The Fort Griffin Fandangle opened its 87th season this past weekend to strong attendance, welcoming more than 1,500 guests over the course of its first two shows.
An estimated 600 people filled the stands Friday night for opening night, followed by a crowd of approximately 900 on Saturday. Strong statewide marketing efforts and continued outreach to first-time guests played a key role in the turnout.
Main Street was lined with spectators on Saturday, June 21, as the annual Fort Griffin Fandangle Parade brought a colorful display of floats, riders, and music through downtown Albany. With 45 total entries, this year’s parade was one of the largest in recent memory.
Parade co-chairs John Ayers, Cori Bezner, and Claire Ware coordinated the event and kept everything running smoothly.
Visitors and locals alike will be able to enjoy a variety of activities offered in Albany this weekend prior to the final two performances of the Fort Griffin Fandangle.
Free events will be offered on Friday and Saturday including a quilt show, tracker organ concert, calliope concert, viewing the Picket House, longhorns on the courthouse square, exhibits and crafts kits at the Old Jail Art Center, plus several other activities.
The Albany ISD board of trustees approved a series of pay increases during its regular meeting June 23, addressing administrative raises, support staff adjustments, and new legal requirements affecting board procedures.
Albany Junior/Senior High student-athletes remain active this summer with steady participation in conditioning programs and the conclusion of summer league competitions.
The boys’ summer conditioning program continues Monday through Thursday from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m., with an average of about 30 athletes showing up each morning.
“We’re still doing morning conditioning, but no sport-specific football yet,” head coach Denney Faith said. “We’ve got 7-on-7 going right now, and we’ll see when we start the rest.”
Albany’s 7-on-7 team will open pool play Thursday morning at the Division III State Tournament in College Station, returning to the event after missing out last summer.
The Lions will compete in a four-team pool that includes Hico, Tidehaven, and Wolfe City. Albany is scheduled to face Hico at 10:00 a.m., Tidehaven at 11:30 a.m., and Wolfe City at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the 16-team championship bracket on Friday, while the others will compete in a single-elimination consolation bracket.
Albany High School cheerleaders wrapped up a three-day NCA home camp June 22–24, with both varsity and junior varsity squads participating in 22 hours of instruction.
Led by a National Cheerleaders Association instructor, the camp emphasized game day experience, sideline spirit, jumps, stunts, and team building. Cheerleaders stayed together for the duration of camp, creating what sponsor Lauren Peacock described as “a great bonding experience that helped set the tone for the year.”
Two Albany FCCLA teams will leave Saturday, July 5, to attend the National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, where they will compete in the Level 3 Instructional Video Design event. The group will return home on July 10.
Only the top 20 video projects in the nation were selected to compete at the national level, and both Albany teams earned a spot after months of hard work. The teams will present their videos, give a five-minute oral presentation, and answer questions from a panel of judges during their scheduled competition times on Sunday, July 6.
By David H. Waller
The final weekend of Fandangle is here. And while I’m certainly worn out—like the rest of my family—I always feel a twinge of sadness when the season comes to a close.
Growing up in Fandangle, I didn’t know anything different. As a young kid, I honestly thought every town had something like this—that every child spent their summer in western costumes, riding wagons and dancing on stage. But Albany is special. And the Fandangle is, without a doubt, one of the most special things about it.
Albany water customers should receive a “2024 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report” in the next few days showing that locally treated water meets or exceeds all federal drinking water requirements.
“All the numbers looked good,” Albany water superintendent Michael Graham said. “There were no violations, which there really haven’t been in several years, except a very minor reporting problem in 2022. We haven’t had any actual treatment violations in a very long time, so our water quality continues to be very good.”
