Smoother parking at the Lakehills Community Center!

It should be easier going in Lakehills, at least for those headed to the Community Center, as the Medina Lake Betterment Association announced recent repairs and renovations to the parking lot at the Lakehills Community Center. This is thanks to the generous support of the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, a fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, which granted $60,000 for the work.

The project began January 15, 2026 and was completed in two weeks. LHCC leaders said they chose to do the repairs then because it is historically a slower time for the center.

Lakehills Community Center, established in 1969, serves the rural community of Lakehills and the surrounding area. It features a 6,416 square foot facility with full kitchen, plus more than four acres of outdoor space, with two pavilions and a gazebo. 

Overseen by an elected 15-member board of directors, the all-volunteer organization offers a diverse range of programs for people of varying ages.

Seniors may benefit from exercise classes, card games, crafts and quilting, as well as a popular monthly Senior Lunch, which treats an average of 100 attendees to a delicious home-cooked meal at no cost.

Monthly youth activities include 4-H, cooking, dancing, and art classes, as well as the recently added Family Activity Night and Community Field Day. 

Community events encompass themed dances, dinners, pickleball, seminars and political forums.

LHCC also collaborates with the Hill Country Samaritans for the Back to School Bash, Community Thanksgiving Dinner and Walk Through Bethlehem. It partners with Silver Sage Hill Country Resource Center and the San Antonio Food Bank to provide monthly food distributions, participates in the Adopt-a-Highway program sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation, and serves as a voting site for Bandera County.

LHCC is supported through fundraising, donations and grants. An Endowment Fund was established in 2024, and small fundraisers are held throughout the year, but the Center primarily relies on the income raised by the annual Medina Lake Cajun Festival. This popular celebration pulls people from all areas, and the 45th Annual Cajun Festival is scheduled for September 26, 2026.

The center is constantly busy, and the repairs were much needed. LHCC Board President Barbara Engel explained, “The Lakehills Community Center has been wanting to repave our parking area for many years. Our Center is being used more and more, and the disrepair, loose gravel and other hazards were of great concern to us, particularly as we have many senior citizens and individuals with disabilities who use our facility. While we have been successful in raising funds to operate our center, we were just unable to raise enough funds to do the needed work for this large project.”

“This renovated lot will make our community center so much more functional and safer for our visitors. We are grateful to the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation and the San Antonio Area Foundation for this generous grant which will enable us to better serve our local citizens.”

She added that she and all board members are grateful for the support of the community and outlying areas, and that they are looking forward to another exciting year. “We hope to see you all at the Cajun Festival in Lakehills in September,” Engel concluded. “Come dance your tail off!”

A ribbon cutting for the new improvements will be held at 5:45 pm on Thursday, March 12, prior to the LHCC Annual Membership Drive and Dinner, which begins at 6:00 pm, in conjunction with the Bandera County Chamber of Commerce. Andrea Figueroa, from the San Antonio Area Foundation, will attend the event.