sunsets Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I seriously doubt it. Woodland Heights isn't "dry". And while we do hire police for traffic control, I've never seen them enforcing any open container laws. It's kind of like the Art Car parade - plenty of open containers there and no one seems to care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmariar Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I hope people are discreet with their alcohol. There will be police officers there, and walking around with an open container of alcohol is just as illegal in the wet parts of the Heights as the dry.Plus, if this event starts getting billed or treated as an open-containers-free-for-all, not only will it lose its family-friendliness (which would be sad), but there will be pressure put on the city to crack down on alcohol consumption, and nobody will be allowed to drink outside the private parties, even discreetly (which would be very sad). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanith27 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I hope people are discreet with their alcohol. There will be police officers there, and walking around with an open container of alcohol is just as illegal in the wet parts of the Heights as the dry.Plus, if this event starts getting billed or treated as an open-containers-free-for-all, not only will it lose its family-friendliness (which would be sad), but there will be pressure put on the city to crack down on alcohol consumption, and nobody will be allowed to drink outside the private parties, even discreetly (which would be very sad).A fair assessment, but we've had beer sold at neighborhood events in the Esplanade before so being outdoors and drinking is not new. LITH doesn't advertise it or promote it as a drinking event, so I doubt we'll ever see it become a drunk fest. I've walked by many officers on duty with my open beer and no comments from them. I fully expect them to turn a blind eye to the gentleman having a beer while he pulls his red wagon full of kids, but on the flip side I hope that same officer would have issues with someone in an obvious drunken stagger. LITH is first and foremost a family event, so anything that deviates from that in public space should be addressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmariar Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Based on what I heard at the happy hour last night, I may be totally wrong about it being illegal to walk around with an open container of alcohol. I'm not saying it's legal - someone last night just said they thought it might be and I realized I'd been assuming it wasn't but didn't actually know one way or the other.Should be nice weather tonight. I don't think last year was too bad, but I can recall at least two very cold LITH nights in the past few years. Hope everyone has fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerCityDuo Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 Based on what I heard at the happy hour last night, I may be totally wrong about it being illegal to walk around with an open container of alcohol. I'm not saying it's legal - someone last night just said they thought it might be and I realized I'd been assuming it wasn't but didn't actually know one way or the other.Should be nice weather tonight. I don't think last year was too bad, but I can recall at least two very cold LITH nights in the past few years. Hope everyone has fun!Actually, there are a few open container ordinances, but NONE applying to walking through the Lights in the Heights. 1. There is a prohibition against "driving" with an open container. So if you drive thru Lights in the Heights (which you can't do - the streets are closed) you place yourself in jeopardy of violating the State of Texas open container law.2. Certain areas of town have a city ordinance against open containers: the downtown business district is one and the Midtown district ( south of downtown) is the other. The boundaries look like a legislative district, but suffice it to say you are safe south of MacGregor and violating the open container law North of it.3. Certain city parks prohibit alcohol, and these must have signage placing violators on notice.SO< let's drink to having a drink at Lights in the Heights! Those drinking too much can be handled by HPDvia a public intoxication arrest. Cheers!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memebag Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I just got back. It was very crowded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Also just got back. Not as crowded as last year, but I think we went later. Also, lights were not near as impressive. But I don't want to put it down at all, we still had a damn great time strolling around with our sleeping babies. I heard, in the same block, bands playing .38 Special and America. Very weird, but very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I heard, in the same block, bands playing .38 Special and America. I'm not sure if that makes me want to visit the Heights, or never go there again. In any event, check your kid in the morning for signs that she may be listening to Kansas soon. Don't want to scare you, but you'd be pretty much doomed, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Also just got back. Not as crowded as last year, but I think we went later.i think it was just the way the calendar worked out. there were lots of events yesterday like the boat parade in kemah and many private parties. glad the weather held out for em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahiki Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I had never been before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I thought it was great. Beautiful houses, great decorations, good music. The 2-year-old said he loved it, and the 5-year-old said it was the "best time of his whole life." So there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanith27 Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Last year was our Centennial celebration, so it was on 3 streets, and I believe it was much more publicized and more people responded with lights. Also, several of my neighbors didn't do lights this year because of hurricane damage, they just kept things low key.The threat of rain may have kept a few people out, but actually I thought the crowds were perfect. Too many more folks and you can't breathe. But it was a great party! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I'm not sure if that makes me want to visit the Heights, or never go there again. In any event, check your kid in the morning for signs that she may be listening to Kansas soon. Don't want to scare you, but you'd be pretty much doomed, then. Sounds to me like the elitists are in Eastwood, not the Heights after all! You gotta hold on loosely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memebag Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Sounds to me like the elitists are in Eastwood, not the Heights after all! You gotta hold on loosely!Yeah, she's cold as ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmariar Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 First time I went early enough to see the parade, which was fun. Though I think we may have missed some of the entertainment when we walked the route after the parade went by because some groups didn't start up right after the parade (which I'm not faulting - just saying our timing may not have been ideal). Thanks to those involved in the planning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Yeah, she's cold as ice. We're all just dust in the wind. Especially down market over here on the east side! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porchman Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 Kudos to WHCA for a great event. I had fun participating in my own, small way by prepping and lighting luminarias at the home of some friends on Bayland. I found watching the crowd from their porch as enjoyable as walking around. Not so enjoyable was chasing my four-year old godchild (a boy of endless energy) through the streets. Since I had missed Friday's git-togetha, I had hoped to see some HAIFERs. Meme, I was looking for the t-shirt. I was also looking for the guy with a flask, likely wearing a baseball cap, and looking like he had a little Captain in him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted December 14, 2008 Author Share Posted December 14, 2008 I was also looking for the guy with a flask, likely wearing a baseball cap, and looking like he had a little Captain in him. He was there with two crazy-assed dogs...and a flask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memebag Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Since I had missed Friday's git-togetha, I had hoped to see some HAIFERs. Meme, I was looking for the t-shirt. I was also looking for the guy with a flask, likely wearing a baseball cap, and looking like he had a little Captain in him. I was wearing the shirt. I was preoccupied, though; busy chasing some 8 year old girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 dont go vince guaraldi on me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullMan008 Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Someone asked me if and when it is happening this year. I used to go years ago but not anymore. It started out as a small thing but has since grown to several streets in the Woodland Heights. If it is on, I hope everyone drives safely and watches out. Lots of kids with their parents walking around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s3mh Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Short answer: Yes. It is still happening. This Saturday 6-9. Euclid and Woodland St. will host the event. Long answer: The event did grow out of control and became a very rowdy street party/booze fest with too many large parties and noisy bands. Lots of drunks invading private parties and residences and making yards their own public restrooms. Some wanted to just shut it down, others wanted to scale it down, and others were just fine with it and thought it just needed better police protection and more port a cans. The middle group won. There is now minimal publicity. The festival no longer has a stage on the esplanade for bands and it has gone from four streets to just two. The police presence is stronger with very low tolerance for people who are boozing too hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Several years ago Lights in the Heights got so out of hand that the city was VERY reluctant to even grant a permit the following year.  I live near ground zero; I can testify that the suckage was very strong that year.  Out of my invited guests, only one couple was able to make it in; my dogs were terrified.  At its peak, it was wall to wall people stretching completely across the street from porch rail to porch rail.  Those of us who live in the hood pretty much had to barricade ourselves inside and wait it out.  The Director of Domestic Bliss and I are not exactly garden tour types, but after that fiasco we had to replace a fair amount of destroyed shrubbery.  In many ways it was like a big storm, except the electricity stayed on. tl;dr - all you danged kids get off my lawn.  Literally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Cool. I recently moved into the area, and I've never seen Lights in the Heights, but I was wondering about it. I would just walk on over that way to check it out. Of course, I'm much more of a low-key person, so I am glad it's not like what y'all are describing it once was. One question, is it the entirety of both streets between Beauchamp and Studewood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 One question, is it the entirety of both streets between Beauchamp and Studewood? Pretty much.  The Official Route ends at the Norhill esplanade so people can make a full loop without braving Studewood, but the streets are blocked off for that entire length. Also, parking not only on The Official Route but also in the immediate area is tightly restricted with signs going up the day before.  This is so fire engines, SWAT tanks, and other emergency vehicles can make it through if need be.  Ticketing and towing isn't supposed to occur until mid day Saturday, but there is nothing that will stop some overly zealous ossifers from jumping the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pragmatist Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Very good to know. Thanks for the information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedmondson Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I lived on the route last year and it was great. It definitely gets pretty busy the last hour and if you have a good band nearby it can be extremely crowded. But still it was fun and probably helps if you have a fence in the front yard like we do. Plan to go out early instead of later if you want to avoid the heavy crowds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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