Freaky Deaky festival pumps up the volume and gets promoter arrested, Texas cops say
It started as a successful festival following the rules, but it went downhill in the last two hours, and the promoter of the Freaky Deaky Music Festival in Houston was charged with disorderly conduct.
Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said in a news release posted to the department’s Facebook page that the promoter went through the proper channels to ensure the noise level would be kept at a respectable level after Hawthorne warned him of “sound level issues and traffic flow problems on Saturday night.”
After the initial warning on Saturday night, the promoter canceled events and brought in “charter buses to help move the crowd and assist in the ride share programs,” according to the news release.
About 45,000 people attended the festival over Saturday and Sunday. The Sheriff’s Office “made five misdemeanor arrests that were festival-related.”
Deputies monitored the noise level through a decibel meter and said Sunday evening during the last two hours of the festival, noise levels rose.
Hawthorne said because of the increased sound levels and complaints from the public, the promoter was charged with “disturbing the peace, under statute 4201 – Disorderly Conduct,” he said in a statement.
Many comments under the post disagreed with the noise complaints and charges against the promoter.
“That should never have been built right in the middle of a residential area,” commenter Sherie Ann May said.
Some commenters agreed with the charges.
“Chambers County, can we make sure they never get another permit for it again,” asked commenter Peggy Williams.
“I believe the promoter had good intentions, but the entertainers and sound engineers were placing the entertainment of festival attendees over the citizens of our county; therefore, the promoter will have to answer to Chambers County Precinct 6 Justice of the Peace Larry Cryer on violations of unreasonable noise after being notified of the public nuisance,” Hawthorne said.
This story was originally published October 28, 2019 at 8:19 PM.