THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2020

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.

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The complete 2020 Main Street Drag Parade Route will be announced in early 2020

The 2019 Main Street Drag started at The Orange Show World Headquarters (2334 Gulf Terminal Drive)  and traveled to the following locations:

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ROUTE 1

The Center, Lighthouse of Houston, St. Luke's Day School, Terraces at West University/Brookdale

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ROUTE 2

KIPP-Explore, Southmayd Elementary, Burnet Elementary, De Zavala Elementary, Special Services

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ROUTE 3

Golden Age Hobby House, Presbyterian School, St. Stephen's Episcopal School, UofH Childcare

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ROUTE 4

St. Paul's United Methodist School, Brighton Gardens/The Gardens of Bellaire, Seven Acres, Brazos Towers and Bayou Manor

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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.

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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 8 separate caravans, making organized stops at 32 schools, hospitals and community centers, seeing more than 30,000 people.