“Baskets Full of Fun” is the theme for a free family picnic and home tour in the newTupelo neighborhoods in The Woodlands’ Village of Creekside Park. This family-oriented event is set for Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28, and Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 10 am – 6 pm each day. Guests will have the opportunity to tour 11 furnished and decorated model homes by nine popular homebuilders includingChesmar, Gracepoint, Partners in Building, J. Patrick Homes, Plantation, Ryland, Toll Brothers, Trendmaker and Village Builders. New home prices in Tupelo range from the $240’s to $1 million.

“Free shuttles will be available to take families to tour the 11 model homes,” saidSusan Vreeland-Wendt, Director of Marketing for The Woodlands Development Company. “At each stop, our guests will receive something special for their ‘basket’, including food coupons, gifts and everything they need for a family picnic of fried chicken with all the fixings in brand-new Tupelo Park. For every basket redeemed at the park, The Woodlands Development Company will donate $5 to Interfaith of The Woodlands Food Pantry.”

In addition, those who purchase a new home in the Village of Creekside Park between March 27 and July 30, 2010 and close by September 30, 2010 will receive a free one-year family membership to the South Montgomery County YMCA. The YMCA has two branches open in The Woodlands with a third branch in the Village of Creekside Park opening in June. The new YMCA will feature both indoor and outdoor activities for all ages, including a 15-acre day camp with lodge, tee-pee village and tree houses, Alpine Tower with ropes course, outdoor theater with stage, and a family outdoor adventure. YMCA members will have privileges at all three branches in The Woodlands.

Featured Tupelo neighborhoods include Tupelo Glen, Tupelo Trail, Tupelo Green, Tupelo Woods and Tupelo Park. Ten-acre Tupelo Park features a pavilion, playgrounds, lighted tennis and basketball courts, picnic area, and terraced lake connected to 72-acre Lake Paloma, a scenic waterway that runs through the center of the village.

Those participating in the home tour will also be invited to take a self-guided tour of other neighborhoods in Creekside Park, including Timarron, Jagged Ridge, Paloma Point and Wilde Creek. Prices range from the $180’s – $900’s, and homebuilders include Beazer, Chesmar, Darling, Gracepoint, Highland, Pulte and Trendmaker.

For more information about the “Baskets Full of Fun” Family Picnic and Springtime Home Tour in Creekside Park, visiwww.thewoodlands.com or call 281-719-6333.

Kirkpatrick Glen:

14 East Loftwood
Tommy Bailey Homes
French Country style, Thermador appliance package
$999,000
Open Saturday and Sunday, March 6 – 7, 1 – 4 pm

19 East Loftwood
T.D. Cox Homes
Mediterranean style, overlooking the Player course
$1,048,000
Open Sunday, 1 – 4 pm

50 West Loftwood
Jim Beirne Custom Homes
Traditional style, $60,000 pool allowance included in price of home
$989,000
Open Sunday 1 – 4 pm

Silvermont:

23 Silvermont
Leigh Custom Homes
Mediterranean stucco style; master bedroom, guest suite, kitchen, breakfast area and dining room all have views of the Player course and the forest.
$859,700
Open Sunday, 2 – 5 pm

43 Silvermont
Leigh Custom Homes
Mediterranean style, overlooking the Player course
$878,600
Open Saturday, March 6, 1 – 4 pm

74 Silvermont
Leigh Custom Homes
Traditional style, casita connected to the detached garage
$778,000
Open Saturday, 11 am – 2 pm

For more information, visit www.TheWoodlandsCustomHomesOnline.com.

A spectacular new custom home by Croix Custom Homes will be available for move-in this summer–just in time for the next school year.  Located in thePalmiera neighborhood in Carlton Woods and situated on over a half-acre, this 5,992-square-foot Mediterranean home is currently being fitted with custom cabinetry and woodwork.  With 5 bedrooms, 5½ baths, 3-car garage, game room, media room, and summer kitchen, purchasing this home today will offer the buyer the opportunity to work with Mike Croix and customize some of the remaining finishes such as paint colors and flooring, but you have to hurry!  This home is priced at $1,495,000.

All of the remaining homesites in Carlton Woods Creekside are available for purchase, with the exception of Section 10.  This spring, buyers who dream of creating and building their own home will be able to choose from a wide array of spectacularly wooded homesites, golf course views, lake views or a combination.  Buyers will also enjoy an additional 5% discount to be accompanied with the standard P&I Incentive, and the coveted Membership Incentive to The Club at Carlton Woods.

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital Ranks as One of the Top Hospitals in the Nation

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital (top photo), Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospitaland Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital have collectively been named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 in a report issued byHealthGrades®, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

The report, which analyzes objective patient outcomes at all 5,000 of the nation’s non-federal hospitals, places Memorial Hermann in the top 1 percent of all hospitals in the nation. Memorial Hermann is the only hospital in Houston to receive this designation.

Speaking of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital, the facility recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special Community Open House and Health Fair on Sunday, February 21. More than 750 visitors attended the free event which included activities for both kids and adults. Some of the highlights included a behind the scenes tour of an operating room; tours of the cancer center and family birth center; technology demonstrations with thedaVinci surgical robot and imaging tools; and more. Also, visitors had the opportunity to check out Life Flight (bottom photo), a pediatric transport ambulance; meet the canine stars of the hospital’s pet visitation program; and complete some training drills by theAthletic Republic sports performance enhancement program.

For more information on Memorial Hermann, visit www.memorialhermann.org.

The building is scheduled to be available later this year or early in 2011, according to leasing agent Jeff Beard of The J. Beard Real Estate Company, L.P. Pre-leasing is underway. For information, call Beard at 281-367-2220.

New to the 2010 festival are free activities as well as unique art and live entertainment at Waterway Square on Saturday from 2:00 – 8:30 pm and Sunday 2 – 6 pm. One of the highlights of this new venue is sidewalk art featuring eight highly-skilled artists from the Houston area who will create masterpieces on the sidewalks at Waterway Square using pastels. Adding to the festival ambiance, this area also features face painting, beverages, food by Hubbell & Hudson, and live music and entertainment. The best of show award takes place on the Waterway Square stage Saturday at 7:30 pm, followed by a performance by Aqua Drums.

Artopoly (bottom photo), another unique feature of the festival, is a hands-on, interactive workshop that encourages children and their families to discover artists, materials and techniques. This year, Artopoly features a variety of projects for kids of all ages. Artopoly also features artist demonstrations, including a Live Equine Painting Demo by Lesley Humphrey, portrait and still life painting groups, basket weaving, ceramics and jewelry making. Adults can sit down with instructors and create their own 16” x 20” painting featuring one of The Woodlands’ sculptures, “On the Shoulders of Giants.”

A unique aspect of Artopoly is the creation of a permanent piece of art that festival-goers can participate in. This year, the piece is a sculpture that will be presented to the Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch. The ranch will bring out some of its horses to the festival.

The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is a juried fine art show featuring 200 national and regional artists in 14 mediums selling their original creations. Admission is $10 for adults. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Two-day tickets are $15. Free trolley service and $2 water taxi rides are available during the festival. Proceeds from the festival benefit local charity partners including The Pavilion Partners, The Woodlands Art League and The Woodlands Children’s Museum.

For more information about The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, visit www.woodlandsartsfestival.com.

• Over 865 families have chosen a new home in The Woodlands’ Village of Creekside Park.
• There are 216 available “spec” homes available throughout The Woodlands. For more information, visitwww.thewoodlands.com.
• The gated communities of Carlton Woods and Carlton Woods Creekside will be home to only 1.5% of the total population in The Woodlands. For more information, visit www.carltonwoods.com.

Trendmaker Homes is hosting a special Valentine’s Party at their model home in the May Valley neighborhood of Clare Point on Thursday, February 11 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. Enjoy a delicious lunch and enter for your chance to win a Weekend Getaway to a romantic Texas Bed & Breakfast.

Trendmaker’s home collection in Clare Point includes up to five bedrooms, four baths, granite countertops in kitchens, ash cabinets, hardwood or tile flooring, carpet upgrades, sprinkler systems, three-car garages and many other desirable features. Prices range from the $380’s – $550’s in Clare Point. May Valley is the new 400-acre area in the Village of Sterling Ridge. Amenities include 9-acre May Valley Park with playgrounds and a playfield, tennis and basketball courts, a nature trail with stream crossing and a pavilion. Schools are part of theMagnolia ISD, and are located conveniently nearby, along with shopping, restaurants and healthcare.

To RSVP for the Valentine’s Party, send e-mail to tori.torres@trendmakerhomes.com.

There will be beaucoup beads, and a grand prize drawing for a trip toPlaya del Carmen along with other fabulous door prizes. Enjoy a festive menu of Cajun fried turkey, crawfish quesadillas, chicken and sausage etouffee, mini muffaletta sandwiches and other Cajun inspired delicacies. Wine, beer and soft drinks and mouth-watering Bananas Foster will top off the meal.

To R.S.V.P. for this fun event, call 281-290-6007 or send e-mail to Louise dePaep, louise@jphomes.com.

It’s a great opportunity for your clients to get an extraordinary deal on Beazer’s eSMART homes designed to save energy and money, conserve water and improve indoor air quality. It all starts with a tighter home seal that prevents air leakage. Beazer then increases the savings by adding extra insulation throughout and including all the energy-saving features that come standard with every Beazer home.

You can also sign up to become a Beazer Top Agent and be automatically entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift card. You must register on or before February 21, so hurry in. You’ll be the first to receive news on special promotions, new communities and more. Then call Beazer at 1-888-623-2937 to find an eSMART home for your clients.

Pictured is one of Beazer’s model in the neighborhood of Timarron in The Woodlands Village of Creekside Park. Homes are priced from the $180’s in Timarron. For more information, call Ken Barrios at 281-516-1665.

Pictured is the Chaucer II, one of the available plans in Tupelo Trail. The two-story design features 3,163 square feet with five bedrooms including the master down, three full baths and one half bath, a two-car garage, upstairs game room, open family room, and both formals. The home is priced from $322,990.

For more information about new homes by Plantation in Tupelo Trail, call 281-351-2266 or visitwww.plantationhomes.com.

The Online Community Event Calendar currently includes events hosted by The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Market Stret, The Woodlands Development Company, The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department and the TWCVB, to name a few. Other groups are encouraged to submit their events for posting to TWCVB’s calendar. In order to be posted, events must be open to the public and held in The Woodlands.

Benchmark, a worldwide organization operating properties in major metropolitan and resort destinations, has been located in The Woodlands since the company was founded by Burt Cabañas in 1980. The company will be relocating to 17,038-square-foot offices at 4 Waterway Square in April. The new Class A, nine-story, 216,000-square-foot building overlooks The Woodlands Waterway® and is situated in the prestigious Waterway Square District. The area features upscale shops, restaurants and the Fountains at Waterway Square, a public gathering place with magnificent fountains choreographed to music.

Additional leasing is underway. For leasing information, call Dennis Conine at 281-719-6273.

The theme of this year’s conference is “It’s All About the Economy…Road to Recovery”, and featured speakers include U. S Congressman Kevin Brady; David Arkless, President of Corporate & Government Affairs,Manpower, Inc.; Alex Sutton and Tim Welbes, Co-Presidents of The Woodlands Development Company; Nelda Luce Blair, Chairman of The Woodlands Township; Don Norrell, President of The Woodlands Township; Nick Wolda, President of The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau; Robert Smith III, Senior Vice President in Charge, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; and Greg Brenneman (“Turnaround King”), Chairman of CCMP Capital. The conference concludes at 11:45 am. The luncheon will be held in The Woodlands Ballroom, and is sponsored by Wells Fargo. The luncheon speaker will be Larry Kellner, Chairman and CEO of Emerald Creek Group, LLC and Past Chairman and CEO of Continental Airlines Inc.

Early registration (by Feb. 19) is $85 for Chamber members, and $100 for potential Chamber members. For more information about The Chamber’s 24th Annual Economic Outlook Conference, sponsored by Jefferson Wells, call 281-367-5777 or visit www.woodlandschamber.org.

This weekend, these three elegant homes will be open for touring:

23 Silvermont
Leigh Custom Homes
$859,700
4 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, 3-car garage
On the Gary Player Signature golf course
Mediterranean stucco exterior
Master bedroom, guest suite, kitchen, breakfast and dining room all have
golf course views.
Open Saturday, Feb. 13 from 1 – 4 pm

74 Silvermont
Leigh Custom Homes
$778,800
4 bedrooms, 4 ½ baths, 3-car garage
Traditional style stucco and stone exterior
Near the Player course, casita connected to detached garage
Open Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 13 & 14, 1 – 4 pm

31 E. Black Knight
Keith Morgan Custom Homes
$997,000
5 bedrooms, 5 ½ baths, 3-car garage
Traditional style stucco and stone exterior, generous pool allowance
Near the Player course
Open Sunday, February 14, 1 – 4 pm

• Great news! Prospect traffic to The Woodlands Homefinder Center for the month of January is up by 17% over last year, and up 48% to the builder’s sales offices. Net sales are up 100% from 35 in January, 2009 to 70 in January, 2010!
• The South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber’s Information Centers, located at The Woodlands Mall andMarket Street, served over 80,000 people in 2009. For information about how The Chamber can help promote your business, call 281-367-5777.
• The Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course at The Club at Carlton Woods, located in the gated community ofCarlton Woods in The Woodlands, has retained its designation of “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary”through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for golf courses.