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Good morning, The Woodlands.
This one felt close to home. A hospital this community has counted on for more than 20 years, stepping into a new name. A holiday tradition on The Waterway that just got a committed partner to keep it free. And a granola we picked up at the farmers market on a Saturday morning that we're still thinking about. Good things tend to stick around here.
Glad you’re here,
—Erika & Mike
🗳 In this issue…
📌 St. Luke's Hospital in The Woodlands Is Now CommonSpirit
📌 Entergy Texas Is Now Presenting Sponsor of Holiday on The Waterway
📌 The Granola With Six Ingredients You Can Actually Pronounce

Friday, October 9, 2026
☀️ Sunny · 93°F / 67°F
No rain, but 93 in October is no joke. If you're heading out for events today, go early and bring water.
Source: Vaisala Xweather

St. Luke's Hospital in The Woodlands Is Now CommonSpirit

Photography by Rod Prado, HelloWoodlands.com
After more than 20 years serving North Harris and Montgomery County, the team at what was St. Luke's Hospital gathered recently to mark an official milestone: the formal unveiling of the CommonSpirit name and signage. Hospital President Jim Parisi blessed the new signs and called the moment more than a rebrand, describing it as a renewed commitment to the community. "We are excited to embrace the CommonSpirit identity while continuing to provide the same compassionate, high-quality care our patients have long trusted," he said.
The transition connects the local campus to CommonSpirit Health, one of the country's largest faith-based nonprofit health systems, formed in 2019 through the merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. The name itself comes from a scriptural source: "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." Patients keep the same care teams, insurance coverage, and in-network status they have always had.
Running alongside the rebrand, the hospital is deepening its partnership with Baylor College of Medicine to bring more specialists and advanced treatments to The Woodlands area. The campus already holds clinical affiliations with the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and Texas Children's Hospital.
Why it matters: a hospital this community has relied on for two decades is now part of a national faith-based network, and that connection is already opening the door to more care options locally.
Source/Credits: Hello Woodlands
Entergy Texas Is Now Presenting Sponsor of Holiday on The Waterway

The Woodlands Township has named Entergy Texas the presenting sponsor of Holiday on The Waterway, beginning with the 2026-2027 season. The annual lights celebration will carry the name Holiday on The Waterway – Powered by Entergy.
The event runs nightly from the Saturday before Thanksgiving through the first weekend of January. More than one million holiday lights line the Waterway corridor, with complimentary Township trolley service running throughout the district. The experience is free to attend.
Last season, the primary event corridor recorded more than 209,000 pathway trips, nearly 74% growth over the prior year. Trolley rides reached nearly 39,000 for the season.
As presenting sponsor, Entergy Texas will also support the Township's annual Lighting of the Doves celebration. Event schedules and seasonal programming will be announced as the holidays approach.
"Entergy Texas continues to demonstrate what it means to be a great community partner," said Township Chairman Brad Bailey. "We are grateful for Entergy Texas' investment in The Woodlands and are excited to have them help us take this community tradition to the next level."
Why it matters: Holiday on The Waterway is free, beloved, and growing fast. Having Entergy as presenting sponsor keeps it that way.
Source/Credits: The Woodlands Township

The Granola With Six Ingredients You Can Actually Pronounce

At a Saturday morning farmers market at Grogan's Mill Village Center, Erika and Mike picked up a box of granola that did not last long at home. The product is from Whole Fort Inc., a Katy-based company founded by Andreas Willfort. Its granola comes in two flavors and contains six ingredients, every one of them something a shopper can actually read and recognize. The quinoa is sourced directly from Peru, where it is processed and packaged before traveling to the United States.
The Tomball connection comes through a partnership with Zach Snacks, a local company that brings complementary ingredients to Whole Fort's signature puffed quinoa. Every batch is handmade in commercial kitchens in Tomball and hand-packed, which Willfort says addresses a frustration that health-conscious shoppers know well: the boxes are actually full. Maple syrup is the sweetener, dehydrated at low temperatures to preserve both flavor and nutritional value.
Available at local farmers markets, on Amazon, and at wholefort.com, the granola has built its reputation through repeat customers who find the product and keep coming back. The two questions Willfort hears most: why does the box empty so fast? And: is the ingredient list really only six? The answer to both is the point.
Why it matters: a clean-label food company that proves "honest" and "delicious" don't have to be a trade-off.

Friday, October 9
🗓️ Hayley Williams with Rico Nasty, Magdalena Bay | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr | 7:00 PM | Tickets vary | woodlandscenter.org
🗓️ Precinct 3 Town Hall Meeting | 2250 Buckthorne Place, The Woodlands | 6:00-7:00 PM | Free | mctx.org
Saturday, October 10
🗓️ Memorial Hermann 10 for Texas (10-mile race, 5K, Kids Fun Run) | Northshore Park, 2505 Lake Woodlands Dr | 7:00 AM | $35-$70 | thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
🗓️ Breaking Benjamin with Chevelle, Starset | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | Tickets vary | woodlandscenter.org
🗓️ Sarah Kelly Music School Free Fall Concert | Market Street, 9595 Six Pines Dr | 6:30 PM | Free | shopatmarketstreet.com
🗓️ Outdoor Movie: Scream (1996) | Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Dr | 8:30-10:00 PM | $5 | visitthewoodlands.com
Sunday, October 11
🗓️ Keith Urban | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | 7:00 PM | Tickets vary | woodlandscenter.org
Note: Dates and times are as announced online. Organizers may make changes. Always confirm before heading out.
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🌳 Woodlands Trivia
The Woodlands was master-planned to maintain a tree canopy density of 70 percent, more than double the 30 to 40 percent typical of most suburban developments. George Mitchell's original design required builders to work around existing trees rather than clear lots, a rule that still shapes how the community looks today.
🤠 Talkin' Texan
"We're not on borrowing terms." Translation: we're not nearly close enough for that kind of favor.
🚿 Shower Thought
"It goes without saying" is always immediately followed by someone saying it.
😂 Dad Joke
Why can't you give Elsa a balloon? Because she'll let it go.
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