art car week is back

Houston's iconic Art Car Parade revs up with a week of sneak peeks, over-the-top parties, and more

As locals know, springtime in Houston means it's once again time for the Art Car Parade.

For the 36th year, 250 rolling masterpieces will take over the city’s streets as thousands of fans cheer them on from the sidelines. But before that happens, some other Art Car-related events will be going down.

Festivities will start off on Tuesday, April 11, as the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and the Art Car Museum (6 pm-8 pm; 140 Heights Blvd.) will host an intriguing discussion with automotive artists Henry Chang and Randy Grubb, whose spectacular pieces of automotive ingenuity will be on display at the parade.

Parade to the people

On Thursday, April 13, the Main Street Drag will be going on all over Houston. Designed to “bring the parade to the people,” this events finds Art Cars and their artists visiting schools, hospitals, nursing homes, developmental facilities and other locations where residents may not be able to participate on their own on parade day.

More 100 cars will create a series of “mini parades” that will make their way to designated locations, as the artists spend time showing off their rolling masterpieces.

A free sneak peak

Later that evening, Discovery Green will host the Art Car Sneak Peek, a free, family-friendly evening featuring entertainment, food & drinks, and the opportunity to see 100+ art cars and meet their artists throughout the park and along Avenida Houston.

Art Car Ballin'

The Art Car Ball will be on Friday, April 14, at Orange Show World Headquarters (2401 Munger St.). Along with wild costumes, interactive/performance art, food, drinks, and a huge selection of illuminated art cars, there will also be performances from New Orleans avant-garde “rap cabaret” sensation Boyfriend, Austin’s lauded electro-pop performer Caleb de Casper, Houston’s DJ Amarji, the high-energy Free Rads 2nd Line, and more.

Rollin' out

Saturday, April 15 is parade day, but several events will go down beforehand. At 11 am, Splice Records and Saint Arnold will present the Lineup Party, just west of the I-45 overpass. This is your chance to peruse the more than 250 art cars as they get ready for the parade.

At the same time, the H-E-B Kids Creative Zone, which will feature an array of creative activities for both kids and adults alike, will be over at Sam Houston Park. Over at Hermann Square at City Hall, the VIPit Experience will pop off at noon. The event features complimentary bites from over a dozen local chefs and restaurants, cocktails, pre-parade entertainment, kids’ art activities, swag bags, live parade commentating from notable Houston personalities, and nearby reserved parking.

At 2 pm, the parade will start rolling. Orange Show founder Marilyn Oshman will lead the parade as the 2023 Grand Marshal. The parade officially begins at the intersection of Dallas and Bagby Streets (on Allen Parkway) heading into downtown before circling City Hall and heading outbound onto Allen Parkway out of downtown, dispersing at Waugh Drive.

Art Car Awards

Things will close on Sunday, April 16 with the Art Car Awards Ceremony at Orange Show World Headquarters. Over $15,000 will be distributed to Art Car artists and groups in various categories through a judging process that rates entries based on their creativity, artistic techniques and inspiration. The public is invited to come celebrate the winners and get a final chance to see this year’s Art Car entries and meet the artists.

Photo courtesy of The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art

Houston's most colorful rides are back.

For schedules and more information, visit the official website.

In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

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