Pecan Street Festival will say goodbye to its namesake thoroughfare for its 50th annual spring festival. The largest arts fest in Texas will be held at the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave instead from Saturday, May 3 to Sunday, May 4.
Originally named Pecan Street, Old 6th Street has been the home of the free, bi-annual festival since its inception in 1978. This year, organizers were faced with a choice: shrink the event by 100 booths due to the street’s new bollards, or relocate.
“We would have loved to remain on 6th Street, but we’re unable,” Special Events Live CEO Luis Zapata told ATXtoday. “We would be killing about a third of our income by staying on 6th Street and the options the city gave us didn’t work out.”
Pecan Street Festival draws over 400,000 attendees each year. | Photo by Will Taylor, LostinAustin.org
Not only can the Hill Country Galleria accommodate the festival’s ~300 arts, crafts, and food vendors, but Zapata said welcome changes come with the change of scenery. The galleria offers a sense of safety for vendors leaving their art tents overnight and free parking for attendees. In the past, festivalgoers might have paid upwards of $30 per car in Downtown Austin.
“We don’t think very much is going to change in terms of the spirit of (the festival),” Zapata said. “The explosion of creativity is going to be there. Great bands are going to be there, and I think that people are going to feel very safe.”
Great bands will also adapt to changes come spring, as the festival’s typical three stages will be consolidated into one larger stage for live music performances. Amid these shifts, Zapata said organizers are open to community feedback.
Pecan Street Festival usually hosts around 50 musical acts during the weekend.
Photo by Will Taylor, LostinAustin.org
It’s still unclear where the fall festival will be held, but Zapata said the Pecan Street Association aims to bring the festival back to Downtown Austin in the future.
“My understanding is that their wish is to eventually be able to come back to 6th Street or to (Downtown Austin) ... but it’s going to depend on several factors,” Zapata said. “We’re going to do our best for it to be the best possible experience for both the venue and the attendees.”
