Misplaced Pages

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30-565: The Austin Aqua Festival was created in 1962 to promote Austin and the Texas Highland Lakes as a top vacation area and to boost the local economy in what was normally a slow period. The first Aqua Fest occurred Aug. 3-12, 1962. Art Linkletter was the headliner for the event. The festival offered many water related events such as a 150-mile canoe race , fishing contests, a sailing regatta and an illuminated night time parade on

60-455: A C-5 Galaxy , which visitors would walk through to get to the main display area. Aero-Fest was an instant success and in just two years it was drawing 80,000 people to the base. Aero-Fest ceased when the base closed in 1993. The new decade saw Aqua Fest's continued growth with the addition of more new events such as a photography contest and motocross in 1971 and the Pet Parade in 1972. But

90-506: A water skiing championship, kite flying championship and an Austin Grand Prix - sports car racing on city streets. The 1966 Aqua Fest started out with the world premiere of Batman , with Adam West and other actors from the movie in attendance. 1966 also saw the start of the "Battle of the Bands", in which unknown rock and roll bands were judged for awards and recognition. Battle of

120-616: A civic event to a live music event. The organizers began to book bigger and bigger acts, even paying premiums to get popular acts such as Dolly Parton in 1992. This drove ticket prices up and attendance down. By 1993, the festival only drew 44,000 people and as a result lost $ 722,000. The festival organization exhausted its cash reserves and asked its largest creditor, the City of Austin, for permission to pay off its debt in annual installments. In 1994, Aqua Fest returned to its roots with more local acts and an all volunteer staff and in 1995 brought back

150-448: A cooling pond for the 100MW Seaholm Power Plant and the 550MW Holly Street Power Plant until they were closed in 1996 and 2007, respectively. 30°34′04″N 98°22′58″W  /  30.5678°N 98.3827°W  / 30.5678; -98.3827 Paul Hernandez Paul Hernandez (September 20, 1946–September 24, 2020), was an influential East Austin Chicano activist,

180-461: A local coordinator for President Jimmy Carter's campaign. He ran for state representative in 1984. El Concilio and Hernandez was instrumental to the campaign of Hernandez's ally, Marcos de Leon, who was elected Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 4 in 1991. Hernandez's persistent activism led to him being beaten multiple times. His worst injuries were sustained at the February 1983 Klan march to

210-630: A major figure in Austin politics, and a founder of the local Brown Berets . He led the fight against the Aquafest boat races on Town Lake in East Austin which led to their relocation. He founded El Centro Chicano, which focused on housing, gentrification, drug abuse and police brutality. Hernandez was also a spokesman for El Concilio, a coalition of East Austin Mexican-American neighborhood associations. In

240-420: A ring-making company where he saw how discriminatory practices impacted workers. Hernandez experienced racism on the job, which paid low wages and lacked advancement. When the local Economy Furniture Company workers went on strike in the late 1960s, Hernandez learned from the organizers how they sought to change their workplace. Hernandez attempted to organize his coworkers at the ring-making company. Subsequently

270-537: The lake . There were many land based events also including the Miss Austin Aqua Beauty contest, a twilight land parade, a daytime military parade, a rodeo , golf tournament , concerts , dances and fireworks . Patrons of the fest could purchase a book of discount tickets to get into the various venues. The tickets were called Skipper Script. The next year, the script gave way to the Skipper Pin, which

300-527: The Bands would become the festival's top draw. The United States Air Force air demonstration squadron, the Thunderbirds first performed at the Fest the same year. By 1968, an estimated crowd of 150,000 watched the night lighted water parade, which had been renamed to Rio Noche parade in 1964. The crowds were starting to overwhelm Festival Beach causing traffic congestion, parking problems and security concerns for

330-512: The Capital. Hernandez and others demonstrated in opposition to the Klan's march. Video footage by a Houston new crew captured events that led to a clash between police and protestors. Police beat Hernandez repeatedly over the head with billy clubs, fracturing his wrist as he held his arms up to protect himself. Hernandez also suffered a severe concussion, a gash to his head, and fractured ribs. Undeterred by

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360-554: The East Austin Chicano Development Corporation (EACEDC) by the 1980s. This organization drew its board of directors from the area's neighborhood associations. Along with Carnales, Inc., EACEDC, created new housing in the Oak Springs area. It was one of the few new housing developments in East Austin for first-time low-income homeowners. EACEDC successfully rolled back zoning to help preserve the integrity of

390-480: The Eastside. It also provided funding for home repairs and sidewalks. The Austin Aqua Festival started drag boat races on the east end of Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake) in 1964. The very loud races had an adverse effect on nearby East Austin residents. The East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association, with leaders Paul Hernandez and Edward Rendon Sr. organized noisy, but peaceful protests calling for an end to

420-627: The company let him go. From these experiences Hernandez developed an attitude he called "mentality of resistance' against forces of repression, suppression and oppression. He felt a deep compassion for how the lives of his East Austin community were negatively affected by Austin's political establishment. Hernandez had pneumonia as young man. While in the hospital recovering, a priest, brought him books to read including Rules for Radicals and "Liberation Theology." Reading these expanding his political perspectives and he realized he wanted take political action and not simply react. Hernandez helped found

450-430: The early 1990s a brain hemorrhage and protracted recovery sidelined Hernandez, but he remained committed to East Austin. Hernandez was born in East Austin, the oldest of eight children of Paul Hernandez, Sr. and Maria Olivarez Hernandez. He attended Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School, St. Edward's Prep School for Boys , and Johnston High School . In his early 20s Hernandez helped support his family by working for

480-455: The end of the festival's life, the theme nights had settled to multiple nights with Western and Mexican themes. Also in 1969, Bergstrom Air Force Base , on the southeast edge of Austin, began an open house in conjunction with Aqua Fest and titled it Aero-Fest. In addition to the Thunderbirds performing, the gathering showed off many military airplanes and other hardware. A crowd favorite was

510-433: The entertainment and began booking national acts. The City of Austin, which had subsidized Aqua Fest in its early years, now believed the Fest was self-sufficient and withdrew its financial support. The city began charging the festival for use of Auditorium Shores. In 1985, attendance at Aqua Fest peaked at 252,000. More criticism came at the festival for lack of parking, excessive noise and alcohol abuse issues. This time

540-441: The growth of the event brought confrontation with the neighborhoods surrounding Festival Beach. Complaints had gone unheeded and people finally took to the streets in protest. The anti-Fest coalition was led by Paul Hernandez and a group calling itself the "Brown Berets." Protesters were arrested and they in turn sued the City of Austin and Aqua Fest. By the end of the decade, the drag boat races were gone from Town Lake and pressure

570-529: The local chapter of the Brown Berets , who pledged to support, protect and defend the Mexican American community. As the group's leader during the 1970s and 1980s, Hernandez opposed police brutality and fought the boat races on Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake ) in East Austin. Hernandez was the guiding force behind El Concilio, the coalition of Mexican-American neighborhood associations. By 1997, El Concilio

600-476: The lower Colorado River . The Texas Colorado River winds southeast from West Texas to Matagorda Bay and the Gulf of Mexico . The lower Colorado River basin has a history of major flooding. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) built the dams to manage floods and generate hydroelectric power in the 1930s and 1940s. Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) and the respective Longhorn Dam are sometimes considered

630-563: The popular theme nights. They also tried drag boat races again, this time at Lake Walter E. Long, but the races drew little interest. It was all too little, too late and the Austin Aqua Festival folded in 1998. This article related to Austin, Texas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Texas Highland Lakes The Texas Highland Lakes are a chain of fresh water reservoirs in Central Texas formed by dams on

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660-538: The races. They were joined by El Centro Chicano and the Brown Berets. In 1978, when police broke up one protest Hernandez was beaten up badly. A widely published photograph shows Hernandez surrounded by plainclothes and uniformed law enforcement wielding billy clubs. Afterward a police officer was suspended for using excessive force and the Austin City Council abolished the drag boat races. The summer of 1978

690-544: The rebuke was from residents of the Bouldin Creek neighborhood just south of Auditorium Shores. The opponents of the festival were able to force a non-binding referendum to move Aqua Fest to Lake Walter E. Long in far east Austin. The measure passed but promised corporate support to build a new facility went away as Texas entered an oil bust in the middle of the decade. Aqua Fest stayed at Auditorium Shores. With its multiple stages for entertainment, Aqua Fest changed from

720-474: The reservoirs that store water supply for the region. The smaller lakes—Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls and Austin—are pass-through lakes that are operated within a certain range. In all, the six official dams of the Highland Lakes have a hydroelectric power production capacity of 295MW, with Mansfield Dam alone able to provide 108MW. While Longhorn Dam has no hydroelectric production capacity, Lady Bird Lake served as

750-569: The residents plus the noise of the events, especially the drag boats. However, the mostly Hispanic community had very little political clout to get anything changed. Theme nights began in 1969. Various nights of the festival would highlight different cultures of Texas . This first year there was Western, German , Czech and Jazz and Rhythm and Blues nights. Throughout the years the theme nights varied as new ones were tried and unpopular ones not repeated. These included Mexican , Black Heritage, Italian , American and International nights. Toward

780-513: The seventh "honorary" lake and dam of the Highland Lakes despite being commissioned and managed by the City of Austin instead of the LCRA. Unlike the other reservoirs in the chain which were constructed primarily to prevent flooding and generate hydroelectric power, Lady Bird Lake was constructed in order to provide a cooling pond for the city's new power plant . The two largest lakes—Buchanan and Travis—are

810-426: Was on to find a new location to hold other Aqua Fest events. Due to continued protest and growing crowds, Aqua Fest was moved from Festival Beach to Auditorium Shores , a larger park along Town Lake about a mile to the west of Festival Beach. This larger area meant the festival could now have multiple stages for entertainment. The festival organizers signed up corporate sponsors and local radio stations to co-sponsor

840-500: Was purchased and pinned on the goers clothing, letting the workers know that the wearer was eligible for discounts on tickets. The central location for many of the events was "Festival Beach," a small park on Town Lake between the city-owned power plant and a residential neighborhood. The city had originally created Town Lake as a cooling pond for the power plant. In 1964, the festival added one of its most popular and controversial events, drag boat racing on Town Lake. It also added

870-497: Was the last summer the boat races were held on Town Lake. Hernandez helped the East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association develop a plan to beautify the north shore of Town Lake east of IH-35 where the races had been held. The neglected area was improved using a grant the neighborhood received and became a green, recreational park. Hernandez was an aide to a state legislator. He served as

900-582: Was the only substantial East Austin political organization with roots in the 1960s-70s radical confrontational style of the Brown Berets. Hernandez was instrumental in helping form neighborhood organizations such as East Town Lake Neighborhood Association, Rainey Neighborhood Association, Buena Vista, Barrio Unido, and Govalle neighborhood associations. He also supported formation of alliances with existing organizations, always focused on enabling residents to learn how to defend themselves against gentrification. To address community issues Hernandez established

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