Free Press Summer Fest

Free Press Summer Fest

Bicycle hangs on a fence at Houston's Free Press Summer Festival 2012.
Genre Folk, Country, Blues, Folk rock, Indie folk, Alternative Rock, Hip hop, Electronic dance music
Dates First week in June
Frequency Annually
Location(s) Eleanor Tinsley Park
Houston, Texas, United States
Years active 7
Inaugurated 2009
Attendance 100,000+
Patron(s) Free Press Houston
Website
www.fpsf.com

The Free Press Summer Festival is an annual two-day music festival held in Houston, Texas at Buffalo Bayou's Eleanor Tinsley Park.

Other activities include fireworks, interactive art installations, a paint slide, music workshops, a 30-foot water wall and an off-site after party.

The festival was started to emphasize local musical performers, visual arts and artists. A recycling program, carbon offset credits and a partnership with the Texas Campaign for the Environment are implemented to help this festival become a greener experience.

The festival is organized by Free Press Houston, a local independent newspaper and Pegstar.net Presents, a local concert promotion company.[1]

Environment

A recycling plan (with assistance from Little Joy Recycling) sorts aluminum, plastic, paper and glass. A free bottle of water is given to anyone who recycles 10 plastic bottles. All carbon output is balanced by carbon offset credits. Carpooling and bicycling to the festival are encouraged. Over 2000 attendees biked to the 2009 festival.

Fancy Pants Tent

In February 2011, a new pass was introduced that would have granted access to a premium side stage viewing area and entry to a limited access electronic music tent. The Fancy Pants Tent was intended to host exclusive performances by electronic musicians and provide complimentary bar drinks and hors d'œuvres, free massages and meet and greets.

Complaints about the cost led festival organizers to remove the Fancy Pants ticket tier in April 2011 and announced that all festival attendees would be able to watch the Fancy Pants acts.

History

2009

The 2009 festival was held August 8–9 with an attendance of approximately 30,000. A portion of the proceeds went to Project Row Houses (a community non-profit responsible for restoration, art and social activism in Houston's Third Ward since 1991).

The lineup for FPSF 2009[2] was:

2010

The 2010 festival was held June 5–6 with an attendance of over 45,000. A portion of the proceeds went to Buffalo Bayou Partnership (a non-profit corporation that develops and facilitates improvements to the Buffalo Bayou greenway system).

The lineup for FPSF 2010[3] was:

2011

The festival was held June 4–5, 2011 with a two-day attendance of over 60,000. A portion of the proceeds went to Houston Tomorrow (a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 to explore urban issues and to inform the discussion of growth in the Houston region).

The lineup for FPSF 2011[4] was:

2012

The festival was held June 2–3, 2012 with an estimated attendance of 92,000.[5] Tickets for FPSF 2012 ranged in price from $75 to $115.[6]

The lineup[7] was:

2013

The festival was held on June 1–2, 2013 in Eleanor Tinsley Park. This marks the festival's first sold-out edition.[9]

The lineup was:

2014

The 2014 festival was held on May 31 - June 1, 2014.

The venue was closed and the first day was evacuated at about 1:00pm due to bad weather and lightening. Many acts were bumped or rescheduled with no notice when gates were rumored to be reopened at 3:30pm. Upon return many acts had sound trouble. Weather and construction at the park caused many stages to be moved to the Allen Parkway tarmac, often creating congestion and competing for sound. Partial refunds were not offered.

The 2014 FPSF lineup consisted of:

2015

The 2015 festival was held on June 6–7, 2015.

The lineup was:

Sponsors

As of 2013, the festival was supported by Absolut Vodka, Aio Wireless, American Apparel, Barefoot Refresh Wines, Budweiser, Cracker Jack'D, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Honest Tea, Houston Chronicle 29-95, ikan, IKEA, MKT Bar, Kroger, Lowe's, Red Bull, Seidio and the Texas Lottery.[11]

References

  1. Serrano, Shea. "A Guide to Houston Summer Fest". About.com. Retrieved February 18, 2010.
  2. "Free Press Summer Festival | May 31 + June 1, 2014 | Eleanor Tinsley Park, Houston TX". Fpsf.com. 2014-06-01. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  3. "Free Press Summer Festival | May 31 + June 1, 2014 | Eleanor Tinsley Park, Houston TX". Fpsf.com. 2014-06-01. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  4. "Free Press Summer Festival | May 31 + June 1, 2014 | Eleanor Tinsley Park, Houston TX". Fpsf.com. 2014-06-01. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  5. frankieortega. "FPSF 2012 attendance estimate breaks record | 29-95". Pix.29-95.com. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  6. Moffitt, Nick (1 June 2012). "Free Press Summer Festival Announces 2012 Lineup". mxdwn. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  7. "Free Press Summer Festival | May 31 + June 1, 2014 | Eleanor Tinsley Park, Houston TX". Fpsf.com. 2014-06-01. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  8. "Free Press Summer Festival". Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  9. "Event Tickets". StubWire.com. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
  10. http://www.fpsf.com/learn.html#lineup12
  11. "Sponsors". Free Press Summer Festival. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
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