Community events encourage Houstonians to get closer to parks and green space as transformative project nears completion
HOUSTON, TX – February 17, 2020 – Houston Parks Board today announced a year-long celebration of Bayou Greenways 2020 as the ambitious project connecting 150 miles of continuous trail nears substantial completion in 2020. The milestone year will shine a light on Houston’s newest green spaces through community events both big and small, including the first-ever Sights & Sounds Festival on April 4, and Houston’s inaugural Art Bike Parade on May 9 presented in partnership with the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.
“This is an important year for Houston as we embark on the final stretch of Bayou Greenways 2020,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “I look forward to seeing Houstonians from across the city come together in celebration of our growing trails, parks, and green spaces.”
“It is so exciting to look ahead at 2020 and all the amazing moments that are to come as we near completion on Bayou Greenways 2020. I could not be more proud of the progress we have made in less than a decade,” said Beth White, President and CEO of Houston Parks Board. “While we still have work to do, 2020 provides a special opportunity for all Houstonians to celebrate the parks, trails, and green spaces that they use, embrace, and have made their own.”
On April 4, Houston Parks Board will host Sights & Sounds, a free festival showcasing Houston’s talent. This family- friendly festival will celebrate the beauty of the bayou greenways while featuring local talent and Houston’s diverse cultures and communities. Festivalgoers can walk or cycle a two-mile stretch while enjoying a variety of performances and experiences along White Oak Bayou from Stude Park to the University of Houston Downtown through Near Northside.
“The Houston Parks and Recreation Department is happy to have Stude Park and other City of Houston parks chosen as the site for the Sights & Sounds Festival along White Oak Bayou,” said Steve Wright, Director Houston Parks and Recreation Department. “The Sights and Sounds Festival is an example of how partners can work together towards a common goal to serve the community.”
Among the many different performance acts, attendees can expect to see musicians, magicians, jugglers, acrobats, poets and more. Headlining the event are local musical artists Bun B, Los Skarnales, The Mighty Orq, and Genesis Blu.
All attendees over the age of 21 who register in advance of the Sights & Sounds Festival will receive one complimentary beer provided by Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Those who register before Monday, March 30 will be entered to win a party for 50 people hosted by Saint Arnold Brewing Company in their one-of-a-kind Beer Hall.
The Sights & Sounds Festival is presented by Houston Parks Board in partnership with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, University of Houston-Downtown, Inprint Poetry Buskers, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, BakerRipley, Houston BCycle, Urban Harvest, and featuring Shop Local Market, with support from Houston Arts Alliance. Media sponsors include Telemundo Houston, La Subasta Newspaper, and Entercom Radio.
Building off the success of the iconic Art Car Parade, Houston Parks Board has partnered with the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art to produce Houston’s inaugural Art Bike Parade on May 9. The Art Bike Parade will kick off along Allen Parkway, where event participants will cycle together to showcase their rolling works of art. Attendees can head over to Sam Houston Park to enjoy music, family activities, food, and more throughout the day. Registration to ride in Art Bike Parade opens today, and spectators are invited to observe and enjoy the parade for free.
Houston Parks Board is donating over 250 bikes to Houston Independent School District for students to kick-start their own Art Bike project and participate in the parade. 171 HISD schools across the city are actively participating and the number is growing daily, engaging approximately 95,000 children citywide.
Art Bike Parade is presented by Noble Energy and in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, Houston Independent School District, University of Houston-Downtown, Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Williams, the YMCA of Greater Houston, BakerRipley, and Houston BCycle, with support from the Brown Foundation and the Frill Foundation. Media sponsors include KPRC, Telemundo Houston, Houstonia Magazine, and La Subasta Newspaper.
“For 33 years the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has presented the internationally-renowned Houston Art Car Parade as a way to showcase our city’s creative spirit and provide opportunities for the public display of personal expression,” said Orange Show Center for Visionary Art Board Member Andy Lubetkin. “We are thrilled in 2020 to be partnering with Houston Parks Board to develop the Houston Art Bike Parade, broadening the scope of this unique form of creativity while integrating our impressive stretch of trails and green spaces.”
Additional community events will take place throughout 2020, from ribbon cutting ceremonies to engaging volunteer opportunities. Houston Parks Board will also host its inaugural cocktail party in the fall to commemorate the milestone year.
“The beauty of Bayou Greenways 2020 is its ability to bring communities closer to each other. It is Houston Parks Board’s hope that these events will help connect neighbors to one another, inspire Houstonians to be active, and encourage exploration of the bayou greenways,” said Phoebe Tudor, board member and Bayou Greenways 2020 Celebration chair.
Please visit houstonparksboard.org for more information on Houston Parks Board’s celebratory year and upcoming events. For photos and b-roll of Bayou Greenways 2020, please click here.
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A nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing access to quality parks and greenspace in the Greater Houston region, Houston Parks Board creates, improves, protects and advocates for parks for everyone. Since 1976, the organization has utilized public-private partnerships and its extensive philanthropic, government and community relationships to improve parks large and small. Houston Parks Board is currently leading the transformational $220 million Bayou Greenways 2020 project to complete a 150-mile network of connected parks and trails along Houston’s major waterways. For more information, visit www.houstonparksboard.org.
Bayou Greenways 2020 is one of the most ambitious parks projects in the U.S. By transforming more than 3,000 acres of underutilized land along Houston’s major waterways into linear parks, Bayou Greenways 2020 will complete a 150-mile network of connected parks and trails. The $220 million project will connect people, places, and greenspace while enhancing air and water quality, preserving flood-prone areas and stimulating economic development in Houston. Public investment was matched by significant private contributions including an extraordinary lead gift of $50 million in 2013 from the Kinder Foundation.
The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (H.P.A.R.D.) stewards and manages over 37,851 acres of parkland and greenspace for the City of Houston and develops and implements recreational programming for citizens of all abilities. For more information on the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, call (832) 395-7022 or visit www.houstonparks.org.
Now it its 38th year, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Houston, TX with a mission to preserve, promote and document visionary art environments, provide opportunities for the expression of personal artistic vision, and create a community where that expression is valued. The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art owns and operates The Orange Show monument, The Beer Can House, and Smither Park, as well as produces the Houston Art Car Parade – the world’s oldest and largest gathering of its kind. Funding is provided in part by grants from the City of Houston through The Houston Arts Alliance, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, The Brown Foundation, Houston Endowment, Wortham Foundation, and Silver Eagle Distributors, as well as private contributions, in-kind support, and volunteer assistance. For more information, visit them online at www.orangeshow.org.