Let’s make sure 2 downtown arts festivals mean double the fun, not twice the misery

Among some Fort Worth leaders and civic-minded citizens, the fact that the city has two arts festivals going on at the same time this weekend is a cause for hand-wringing.

Done right, though, it’s a fantastic deal for visitors. The Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival, the classic that millions have enjoyed over more than three decades, is back after two years of COVID cancellations. The new Fort Worth Arts Fair brings more music, more local art and, we hope, more fun.

It can only work, though, if the festivals play fair and think of the public first. There will be time to hash out concerns about downtown’s future, as significant as they are, later.

First and foremost, everyone should promote public transit options. It’s not exactly Fort Worth’s forte, but it’s a good time to encourage visitors to get to know the Trinity Railway Express and Trinity Metro options. Parking will be available, and of course most patrons will drive, but if you want to avoid that hassle, you can.

One issue affecting convenience for visitors is the use of Sundance Square Plaza. Ideally, it would remain open to facilitate the flow of people between the two events. Sundance officials have said that will be the case as long as capacity permits it.

There’s also some concern about how much the two events have coordinated. Overlap is inevitable, and let’s hope both groups, along with city officials and police, focus on patrons’ safety and convenience first.

The two festivals are the result of a dispute over what kind of artists to invite. Main Street, organized as a nonprofit, has always been a coveted destination for national traveling festival artists. Sundance Square Plaza officials wanted to see more local artists included. When the two couldn’t agree, the Arts Fair was conceived as a showcase for local talent.

It’s unfortunate that Sundance officials chose to cram the new event into the same schedule, either out of spite or in an effort to draft off the long-established Main Street event. But it will provide a useful experiment into whether the two events can be better together and generate more visitors and exposure for artists and businesses.

The festival duel is the latest in a series of events that have showcased the rising concern over downtown’s direction. It bubbled forth last month when Reata restaurant announced it may be the latest business to leave Sundance Square. Vacancies are alarming civic leaders, especially coming as every large-city downtown is struggling to recover from the pandemic.

Downtowns may never see the level of office-workers they have in the past, thanks to the work-from-home revolution. They have to find a new way to thrive. The privately owned Sundance is trying to help entrepreneurs develop local businesses to fill the gap. But leaders, including Sasha Bass, who owns the area with husband Ed Bass, have alienated some business owners over issues such as parking, landscaping and communication.

Events such as the arts festivals should be a showcase. Whatever differences there are need to be set aside. And when the weekend is over, there should be honest assessment of what worked and reasonable compromise to fix what didn’t.

We’re not naive about the strong personalities involved and the growing divide over Sundance Square and downtown in general. It just needs to be shelved this weekend for the sake of the city and its guests.

This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 2:40 PM.