The Woodlands Township celebrates the 40^th anniversary of The Woodlands Oct. 19 with a celebration that includes an art competition, Village Association representations and interactive timelines.

The festivities include family-friendly activities from 3–8 p.m. Activities include inflatables, food and music vendors and live music. The music theme is designed to span the 40-year period from the music that was popular when The Woodlands was being developed in the 1970s to the current hits of today.

"The bands represent the decades of music from the years The Woodlands was established to the present time," said township chairman Bruce Tough.

The Rush tribute band Subdivided, School of Rock and The Woodlands' own Will Makar will perform.

School of Rock is a hands-on learning instruction program for students in The Woodlands and will play a variety of hits from the past four decades.

Makar, who opened for John Mayer at The Pavillion last year, was an American Idol season 5 contestant.

The 40th event includes presentations from each of The Woodlands' villages, from the first, Grogan's Mill, to the last, Creekside Park.

Because Art Matters, or BAM!, will showcase entries to the student art competition, "How do you envision The Woodlands in the next 40 years?"

BAM! is including two categories in the competition: literary arts and 2-D visual arts. The literary arts category includes poetry or creative writing of 250 words or less. The visual arts category includes painting, drawing or photography. More than $7,000 in cash prizes and awards will be distributed.

The competition submission deadline is Oct. 11. Literary submissions can be sent to www.woodlandswaterwayartscouncil.org. Visual art entries can be dropped off at the Woodlands Mall, 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, between 1–3 p.m. Oct. 11.

Winners will be announced at the anniversary celebration.

The township and The Woodlands Development Company will honor the community's founder, George Mitchell, during the festivities. Oct. 19 will be declared Founder's Day, as a tribute to Mitchell and his legacy.

"Founder's Day will preserve our history and bring attention to The Woodlands, to our founder George Mitchell, and to what our town is all about," Tough said.