BECOME A PARTNER
A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF
THE ORANGE SHOW'S ART CAR PARADE
"A zany tribute to the automobile as anything but transportation" - The New York Times
1984 The iconic Fruitmobile is created by artist Jackie Harris as an auction item for the Orange Show Foundation's gala.
1984 Ann Harithas curates "Collision" at Lawndale Art Center, an exhibition featuring two Art Cars
1986 New America Music Festival features the New Music Parade organized
1986 Orange Show organizes a "Road Show" featuring Art Cars and lowriders
1988 Houston International Festival commissions the Orange Show to organize a celebration of Art Cars resulting in "Roadside Attractions: The Art Car Parade," which is considered the very first Art Car Parade ever, drawing 2,000 spectators and featuring 40 Art Cars.
1989 The Art Car Parade doubles in size, and over 10,000 spectators flock to see it
1990 Artist and Educator Rebecca Bass and her students at Edison Middle School create the first Youth entry into the Art Car Parade
1997 The Art Car Parade is featured on the cover of The New York Times
2003 The Orange Show officially takes over production of the Art Car Parade and begins producing it independently
2007 The Art Car Parade features its first official Grand Marshal, performer George Clinton
2017 The Art Car Parade celebrates its 30th anniversary by significantly expanding its parade route to incorporate downtown Houston and Allen Parkway
Today, the Orange Show's Art Car Parade is the highlight of a multi-day celebration of "the drive to create," attracting 250+ vehicles and other entries from across the world and nearly 300,000 spectators.
Participants in the parade are not just limited to automobiles, but can include anything on wheels from bikes and unicycles to lawn mowers, go-carts, roller skates, and so much more. Community groups, schools, non-profits, corporations and professional organizations have all become regular participant. In addition, through a judging process the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art awards over $20k in prize money to artists, schools, and individuals in various categories.
2023 ART CAR SCHEDULE
JANUARY-MARCH
Art Car Workshop Series
APRIL 10-12
Art Car Film & Lecture Series
APRIL 13
Main Street Drag
Sneak Peek @ Discovery Green
APRIL 14
Legendary Art Car Ball
APRIL 15
36th Art Car Parade
The Lineup Party
The Kids Creative Zone
The VIPit Experience
APRIL 16
The Art Car Awards Ceremony
CELEBRATING THE ARTIST IN EVERYONE
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Main Street Drag
The Main Street Drag takes the Orange Show Art Car Parade to schools, nursing homes, development centers, and other institutions throughout the city on the Thursday prior to the parade. Five routes will showcase participating art cars to select institutions, and is an opportunity to teach about this unique form of art.
Demographics: Children, Teachers, Young Parents
Locations: Inner Loop, Spring Branch/West Side
Opportunities: Branding, Media Coverage, Promo Distribution
Legendary Art Car Ball
Over 3,000 guests will don their craziest outfits and head to the Orange Show World Headquarters for The Legendary Art Car Ball. Art lovers, socialites, street performers, artists, and anyone interested in celebrating creativity will enjoy an evening of music, food, dancing, performance art, and of course Art Cars! Performances by top local and regionals musical acts keep the party grooving as guests enjoy libations provided by long-time partner Saint Arnold Brewing Company, spirits from a variety of partner brands and bars, bites from local restaurants, and an array of interactive art activities. The Legendary Art Car Ball is always considered one of the most colorful and artistic events of the year and an incredible opportunity to showcase your brand to Houston’s creative communities.
Demographics: Adults ages 25-50 living within 15-20 miles of Houston’s city center
Location: Orange Show World HQ on Houston’s East End
Opportunities: Branding, Product Sponsorship,
On-Site Activation, Music/Entertainment, Promo Items
The VIPit Experience
The Orange Show’s largest fundraiser for the Art Car Parade, The VIPit Experience welcomes 2,000 guests to enjoy an exclusive party at Houston’s City Hall and the best viewing spots to watch the Art Car Parade roll by. Specially designed reserved bleacher sections and private tables are sold via tiered ticketing levels, and all guests receive complimentary lunch provided by over a dozen local restaurants, as well as an open bar featuring partner spirit brands, beer, wine, and more. Live music, parade commentary from local newscasters and personalities, swag bags, kids art activities, shaded lounge areas, and commemorative badges add to the excitement at one of Houston’s signature and iconic annual events.
Demographics: UHNW Individuals, C-Suite Executives, Business Owners, Philanthropists, and their families - primarily residing in River Oaks, West U and Memorial neighborhoods
Location: Hermann Square at Houston City Hall
Opportunities: Branding, On-site Activation, Product Sponsorship, Promo Items for Swag Bags, and custom packages that include reserved tickets and sections
The Kids Creative Zone
The Kids Creative Zone, located directly adjacent to the parade route at Sam Houston Park, features a variety of family-friendly amenities and activities including hands-on art workshops, shaded bleacher seating, musical entertainment, food and drink vendors, and much more. Sponsors of the Kids Creative Zone have access to 20,000+ families from all over the Greater Houston area.
Demographics: Families
Location: Sam Houston Park in Downtown Houston
Opportunities: Branding, On-site Activation, Promo Items, Entertainment, Street Team
The Lineup Party
One of the most popular places to be on Parade Day happens before the parade even begins! The Lineup Party brings as many as 50,000 Art Car enthusiasts out for an opportunity to get up close to each Art Car entry prior to the parade rolling. Live music, food and beverage vendors, and an array of sponsor activations line Allen Parkway as attendees mingle with artists and claim their perfect spot before the festivities begin.
Demographics: All demos from children to senior citizens
Location: Allen Parkway at Heiner St.
Opportunities: On-site Activation, Promo Items, Entertainment, Street Team
The Orange Show's Art Car Parade
The Orange Show Art Car Parade is a special and unique Houston tradition. A crowd of nearly 300,000 flocks to Downtown Houston along Allen Parkway & Smith Street to witness 250 rolling works of art and celebrate the artists in all of us. Deemed the world’s oldest and largest gathering of its kind, the fantastic mobile masterpieces, bedazzled street performers, and decked out bike troupes roll down Smith, loop around the City Hall, and make their way down Allen Parkway. Local street food vendors and entertainment add to the atmosphere of this huge community event - the largest free public gathering in Houston all year. Sponsor opportunities include entering a branded Art Car into the parade, collaborating with a local school to create a new art car entry, setting up activation sites along the parade route, deploying street teams, and more. Allow us to create a custom sponsorship package for you!
Demographics: See below for specific demographics about Parade attendees
Location: Allen Parkway and Downtown Houston
Opportunities: Branding, On-site Activation, Promo Items, Entertainment, Street Team
PARADE DEMOGRAPHICS
With more than 2.2 million residents in the city limits, and over 7 million in the greater metropolitan area, Houston attracts visitors and transplants with a wonderful mix of world-class arts, booming businesses, pro sports, and award-winning cuisine. Annually, the city lands on several “best of” lists, including the Travel + Leisure roundup of America’s Favorite Cities and the Hotwire.com index of most affordable US vacation destinations.
Notably, Houston is now considered America’s most diverse city. The Los Angeles Times posits that by 2050 America will look a lot like Houston does today. As one of the largest free public events in Houston all year, The Houston Art Car Parade attracts an extremely diverse crowd of people interested in celebrating the artist in all of us.
Ethnicity
Asian - 3.1%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander - .4%
African American - 12.2%
White - 57.5%
Hispanic - 21.4%
Other - 5.4%
Top Residing Zips
77009, 77007, 77006, 77008, 77098, 77027, 77004, 77019, 77002, 77005, 77023, 77024, 77025, 77012, 77079, 77043, 77047, 77070, 77093, 77096, 77388, 77386, 77478, 77583
Age
11-19 - 5.9%
20-24 - 4.6%
25-34 - 29.8%
35-44 - 21.5%
45-54 - 17.4%
55-64 - 13.4%
65+ - 7.5%
Annual Household Income
< $20K - 13.2%
$20K - $50K - 21.3%
$50K - $100K - 36%
$100K - $200K - 20.1%
> $200K - 9.4%
MEDIA PARTNERS & VALUES
The Orange Show’s Art Car Parade is promoted as a major event through print, billboard, online, television and radio advertising, as well as through a regional, national and international media relations campaign. The Parade is live-streamed through our TV partner ABC-13 and developed into an hour-special that is aired at a later date and distributed nationally through all ABC outlets & Hulu.
Press coverage includes feature placements within the following publications:
Print: Houston Chronicle, Houston Press, Austin Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, Houstonia Magazine, Texas Highways Magazine, Houston CityBook, Downtown Magazine, Houston Modern Luxury, PaperCity Magazine
Online: Houston Chronicle, Houston Press, Houstonia, Culturemap, 365 Things to Do in Houston, Houston Public Media
TV: ABC-13, KPRC, KHOU, KRIV, NEWSFIX-CW39
Radio: Houston Public Media (NPR affiliate), KPFT, KHMX, KRBE, KGLK, KTRU
ORANGE SHOW ART CAR PARADE MEDIA STATS
Circulation Impressions Worldwide: 36,324,550
(TV+PRINT+RADIO+WEB)
Media Value: $798,113
Publicity Value: $4,211,014
Estimated Attendance at Parade: 300,000
Estimated Out of Town Visitors (100+ miles): 30,300
Flyers/Posters/Programs Distributed: 50,000
Unique Monthly Web Visitors: 545,692
Monthly Web Page Views: 4,365,543
Average Time Spent on Website: 5.2 Minutes
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: 35K+ Followers Instagram: 10K+ Followers
CONTACT US
The Art Car Parade is produced by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
OUR MISSION
Celebrate the Artist in Everyone.
OUR VISION
Transforming lives through creative self-expression
OUR VALUES
Creativity - we seek, share, and inspire unique approaches to art in all forms
Inclusivity - We embrace authenticity and believe everyone should have access to create and experience art
Joy - We have fun and encourage the freedom, discovery, and delight that comes through self-expression
Preservation - We protect works of extraordinary imagination
For more information about sponsorship opportunities please fill out the form below and a member of our team will respond to your inquiry shortly.
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