The City of Lucas's fall calendar includes an outdoor screening of The Lorax in October and ends with a tree lighting at Lucas Community Park in December. Along the way come free saplings handed out by a local 4-H club, a holiday Angel Tree and an award that marks good neighbors by planting a tree in their honor. The October 2026 issue of the Lucas Leader newsletter lists each of these as a separate event, but in order they tell one story about trees, and most of it happens on Country Club Road.
A Dry Summer, Then a Movie About Trees
The story starts with the mayor's message in the October newsletter. Mayor Dusty Kuykendall wrote that after "a particularly dry North Texas summer," residents should keep following the City's watering schedule, check irrigation systems for leaks or runoff and watch how much water they use.
The same issue announces a movie with a conservation message for the big outdoor screen. Movie in the Park runs Friday, October 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lucas Community Park, 665 Country Club Road. This year's film is The Lorax, which the City describes as a family adventure "with an important message about caring for our world." Admission is free. The City will serve free hot dogs, popcorn and lemonade while supplies last, and it suggests bringing lawn chairs, blankets and pillows.
It's a fitting choice for a town that has just been asked to go easy on water. The rest of the season moves from watching a film about caring for the world to planting real trees.
The Season, Date by Date
Here is what remains on the calendar as of October 7, 2026. Most of these events take place at the City Hall and Community Park campus at 665 Country Club Road or at the fire station down the road at 165 Country Club Road.
| Date | Event | Where | The tree connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 10, 8 a.m.–noon | Lucas Farmers Market, Pumpkin Painting | Lucas Community Park | Legacy 4-H supplies the pumpkins |
| Sat., Oct. 10, 3–6 p.m. | Owl-O-Ween | Brockdale Park | Nature walks on the prairie |
| Fri., Oct. 16, 7 p.m. | Movie in the Park, The Lorax | Lucas Community Park | The film itself |
| Sat., Oct. 17, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Lucas Fire-Rescue Open House | Lucas Fire Station, 165 Country Club Rd. | None, but it's on the same road |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 8 a.m.–noon | Final Farmers Market, Trick-or-Treat | Lucas Community Park | Last market of the season |
| Nov. 2–Dec. 4 | Holiday Donation Drive | City of Lucas | The Angel Tree returns |
| Sat., Nov. 7, 9 a.m.–noon | Arbor Day & Recycling Event | City Hall, 665 Country Club Rd. | Legacy 4-H hands out free saplings |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 6–9 p.m. | Country Christmas | Lucas Community Park | The annual tree lighting |
| Fri., Dec. 25 | Service Tree nominations close | Online | A living tree planted at Community Park |
The Same 4-H Club Shows Up Twice
The Legacy 4-H Club appears twice in the City's fall calendar, and the two visits mark the season's changeover.
The first is on October 10 at the Lucas Farmers Market. The club will provide pumpkins for young artists to paint and decorate, first come, first served, so the City recommends arriving early. Two weeks later, on October 24, the market closes its 2026 season with a market-wide Trick-or-Treat. Kids and pets are invited to come in costume and collect treats from vendors.
The second visit is on November 7, when the club hands out complimentary tree saplings at the Arbor Day & Recycling Event, while supplies last. The event runs 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall and is set up as a drive-through. Recycling and document-shredding trucks take eligible materials as residents drive through the collection area, and the 4-H members hand out saplings as cars leave.
So in one fall, the same club fills October with pumpkins and November with seedlings. After a summer the mayor called particularly dry, residents can drop off their recycling and leave with a young tree.
Saturday, October 10 Has a Morning and an Afternoon
The busiest single day on the calendar is this Saturday. The Farmers Market and pumpkin painting run from 8 a.m. to noon at Lucas Community Park. At 3 p.m., the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center starts its Owl-O-Ween celebration, which runs until 6 p.m.
The Raptor Center describes its mission as supporting raptor populations through rehabilitation, conservation and education. It is based in Lucas and runs a full-service raptor rehabilitation hospital. Its Owl-O-Ween event page lists the address as Brockdale Park, 1625 Brockdale Park Road, which carries an Allen 75002 mailing address but is identified as Lucas. Visitors register through that page.
The City's newsletter describes the evening this way:
- Trick-or-treating, Halloween games, face painting and music
- Nature walks and close encounters with live birds of prey
- A magician, bubble dancing and a 6-foot dinosaur
- A Story Paws therapy dog, fire trucks and a food truck
- A Quiet Area with sensory-friendly activities, run with Sensory Days Dallas
- A drawing for a private behind-the-scenes tour of the center
The 2026 ticket prices were not published in the material we reviewed, so check the registration page for current admission.
The following Saturday, October 17, Lucas Fire-Rescue holds its Annual Open House at the Lucas Fire Station, 165 Country Club Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is tied to National Fire Prevention Month and includes safety education, interactive demonstrations and a look behind the scenes at the department.
The Trees That Carry Names
Saplings handed out at City Hall go home to private yards. Some trees at Lucas Community Park have a more formal purpose.
The City's Service Tree Award Program started in 2015. It recognizes people or groups who have given significant service to Lucas, and each recipient gets a living tree planted and dedicated at Lucas Community Park. Nominations for the current cycle are open, and the City Council reviews them. Honorees will be recognized at Founders Day 2027.
The October newsletter states the main criterion plainly:
"Their service or actions should benefit the City of Lucas or its residents in a significant way."
The field of eligible nominees is wide. It includes individuals, youth, church groups, civic or neighborhood organizations, youth organizations such as Scout troops or 4-H clubs, local businesses and charities. Individual nominees must live in Lucas or have lived within city limits when the service took place. Businesses and churches must be located in Lucas. Nominations go through the online application linked from the City's Service Tree Program page and are due by the end of the business day on Friday, December 25, 2026.
Because 4-H clubs are on the eligible list, the Legacy 4-H members handing out saplings in November could one day be honored with a tree of their own.
The recognition happens months after the deadline. The City describes Founders Day as a free, family-friendly country fair that celebrates Lucas's history and small-town character, held every spring. The 2026 Founders Day was April 11. That means a nomination sent in late December leads to a tree dedication when the next growing season begins.
December 4 Ends With a Lit Tree
The season's last tree is the one Mayor Kuykendall will light at Country Christmas on Friday, December 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lucas Community Park. The City calls the evening "one of our favorite Lucas traditions." Along with the tree lighting, the program includes visits with Santa, live entertainment, children's activities and holiday treats. Kodiak Fire Protection is the 2026 presenting sponsor. The City says it will post more details, including parking and shuttle information, on its website and Facebook page before the event.
There is a second tree this season as well. The City's Holiday Donation Drive runs from November 2 through December 4 and ends the same night as the lighting. This year's partners are Toys for Tots, All Community Outreach, Family Promise of Collin County and the Collin County Animal Shelter. The drive collects toys, food, household essentials, gifts for seniors and pet food, and the newsletter announces "the return of the Angel Tree." Drop-off details will appear in the November Lucas Leader.
The Service Tree nomination window stays open three weeks after the lights come on and closes on Christmas Day.
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