The move came after changes were made to Sixth Street, including new safety measures put in place by the city of Austin, making hosting the event downtown challenging.
In total, 170 artists and vendors convened May 3-4 at the festival’s new location in the Hill Country Galleria to share artwork, food and music with attendees who were able to explore Bee Cave’s shops and businesses while attending the free festival.
With the festival now wrapped up, city officials, artists and festival producers are sharing their thoughts on how the event went and what may be in store for future festivals.
The background
In March, festival producers at Special Events Live announced the relocation of Pecan Street Festival, citing challenges imposed by the introduction of new safety bollards and fences along Sixth Street as the reason for their departure.
While the city of Austin suggested other locations downtown, such as Congress Avenue, none were ultimately deemed viable for the festival, organizers said.
Instead of Austin, producers turned to the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave, where the group’s Independence Day Festival has been hosted for over a decade.
“We think we are going to be aiming to come back into Austin [for the next festival] rather than Bee Cave, but Bee Cave was very successful,” Pecan Street Association President Shannon Sedwick said. “It was a really good festival. It was packed. They had tons of the kind of crowds that we used to get back in the day of young families with kids and strollers.”
At the event this May, there were:
- 170 arts/crafts vendors
- 30 sponsors
- 12 musical acts
- 200K attendees (on average)
River Jane & Co. owner Mia Todd attended her first Pecan Street Festival event this year and said that the event was a positive experience for her overall.
“What was beneficial for us as vendors is that they had security there all night long, sweeping the area,” Todd said. “They were taking care of everything and I left all of my items there. We didn’t even have to break down, take [our items] back—that part was amazing.”
Additionally, Niles City Knives owner Donnie Bowman said that the festival was a success.
“That’s the most sales we’ve ever done at a show, for Pecan. ... It was easier to get my stuff in there and unload. It normally costs us around $300 for the weekend to park down there, so we saved on that,” Bowman said. “We were really worried with the new venue that we would not get a quarter of the crowd that we normally get. But for us, it was one of our biggest shows we’ve done for [Pecan Street Festival].”
Sorting out details
In order to host the festival in Bee Cave, festival producers worked with the city and the Hill Country Galleria to coordinate the event. One concern shared by the city was the overlap of voting day May 3 with festival activities. In order to avoid disruptions, the city alerted residents of the issue ahead of time.
“Thanks to close coordination between multiple city departments and event organizers, the Pecan Street Festival in Bee Cave was a safe and successful event,” Bee Cave Director of Communications Crystal Cotti said.
In addition to touring the festival, some attendees shopped in local stores, bringing money into the city.
“The city of Bee Cave is proud that we could provide a warm welcome for this beloved tradition and hopes everyone who visited felt right at home,” Cotti said.
The benefits
Aside from increased safety and parking spaces, relocating to Bee Cave meant that festival producers were able to tap into demographics typically not accessed by Pecan Street festivals held in Austin, such as children and older age groups, Pecan Street Festival Executive Producer Luis Zapata said.
“I did see a lot more kids at this venue than I’ve ever seen at Pecan,” Bowman said of the Bee Cave festival. “For me personally, I wouldn’t take my kids down to the Pecan festival [on Sixth Street].”
What’s next?
Following the May festival, the city of Austin has expressed interest in bringing the biannual event back downtown this fall.
“This is going to be [Pecan Street Festival’s] 50th commemorative year, and so we’re excited to work with them,” said Anthony Segura, Austin’s interim director of the Economic Development Department.
Festival proceeds range from $5,000-$15,000 annually and benefit local nonprofit and aid groups through the Pecan Street Association, such as:
- Austin Fire Department
- Boy Scouts of America
- Austin Pets Alive
- Habitat for Humanity
- American Red Cross
- Meals on Wheels Central Texas
