PawHei Say standing in front of a computer screen showing the 50th ETPF logo.
August 17, 2026 - Congratulations to PawHei Say, a Senior at Center High School, for designing the 50th anniversary logo for the East Texas Poultry Festival. Say is a graphic design student of Mr. Ramirez who guided the students to research font styles and more from 1977 to help with designing the logo.
PawHei Say said when creating her design she took 'fall' as her inspiration for the colors in the logo.
Deborah Chadwick, President of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, made a special presentation to Say of a goody bag that included a check, a festival T-shirt, and button featuring her artwork.
Poultry Festival History: Below is a June 23, 1977 news article announcing the festival in The Alto Herald, Alto, Texas.
Center Schedules Poultry Festival
Center, Texas - The first annual East Texas Poultry Festival, all day gospel singing talent contest and all night gospel singing will be held in Center on Saturday, July 23 [1977].
Although there will be lots of delicious East Texas barbecued and fried chicken to eat, this first annual event will consist mostly of entertainment! The all day gospel singing talent contest on the Center courthouse square will have a $300 cash prize and a recording session in Nashville, Tenn. awarded to the winner. There will be five other cash prizes.
In addition to the all day activities on the square, the East Texas Poultry Festival will include an all night singing in the new Roughrider Football Stadium, featuring the Singing Christians, Governor Jimmy Davis and the Jimmy Davis Singers, James Blackwood and the Blackwood Brothers, Wendy Bagwell and the Sunlighters. Eddie Crook Singers, and the Glad Tidings Trio, Larry Warren of the Battle of Songs fame will be the master of ceremonies.
There is a possibility that the Four Mints a group that started their singing career in East Texas and later performed throughout the United States, and who have been retired from the entertainment business for many years, may regroup for this event.
At this date, already some thirty entries have been received for the talent contest. These will include quartets, trios, duets and soloists entered from throughout the Southwest and Southeast competing for a total of $1000 in prize money.
"Come enjoy a great day in Center. Bring your lawn chairs for the all night singing if you desire. Breakfast will be served all night in the football stadium and the best chicken you've ever eaten will be served all day in downtown Center," said Jack Bell, chairman of the East Texas Poultry Festival.
