The Inaugural DallasFest in the Dallas West End

On the first Saturday of May 2018, Dallas Fest held it’s inaugural festival in the Dallas West End. The festival was created to highlight some of the innovative creators our city has to offer, while also showing attendees that our district is evolving into an innovative and active place. The festival featured all local artists, including musicians like Jesse Frye, Northern Nationals, & Ronnie Heart, food truck savants like Tutta’s Pizza, Easy Sliders, & Ruthie’s Rollin’ Cafe, and artists from Artstillery as well as West End staples like Cosmo’s Universal Art.

Jeremy Scott, owner of the Dallas West End pizza establishment Tutta’s Pizza, was the Chairman of the festival as part of his new role as Marketing Director for the West End Association. “We started talking about the event May of last year. When I was brought on as Marketing Director for the Association, one of my goals was to get creative and come up with different ways to re-engage with DFW residence to show them how far the West End has come the past few years, as where as where we’re going”, says Scott.

“The West End used to be a great place for street festivals. I’ll never forget where I was when Van Halen played that pop-up show in the middle of our district back in the early 90’s. While we don’t plan on having Van Halen down here any time soon, this is still a vibrant, walkable area for both residents and visitors. That’s what we wanted people to take away from our festival.”

And that they did. Throughout the day, we had over 10,000 attendees at the event. Those that attended were from all different walks of life, but most all of them remember what the West End used to be, and can see where it’s going.

“My dad was a cop when I was a kid, and he used to work the Stars game at Reunion Arena in the early 90’s”, says Colin Casey, freelance videographer who captured footage during the festival. “Back then, there was always stuff going on down here. This is probably the first time in years that I’ve seen it like this, it’s great. I think Dallas needs the West End to be a cool spot. Our city needs something historic”.

                                                                                            Market St. during DallasFest.
                                                                                             Cosmo performing live
                                                                        The JD Scott Band performing on the main stage

 

Overall, the festival was

 

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