Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival Celebrating Urban Renewal in Houston's Fifth Ward

HOUSTON - April 3, 2017 - PRLog -- Urban renewal is taking place all over the country, and Houston's Fifth Ward is no exception. The Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival (https://www.facebook.com/LyonsAvenueFestival?fref=nf), a free, annual, family event, in the Fifth Ward, is celebrating the neighborhood's continued revitalization. This year's event is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 in the 3700 -4000 blocks of Lyons Avenue. The festival, organized by Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation (FWCRC) and Vice Mayor Pro-Tem, Jerry Davis, Houston City Council, District B, will feature a helicopter egg drop as part of the egg hunt of over 50,000 treat--stuffed eggs, along with live music, a kids zone, other family friendly activities and health screenings.

"The purpose of this year's festival is to spread the word across Houston about the renaissance currently underway in one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. In addition, we're highlighting the improving commitment to education," says Kathy Flanagan Payton, CEO of FWCRC. "We want to welcome new families and encourage existing families in the community to take advantage of the opportunities Fifth Ward offers." "Our plan to revitalize Lyons Avenue and the neighborhood is in full swing. The renovated DeLuxe Theater has been officially open for more than a year. Legacy Healthcare is building a new facility, new retail developments are planned, and we're building new homes in the area."

The very popular helicopter egg drop will take place again this year. Children can barely contain their glee during this activity. Just after 3:30 p.m., a helicopter will drop thousands of goodie-filled, plastic eggs for the urban egg hunt. This will happen next to the Kids Zone, sponsored by Lakewood Church (https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/Pages/Home.aspx).

In addition to egg hunt, festival attendees of all ages can will enjoy four stages filled with live music. Performances include Fifth Ward native, Trudy Lynn (https://www.trudylynnblues.com/), Brian Jack and the Zydeco Gamblers (http://brianjack.net/), gospel singer Chester DT Baldwin (http://cdtbaldwin1.wixsite.com/chesterdtbaldwin-), and Houston's hip-hop dance group, Havikoro (http://havikoro.com/) will be on site to teach everyone a few moves.

Festival goers should also be prepared to eat some of Houston's best barbecue, catfish, creole cuisine, Mexican, Indian and Filipino food among others. Many of Houston's most popular food trucks are scheduled to feed everyone in attendance.

Here is a glance at the action-packed afternoon:

• A Kick-Off parade at noon honoring local educators and top students
• Four stages featuring live zydeco, blues, jazz, gospel R&B and hip-hop performances
• "The Nickel" 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament at YES Prep
• Community service providers offering helpful advice for local residents
• Fifth Ward Festival Market featuring local businesses and merchants selling unique goods
• Food vendors preparing diverse cuisine and fresh snacks
• Health screenings for the entire family

"Our goal in fifth ward is to revitalize the neighborhood while keeping the traditions of this historic area. That means establishing a thriving arts and cultural district reminiscent of the rich history, and celebrating with family and friends help heighten community spirit and pride with the Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival," says Vice Mayor Pro-Tem, Jerry Davis, District B, Houston.

Other community partners helping to make this festival possible are Pleasant Hill Ministries, Houston Habitat for Humanity, Legacy Community Health, Early Childhood Development Center, Fifth Ward Enrichment Program, Finnegan Park, YES Prep and Lemonade Day Houston.

Special Thanks to our event sponsors who help make this a free family event – Midway, Allegiance Bank, Wells Fargo, Joel Androphy of Berg & Androphy Law Firm.

Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival will encompass the entire 3700-4000 blocks of Lyons Avenue. Traffic will be re-routed to accommodate the festivities.

For more information about the 2017 Lyons Avenue Renaissance Festival, please visit our event page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LyonsAvenueFestival or call the FWCRC at 713-674-0175.

About Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation:  The non-profit 501(c) 3 organization was started in April of 1989. The organization was started by educators, clergy, residents and business owners. For more than 25 years FWCRC has built and sold homes, provided affordable housing, and worked to make the community a great place to live, work and play.