THE MAIN STREET DRAG
THURSDAY APRIL 13, 2023
9AM-1PM
Bringing the parade to the People!
The Main Street Drag is the first official event of Houston Art Car Parade Weekend and famously one of the art car artists' favorite parts of all four days. Organized by the Houston Art Car Parade Volunteer Committee, the Main Street Drag is an opportunity for art car artists to travel to locations across Houston and visit with individuals that may not have the opportunity to attend the actual parade. Schools, nursing homes, developmental centers, hospitals, and other similar institutions are stops along the five miniature parade routes.
2023 Main Street Drag Locations Visited:
BakerRipley House
Brazos Tower / Bayou Manor
Carillo Elementary
Davila Elementary
Deady Middle School
Gallegos Elementary
Harvard Elementary
Heritage of Meyerland
Hogg Middle School
Horn Elementary
Kashmere Gardens Elementary
Kipp Academy
Kolter Elementary
Lighthouse of Houston
Love Elementary
Lovett Elementary
Northside High School
Osborne Elementary
River Oaks Elementary
Sanchez Elementary
Southmayd Elementary
St. Luke's Day School
Texas Children's Hospital
The Center for Pursuit
The Hallmark
Interested in having the Main Street Drag stop at your school, nursing home, developmental center or hospital in 2024? Email us at oranges@orangeshow.org.
Generously sponsored by
HISTORY OF THE MAIN STREET DRAG
In 1991, the Orange Show brought acclaimed art car artist David Best to Houston to collaborate on an art car with a University of Houston sculpture class. He and Houston artist Paul Kittelson staged an impromptu procession of art cars the day before the official parade around the city's 610 loop.
The pre-parade art car convoy was such a success that in 1992, the Orange Show formalized the pre-parade event as the Main Street Drag, a caravan from the Astrodome at the South end of Main St. to the North Main barrio. In 1993, with the involvement of the Texas Children's Hospital, the Drag began to include the Texas Medical Center. It has grown into multiple separate caravans, making organized stops at a variety of schools, hospitals and community centers, seeing more than 30,000 people.