International performers to descend on Marshall in fall for country music festival

Published 11:00 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2025

The Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards Festival brings talent from around the world to Marshall. This year’s festival in October will bring artists from 15 nations to perform and compete at Memorial City Hall Performance Center.

The festival, hosted by East Texas Performing Arts, is in its 12th year and its fourth in Marshall after moving from Jefferson.

After finding a country band from Australia for the inaugural festival, the event has grown in its international reputation, said ETPA Vice President Preston Taylor

“Our fame around the world is really impressive. I’m proud we’ve had 43 nations participating (over the years),” he said.

Musicians will be greeted during the festival’s welcoming night Oct.1 around the historic Harrison County Courthouse with a parade of flags representing nations that have participated. The competition is set Oct. 2-4, with an awards ceremony set Oct. 5.

“The awards are based on the 20 minutes that they spend on our stage, and so they’re doing their very best,” Taylor said.

The festival is a fundraising event for ETPA, which is a nonprofit organization. Funds help the organization bring classes, productions and scholarships to students in East Texas.

“We aim for artistic and creative excellence while providing a safe and nurturing environment for our artists to grow, take risks, thrive, and learn to collaboratively work as an ensemble,” said ETPA President Sara Whitaker.

As contestants explore Marshall during the festival, ETPA will bring them to local schools for students to learn about the musicians and their careers.

Event organizers added that what makes the festival unlike any other is the relationships the musicians form with one another.

“We become like a family,” Whitaker said. “And even though it’s a competition, and people want to do their best and to win, there’s a lot of mutual support and respect. That’s why they keep coming back.”

One of Taylor’s favorite memories is when musicians from Mexico, Spain and Africa continued their communication after the festival and produced music together.

“They ended up going home, recording tracks and sending them back and forth and publishing a song with all of them together,” Taylor said.

All of this, Taylor and Whitaker say, wouldn’t be possible if not for the city’s support.

“We appreciate that people see the event, the value of it, and they’re like, yeah, we’re on board with you. Let’s expand it even further. And so we’re very grateful for that,” Whitaker said.

At the end of their stay, performers who win are awarded plaques but even those who don’t receive a certification of appreciation as a memento to their time in Marshall.

“So everyone goes home with a little bit of Texas, a little bit of America,” Whittaker said.

Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 2-4 at Memorial City Hall Performance Center, 110 E. Houston St.

Tickets can be purchased at opnseo.com/2025.