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.

no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana