Cross Creek Ranch Adds Texana Center as Scarecrow Festival Beneficiary

While the creatively crafted scarecrows may only last a few days, the effects of the 2016 Fulshear Scarecrow Festival — returning Saturday, Oct. 15 — could better the lives of people with autism or intellectual disabilities for years.

The popular festival will support Arts Fulshear for a fifth year and a new beneficiary, the Texana Center, a 501c(3) organization whose mission is to change lives every day through treatment for autism, programs for adults with intellectual disabilities and those with behavioral healthcare issues.

Based in Rosenberg, the Texana Center recently launched a capital campaign to build a campus in Fulshear that will include classrooms and a store and coffee shop for retail training in its first phase, a Children’s Center for Autism and a Center for Learning that will provide a new concept, college-like program for adults with autism and/or intellectual disabilities, in addition to a day care program. The organization hopes to raise $12 million.

“We have a long way to go, but the support and exposure we will receive by being involved in the Fulshear Scarecrow Festival at Cross Creek Ranch will be invaluable,” said Tracey Shaw, director of development and community relations. “We are very grateful they are including us.”

Cross Creek Ranch General Manager Rob Bamford said the time was right to add a new beneficiary.

“We have raised money for Arts Fulshear over the past four years supporting their unique contributions to the surrounding area and now Texana Center is also going to be making an impact on the lives of people who desperately need these types of services,” he said.

Founded in 2011, Arts Fulshear is a 501c(3) organization that provides and supports art and cultural events, art education and public art in the Fulshear community. Existing programs include summer art camps and theater workshops, adult art classes, after-school art classes at Huggins Elementary and the annual Fulshear Art Walk, held in Cross Creek Ranch.

This year’s Scarecrow Festival will invite people to imaginatively decorate scarecrows for a $1,000 grand prize to the theme, “Forever in Blue Jeans.” The fall celebration will also include carnival rides and games, live music, food trucks, children’s activities and other features.

The festival is open to the public and has free admission.