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A fall festival, an election update and parking changes in Southlake Town Square were approved in the lone Southlake City Council meeting in March.
Southlake Hispanic Heritage Celebration
A specific use permit was granted for the second year of the Southlake Hispanic Heritage Celebration.
Due to the designation of a mass gathering of more than 1,000 people, a permit is required in Southlake, according to the city website.
Last year, more than 2,900 people attended the event, and city documents state that the festival expects between 3,000 visitors and 5,000 visitors at this year’s event Sept. 26. A backup date, in case of weather issues, is Oct. 3.
The festival was granted permission to sell alcohol this year, subject to TABC permitting being approved, according to the presentation at the March 3 council meeting.
According to its social media page, the event will feature live music, traditional dance, authentic cuisine, artisan vendors and a Kid Zone to create a family-friendly event.
The boundaries this year will extend to the outer edges of State Street and Grand Avenue, according to Dennis Killough, Southlake's director of planning and development.
“We're very excited to be able to have the opportunity to host this event again,” said Viri Hernandez-Barker, a Southlake Hispanic/Latino Organization board member. “Last year, we had such a wonderful event that showcased so much vibrancy and color and community coming together. We had people coming from all over the place; we had way more people than we expected, which is also part of the reason why we're expanding the footprint this year as well.”
According to the nonprofit website, the theme this year is Todos Unidos–All United.
A previous Hispanic-focused festival, Somos, was approved for five years in June 2022, but it expired when the event was not held in 2023, according to city documents.
The planning and zoning commission recommended a three-year term for the Southlake Hispanic Heritage Celebration, though the organization asked for a five-year approval. Council settled on one year due to the inclusion of alcohol. Mayor Shawn McCaskill said if reports from the city staff, police department and fire department report no problem following the event, two additional years would be granted.
Election
The council voted during the March 3 meeting to cancel the May 2 general election for council places 1 and 6.
Those spots are currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Randy Williamson and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Talley. Gary Fawks was the lone candidate for Place 1, while Eric Wang had no opponent for Place 6.
McCaskill mentioned that Wang’s father, Jeff, was once a Southlake council member. Fawks was previously a Place 6 council member, serving for three years, according to previous reporting.
“When I joined City Council, Gary was here and he was like a mentor to me,” McCaskill said. “He’s very patient, a great teacher. So, I’m excited that we get to work together again.”
Southlake Town Square
A joint use agreement was approved for the installation of bollards and planters within the city’s right of way at 260 Grand Ave.
Six bollards and two planter boxes will be installed in front of the Apple Store, which would prevent parallel parking in front of the store.
This agreement will allow the developer to install new vehicle barriers along the building frontage, according to city documents.
