“Arts in Bloom is a free, family-friendly festival that invites everyone to experience the creativity and charm of Downtown McKinney. It’s a chance to enjoy art, music, and local businesses while making meaningful memories with family and friends. We love seeing the community come together to celebrate what makes our downtown so special,” said Andrew Jones, Cultural District Director. photos by Allen Rich

Brynn Hudson placed second in the age 9-12 category with Sound Waves. The Creative Arts Center in Bonham recently hosted an opening reception for their Budding Artists’ Show in April.

Mark your calendar for the annual Easter Festival Eggstravaganza presented by the Bonham Area Chamber of Commerce and the American Legion Anderson-Roberts Post 283! Beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Powder Creek Park on Saturday, April 11, 2026, children & adults are invited to bring their Easter baskets and hunt for over 26,000 eggs! Hunts will be divided into age groups and happen one group at a time, including an adults-only hunt.

Theater For Hope’s spring play opening April 9, Sarah, Plain and Tall, has brought many families acting and performing together to tell this endearing and heart-felt Newberry Award-winning book by Patricia MacLachlan and adapted into a play by Joseph Robinette. In June, the next show for Theater For Hope is the musical Frozen and auditions will be April 27 and 28 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Step back into the Texas frontier and uncover the remarkable story of Olive Oatman—often remembered as the “Tattooed Lady.” Imagine, if you will, a 19th-century Victorian woman sitting for a portrait: dressed in proper attire, poised and reserved. But as she turns her face, you see five distinct blue lines tattooed across her chin—marks not of fashion, but of survival. Her story is one of captivity, resilience, and life on the edge of two worlds. Come and hear this fascinating tale, enjoy refreshments, and visit with friends.

1979 – Red River Valley tornado outbreak: A tornado lands in Wichita Falls, Texas killing 42 people. On Tuesday, April 10, 1979, a widespread and destructive outbreak of severe weather impacted areas near the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. Thunderstorms developed over West and North Central Texas during the day within highly unstable atmospheric conditions following the northward surge of warm and moist air into the region, producing large hail, strong winds, and multiple tornadoes. At least 22 tornadoes were documented on April 10, of which two were assigned an F4 rating on the Fujita scale; four of the tornadoes caused fatalities. Hardest hit were the communities of Vernon, Texas; Lawton, Oklahoma; and Wichita Falls, Texas, which were all impacted by strong tornadoes. The F4 Vernon tornado struck southern and eastern parts of the city at approximately 4:45 p.m. CST, destroying several residential blocks and killing 11 people. An F3 tornado spun up in Lawton at 5:05 p.m. CST, destroying 167 buildings and killing 3 people. The most significant tornado of the day was an F4 tornado that began east-northeast of Holliday, Texas, at around 5:50 p.m. CST and moved east-northeast into Wichita Falls, taking a 8-mile course through densely populated areas of the city and destroying over two thousand homes across several neighborhoods. The tornado spanned as wide as 1.5 miles across during its passage through the city, with the most severe damage occurring within a 0.5 mile wide swath. At least 45 people were killed within the city and nearly 1,800 people were injured, ranking the tornado among the deadliest in Texas history. A majority of the fatalities occurred as the tornado mangled and tossed vehicles.