NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – A fence went up along Moss Street in Mid-City Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s 11th annual Bayou Boogaloo Music Festival. Less than 24 hours later crews were taking it down.
Festival organizers said on their Facebook page, they “were trying to pro-actively solve a couple of issues, but the cure was worse than the disease.”
The fence was on the opposite side of the festival’s main stage and blocked residents from sitting on the grass and watching the free festival from across the bayou.
Organizers said the fence was not intended to keep anyone out.
Our intent is not to keep anyone out, but rather to encourage more people to participate. We want to keep admission free so that all community members have the opportunity to attend.
The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo has always been fueled by great New Orleans music, food, art and crafts and, perhaps most of all, community. It also requires money, time and positive relationships with all involved.
To be a true neighborhood festival requires community participation. Some do this by volunteering, by becoming members of the Mothership Foundation and our Canopy Club, by sponsoring the festival or simply by attending and supporting our vendors.
The decision to add temporary fencing this year along one side of a stretch of the bayou was made in light of a number of issues we face in producing our event, many of which extend beyond the grounds where we hold our event.
These include trash, safety, traffic, liability, neighboring properties, and outside beverages. The installation of a temporary fence along this small section was an attempt to mitigate the issues mentioned here.
So please, consider why we made this decision, come enjoy the music and food, spend time with your neighbors and friends and enjoy the community festival we strive to produce.