Mike Jackson and seven volunteers spent 12 hours at the Texas State Forest Festival in Lufkin on September 20, talking to East Texans about independence. By the time they finished, 44 people had signed up to support the cause.
The team set up information tables near the festival entrance, catching visitors as they arrived for the weekend celebration of East Texas timber heritage. Jackson, who coordinates independence organizing in Angelina County, led the effort alongside volunteers who handed out literature, explained the referendum process, and answered questions about what independence would mean for federal programs and trade relationships.
Some conversations were quick – five-minute explanations of how a statewide vote would work. Others went deeper, covering currency questions, border security, and economic policy. The volunteers exposed the TNM to approximately 5,000 festival-goers throughout the day and engaged with around 200 registered voters in political discussions.
The Texas State Forest Festival draws families from across the Piney Woods region every September, celebrating the timber industry that built Lufkin into the economic center of East Texas. Angelina County sits in the heart of timber country, where sawmills and lumber companies have shaped local politics and culture for over a century. The county seat of Lufkin was founded as a railroad stop in 1882 and quickly became the hub of the East Texas lumber trade.
Jackson noted that attendance was down compared to last year, estimating that about half the crowd from 2024 was present. Despite the smaller turnout, the volunteers maintained their presence throughout the 12-hour event, engaging festival-goers about the path to independence through a statewide referendum.
The festival provided a natural setting for political conversations, as East Texans gathered to celebrate their regional identity and economic heritage. Angelina County has a history of independent political thinking – it was once the seat of power for Charlie Wilson, known as the “Liberal from Lufkin,” and the region has long valued local control over outside interference.
The eight volunteers (including Jackson) put in 52 total hours at the festival, documenting their outreach with photos of the information tables and crowd engagement. Their work represents the kind of grassroots organizing happening across Texas as the independence movement builds county-by-county infrastructure.
For Jackson and his team, the festival was another step in Angelina County’s ongoing independence organizing. The county has established regular outreach at local events, building relationships with East Texans who want more control over their political and economic future.
Texans interested in supporting independence can find events statewide at tnm.me/events. Those in Angelina County can connect with local organizing efforts at local.tnm.me.
