Ford Park Event Center

Dralion by Cirque du Soleil performing at Ford Arena November 23-27!

2011-11-16T09:22:00.001-06:00

Performing for the first time in Beaumont, Cirque du Soleil is bringing their Dralion show for 6 shows, November 23-27. The following are a few fun facts about this awesome upcoming show:

The show's creators sought to infuse acrobatics with ancient Eastern philosophy based on the search for harmony between humans and nature. Fusing the 3,000 year-old of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil, Dralion draws its inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature.

The Dralion show includes 10 different acts represented by the four elements of nature: fire, water, earth and air. Captain Planet fans are going to love this show! In the world of Dralion, cultures blend, Man and Nature are one, and balance is achieved.

Dralions are mythical creatures inspired by the imagery of the Chinese lion dance and dragon dance. The show’s name is derived from its two main emblematic creatures: the dragon, symbolizing the East, and the lion, symbolizing the West.

There are over 1500 costume pieces including shoes, hats and accessories in the Dralion show.

The voices of Dralion sing an invented language to which only Cirque du Soleil holds the key. Their mysterious accents echo down through time: L'Âme-Force, the name for the show's vocals, symbolizes ultimate harmony between the elements air, earth, fire and water.

Here are some images from the show!

Hunter Hayes Graces Ford Park SRO Stage This Saturday!

2011-10-05T09:49:00.005-05:00

Just who exactly is Hunter Hayes? An incredible country music talent in a cute-as-a-button package. But describing him as just another talented, up-and-coming artist doesn't do him justice. The 19-year-old singer/songwriter/musical prodigy has been wowing audiences since age 4. Hunter has already racked up a long list of music legends as friends, sharing the stage with Charlie Daniels, Johnny Cash, Brad Paisley and Hank Williams Jr.. These past experiences have molded him into a seasoned music industry veteran and a consummate professional. His maturity as an artist goes far beyond his years.

Hunter Hayes performing with Hank Williams Jr.at only 4 years old!

After honing his talents for well over a decade and exhaustively touring the country, the public is finally taking notice of Hunter Hayes. Hunter's self-titled first album is set to be released on October 11th and he is headlining for the very first time in the"Most Wanted" fall tour. The first stop of this tour is none other than Beaumont, Texas! Ford Park SRO is the place to be this Saturday night to witness the beginning of a very bright future for Hunter Hayes.

Hunter Hayes' first single, "Storm Warning," on his self-titled debut album

SHOW INFORMATION

Saturday, October 8th

Ford Park SRO

Ticket Prices:

$18 Advance

$21 Day of Show

Doors Open @ 7:30 P.M.

This show is for all ages
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

SRO - Cure For The Common Club

2011-09-23T13:19:00.002-05:00

Ford Park has finally created the perfect venue for smaller, intimate shows- Ford Park SRO! Created within the Ford Park Lobby, SRO is what Southeast Texas has been looking for in a club venue. SRO offers 1,000 person capacity, luxurious VIP amenities and state-of-the-art sound and lighting to create an incredible concert experience for the audience.

Ford Park has always been able to get big-name music acts to the area. With SRO, we can also bring regional and up-and-coming artists into the spotlight.

FALL SRO SHOWS

HUNTER HAYES

Saturday, October 8th - BUY TICKETS - MORE INFO

10 YEARS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS HELL OR HIGHWATER

Wednesday, October 19th - BUY TICKETS - MORE INFO

ADELITAS WAY & ART OF WAR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS EMPHATIC & NEW MEDICINE

Thursday, November 3rd - TICKETS AVAILABLE SEPT 30TH - MORE INFO

Ford Park Rolls Out Its Fall Lineup Of Shows & Its NEWEST Venue - SRO!

2011-08-29T11:02:00.007-05:00

It’s an exciting time of year for Ford Park. We've been busy because many of the great new shows visiting our little corner of the world have been announced in the past few weeks. With school back in session, Southeast Texans are going to need some exceptional entertainment to help them get back in the swing of things - and Ford Park is here to help!

First on the agenda is a night of entertainment the whole family will enjoy. In our newest venue, Ford Park SRO, Hunter Hayes will be performing on Saturday, October 8^th. This up-and-coming 18-year-old artist is a multi-talented and surprisingly seasoned music industry veteran who is sure to entertain with his upbeat, twangy-pop sound. On the same night beginning at 7:30 p.m., WWE Smackdown is returning to Ford Arena. For all the Dads that want some live wrestling entertainment but don’t know what to do with the wife and kids, just make it down to Ford Park and there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Hunter Hayes

WWE Smackdown

10 years with special guests Hell or Highwater will have their first Ford Park performance on Wednesday, October 19^th at Ford Park SRO. This show is 18 and up ONLY with doors opening at 8 p.m. If you want some live rock music and a great atmosphere to break up the middle of your workweek, 10 Years is the concert you won’t want to miss.

10 Years

Next on Ford Park's fall agenda is rock supergroup 3 Doors Down with special guests Theory of a Deadman and Pop Evil. Ford Arena’s largest rock concert of the year takes place Friday, October 28^th at 7 p.m.

3 Doors Down

Cirque du Soleil will definitely be remembered as one of the most exciting acts to visit Ford Arena when troupe has 6 performances of their show Dralion November 23-27. This show will excite and amaze the senses as performers fuse the 3000 year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil.

Cirque Du Soleil: Dralion

For more information about any of these upcoming shows, please visit the Ford Park website WWW.FORDPARK.COM.

Meet the SAVOR... Catering by SMG Team

2011-08-09T10:27:00.004-05:00

Within the Ford Park family there is a very special group of dedicated employees. They are our in-house caterers, SAVOR...Catering by SMG!

The Savor....Catering by SMG team!

The SAVOR... team has spent years perfecting their craft and takes their jobs very seriously. Led by Melessa Kotlarich, Food and Beverage Director, and Executive Chef Brad Breaux, SAVOR...has wowed groups both large and small, public and private, with their diverse culinary offerings paired with exquisite customer service.

Most people think that Ford Park Event Center only hosts concerts, but there are so many other events hosted here. SAVOR... not only manages all concessions for publicly ticketed events, they also provide catering for private events. With Ford Park hosting an average of 200 public and private events each year, you could say that SAVOR... is the most seasoned catering team in Beaumont!

The 4th Annual His and Hers Weekend is coming to Ford Park July 8-10!

2011-07-01T13:25:00.005-05:00

For 4 years, The His and Hers Weekend featuring The Peddler Show and The Southeast Texas Great Outdoors Expo has been making a splash in southeast Texas. All your favorite vendors are convening at Ford Park July 8-10 to dazzle both ladies and their men with a diverse shopping experience.

We here at Ford Park decided to spotlight one of our favorite Peddler Show vendors, Kracker Jack Kids. Owners Bebette and Jimmy Hollier have devoted themselves to their kids clothing company for 30 years and because of expo events like the Peddler Show, are having more success than ever. Below is their story, as told by Bebette.

My husband Jimmy and I have been doing wholesale and retail shows since 1980. We started by making floral arrangements, wreaths and home decorating items. Kracker Jack Kids was started when our granddaughter came along, and everyone wanted the outfits we made for her. We decided to start sewing for the public in 1990. Our original designs are made from our own patterns and fabric, which is bought especially with each garment in mind. We love our business, and it has grown into a great lifestyle of travel, fun and a lot of work. All of our clothes are manufactured in Texas, with the exception of the tees and jeans that we embellish and some of our brand new PettiSkirts. Along with the matching mother/daughter outfits, we have expanded our little boys line more and more by the year. We are committed to providing a superior product at an affordable price for a growing list of satisfied customers.

A Kracker Jack Kids booth setup

Without The Peddler Show, I don't believe our business would have grown to the heights it has over the past 30 years. We have made hundreds of friends that we consider our wonderful peddler family that we visit with at all of the shows. Our shows are like a traveling mall with unique one of a kind hand made items that you can't find anywhere else. The crafting business is a wonderful way to combine business and travel! I certainly wish continued success for The Peddler Shows for the next 30 years!!! Facebook has helped us both out in terms of free marketing and reminding people about each show versus just word of mouth like in years past.

Kracker Jack Kids offers a fun and funky approach to kids-wear

Whether you're looking for personalized designs, creative gifts or unique jewelry, the Peddler Show has it all! It’s the perfect street of shops-customized just for you! Don't miss the shopping experience designed to be as individual and unique as you are!

For more information about the upcoming His and Hers Weekend featuring The Peddler Show and The Southeast Texas Great Outdoors Expo, please visit the Ford Park website or CLICK HERE!

Dralion by Cirque du Soleil performing at Ford Arena November 23-27!

2011-06-16T10:03:00.007-05:00

Dralion by Cirque du Soleil performing at Ford Arena November 23-27!

Performing for the first time in Beaumont, Cirque du Soleil is bringing their Dralion show for 6 shows, November 23-27. The following are a few fun facts about this awesome upcoming show:

The show's creators sought to infuse acrobatics with ancient Eastern philosophy based on the search for harmony between humans and nature. Fusing the 3,000 year-old of Chinese acrobatic arts with the multidisciplinary approach of Cirque du Soleil, Dralion draws its inspiration from Eastern philosophy and its never-ending quest for harmony between humans and nature.

The Dralion show includes 10 different acts represented by the four elements of nature: fire, water, earth and air. Captain Planet fans are going to love this show! In the world of Dralion, cultures blend, Man and Nature are one, and balance is achieved.

Dralions are mythical creatures inspired by the imagery of the Chinese lion dance and dragon dance. The show’s name is derived from its two main emblematic creatures: the dragon, symbolizing the East, and the lion, symbolizing the West.

There are over 1500 costume pieces including shoes, hats and accessories in the Dralion show.

The voices of Dralion sing an invented language to which only Cirque du Soleil holds the key. Their mysterious accents echo down through time: L'Âme-Force, the name for the show's vocals, symbolizes ultimate harmony between the elements air, earth, fire and water.

Here are some images from the show- This show is as so visually stunning!

The Spindletop Roller Girls Want YOU!

2011-05-31T10:32:00.001-05:00

There is a lot for the Spindletop Roller Girls to be excited about. They've gained a large, supportive fan base in Southeast Texas and beyond in the 4 years they've been a team. These girls' reputation as a hard-hitting, kick-butt group of athletes is proven at every home bout in Ford Exhibit Hall. But, since Roller Derby has become a sub-culture phenomenon and not too many mainstream sports fans have an understanding of the sport, I decided to ask derby dame Morgan Starr (who goes by the derby alias Mo' Rockin') a few questions....

How long have the Spindletop Rollergirls been a team? What’s the story of how you guys got started?

The Spindletop Roller Girls were established in November 2008 by a group of independent and strong-willed women in the Golden Triangle. Jessica Corral/Seabourn (aka Messica) - currently our team captain and league organizer - moved back to Beaumont from the Houston area, where she had recently started with Houston roller Derby's recreational league. Instead of driving back and forth to Houston for practice, she decided she would try to bring the extreme sport to Southeast Texas. She & our coach Doug Seabourn (aka Doug E Flesh) met the co-founders, Robbi Murphy (aka Plucky Devil), our bench coach, and Melissa Wright at a local concert. After talking, Robbi informed Jessica that she considered moving to Austin just to join the derby! Recruitment started from there trying to round up ladies that could organize and skate in Beaumont's very own flat track roller derby league. The first ladies to come along and help with the start up of the league included Samantha Briggs/Sexton (aka Slam) and Dawn Henson (aka Breaking Dawn).

In 2010, Spindletop Roller Girls (SRG) became an apprentice league with the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), the international governing body of flat track roller derby . Under the guidance of our mentor league, the Houston Roller Derby, SRG participated in their first season from March 2010 until September 2010. After an accelerated apprenticeship, Spindletop Roller Girls became a full Class B member of WFTDA 4 months ahead of schedule, in December 2010. This classification allows the league to be nationally ranked, to skate against more competitive teams, and be eligible to be a part of invitational tournaments.

We were also able to co-host (with Houston Roller Derby) one of the most competitive tournaments in the region, The Texas Governors Cup, at Ford Arena in February 2011. Some of the most recognized teams descended on Beaumont during this tournament, which has been labeled as the "Who's Who" of roller derby tournaments in Texas. Unfortunately, SRG lost out of the tournament in the second round, but it was great experience to skate against some of the best skaters in the nation! The Texas Roller Girls from Austin took home the prized Bronze Armadillo for a 6th year in a row.

We are now in our second season, which started on April 23, 2011. Currently we are 2-1 and remain undefeated at home since our inaugural bout in 2010. Our remaining home bouts are on June 4th, July 16th, August 6th, and September 10th.

What can fans expect when they come to a derby match?

To be honest, the first time a fan comes to the derby, it can be complete chaos! Unlike other typical sports, there isn't a ball that is used to score points, so the structure of the game can be very complicated! However, it's kind of like NASCAR... You're yelling for your team, trying to get them around the track, and anticipating that mind-blowing hit that sends a girl flying into the crowd or crashing to the ground. It's a full-contact sport, and is very physical, especially when the bout is close! The hits can be similar to hockey-style hits, except the girls have limited safety gear on, short shorts, and fishnet pantyhose! These ladies work very hard to master strategies and condition their bodies to be able to skate fast and hit hard in order to put on a good show for the fans. It is very different entertainment-wise from bank track roller derby (which has slopes or "banks" at each end of the track). Bank track roller derby is more for entertainment, with staged fights, etc. Flat track roller derby is more about the competition of the sport, and if there are 'bows or fists flying, it isn't fake! A fan can definitely expect to see some of the finest athletes in the area body-slammin' and speed skating around the track! Once the rules and strategies of the game become clearer for fans, it truly is an intense and edge-of-your-seat game from the first whistle until the end! The only way fans can do this though is to come out to each bout, and pay attention to the details of each jam!

For the basic rules of Roller Derby and Info on how its scored CLICK HERE

What is some of the terminology someone new to the sport should know?

Jam - the period of active play time that can last up to 2 minutes, but can also be called off early by the lead jammer.

Pack - the pack is the largest group of blockers from each team skating together. So this means it can be 1 blocker from one team, and 2 people from the other that are skating in a "pack." Or it can be 1 blocker from one team, and 4 blockers from the other team. The jammer is not included when determining the pack.

Blockers - members of each team who skate together in a pack of 8 (4 from each team) that try to assist their jammer through the pack and stop the opposing jammer from getting through the pack.

Pivot - the blocker from each team that calls out plays and strategies during a jam. She has a single-stripe on her helmet.

Jammer - the person who fights her way through the pack to score points. She has a star on her helmet.

Lead Jammer - the first jammer to fight her way through the pack legally during the initial pass through the pack. The referee following that jammer will blow a single whistle, and form an "L" shape with his/her arms pointing at the lead jammer when the jammer has made her initial pass through the pack legally. She is able to call off (stop) the jam before the 2 minutes expire, a strategic move usually to prevent the other jammer from scoring. A lead jammer is established for each jam (or not if both do not get through the pack legally). The lead jammer calls off the jam by motioning to her referee by tapping her hips over and over until the referee blows his whistle.

Penalties - there are two types of penalties: minor and major. These penalties include elbows, forearms, blocking with the head, low block, multi-player block, cutting the track, etc. Depending on the penalty and the situation in which it was called is if it is a minor or a major. If a minor is called, the skater can remain on the track, unless it is her 4th consecutive minor. If it is her 4th consecutive minor, it turns into a major penalty. A minor penalty does not get a whistle, but is relayed to the penalty trackers stationed inside of the track. A major penalty can be called solely during play or by receiving a 4th minor. If a major penalty is called, the skater is signaled to go to the penalty box, where she sits for a minute. A skater is only allowed 6 minutes served in the penalty box, she fouls out when it gets to 7. For more penalties and detailed descriptions of each penalty (and when it is a major and a minor penalty), please visit http://wftda.com/rules/wftda-rules.pdf on page 15.

Non-skating officials - Officials that record the stats of each game. These positions include scorekeepers, score board, penalty trackers, penalty wranglers, penalty board, jam timer, penalty box mistresses, and jam line-ups. They usually wear pink, collared WFTDA shirts or a neutral colored shirt from team colors (you will see our's in pink WFTDA shirts or in black shirts that have "NSO" on the front). We are always looking for more NSOs if anyone is interested in volunteering with a non-profit organization and learning more about the game!

Whistles - each whistle during a bout means something, here is a legend:

First long whistle - starts jam/pack moving

Two short whistles - jammers begin to skate

One long whistle during jam - major penalty, skater must exit the track to the penalty box

Two short whistles during a jam - designated lead jammer

Four whistles - signals the end of a jam

Ford Park Event Center -- 4 Days of Fun!

2011-05-10T15:19:00.002-05:00

Welcome everyone to the Ford Park Event Center blog! This is a forum where we will discuss everything that happens at Ford Park! We are THE concert and event center of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.

So, last week was a 4-day extravaganza of Ford Park events. Thursday morning the Christus LiveWell Conference commenced its fourth year with informative seminars on women's health in the upstairs conference rooms while a mini-Zumba lesson took place in the entryway. The Ford Exhibit Hall was abuzz all morning with ladies shuffling through the extremely popular LiveWell Marketplace. Ladies were free to peruse fashions displayed by local vendors, score samples of skin and hair-care products and receive free consultations.

As the morning ended, the ladies were ushered into Ford Arena, which was beautifully adorned with bright-pink draping, the theme color of the day. Then, the keynote speaker, two-time Academy Award winning actress Hillary Swank took the stage. Hillary told her story of her rise from rags to riches that was touching and inspirational.

The fun and excitement continued Friday night as Jason Aldean took the stage to rock-out Ford Pavilion. Joining him were opening acts Eric Church and The JaneDear Girls. The weather was perfect for an outdoor concert as thousands of fans flooded the Pavilion in a night many say they'll never forget. The stage set-up for the night's events was truly over-the top and Aldean performed his chart-topping duet "Don't You Wanna Stay," with Kelly Clarkson, whose pre-taped performance appeared on a 50-foot screen above the country music star.

Video of the crowd at Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party Tour 2011

On Saturday the Spindletop Rollergirls extended their winning streak to 8 games with their win against the the Hub City Derby Dames Southern Misfits inside Ford Exhibit Hall. This was the first time the Rollergirls played a team from outside of Texas or Louisiana and these Hattiesburg, Mississippi Derby Dames certainly came to play! The Rollergirls are 2 games into their season and have bouts at Ford Exhibit Hall June 4, July 16, August 6 and September 10. It's a really fun and action-packed event that not many people know about yet but is sure to catch on quickly!

To round out the weekend, Saturday and Sunday the Southeast Texas Baseball Academy hosted their Cinco-De-Mayo baseball tournament. Tickets to Ford Fields baseball and softball tournaments are always under $5 and they are a really fun, family-friendly event to get everyone outside enjoying the Southeast Texas summer!