party at the park

Downtown Houston's historic urban park celebrates grand reopening

Downtown's historic Market Square Park is reopening.

Photo by Morris Malakoff

As Houston history buffs are well aware, downtown’s Market Square Park has been a thriving urban hub since the city’s founding by the Allen brothers in 1836. The site was originally dubbed Congress Square and renamed Market Square in 1839, and was also home to four different City Hall buildings over the years.

Now, the once-neglected center, which was reimagined in 2010, is celebrating a reopening and tenth anniversary on Friday, September 4. The public is invited to the event (301 Milam St.) from 11 am to 2 pm with free cupcakes from Frosted Betty Truck (while supplies last) and live music by Houston-native singer-songwriter, Madeline Edwards. Visitors can snap a selfie at the oversized cupcake installation. (Be sure to mask up and social distance.)

Market Square Park is known as a bustling, destination for live entertainment, public art, cultural programming and outdoor dining. The park has been host to hundreds of events such as Houston’s 175th Birthday celebration, kooky wrestling by Doomsday Wrestling, local and regional musicians, and the beloved Puppies for Breakfast, an annual dog-centric festival.

The park is widely recognized as inspiring the revitalization of Historic Market Square and the nearby Main Street corridor as a neighborhood for living, culture, food, drink, and nightlife. The area has now seen new adjacent residential properties Aris Market Square, Market Square Tower, and The Preston (which will be completed in 2022, according to a press release).

Those who flock to the park now may find it hard to imagine the park as a parking lot in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the Junior League of Houston helped transform it into a green space, and in the 1980s, arts nonprofit DiverseWorks coordinated a renovation of the park that incorporated works by local artists throughout the space.

Sitting in neglect and decline, the park was largely forgotten until the Downtown District, Downtown Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ #3, City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and community stakeholders redeveloped and reopened it in its current form in August 2010.

Sobering statistic

Texas ranks as one of the deadliest states for New Year’s crashes

Courtesy

Be sure to arrange a safe ride home on New Year's Eve.

At more than 314,000 miles, Texas boasts the largest system of public roads among the 50 states. It also holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the deadliest states for New Year’s car accidents.

An analysis of 2014-2023 traffic data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows Texas is the ninth worst state for traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

During the 10-year period covered by the analysis, commissioned by AutoAccident.com, Texas tallied 280 traffic deaths on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day — the highest total of any state. The 280-person toll in Texas works out to 9.61 deaths per one million residents, a rate that’s 37 percent above the national average of 6.99 deaths per one million residents.

The analysis reveals that nearly three-fourths (64 percent) of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traffic deaths in Texas were drivers, nearly one-fifth (19 percent) were pedestrians, and 16 percent were passengers.

“New Year’s Eve is one of the most dangerous nights on American roads,” says Edward Smith, managing attorney at AutoAccident.com, a personal injury law firm.

“With impaired driving incidents spiking during holiday celebrations, every driver has a responsibility to make smart choices that protect themselves and others sharing the road,” Smith adds. “Even in states with strong safety records, one preventable death is too many.”

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), more than 2,000 drunk driving-related crashes happened during the 2024 holiday season. Last year, December ranked as the No. 1 month in Texas for wrecks caused by drunk drivers.

“The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family, and yet they can also be a painful reminder for those who have lost loved ones to preventable crashes,” says Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT. “Let’s make a new holiday tradition to drive like a Texan: kind, courteous, and safe. That means always getting a sober ride.”

TxDOT offers these four tips for staying safe on the roads as the calendar switches from 2025 to 2026:

Designate a sober driver before the celebrations start.
Ask a sober relative or friend to pick you up if you’re too tipsy to drive.
Use public transit or rideshare services.
Stay off the roads until you’ve sobered up.

traffic fatalities crime holidays new year's day new years eve traffic