Councilman Votes Against Festival

La Grange City Council approved a request from La Grange Main Street to close off several streets around the Courthouse Square for the Schmeckenfest celebration, scheduled for Thursday, December 3.

Councilman Quenten Gonzalez cast the only vote against the request.

“With the projected increase of COVID cases, why should we open our community up for this event, when other events have been canceled?” Gonzalez told the Record after the meeting. “We canceled the Fair. We canceled the (Fair) Parade, which would have been outside. We canceled the Halloween event on the Square. I don’t think it’s the right time to hold an event on the Square when we canceled all those others. We’re in no better spot in relation to COVID right now.”

Gonzalez cited the recent increase in COVID cases locally, which have doubled from a week ago.

During the meeting, Gonzalez raised several questions regarding the event. No one from La Grange Main Street was present at the meeting.

“We’re planning on having this event, even though previous events have been canceled for COVID?” Gonzalez asked.

City Manager Shawn Raborn said Main Street’s Schmeckenfest committee plans to proceed with the event. He said the committee put rules in place for social distancing and mask wearing. Councilwoman Kathy Weishuhn, who sits on the Main Street board of directors, said the committee ordered special cups with lids that will be used instead of the commemorative steins that have been provided in the past.

Gonzalez asked if the committee has considered the possibility of cancelling the event.

“Not right now they haven’t,” Weishuhn said.

“It’s just full steam ahead,” Gonzalez said.

“We’ve been working with the merchants downtown, and they are anxious to bring something back to downtown,” Weishuhn said. “It has been really dry for our folks. We’re trying to do this as carefully as possible.”

“We’re trying to keep the downtown district viable,” she added.

Council ultimately approved the street closures by a vote of 7-1. The following streets will be closed starting at 4 p.m. on Dec. 3:

• The entry to N. Washington St at Travis St,

• The 100 and 200 blocks of W. Colorado St at Hwy. 77 North to the intersection of N. Washington St

• Travis St from Hwy. 77 to Brown St (Traffic will be detoured one block south to W Crockett to S. Brown then back onto Travis St)

• One half of the 200 block of N. Washington to the Prosperity Bank parking lot entrance.