16th Annual Lakefest Celebrates the Return of Marble Falls.

MARBLE FALLS, Texas -- After the recent "rain bomb" that caused $100 million in damages, putting Marble Falls on national television newscasts across the U.S., the community made the first priority the health and safety of its citizens. Then they assessed the infrastructure damage and how to prioritize efforts to meet a looming deadline: The 16th annual Lakefest event, the major community fundraiser that benefits dozens of nonprofit agencies and local businesses every year, scheduled to take place August 10-12.

Restoring a critical bridge became the first priority on the infrastructure repair list and 1,000 volunteers went into action to make sure that this premiere event for the community would go on without a hitch despite the tremendous challenges. Today the lake recreation areas, parks, restaurants, boutiques and guest houses are open for business again and ready for Lakefest.

Lakefest 2007 celebrates Marble Falls recovery

"Lakefest is always very important to us," said Christian Fletcher, Executive Director of the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber. "But this year it's especially critical that we get the word out that Marble Falls is still here and that we're ready to receive visitors again."

With boats named Nitro Chicken and D Bullet, racing a quarter mile at 4.5 seconds, it sounds like a heavy metal rock concert in more ways than one. The boats are loud, noisy and wild. The rigs that haul them rival the country music star tour buses and NASCAR trucks and trailers. Competitors wear the same kinds of racing suits, with the addition of a helmet that includes 10 minutes of oxygen in case they end up underwater.

Gourmet restaurants and new music scene add to Marble Falls charm

The lakes are the key attraction, but if you haven't been to Marble Falls lately, you might not know there's a whole lot more: Fine restaurants and a new music scene downtown await visitors in a quaint downtown just off U.S. Hwy. 281 amid high end shops and art galleries.

Gourmet restaurants like Cafe 909 and Patton's On Main and old favorites like the Blue Bonnet Cafe and live music at places like the House of Blue Lights, Lorraine's, Patton On Main, the River City Grille and the Uptown Marble Theatre bring artists like Bob Schneider (August 3) and Hank Thompson (Sept 1).

"Getting back to normal completely is going to take some time in terms of infrastructure damage throughout the community," said Fletcher. "But, we've cleaned up and repaired areas along the creek system and the lakes are ready for visitors. The downtown area is in great shape. Restoring tourism in our economy is important because it will help us provide the resources we'll need to repair the damage and continue to enhance our community even further." For more information: www.marblefalls.org