Northeast Texas Children’s Museum announces summer activities. An emphasis on outdoor activities is reflected in the June calendar at the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum. “Because of the concern over COVID -19, the Children’s Museum is putting more emphasis on our outdoor area. Even though temperature checks, handwashing, and frequent sanitized cleaning are a part of our policy for the inside of the building, some parents may still prefer outside play for their children. We have a great outdoor area which includes the State Farm ship, a sand area, and a dry riverbed with sharks teeth. However, we are adding specific outdoor activities to enhance the area”, said Sharline Freeman, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum.
Beginning with a visit from the Davis Family Animals on the morning of June 12, weekly outdoor activities are planned. On Friday, June 19th the outdoor area will become an obstacle course with water balloons instead of basketballs for shooting at the goal, tunnels, and additional outside obstacles to overcome. This activity will be available in both the morning at 11:00 and the afternoon at 1:30.
There will even be a Fourth of July Egg Hunt on Friday, July 3rd. Under the sponsorship of Brookshire’s Grocery, 2,000 eggs were provided to the Children’s Museum for the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. Because of the closures related to Covid-19, the Easter Egg Hunt has now become the Fourth of July Egg Hunt. Again, there will be one hunt in the morning and another in the afternoon.
Regular admission to the Children’s Museum covers the cost for the additional activities. There will be a limited number of participants, and reservations can be made online or by calling the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum at 903-886-6055. Updates for summer activities can be seen on the Northeast Texas Children’s Museum’s web page at www.netxcm.com or the museum Facebook page.
The first Saturday in June each year is designated as Free Fishing Day in Texas. Texans can fish on any public waterbody in the state without a fishing license on June 6, 2020. Everyone can fish (while practicing social distancing, of course) without a state fishing license on Oklahoma’s Free Fishing Days June 6 -7, 2020. If you are fishing on Lake Texoma, you will need a Lake Texoma or Texas fishing license for June 7th.
All of Lake Texoma is open for free fishing June 6, but free fishing will only apply to the Oklahoma portion of the lake June 7. Anglers must abide by all Texas fishing license and permit requirements when fishing the Texas portion of Lake Texoma on June 7.
“Free Fishing Day is a wonderful opportunity for anglers to share their knowledge, skills, equipment, and love for fishing with a new participant, yet it’s also more than that,” said Craig Bonds, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department inland fisheries director. “We hope those trying fishing on this special day will also learn that purchasing a license is an act of conservation. A fishing license purchase is one of the simplest and most effective way people can support fisheries science and management.”
“These are some of the best days to take a newcomer or youth fishing with you,” said Skylar St. Yves, fishing coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “There’s no state fishing license requirements, so someone who has never been before can just wake up in the morning and head out for a fun day of fishing. And someone from out of state can visit and enjoy what Oklahoma’s waters have to offer without worrying about having a state fishing license.”
Even though the outdoors are always open on Lake Texoma, the Wildlife Departments encourages everyone to heed health officials’ recommendations for staying safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. For anglers, it’s easy to distance yourself from other by the length of an adult’s fishing rod.
License sales are one of the primary sources of funding for the Wildlife Departments of Texas and Oklahoma. Sportsmen and sportswomen pay for conservation projects when they buy a license. The Department’s Free Fishing Days can help us introduce new anglers and ensure that great fishing and habitat work will continue for years to come. There’s no excuse not to take someone fishing on June 6 and 7. The weather is usually nice, the fishing is great and, best of all, it’s free.
Durant is headed to Flavortown as Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar is scheduled to open in July 2020 in Choctaw Casino Resort – Durant. The restaurant will be the first and only Kitchen + Bar in Oklahoma; with the nearest locations in Las Vegas, Nev. and Branson, Mo.
“We’re always looking for unique and new experiences to offer our guests,” states Bryan Prettyman, director of marketing. “Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant has been providing guests with fun and excitement for decades and Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar will be a perfect addition.”
Open daily, the 277-seat restaurant, with approximately 11,000 square-feet and located at the south end of the casino. It boasts a large outdoor patio and dining area with a panoramic view of The Oasis pool.
A Job Fair for the new restaurant will be held on May 28th and May 29th from 9 am – 6 pm at the Choctaw Casino Event Center, 3702 Choctaw Rd, Durant, Okla. Applicants can also apply online at careers.choctawnation.com.
“I’ve shot Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in Oklahoma and all over Texas and let me tell you, this part of the country knows good food, said Guy Fieri. “And in Durant in particular, you’ve got some good folks looking for real deal, scratch made food, great cocktails and a big-time party…and the Choctaw Casino & Resort brings the heat!”
Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen + Bar will offer guests a taste of Fieri’s signature cuisine. Featuring bold flavors and unique twists on traditional dishes the restaurant food menu includes a variety of burgers, wings, tacos, small bites and shareable food items. Signature dishes include the famous Trash Can Nachos, American Royal Ribs, award-winning Bacon Mac-N-Cheese Burger and so much more!
About Guy Fieri
Chef, restaurateur, New York Times Best Selling author and Emmy Award-winning TV host, Guy Fieri, is one of the world’s most recognizable and influential culinary stars. In 2019, Guy received a star on the celebrated Hollywood Walk Fame, a rare feat for a chef.
Guy began his love affair with food at the age of ten, selling soft pretzels from a three-wheeled bicycle cart he built with his father called “The Awesome Pretzel Cart.” After selling pretzels and washing dishes for six years, Guy earned enough money to pursue his dream of studying abroad in Chantilly, France, where he gained a profound appreciation for international cuisines and further strengthened his passion for food. He returned to the US and graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a degree in Hospitality Management. Upon his graduation, Guy jumped headfirst into the restaurant business, ultimately opening his own casual dining concepts in Northern California.
In 2006, Guy won Food Network’s popular television competition show, “Next Food Network Star” and was awarded his own series, the Emmy nominated “Guy’s Big Bite.” Since that time, Guy has created a thriving culinary empire as host of top-rated TV shows including the iconic, Emmy-nominated “Diners, Drive Ins & Dives,” “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Guy’s Ranch Kitchen.”
Additionally, Guy and his team at Knuckle Sandwich, LLC, have opened 75 restaurants around the world. On land and at sea, from the Las Vegas Strip to the Atlantic City Boardwalk, from South Africa to Colombia and from Costa Rica to Dubai, Guy’s culinary creations are enjoyed globally, every day.
About Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant
Located an hour north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex lies a AAA Four Diamond resort and entertainment destination, in southeastern Oklahoma. Choctaw Casino & Resort–Durant is a three-level convention/entertainment venue which offers more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention space and seating for more than 3,000 people. The resort’s amenities include the Oasis Pool – featuring four tropical pools with private cabanas – as well as the region’s premier entertainment complex, The District, where visitors can enjoy Tailgater’s Lounge, 20 bowling lanes, a 40-game arcade, and a state-of-the-art movie theater. The casino offers more than 4,100 slot machines, 60 table games, and a private poker lounge featuring 30 poker tables. In the spring of 2021, a major expansion effort will add the Sky Tower: 19 stories high featuring 1,000 new luxury hotel rooms, along with 3,400 additional slot machines and 34 tables in the new poker room, along with 40 table games, two new restaurants and movie theaters, and a three-acre swimming pool – making Choctaw Casino & Resort–Durant one of the largest gaming resorts in the world. For more information, visit choctawcasinos.com
