer Austin Bank Excel Car Wash First Bank & Trust East Texas Fredonia Hotel and Convention Center Leon and Patsy Hallman Texas Bluebird Society Major In-Kind Sponsors - The Blueberry Place City of Nacogdoches GAP Broadcasting Hastings Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful KJ-103 FM KSWP 90.9 Lone Star Equipment Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau Nacogdoches County Expo Pinecrest Children’s Academy Texas Forest Service The Daily Sentinel Tipton Ford University Rental Yates Broadcasting ###