Did you hear it? Residents complain about noise from Panther Island rave festival
It was heard as far away as Arlington Heights.
The low throbbing base punctuating Fort Worth’s atmosphere was caused by the annual Ubbi Dubbi festival Saturday and Sunday at Panther Island Pavilion.
The festival, described by organizers as a “sensory overload of electronic goodness,” featured more than 40 musical performers in genres such as house, techno, trance and bass.
More than 20,000 people attended the two day festival, according to a Facebook post from MedStar.
Both nights were capped off by fireworks leaving some residents to wonder if this was a violation of the city’s noise ordinance.
Fort Worth’s noise ordinance sets an 80 decibel cap for Panther Island and the West 7th District until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. That’s roughly equivalent to the sound of a diesel truck traveling 40 mph 50 feet away, according to data compiled by Purdue University.
That cap drops to 70 decibels on Sundays, or roughly equivalent to the sound of a vacuum cleaner up close.
Fort Worth Police received no noise complaint calls on Saturday and one on Sunday in response to the music festival, said Officer Daniel Segura in an email to the Star-Telegram.
It’s not clear what, if any citations the event received from the noise complaint.
Citations are usually a last resort, Fort Worth Assistant Police Chief Robert Alldredge told the city council in January. The department’s goal is to get compliance, but if there are a lot of repeat complaints the department can issue a ticket, he said.
The largest fine for violating the city’s noise ordinance is $500.
The fireworks display was properly permitted by the Fort Worth fire department, said department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.
Panther Island Pavilion is managed by the Tarrant Regional Water District, however, the district does not handle specific aspects of the individual events, according to a disclaimer on its website.
District general manager Dan Buhman, who took over in May 2021, has shifted the district from producing events to keep the agency’s focus on its mission of providing raw water and protection against flooding.
The district acknowledged the noise complaints and apologized for disturbing residents, in a statement emailed to the Star-Telegram.
“We will implement measures going forward that will address the noise concerns of nearby residents,” the statement read.
The event space is set to host the Tacos & Tequila Festival on May 20 and the Water Lantern Festival on June 24.
This story was originally published April 24, 2023 at 9:55 AM.
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