Like every media outlet in town, Newsdesk has been swamped by a possiby unprecedented deluge of emails from local artists, performers and businesses furious and perturbed by the closure of the Enchanted Forest, the one-of-a-kind outdoor gallery/performance space off South Lamar. The 2007 Best of Austin winner had its temporary permit pulled by the city, closing its doors as a working venue. Now, in a very affable way, owner Albert DeLoach is mobilizing the forces to A) show how broad the support for the project is, and B) get the site legal and up to code.
There was already a major turnout at Monday’s Year of Austin Music meeting. On Sunday July 27, there’ll be a public meeting in front of the Forest at 8pm. This wil be a prep session for making the community’s case to council (Sounds like another job for the Live Music Task Force.)
But why in front of the Enchanted Forest? Because they’re worried that there will be too many people, breaking the site’s 49 people maximum capacity. See below the fold for the full press release.
Monday August 28th! Let’s take a visit to the Austin City Council!
We will be holding a preliminary, open to the public meeting this Sunday evening July 27th @ the Enchanted Forest … we will meet up in the front by the gates … as to not break the 49 people limitation we are under between 8 and 10pm, 1412 W. Oltorf.
At this meeting we will make our statements clear and precise to bring to the City Council.
Thanks for everyone who flooded the meeting last Monday and showed your overwhelming support for the EF. We can and will move mountains, The Enchanted Forest will do whatever necessary to comply with whatever is to be required of the City of Austin … we have so much support and can show it to the City Council and Mayor Will Wynn.
We are currently working diligently on all the small improvements and violations the city has put to us already, it’s time to cut thru all the red tape ahead of us. We ask you to sign up on the mailing list by sending in more testimonials to savetheenchantedforest@gmail.com. State your name, age and zipcode and write a few or more words about what the EF means to you. We welcome people from all over the globe.
The media is on our trail … with ongoing news articles
News 8 Austin
Austin360/Statesman
Statesman
The Austinist
soon to be a story on keyetv42 …Even if you cant make it to the meeting @ the EF Sunday night, please come to the City Council meeting …
City Hall Council Chambers, Monday August 28th 5:30pm, 301 W. Second Street, Austin, TX 78701. Parking stubs from the garage will be validated for free parking
Please help us spread the news far and wide … blogs, myspace, tribe, facebook, anywhere and EVERYWHERE … Feel free to make graphics for fliers, posters, stickers etc.
Please include our mailing list … savetheenchantedforest@gmail.com and links to our website austinenchantedforest.com. We need your help to email all your friends with the above info, and to get the supportive word out to all the media.
This article appears in July 18 • 2008.
