Art Car Parade: Part Two of the Art Car Weekend

Saturday marks the "piece de resistance" of Art Car Weekend - The Art Car Parade! Houstonist is singing "I Love a Parade" in our very best Ethel Merman voice in celebration of this event (normally, we stick to "There's No Business Like Show Business"). The world's largest and oldest parade of its kind makes its way into downtown on Allen Parkway for the 20th year to an anticipated crowd of over 200,000 people. This year's parade should be the largest one thus far, with approximately 250 cars entered. This year's Grand Marshal will "put the funk in your trunk" - none other than the inspiration for last year's Mayors Cup winner "Atomic Dog" created by Waltrip High School - Mr. George Clinton! As with all events during Art Car Weekend - the parade is FREE to the public. Vendors will have food and beverages for sale in Eleanor Tinsley Park, the terminus of the parade. Once the entrants park at the finish, you can meander through the area for a closer look.

Some of the new entries this year are "Spelling Bee" by the North Shore Elementary Car Club, which is comprised of 4th and 5th grade students - this will be their first year in the parade. "Fandango" by Waltrip High School - a rolling tribute to Houston's own, ZZ Top. "Pieces of Pershing" by Pershing Middle School, taking the concept of "found art" to another level, students transform various remnants of their old campus, which fell victim to the wrecking ball, into a movng piece of art. The TIRR Art Car Class, a creative approach to rehabilitation for survivors of traumatic brain injuries will be showcasing "What's On Your Mind", a 1981 Datsun 210 that has been transformed into a rolling brain, complete with spinal cord. Of course, you will also get to see favorites from previous years, as well. The Houston Roller Derby will also be skating in the parade.

Allen Parkway will be closed to through traffic early tomorrow morning, as the parade begins lining up at 9:00 a.m. Please feel free to come on out as early as you would like to watch the entrants queue up. Houstonist suggests that you bring a lawn chair if you plan to park yourself in one area to watch the entire parade roll by. Other suggestions for taking in the parade, bicycling or skating the area. Parking is available in the Allen Center Garage, Bayou Place or the Hobby Center for a nominal fee - normally $5 - $10. The parade officially kicks off at 1:00 p.m., but plan to arrive early to get a good vantage point and be sure to stick around afterward for that up close and personal view of the entries.

Art Car Weekend is a production of The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, The Art Car Parade is also made possible by KPRC-TV (who will air the parade at a later date), and the Houston Chronicle.

Photo: Courtesy of Penny Smith