EDITORIAL: Bootfest continues to bring community together
The idea of a free two-day regional festival in downtown
Last year, the same festival took on a special meaning when it occurred about a month after Hurricane Harvey and about a week after the
Today, the event that began in 2010 has rightfully earned its place among the annals of regional celebrations.
Bootfest.
That name now spurs different reactions, bringing lots of smiles, stories of family fun, great food and sharing time with friends.
Thousands are expected to converge into
Throughout the festival, there will be a car, truck and motorcycle show, a Kids' Corral full of activities for the younger attendees, rope trick performances, arts and crafts booths, a 5K and tons of various types of food and drink.
And there will be a long, continuous lineup of performing entertainment -- from
One new feature this year in the entertainment segment will be 12-year-old Adysen Malek, who learned how to play the ukulele while she and her family evacuated to
More than a year after the storm, Adysen and her ukulele will take center stage at Bootfest on Saturday. The seventh-grader will be singing and playing the ukulele and guitar for an hourlong set on Bootfest's bandstand stage as the youngest performer the annual festival has ever hosted.
Adysen, who lives in
Adysen first came on Bootfest's radar in February, when she performed in the talent show at Theatre Victoria. Adysen sang "Make You Feel My Love," by
She has spent much of the summer preparing her show. She even tested her skills with one of the most difficult songs to sing, the national anthem, before a huge crowd at a
Another new element this year will be a treat for fans of 1980s rock music. Three tribute bands will perform from
"We wanted to try something a little different," said
Novosad said Bootfest has booked three of the most popular tribute bands in
This will be a great opportunity for some parents who were raised in the 1980s to introduce the next generation to their music.
Last year, the festival attracted between 14,500 and 17,500 people to downtown, which was a drop from the 2016 estimated attendance of about 26,000. We hope this year's event will see a rejuvenated crowd and a boost in its attendance.
Bootfest will long be a worthwhile investment for
We hope to see you at the festival.
This opinion reflects the views of the
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(c)2018 Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas)
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