Little Elm's holiday parade, its barbecue festival and the banners marking the town's 60th anniversary have picked up honors from three professional groups over the past year, and the Town Council plans to recognize the staff behind them Tuesday.
The awards went to the town's Tourism & Communications Department, whose director is Drew Bailey, according to the agenda for the Nov. 17 council meeting:
- International Festivals & Events Association: gold for best Facebook site, for Brew & Que; gold for best street banner, for the Little Elm 60th anniversary; silver for best printed materials, for the 2026 annual events guide; and silver for best parade, for A Merry Little Elm Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting.
- City-County Communications & Marketing Association: an Award of Excellence for best single post in the category for communities of 40,000 to 100,000 people.
- Destination Texas: first place for leisure tourism promotion among budgets under $500,000.
The staff report says the awards recognize the department's marketing, event promotion and community engagement work. The recognition is for information only and carries no cost.
