Crowd excitement helps kick off the Bootfest
A trickle of pedestrians strolled by the food vendors on Main Street in the opening hours of Bootfest. Ice cream, turkey legs, tacos, beer and Cuban sandwiches were on the menu.
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Video: Fred Ybarra, from Victoria-
Video: BootFest - Curtis & Lucky band-
Video: Live music at blotters almost live-
Video: BootFest openingSATURDAY EVENTS
10 a.m.: Festival opens: corral (kid's activities) opens. Includes a bouncy house, rock climbing wall, mechanical bull and other activities
10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Boot crafters, DeLeon Plaza
10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Arts and crafts vendor booths, Bridge and Constitution streets
10-11 ...
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SATURDAY EVENTS
10 a.m.: Festival opens: corral (kid's activities) opens. Includes a bouncy house, rock climbing wall, mechanical bull and other activities
10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Boot crafters, DeLeon Plaza
10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Arts and crafts vendor booths, Bridge and Constitution streets
10-11 a.m.: Branding wall activity and living history presenter, Victoria County Courthouse lawn
10 a.m.: Dark branding wall exhibit, Victoria County Courthouse lawn
10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Food vendors, Main Street
10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.: Radio Disney performances on the kid's stage, 205 N. Bridge St., county annex building parking lot
2 p.m.: Boot artisan judging begins, DeLeon Plaza
Noon-3 p.m.: Performances by Clay Crockett and The Shotgun Riders, The Scott Taylor Band, and Curtis & Luckey, concert stage
5 p.m.: Award presentations for boot artisans, concert stage
7-8:30 p.m.: Whiskey Myers, concert stage
8:30 p.m.: Josh Abbott Band, concert stage
10 p.m.: Fireworks extravaganza (launched from the One O'Connor Plaza rooftop)
10:30 p.m.: Festival ends
11:30 p.m.: *Park and ride shuttle service ends
*A Free Park & Ride Shuttle Service will be available continuously through the festival on Saturday. Park and Ride locations include: Patti Dodson Health Center parking lot, 2805 N. Navarro St.; and Citizens Medical Center parking lot, 2701 Hospital Drive.
Clara Payne doesn't need any particular reason to wear hot pink. It's been her favorite color for the past 20 years. She said it's a part of her signature look.
Friday evening gave her a reason to wear her bubble gum boots to the Bootfest.
With her husband out of town for the weekend, Payne said, "Guess I'll be going to the Bootfest. I love stuff like this." She also said she loves country music.
Payne was one of a few hundred people attending the inaugural event. The crowd attending the event got larger as the night passed.
Spectators filled the area all around DeLeon Plaza in downtown Victoria, eating, dancing and shopping. To add to the festival flavor, there was a custom-made boot shop.
Bands Curtis & Luckey, JB & the Moonshine Band, and Wade Bowen also performed on stage.
O.C. Garza, the city's communications director, said the great weather and country and western music are ideal factors for a large turnout.
"I think it's going to get crowded," he said,
Raul Villalobos, from Victoria, brought his family along with no expectation. He was pleased.
Villalobos said he met people from Houston and San Antonio at the Bootfest. He said the festival is a good idea for tourists. Villalobos said he plans to go to the festival both days because of the nice variety. On Saturday, he plans on going to the sheriff's office open house.
"It's pretty neat to be able to learn about the community and have fun," he said.
Michelle Vasquez said she's glad she can stay in town for a festival because, in the past, she's had to go out of town. The 22-year-old Victoria College student said she enjoyed the food and the music.
Vasquez said she hopes the festival puts Victoria on the map as a destination for people wanting a signature event.
"If Yorktown can have a fest, we can too," she said.
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Comments
Why not consider bringing the Armadillo festival back downtown???????
November 3, 2011 at 6:21 p.m.Riverboat- I was looking at the photo with the ice cream cone in the food venders isle. I later noticed that it was taken early Friday morning. I went Saturday night and I suspect there were about 3,000 + people there. It was an orderly event. The only bad thing about Bootfest was the parking! Need to try the park next year. It is a better place to have a festival. Better parking and more room to move around.
October 26, 2011 at 5:19 a.m."From the photo it does not look like that many people came to the festival." - familyman
What picture were you looking at? From my perspective - but never mind my perspective. I didn't have much of one because there were SO MANY PEOPLE blocking my view.
October 23, 2011 at 1:02 a.m.Yeeeeee haw!
October 22, 2011 at 7:58 p.m.it's not an official event till Bro. Gary Moses endorses it.
October 22, 2011 at 4 p.m.Yes, Turkeyfest was $10.00 per person gate fee. Bootfest was free & why we went.
I stayed till about 10 minutes till closing and it was pretty crowded but not 10,000.
October 22, 2011 at 3:38 p.m.a $10 entry fee for turkeyfest is outrageous
October 22, 2011 at 3:11 p.m.Turkeyfest charged $10.....Yorktown was free
October 22, 2011 at 2:15 p.m.I would love to see some people strolling through the Sheriff's department open house holding a beer.
October 22, 2011 at 1:03 p.m.I was there last night. It was really a lot of fun. I have no doubt that there were several thousand people there, everyone seemed to be having a good time. After Wade Bowen played (which was excellent) they set off a few fire works. Should be a great show tonite.....both music and fireworks.
I did not realize how many sponsors they had. Judging from all the banners, a bunch of the cost was underwritten by several local businesses. Between the sponsors and beer sales, I bet they cover their costs.
October 22, 2011 at 12:58 p.m.rebrand it as the 'Victoria Downtown Festival'
October 22, 2011 at 11:57 a.m.Can anyone who was there in the later hours last night post a crowd estimate ?
They were expecting anywhere from 10 - 20 thousand but the photo and accompanying article only alludes to a few hundred with an increase expected later. And yes I know the 20 thousand estimate includes both days of the event.
No intention of bashing the festival. It is what it is. Just curious if it is paying off as expected. I would imagine it is free this year due to it being the first time they have put this on. Next year I think they will charge some kind of fee to get in. They have to try and cover their costs not only for the fireworks but the extra security during and the clean up afterward.
October 22, 2011 at 11:54 a.m.mzmizer I heard that turkeyfest was $15 to enter, is that true ?
October 22, 2011 at 10:21 a.m.So, revenue is expected from beer and liquor sales. The sheriff's department has an open house. I think I'd be doing the open house first.
October 22, 2011 at 8:33 a.m.We went last night not knowing what to expect and I must say, it was quite nice. The crowds were young and old, couples, family and kids. The food booths, vendors booths, everything was laid out nicely.
October 22, 2011 at 6:32 a.m.Compared to Turkeyfest that we went to, Bootfest hit the nail on the head, so far. Bootfest was free unlike Turkeyfest.
From the photo it does not look like that many people came to the festival.
October 22, 2011 at 4:39 a.m.Sounds like it's going great so far! Yea!! Wish I could have been in town for it. Maybe next year.
October 21, 2011 at 9:22 p.m.