Red Dirt Festival Celebrates The Best Texas BBQ & Music

It’s a treat for your ears and your taste buds! The best BBQ in Texas will pair with some fantastic live music once again for the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival, being held on May 4 in downtown Tyler. This will be the sixth year for the event, which has quickly become an East Texas favorite.

For those who have never made it out, the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival brings together more than 25 of the most popular BBQ joints from across the state — from Tyler to Amarillo. Sample a wide variety of smoked meat dishes while never leaving the Rose City’s bricked streets.

But the mouthwatering food is just half of the fun. Enjoy your meal while listening to nearly 12 hours of live music on the Stonewater Stage. This year’s artists have been revealed, and fans are already eager to attend this uniquely Texas event.

  • Randy Rogers Band
  • Wade Bowen
  • Stoney LaRue
  • American Aquarium
  • Mike & The Moonpies

Plus, attendees have multiple chances to win an iPad Pro at the festival from Stonewater Roofing.

Tickets go on sale at 10:00 AM on February 1 and you don’t want to miss out. Last year, officials stated that 5,000 tickets were sold in less than 48 hours, and VIP tickets were gone in just 30 seconds. That was a record time, and this year’s event is sure to be just as popular. Visit the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival’s website for ticket information and more details. Stonewater Roofing is among the event’s proud sponsors.

“It’s All About Networking” At B2B Expo In Tyler

East Texas business leaders shook hands and swapped cards at the Harvey Convention Center on Thursday afternoon. Many of the area’s best companies gathered under one roof for the B2B Expo, presented by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored in part by Stonewater Roofing. More than 5,000 people attend the event each year.

“This event is 25 years old this year, and it’s all about networking,” said chamber COO Henry Bell. “It’s all about connecting people to help them do their businesses with each other, business to business. That’s B2B.”

Booths were spread across the convention center’s main room, and even spilled out into the hallways. Along with the exhibition floor, the event included specialized presentations to help local businesses learn the skills that are necessary for growth. “We had HR workshops this morning. We had a networking luncheon. Now, the expo with all of the exhibitors and their booths,” Bell continued. “They’re all networking and networking with each other.”

“If it wasn’t for small business, we would be nowhere,” said Brent Lyon, director of sales for Townsquare Media. “All of our employees believe that small business is the foundation of who we are.”

“This event has gotten better and better,” added Jennifer Gaston, editorial director for Tyler Today magazine. Her publication reaches 90,000 readers across Smith County. This is Gaston’s ninth year at the B2B Expo. “The more I’m involved with, the more people I meet. Stay engaged and find stories.”

Katie Clarkston holds her new Apple iPad Pro along with Stonewater Roofing’s Anayo Onyi (left) and Trent Spradlin (right) at the B2B Expo in Tyler.

Stonewater Roofing was among the businesses in attendance at the expo, interviewing officials from other companies on Facebook Live and handing out bags, water bottles and more. Invoicing specialist Matthew Coats even provided some live music for the event. A very special congratulations goes out to Katie Clarkston with SERVPRO of Tyler, who walked away from the Stonewater Roofing booth as the winner of a brand new Apple iPad Pro.

Meanwhile, Bell is particularly proud of how the area has thrived in his time with the chamber, partially due to efforts like the B2B Expo. “It is very fruitful to see the success and the growth that Tyler and East Texas has experienced,” he said. “We were instilled as youngsters that you should give back to your community, give back more than you take out of a community, help it grow.”

See Tyler’s Best Businesses At The 2019 B2B Expo

Admit it, many of the new year’s resolutions that you made have probably been broken already. But it’s easy to commit yourself to using more local businesses in 2019. There’s no shortage of options in the Tyler area, and some of the best will be on display at the B2B Expo.

The event will be held on Thursday, January 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Harvey Convention Center.

Do not be fooled by the name. The expo is not only a chance for businesses to network. Consumers are also welcome to see what local companies have to offer.

More than 5,000 people attend the B2B Expo each year. It is an opportunity for folks in the Tyler area to learn about the products and services being offered in their very own neighborhood.

Best of all, the expo is FREE for those who present a business card.

The day’s events also include a business workshop, luncheon with a speaker, $1,000 worth of prize giveaways, and more! Visit the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce’s website for further details.

Stonewater Roofing will be in attendance, and is a proud sponsor of this event.

Elementary Kids Prepare For Drumline Competition

A growing East Texas company is encouraging growth of the arts in the Tyler Independent School District. The Caldwell Arts Academy Drumline is the first competitive elementary school drumline in East Texas. Students from first through sixth grade auditioned for the group and are gearing up for competitions in early 2019.

Stonewater Roofing, a Tyler based commercial and residential roofing company, has a special appreciation for these types of programs. COO Jacob Law (former John Tyler High School Drum Major) and VP of Communications Trent Spradlin (former Robert E. Lee Drum Captain) have contributed financial and educational resources to the organization.

Directed by Spradlin and Travis Sutphen, students practice two days each week learning discipline, character development and a little bit of rhythm.

Spradlin hopes that the district sees the benefits, internally and externally, that this program provides, and expects similar programs to develop over the coming years.

If it weren’t for the support and flexibility of Stonewater Roofing, the program would not be at the level it is at currently. With the growth of the company, Stonewater Roofing will continue to provide support for groups like the Caldwell Drumline, not only here in Tyler, but in all of their service areas throughout Texas.

A version of this article originally appeared on KLTV’s website.