The Woodlands celebrates 40th anniversary with residents, fireworks

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Approximately 5,000 residents gathered at Northshore Park on Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Woodlands, exactly 40 years to the day that it was founded by George Mitchell in 1974. Hosted by The Woodlands Township and The Woodlands Development Company, the event featured a showcase of The Woodlands’ 40-year history with interactive timelines, stories from Village Association representatives, live music, fireworks and activities for the whole family.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation sponsored a student art competition with over $7,000 in cash prizes to students who created visually or wrote about how they envisioned the future of The Woodlands. The competition was coordinated by Because Art Matters in conjunction with The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council. More than 170 entrees were received.

The student art competition had two categories: Literary Arts for essays, creative writing or poetry of 250 words or less, and 2-D Visual Arts for painting, drawing or photography. The first- place winners are: Ashtin Sweep, Spencer Johnson, Martha Ortiz, Riley Bunch and Zakary Villareal; second-place winners are: Onice Ewherido, Chloe Pascual, Allison Durkin, Brooke McMullan and Abby Turco; third-place winners are: Mark Mahlmann, Chris Vlaha, Amanda Lattimer, Mallory Suess, and Inez R. Alvarez Ward.

Following a proclamation read by Township Chairman Bruce Tough declaring October 19th forever as Founder’s Day, hometown success story Will Makar performed on the stage, much to the delight of the crowd. At dusk, The Woodlands Development Company Marketing Manager Lorrie Parise led the crowd in singing, “Happy Birthday” to The Woodlands, followed by a 12-minute fireworks display over Lake Woodlands.

The event also featured free food and musical performances by Subdivided and School of Rock.

“As we celebrate The Woodlands’ 40th birthday, we are truly grateful for this beautiful community and George Mitchell’s vision and tenacity in creating it,” Mr. Tough said. “By establishing Founder’s Day, we hope Mr. Mitchell’s vision will forever live with The Woodlands.”

“From its inception in 1974, The Woodlands was built as a ‘new town,’ using successful models of the nation’s then few large, master planned communities as a foundation. The Woodlands went beyond the live-work-play-learn fundamentals to add environmental preservation and social consciousness to the mix as evidenced by the forests that line major thoroughfares shielding homes and businesses. Throughout its 40-year history, The Woodlands remains a leader among master planned communities,” said Alex Sutton, Co-President, The Woodlands Development Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Howard Hughes Corporation®.

“The late George Mitchell, who founded The Woodlands, was always a visionary and formed the concept of ‘Developing in Harmony with Nature.’ Today, The Woodlands remains one of the best-selling, master-planned communities in Texas and in the nation. The Woodlands has achieved its goal of creating a hometown for residents. It has realized these successes by staying true to its original vision of environmental preservation, the creation of jobs and recreation, and people-centered development,” said Tim Welbes, Co-President, The Woodlands Development Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Howard Hughes Corporation®.

“The Woodlands started with a unique and inspired vision that manifests itself in an exceptional community for families and businesses alike,” said Bobby Reeves, EVP, General Counsel and CAO for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, “In sponsoring The Woodlands Township’s 40-year celebration school competition, we hope the next generation rises to the challenge in imagining their own unique and inspired vision of what our community could be in the year 2054.”

For more information on The Woodlands 40th Anniversary Celebration, please call 281-210- 3800, or visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/40.