ROCKPORT, Texas — Winter Texans come from colder states to the Coastal Bend for the sunshine and a slower pace of life. From fishing and shopping to eating local, many seasonal visitors say Rockport feels like a home away from home—and local businesses say their presence makes a real difference.
It’s a shopping day in Rockport with Winter Texans Holly Robinson, Lynn Wheat, and Debbie Knippen as they browsed local shops.
“Oh cuz we’re northerners, we wear all those whenever, whenever when we’re up there,” Lynn Wheat said.
Lynn is from Wisconsin, and Debbie Knippen is from Minnesota. They come to Texas during their winter with their husbands. Together, they’ll call Rockport home until April.
“It’s kind of an artist town so when we came we loved it,” Wheat recalls when she first heard about Rockport.
“We love to go birding, spend a lot of time in the water, kayaking,” Knippen said.
Supporting small businesses and local restaurants is a big part of their routine—especially for Holly Robinson, who loved Rockport so much she decided to move here permanently last October.
And they’re not the only Winter Texans making their way into town. Businesses like Hideout 35 say Winter Texans aren’t just bringing energy to the area—they’re helping keep doors open during the winter months.
"You would see quite a significant decrease in business usually when school starts back up September, October.
But our sales have actually increased this winter, so they're really supporting us." said General Manager of Hideout 35 Holly Standiford.
Support she says she’s grateful for.
“They are really, really valuable part of the community…,” Standiford added.
It’s one of the reasons many Winter Texans keep coming back year after year—a feeling Robinson said never gets old.
“It’s like Christmas, oh so and so is back and you know and everybody gets excited and it’s real fun,” Robinson said.
For Winter Texans looking to connect with the community, a Winter Texan Appreciation Event will be held in Fulton on January 15th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fulton Convention Center, located at 402 N. Fulton Beach Road.
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