Promoters make pitch for move to Gonzales

Float Fest could be moving downstream to the Guadalupe River in Gonzales.

The agenda for the Gonzales City Council’s meeting last night had a discussion item on hosting Float Fest at J.B. Wells Park and Independence Park in Gonzales. Council is also slated to accept public input regarding the festival. Among the topics that could be discussed are a licensed area/site plan, traffic and transportation plan, emergency management plan, security, tubing plan, water and bathrooms, waste and trash collection, parking, camping, river impact mitigation and cleanup plan and a wildlife impact mitigation plan.

Gonzales City Clerk Kristina Vega noted that the item was only scheduled for discussion, not action, at the council meeting.

The festival had taken place at Cool River Ranch, on the Guadalupe County side of the San Marcos River, since 2014. The Guadalupe County Commissioners Court denied the festival permit this year, as it had done last year. And, just like last year, the festival organizers filed a lawsuit against the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court. However, last year, the commissioners settled and allowed the festival to go on; this year, the commissioners decided to let the appeal proceed. Guadalupe County district court online records show that a motion hearing is scheduled in the appeal for March 25. 

Float Fest had been scheduled for July 20-21 at Cool River Ranch. Last year’s lineup included Tame Impala and Snoop Dogg. The festival brings in thousands of visitors to camp, attend concerts and float the river.

A report from Angelou Economics released in January stated that Float Fest generated $12.3 million for “San Marcos and the surrounding region” last year. The report included Travis, Hays and Guadalupe counties but not Caldwell County, which is located across the river from the festival site.