This last weekend was ArtsGoggle, the art and music festival that erupts twice a year on the Near Southside. ArtsGoggle has been going for about 10 years, and it has really grown, especially during the last few years. The event used to take place solely on Magnolia Ave., The Starr Conspiracy’s current home. But over the last four years, the festival has spiderwebbed to other parts of the neighborhood, including Park Place Ave., Jennings Ave., Eighth Ave., and TSC’s future home, South Main Village.
The first few years South Main started getting in on the ArtsGoggle action were fairly quiet. There were fewer businesses to participate, and people weren’t as willing to stray from the party on Magnolia Ave. It wasn’t until the Fall 2010 ArtsGoggle that South Main really got going, spurred by a Better Block project, where a group of vandals forward-thinking young people took the initiative to paint bike lanes and a crosswalk on one block of the street the night before ArtsGoggle. Then, during the event, there was a taco truck, vendors set up along the street, and live music, and what few businesses were there — Trinity Bicycles, Robert Kelly Architects, and The Miller Lofts — opened their doors, hosted artists, and gave away drinks and snacks.
Since then, the event on South Main has just been growing as more businesses have opened and the neighborhood has garnered more attention. During the event, trollies will even shuttle you from Magnolia to the action on South Main.
This year, there was plenty to see and do in South Main Village. The Salon Upstairs, Amphibian Stage Productions, Stir Crazy Baked Goods, Thumbtechs, The Gallery at Lander’s Machine Shop, and Shipping & Receiving all participated, food trucks and vendors were set up along the street, and Shipping & Receiving had live music on its outdoor stage all evening long.
And TSC’s new headquarters will be in the middle of the South Main Village action during the fall event. The vibe on South Main during ArtsGoggle is definitely different from that on Magnolia. While Magnolia can be downright insane during the event’s peak time, South Main’s vibe is a bit more chill, but there’s still a lot to do and see. If you’re around, be sure to check out ArtsGoggle in the fall and, if you haven’t already, check out South Main and stop by TSC’s new HQ.
Photo credits: Better Block and Fort Worth South Inc.
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