Thousands of people cheered on the 41st annual Hyack Parade downtown, and then went up the hill to enjoy the first-ever Uptown Live! extravaganza
Uptown New Westminster was rocking during the first Uptown Live!
"We took, I think, tremendous risk in trying to launch Uptown Live! on the same day as our Hyack International Parade. I think it was a risk worth taking, judging by the results," said Douglas Smith, executive director of the Hyack Festival Association. "We had fantastic weather, we had record crowds."
The Hyack Festival Association held its first Uptown Live! following the May 26 Hyack International Parade. The event featured musical performances on several stages, displays, food vendors, and demonstrations of BMX and children's activities.
Smith said a tremendous amount of organization went into making sure there was a seamless transition from the parade to the street festival.
"Budget-wise, this was probably four or five times what we have ever done before," Smith said. "Sponsorship support was largely responsible for being able to produce an event of this quality. This was a big-time production, not a Mickey Mouse thing."
While families and folks of all ages turned out in droves for the Hyack International Parade, the streets were filled with a younger demographic for the concerts. A number of up-and-coming indie bands performed at three stages at Uptown Live!
"It was part of our effort to get a read on the audience and our community.
We decided to program for a younger audience," Smith said. "We have never done that. It was time to do that.
That was the feedback I got from the community - there wasn't enough for the 18 to 35 year-old crowd."
Smith said he's received tremendous feedback about Uptown Live from performers and community members.
Bill Radbourne, president of the Hyack Festival Association, said there were a lot of people aged 20 to 40 in the uptown for the city's newest event.
"I thought it was exciting," he said. "I don't think we ever looked at that (demographic information) before. We went along with what we are doing and tried to do the best we could."
Radbourne said 2012 is a "year of change" for the Hyack Festival Association under its new executive director.
"I am just amazed that the city went along with it," he said about closing Sixth Avenue and Sixth Street to traffic. "This is Sixth and Sixth."
In addition to allowing the streets to be closed for Uptown Live!, Radbourne said the city also moved its annual open house from city hall to the uptown area. He's been told the city displays and vehicle displays attracted more crowds than they do when the open house is held at city hall.
"They worked with us hand-in-hand to make it work," he said of the city. "We really appreciate it."
Smith is confident that the Hyack Festival Association has launched an event for the Uptown that "put New Westminster on the map" but will have to decide whether to continue it on parade day or making it a standalone, summer event for 2013.
