Dripping Springs changes festival for 37th annual Founders Day

Wallace Street is too narrow for proper barricades, and last year, kids were touching the floats as they drove by. Additionally, due to a lack of background checks and procedures, Foulds said that last year at least two float drivers were drinking while operating their float. Previously, the parade route also required one lane of Hwy. 290 to be closed for over two hours.

With 40,000 anticipated attendees, the area does not have the capacity to safely operate a float parade, Foulds said.

Foulds said this isn’t a permanent change. City officials are considering different options to bring back the float parade in future years with more safety measures in place.

“I think we can and will get back to having floats,” he said in a podcast about the changes. “It’s just going to take some planning.”

The background

This isn’t the first time changes have been made to Founders Day. Before the festival was held on Mercer Street, it used to be conducted near RR 12.

“As the cookers have grown, the vendors have grown, we just keep adapting,” Foulds said.

What they’re saying

Community response has been mixed, with many residents expressing disappointment with the change to the parade. Foulds said he shares their frustration, but that the safety of participants is the city’s top priority.

“I’m disappointed that we’ve come to this,” he said. “But it’s a problem of our own making.”

Looking ahead

“We’re going to look for a way to make it better every year,” Foulds said.