Nocona is busy getting ready for its largest festival of the year, Mardi Gras Nocona Style with activities Feb. 11-18.
This Nocona Chamber of Commerce puts its own unique spin on the Mardi Gras theme with a parade or events planned each day of festival week, climaxing with the “Big Parade” on Feb. 18.
The festival opens Feb. 11 with the Mardi Gras Ball, which is already sold out.
On Feb. 12 the parade week begins with the popular Krewe de Barkus pet parade. Registration is at 1:30 p.m. with the parade at 2 p.m. at Mary Beckham Davis Park in downtown. There is no entry fee, but donations are accepted and will go to the Nocona Lucky Paws Shelter.

Read the full slate of events for the week in your weekend Bowie News.

Live music, food and fun will be offered at a fundraiser benefitting the Friends of the Bowie Animal Shelter at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 at The Hall, 1401 Jakes Road, Bowie.
Monty Dawson, Bowie’s own country music entertainer, will provide live music. Guests can enjoy pizza, salad and dessert for a meal all for $10.
Other activities will include silent auction and a fun photo booth where you and your friends can strike a pose.
The Friends are working to raises funds for a new storage building to replace the present one that is more than 18 years old and beginning to rust out.
These volunteers are very active in caring for the animals, supporting medical care and helping maintain the shelter.
Anyone who would like to donate an item or a basket to the silent auction can message the Friends’ Facebook page.

Internationally-known artist Donna Howell-Sickles of Saint Jo will be the featured speaker at the new monthly lecture series, “Cowgirl Connection,” at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
Howell-Sickles is a 2007 cowgirl honoree to the Hall of Fame. The program will be from 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Cowgirl for wine and light bites, complimentary parking, shopping and more. The museum is located at 1720 Gendy Street in Fort Worth.
This is a free event, however, space is limited and advanced reservations are required. RSVP to Jennifer Legrand at JLEGRAND@cowgirl.net.
This popular artist has deep roots in Saint Jo, and she and husband John, renovated two historic buildings on the town square for their Davis & Blevins Gallery. Howell-Sickles’ studio is located upstairs where she creates unique western art that features beautiful cowgirls with their horses or dogs. They have become iconic as they usually have a strong red lipstick. Her original inspiration for the ladies came from a 1935 cowgirl on a rodeo post card. In her pieces, the cowgirl achieves the status of a heroine, and her images have brought her national attention and success. Her work is rich with symbolism and allusions to classical mythology, but the viewer does not need to be familiar with those in order to appreciate the female affirmations of each piece.

Photo caption – Donna Howell-Sickels welcomes guests to an art exhibit at Davis & Blevins. (Bowie News photo)