Westheimer Street Festival
Encyclopedia
The Westheimer Street Festival was a community street fair
held bi-annually in Houston
, Texas
, United States
from approximately 1971 to 2004.
, a thoroughfare in Houston which extends from approximately Bagby Street to the Westpark Tollway
. At its near terminus, Westheimer Road passes for a number of blocks through Neartown
. This area has acquired a reputation as Houston's 'bohemian
' enclave sometime between the end of World War II
and The Sixties. By the time of the Street Festival's inception, the Neartown area served as the social and geographic hub of Houston's Gay and Lesbian Community, as well as the focal point of alternative art and music within the City of Houston at large.
since 1997), which was established in 1971 as an arts/crafts festival. Both the original event and the later street fair occurred twice yearly over the course of a weekend in mid-April and a weekend in mid-October. Throughout the Seventies and Eighties, the 'Westheimer Art Festival' and the 'Westheimer Street Festival' continued to diverge. At one point, the art festival became a fenced-off, paid-admission event held in the parking lot of a strip center at the intersection of Westheimer Road and Montrose Boulevard. By this time, the Street Festival extended a dozen blocks along Westheimer and included well over a hundred art and craft vendors, food vendors and beer booths, as well as several outdoor stages showcasing local bands and musicians. Eventually, the Westheimer Colony Association decided to vacate the Neartown area altogether, first moving to downtown Houston
and later Memorial Park
--reorganizing in the process as the Bayou City Art Festival
.
By the early Nineties, the Westheimer Street Festival had grown to an event that hosted as many as 300,000 attendees over a two day period, requiring street closure on Westheimer for about half a dozen blocks and resulting in traffic jams for several blocks further in both directions. The festival had originally been a fairly anachistic and organic event, with no central organization. Realizing that an event of this size required professional management, the City of Houston took steps to ensure that there would be no Westheimer Street Festival in the absence of professional management. The principal step was an agreement with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
to prevent the issuance of so-called 'picnic permits' within the blocks covered by the festival. The TABC agreed that they would only issue a single alcohol permit to the individual or entity holding a street closure permit from the city. The city then restricted the conditions for obtaining the permit: it would not be issued unless the applicant had taken out an insurance policy covering the event and hired sufficient clean-up, sanitation, and security to guarantee minimal impact on surrounding residences. Under these circumstances, the Westheimer Street Festival came under the control of The Westheimer Street Festival Corporation, as led by John Florez.
By the late nineties, matters had reached the point where city council members Annise Parker
and Chris Bell
felt obliged to introduce a city ordinance requiring public hearings as a precondition for the issuance of a street closure permit. The ordinance became law on June 16, 1999. The last 'true' WestFest in Neartown was held on October 16 and 17, 1999. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Florez moved his event out of Neartown altogether, and for several years produced an event called "The Westheimer Street Festival in Exile" in Eleanor Tinsley Park several miles north of the original festival site. At this point, the last vestige of any similarity to the original community event was pretty well gone. Other parties beckoned however, and by 2002 the "Westheimer Street Festival in Exile" had largely run out of steam.
In 2003, Mr. Florez attempted to return his event to Neartown by unofficially piggybacking it onto the Annual Gay Pride Parade. The principal effect of this attempt was to alienate many of Mr. Florez's remaining friends in the Houston Gay and Lesbian Community and further cement opposition of local community groups to the entire idea of a neighborhood street party. Florez relocated to San Antonio in late 2004; sadly, he was murdered on June 23, 2007 by two young men at his local video store Videos Mexicanos (source - KENS-TV Channel 5) who wanted to travel to Houston for the annual Gay Pride Weekend festivities.
Street fair
A street fair is a fair that celebrates the character of a neighborhood. As its name suggests, it is usually held on the main street of a neighborhood....
held bi-annually in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from approximately 1971 to 2004.
Community context
The festival (as well as its current successor, The Westheimer Block Party) takes its name from Westheimer RoadWestheimer Road
Westheimer Road is an arterial road in the western half of Houston, Texas, United States. It runs from Bagby Street west to the Westpark Tollway. Westheimer Road runs roughly parallel to and south of Buffalo Bayou throughout its course. The street was named after Michael Louis Westheimer, a...
, a thoroughfare in Houston which extends from approximately Bagby Street to the Westpark Tollway
Westpark Tollway
The Westpark Tollway, also Fort Bend Westpark Tollway, is a limited-access toll road serving western Houston and Harris County, and northeastern Fort Bend County. Construction on the facility began in 2001 and portions of the road were opened to traffic in May 2004. Construction of the roadway...
. At its near terminus, Westheimer Road passes for a number of blocks through Neartown
Neartown Houston
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west...
. This area has acquired a reputation as Houston's 'bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
' enclave sometime between the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and The Sixties. By the time of the Street Festival's inception, the Neartown area served as the social and geographic hub of Houston's Gay and Lesbian Community, as well as the focal point of alternative art and music within the City of Houston at large.
Origin and early history
What became the Westheimer Street Festival was an offshoot of the Westheimer Colony Art Festival (known as the Bayou City Art FestivalBayou City Art Festival
The Bayou City Art Festival is an arts festival held biannually in Houston, Texas in Memorial Park in the spring, and in Downtown Houston in the fall by the Art Colony Association....
since 1997), which was established in 1971 as an arts/crafts festival. Both the original event and the later street fair occurred twice yearly over the course of a weekend in mid-April and a weekend in mid-October. Throughout the Seventies and Eighties, the 'Westheimer Art Festival' and the 'Westheimer Street Festival' continued to diverge. At one point, the art festival became a fenced-off, paid-admission event held in the parking lot of a strip center at the intersection of Westheimer Road and Montrose Boulevard. By this time, the Street Festival extended a dozen blocks along Westheimer and included well over a hundred art and craft vendors, food vendors and beer booths, as well as several outdoor stages showcasing local bands and musicians. Eventually, the Westheimer Colony Association decided to vacate the Neartown area altogether, first moving to downtown Houston
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
and later Memorial Park
Memorial Park, Houston, Texas
Memorial Park, a municipal park in Houston, Texas, is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Opened in 1924, the park covers approximately inside the 610 Loop, across from the neighborhood of Memorial. Memorial Drive runs through the park, heading east to downtown Houston and west to...
--reorganizing in the process as the Bayou City Art Festival
Bayou City Art Festival
The Bayou City Art Festival is an arts festival held biannually in Houston, Texas in Memorial Park in the spring, and in Downtown Houston in the fall by the Art Colony Association....
.
By the early Nineties, the Westheimer Street Festival had grown to an event that hosted as many as 300,000 attendees over a two day period, requiring street closure on Westheimer for about half a dozen blocks and resulting in traffic jams for several blocks further in both directions. The festival had originally been a fairly anachistic and organic event, with no central organization. Realizing that an event of this size required professional management, the City of Houston took steps to ensure that there would be no Westheimer Street Festival in the absence of professional management. The principal step was an agreement with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission was created in 1935. The TABC has the task of inspecting, supervising and regulating every phase of business related to alcoholic beverages...
to prevent the issuance of so-called 'picnic permits' within the blocks covered by the festival. The TABC agreed that they would only issue a single alcohol permit to the individual or entity holding a street closure permit from the city. The city then restricted the conditions for obtaining the permit: it would not be issued unless the applicant had taken out an insurance policy covering the event and hired sufficient clean-up, sanitation, and security to guarantee minimal impact on surrounding residences. Under these circumstances, the Westheimer Street Festival came under the control of The Westheimer Street Festival Corporation, as led by John Florez.
Recent history and controversy
Frictions between the street fair and local residents were only somewhat abated by Mr. Florez's management. He had no prior experience as an event producer and a tendency to minimize the event budget wherever possible. A frequent complaint from neighborhood homeowners was a chronic lack of portable toilets (and the attendant consequences), with minimal attention to post-event clean-up running a close second. What had started out as a friendly neighborhood event held by and for residents of a relaxed and fairly bohemian community had become a bachannal crowding of thousands into a neighborhood increasingly dominated by upscale condominiums and their increasingly conservatrive inhabitants.By the late nineties, matters had reached the point where city council members Annise Parker
Annise Parker
Annise Danette Parker is an American politician and the mayor of Houston since January 2, 2010. She served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2009...
and Chris Bell
Chris Bell (politician)
Robert Christopher "Chris" Bell is a Democratic Party politician. He last served as a one-term congressman in the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 25th congressional district in Houston from 2003 to 2005 before being defeated in the Democratic primary by Justice of the Peace Al...
felt obliged to introduce a city ordinance requiring public hearings as a precondition for the issuance of a street closure permit. The ordinance became law on June 16, 1999. The last 'true' WestFest in Neartown was held on October 16 and 17, 1999. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Florez moved his event out of Neartown altogether, and for several years produced an event called "The Westheimer Street Festival in Exile" in Eleanor Tinsley Park several miles north of the original festival site. At this point, the last vestige of any similarity to the original community event was pretty well gone. Other parties beckoned however, and by 2002 the "Westheimer Street Festival in Exile" had largely run out of steam.
In 2003, Mr. Florez attempted to return his event to Neartown by unofficially piggybacking it onto the Annual Gay Pride Parade. The principal effect of this attempt was to alienate many of Mr. Florez's remaining friends in the Houston Gay and Lesbian Community and further cement opposition of local community groups to the entire idea of a neighborhood street party. Florez relocated to San Antonio in late 2004; sadly, he was murdered on June 23, 2007 by two young men at his local video store Videos Mexicanos (source - KENS-TV Channel 5) who wanted to travel to Houston for the annual Gay Pride Weekend festivities.
Rebirth as The Westheimer Block Party
October 15, 2005 saw the return, of sorts, of the Westheimer Street Festival. Initially called 'WestFest Compressed' and now known as 'The Westheimer Block Party', this event is the brainchild of Free Press Houston publisher Omar Afra. While it bears extremely little resemblance to the oversized and unmanagable street festival of the 80's and 90's, it bears considerable similarity to the community street festival and art show as it existed in the 70's and early 80's. The event occurs without street closure on series of properties around the intersection of Westheimer road and Taft Street. Changes the Neartown area has experienced over the last twenty years rule out the possibility that the 'Block Party' will ever grow to match the original festival. It has experienced a slow and steady growth over the last two years, however, and seems to be finding friends and supporters within the community.Temporary Hiatus of the "Block Party"
In January of 2010, Free Press Houston owner, Omar Afra and his advisors were taken to court to discuss the fate and the future of the organized festival. However, the city of Houston proposed to Afra that if such festival were to take place FPH organizers and management would have to close the intersections of Westheimer and Taft Roads and that all waste/garbage to be cleaned up after the event. Afra and FPH disagreed with the city's proposal and as a result of that issue the April 10th and November 13th festivities (both were to be held in 2010) were respectively canceled. Over a decade ago, the former Westheimer Street Festival promoter was denied a street closure permit where the festival was booted to Allen Parkway although an unknown activist who was involved in moving the festival back to Westheimer back in 2003 is now a full-time art car artist and photographer currently working gigs in Austin and Galveston, TX. To this present day, there are rumors that he is residing in Galveston, TX since the block party promoters would have no connection with any former associates of the former Westheimer Street Festival Corporation as if the FPH personnel ran this activist who was a then-negotiator (to the late John Florez) out of the City of Houston and Harris County. New talks with city officials were discussed in February 2011 but reached no agreement.External links
- Westfest, Then and Now (2005)
- Death of an Icon - The Westheimer Street Festival (2000)
- Westheimer Street Festival Dead @ 31 (November 15, 2004 - Houston Indymedia)
- WestFest Purists Organization
- Bring Back WestFest to Westheimer (November 19, 2004 - Houston Indymedia)
- WestFest: Portrait of a Street Festival (photo book)