Furious Jam Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 I'm part of a group that's trying to revive the Westheimer Street Festival. It's being envisioned as a music and art festival that will be more community friendly than its prior incarnation. If you would like to see the festival brought back to life, please sign our petition. I can promise you that this petition will been seen and will carry weight with Neartown, the Montrose Management District, the City, and everyone else who is needed to make this happen. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 A little history, the organizer (someone with Free Press Houston I think?) ran into a bunch of roadblocks last year from the city and wasn't able to shut down the street and got frustrated and said it was his last year organizing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furious Jam Posted February 8, 2010 Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 A little history, the organizer (someone with Free Press Houston I think?) ran into a bunch of roadblocks last year from the city and wasn't able to shut down the street and got frustrated and said it was his last year organizing it.You're referring to the Westheimer Block Party, which was a very scaled down version of WestFest. The Block Party is done because it has no room to grow. This effort, including the petition, is about scaling the Block Party back up to WestFest proper, including street closure. The Block Party organizers are part of this effort. You can't just ask the City to shut down Westheimer without having some political will backing you up. The petition is part of a multi-prong effort to demonstrate that political will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Ah, thanks. Looking forward to good things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 May I ask why you are trying to revive it? It was fun enough back in the day when Lower Westheimer was the strip, but that area has obviously changed and grown a lot of strip centers. Might you consider not using the name "WestFest"? "Westheimer Street Festival" at least has some meaning to people, while "WestFest" just sounds like some generic "hip" name concocted by marketing consultants, like EaDo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 WXWW 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 WXWWIf I believed in a god, I'd pray for that to never happen. I don't mind hipsters and pretentious celebrities in small doses, but I'm content to let Austin keep the lionshare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Timmy Chan's Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Might you consider not using the name "WestFest"? "Westheimer Street Festival" at least has some meaning to people, while "WestFest" just sounds like some generic "hip" name concocted by marketing consultants, like EaDo.I'll second that emotion.Plus, with "WestFest", you can no longer call it the "Westheimer Freak Festival"! I'd love to bring it back...but it might just be a bunch of half-naked 40-somethings with snakes! (Instead of the 20-somethings with snakes back in the day...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Lucky for me there is no God, only pretentious festivals.Mwahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanuman Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 May I ask why you are trying to revive it? It was fun enough back in the day when Lower Westheimer was the strip, but that area has obviously changed and grown a lot of strip centers. Might you consider not using the name "WestFest"? "Westheimer Street Festival" at least has some meaning to people, while "WestFest" just sounds like some generic "hip" name concocted by marketing consultants, like EaDo.Sub has put it in a nice way, but really, I don't think the large scope festival will happen there - location, location, location. For the sake of your hard work, and effort, I hope you prove my theory wrong. Good luck though, seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furious Jam Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 May I ask why you are trying to revive it? It was fun enough back in the day when Lower Westheimer was the strip, but that area has obviously changed and grown a lot of strip centers. Might you consider not using the name "WestFest"? "Westheimer Street Festival" at least has some meaning to people, while "WestFest" just sounds like some generic "hip" name concocted by marketing consultants, like EaDo.I was just using "WestFest" as shorthand. It would still be the "Westheimer Street Festival".Lower Westheimer has seen better days. Part of it is the economy, but part of it has been Montrose's weirdness slipping away a bit. But nothing's been lost that can't be brought back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furious Jam Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 If I believed in a god, I'd pray for that to never happen. I don't mind hipsters and pretentious celebrities in small doses, but I'm content to let Austin keep the lionshare.I've never understood the fear of hipsters. They don't hurt anyone and they're funny to look at.Anyway, nobody who is planning this could be confused with a hipster. I, for one, mostly shop at Academy for my clothes. But hipsters will be welcome, as will everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I would really prefer that Westheimer/Montrose not be closed for a party. It makes getting around in that part of town a real pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I would really prefer that Westheimer/Montrose not be closed for a party. It makes getting around in that part of town a real pain.Why? There are numerous alternatives. Richmond, West Gray, Fairview, too numerous to list, really. I don't see how shutting down the street for a weekend is going to break anybody. Do you also want to put an end to the Pride Parade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Why? There are numerous alternatives. Richmond, West Gray, Fairview, too numerous to list, really. I don't see how shutting down the street for a weekend is going to break anybody. Do you also want to put an end to the Pride Parade?Some people only know one route anywhere. You take away that one route and their whole world goes into disarray. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furious Jam Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 We shut down major streets for Pride Parade, MLK, Veterans' Day, the marathon, etc. I've found myself stuck behind trail riders a few times near the rodeo. The idea that shutting down a few blocks of Westheimer on a Saturday would cause traffic jams is false. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Man, the Wikipedia article on Westheimer Street Festival is just terrible. 4 sections and 7 paragraphs of bloviating and not a single embedded source cited. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 (edited) I can't think of WestFest without thinking of beer and polka.http://www.westfest.com/anyway, what would this festival offer that the multitude of other festivals (and parades) that happen year round in Houston don't offer? Edited February 9, 2010 by samagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I can't think of WestFest without thinking of beer and polka.http://www.westfest.com/The Czech Stop in West has the best kolaches anywhere ever. Mark it. Take it to the bank. I think it's time the Flinch family took a road trip.anyway, what would this festival offer that the multitude of other festivals (and parades) that happen year round in Houston don't offer?More.And that's enough. I wish this city offered more free weekend entertainment, so I think it's pointless to judge the value of this festival based on what new or different it offers.Also, I want it to be free. Let concessions pay the toll. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I would really prefer that Westheimer/Montrose not be closed for a party. It makes getting around in that part of town a real pain.I agree with others in that there are too many options that are available.Let the festival happen and change with the times and close it down the street for it.As I have harped on before, I think they are better shutting down Westheimer and make it a "bus only" street. The street from Bagby to Mandell is a nightmare to navigate to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 May I ask why you are trying to revive it? It was fun enough back in the day when Lower Westheimer was the strip, but that area has obviously changed and grown a lot of strip centers. Might you consider not using the name "WestFest"? "Westheimer Street Festival" at least has some meaning to people, while "WestFest" just sounds like some generic "hip" name concocted by marketing consultants, like EaDo.I have to chime in here to echo the problem with the strip centers. Those former tracts of vacant land were the heart and soul of the old festival. Booths, stages, all that stuff would be set up in those vacant lots and it gave people ease of movement along the street. It's hard to imagine where everything would go now, but I wish you the best. I had lots and lots of fun at that thing as a younger person -- the free food from the Hare Krishnas was always nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furious Jam Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 Also, I want it to be free. Let concessions pay the toll.That is exactly what is being planned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 (edited) The Czech Stop in West has the best kolaches anywhere ever. Mark it. Take it to the bank. I think it's time the Flinch family took a road trip.There's a place down in league city that has some damn tasty cream cheese kolaches, but if I'm around Waco, a stop to any of the bakeries up I35 is an absolute must. (I was a lot fatter when my friend went to Baylor)More.And that's enough. I wish this city offered more free weekend entertainment, so I think it's pointless to judge the value of this festival based on what new or different it offers.Also, I want it to be free. Let concessions pay the toll.More is definitely better, but more of the same isn't always a good thing. I'd get easily burned out on going to an art festival once a month, or even once every 2 months, twice a year is enough for me.Lets see something unique, something that isn't just a mix of arts festival + pride + montrose eateries with street vendors.Don't get me wrong, I'd probably still go, I just wouldn't stay as long, or enjoy as much of it. Edited February 9, 2010 by samagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanuman Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 The Czech Stop in West has the best kolaches anywhere ever. Mark it. Take it to the bank. I think it's time the Flinch family took a road trip.I love the kolaches, but I'll gaff the bellows on the first accordian that cranks up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 We shut down major streets for Pride Parade, MLK, Veterans' Day, the marathon, etc. I've found myself stuck behind trail riders a few times near the rodeo. The idea that shutting down a few blocks of Westheimer on a Saturday would cause traffic jams is false.As part of one of those downtown redevelopment plans it was proposed that the site of the downtown post office be used for a permanent fairgrounds. I think this would be a brilliant idea, and it would give all the assorted festivals a place to go without having to worry about closing down streets. Think about it - is there anything so unique about Westheimer (other than the nostalgia value) that a festival needs to be held on that specific street? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 As part of one of those downtown redevelopment plans it was proposed that the site of the downtown post office be used for a permanent fairgrounds. I think this would be a brilliant idea, and it would give all the assorted festivals a place to go without having to worry about closing down streets. Think about it - is there anything so unique about Westheimer (other than the nostalgia value) that a festival needs to be held on that specific street?A festival not held on Westheimer Street ought not be called the Westheimer Street Festival.Its all environment and atmosphere. The type of demographic that generally goes to events at Eleanor Tinsley and Jones Plaza tends to be different from the type of demographic that generally goes to events in the Montrose area. This is partly because of the history and partly because the Westheimer/Montrose area is very dense with four-plexes filled with people who like to go to shows.Aside from that, it may be moot as the post office has been for sale to whoever will build the post office another facility for a while now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 (edited) As part of one of those downtown redevelopment plans it was proposed that the site of the downtown post office be used for a permanent fairgrounds. I think this would be a brilliant idea, and it would give all the assorted festivals a place to go without having to worry about closing down streets. Think about it - is there anything so unique about Westheimer (other than the nostalgia value) that a festival needs to be held on that specific street?The unique thing about Westheimer is the people who live in the neighborhood. I think it should have more of a block party atmosphere. If the event were moved downtown, it wouldn't be able to draw from the neighborhood so easily. The DT fairgrounds sounds nice for other events though. Edited February 10, 2010 by barracuda 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furious Jam Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 Think about it - is there anything so unique about Westheimer (other than the nostalgia value) that a festival needs to be held on that specific street?Wow. Okay. Well, they tried moving the festival to Allen Parkway and it quickly died thereafter. But if you want to simply discount Montrose's cultural history (which you call "nostalgia"), then I guess I don't have much to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Wow. Okay. Well, they tried moving the festival to Allen Parkway and it quickly died thereafter. But if you want to simply discount Montrose's cultural history (which you call "nostalgia"), then I guess I don't have much to say.I don't deny its cultural history. But does it have the same, or a unique, culture now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtticaFlinch Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 I don't deny its cultural history. But does it have the same, or a unique, culture now?No, not the same. It's not the 1970s and 80s anymore. But it doesn't make it any less unique simply because you no longer identify with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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