Susan and I went to the Festival last night. I figured that, since it was the first time in memory it hadn't rained (heavily) on Festival weekend, it might be fun. We scoped out a spot on the hill at Cameron Park and spent most of the evening watching people. One of the things we don't do nearly enough is allow ourselves the opportunity to go out and relax. Between work and watching after a 15-year-old boy, there isn't much time for us. Last night we made some time, and it was well worth it.
Sitting on the hill, we watched The Derailers, a band from Austin I'd never heard of before. I was very impressed. These guys are GOOD. It never ceases to amaze me just how much truly high-quality music comes out of Austin these days. Austin IS the capitol of Texas, but in many respects it's a small town in central Texas. If you know where to look, though, there is a surprising amount of activity in Austin. If you're into live music, for instance, Austin's 6th Street could keep you interested for quite awhile. Outside of that, Austin and the area around it is some of the prettiest country you'll find anywhere. But I digress....
Once The Derailers finished their set, it was time for the old folks to go home. Neither of us are late night types, but it would be nice to be able to stay awake past midnight now and then. We wandered past some of the vendors tables, and Susan bought me a $3 leather bracelet (I always did go for the expensive stuff...). It was fun just to wander aimlessly and see what was happening.
The festival is an example of one of the things I love about Seabrook. Though we're 35 southeast of downtown Houston, this is still a small town (around 7,000 souls). Most of the people in our neighborhood don't lock their doors. That is beginning to change as the influence of Houston slowly creeps our way, but I enjoy the small-town atmosphere. No, we don't have a Starbucks (yet), but we do have a Hooters, and Seabrook is growing rapidly. In five years, things might look different, especially if the Port of Houston gets their way and builds their planned huge container facility (Which, incidentally, would be built on top of Cameron Park, the Festival site.)
The Seabrook Music Festival is a great example of what makes this a fun place to live. It's a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and it's not as uptight as Houston can be at times. Thankfully, the Festival is held in October, so the weather is generally tolerable. Cameron Park is large enough so that events and exhibits are comfortably spread out, but still within easy walking distance. All of this for six bucks. Not bad, eh??
Today's the last day, so if you have the opportunity, you really should go. After all, it will most likely rain next year!
