April / May 2026
From cover to cover, TYLER TODAY has so much for you to discover! Read the best of Tyler SIX times per year. Each issue is filled with the BEST of TYLER! Enjoy articles that inspire, inform, and entertain. TYLER TODAY brings you the best of Tyler … today, tomorrow, and always!
The APRIL/MAY 2026 issue is filled with TYLER … featuring CALDWELL ZOO, LEGAL, MOTHER’S DAY, SUMMER PLANNER, TYLER GO RED FOR WOMEN … plus Arts, Business, Dining, Education, Health, Home, Local, Shopping, and so much more!
Enjoy TYLER through the pages of TYLER TODAY, Tyler’s oldest and only city magazine since 1989. Get your copy today!
10 From the Editor>READ MORE
22 Women’s Fund of Smith County 2026 Grant Awards Celebration by Cause Creative>READ MORE
28 United Way of Smith County Leadership Dinner honoring Rocky Gill by Bowen Hardy and Avery Teeter>READ MORE
30 Empty Bowls benefiting the East Texas Food Bank by Cause Creative>READ MORE
32 SUMMER PLANNER>READ MORE
34 COVER STORY: A Mission to Do More at the Caldwell Zoo by Paul Swen>READ MORE
42 27th Annual Summer Planner>READ MORE
50 Smartphone Smarts for Summer and Beyond: Helping Young People Rediscover Curiosity, Connection, and Real-world Fun by Christi Khalaf>READ MORE
52 MOTHER’S DAY>READ MORE
54 A Mother’s Miracle: Kara Story’s Journey from Near Death to New Life by Rebecca Sanders>READ MORE
62 Mother: Q & A to Treasure by Jennifer Moore Gaston>READ MORE
64 SHOPPING>READ MORE
66 Mother’s Day Shopping Guide>READ MORE
74 Graduation Shopping Guide>READ MORE
78 EDUCATION>READ MORE
80 Next is Now: Tyler ISD Reimagines the Future of Middle School by Jennifer Hines>READ MORE
82 Authors Among Us: HOPE Roars by Suzy Shepherd>READ MORE
84 Preparing to Lead: Tyler Students Discover Their Role in Shaping the City’s Future by Megan Riaz>READ MORE
86 A Little Progress by Dr. M. Ray Perryman>READ MORE
88 TJC: 100 Years of Impact Across East Texas by Jeff Johnson>READ MORE
90 Enriching Arts Education: UT Tyler Partners with the East Texas Youth Orchestra by Hannah Buchanan>READ MORE
92 LEGAL>READ MORE
95 47th Annual Regional Mock Trial by Beth Filla>READ MORE
98 Attorney-Client and AI Relationships by Beth Filla>READ MORE
100 The East Texas Crisis Center presents the Chairman’s Circle by Noah Morris>READ MORE
102 12th Annual Legal Guide>READ MORE
104 BUSINESS>READ MORE
106 TEDC Spotlight: Downtown’s Ripple Effect Across Tyler by Scott Martinez>READ MORE
108 31st Annual Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Accelerate Business Expo 2026>READ MORE
110 1,072 New Texans Every Day by Dr. M. Ray Perryman>READ MORE
112 Family & Finance: Building Financial Harmony at Home by Jose A. Feliciano>READ MORE
116 Regional Economic Impact of Healthcare Services in East Texas by Manuel Reyes-Loya, D.E.D. and Cecilia Cuellar, Ph.D.>READ MORE
118 HEALTH>READ MORE
120 Mahjong for Memory benefiting the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County by Bowen Hardy>READ MORE
122 The Hospice of East Texas Annual Meeting & Appreciation Dinner by Bowen Hardy>READ MORE
124 American Heart Association: Tyler Go Red for Women – Special Section sponsored by BMW of Tyler>READ MORE
138 Dr. Luke, the Beloved Physician Awards Ceremony & Dinner benefiting Bethesda Health Clinic by Francie Batten Hodges>READ MORE
140 From “Ice Picks” to Independence: How Patty Regained Her Stride by Jimmy Epperson>READ MORE
142 You Have Skin in this Game: Skin Cancer Awareness by Lisa R. Lowry, MD>READ MORE
144 Bringing World-class Dementia Care to East Texas: UT Tyler and UT Health East Texas Open East Texas’ First Clinic for Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias by Elizabeth Wingfield>READ MORE
146 LOCAL>READ MORE
148 Smith County Master Gardeners 2026 Home Garden Tour: Growing Beauty, Knowledge, and Community in East Texas by Lynn McGinnis>READ MORE
152 67th Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail ribbon Cutting Ceremony by Francie Batten Hodges>READ MORE
154 HOME>READ MORE
156 Building Dreams: The New Standard of Luxury Living Starts Outside by Eddie Clark>READ MORE
158 Housing by Dr. M. Ray Perryman>READ MORE
164 Home Style: Casablanca Amongst the Pines of East Texas by Kate Romano>READ MORE
176 ARTS>READ MORE
177 Arts in Education Awards presented by Young Audiences of Northeast Texas by Francie Batten Hodges>READ MORE
178 Thinking Outside of the Box by Caleb Bell>READ MORE
180 Songs in Bloom: Songwriters … Cultivating Songs from the Roots Up by Stephanie Graham-Stacey>READ MORE
184 Dining Guide>READ MORE