Lakewood, arguably the most neighborly neighborhood in East Dallas, presented the city with a local festival this past Saturday on what turned out to be a fantastically sunny afternoon (no thanks to the weather forecasts). Though expectations were low, Lakewoodstock attendance was relatively high, providing nearby residents with an unorthodox day activity for the kids and kinfolk.

More carnival than festival
Call me spoiled from the adventures of the past, but my definition of a festival has certainly been altered over the past year. Though it was a valiant effort, Lakewoodstock’s entertainment was quite lackluster. Local businesses and community entities did their best to add to the atmosphere with classic carnival staples such as face painting, ring toss, and a bounce house. Seriously, ring toss?

Venue Architecture
With Abrams Rd. splitting the venue in half, attendees were forced to throw away chug their beverages before walking 5 yards into the other half, back and forth, throughout the day. I suppose the party planning committee wanted to showcase local businesses on both sides of Abrams – that I can understand. Why not shut down that portion of Abrams anyways? I’ll chalk it up to first year rookie mistakes by the planning committee.

Silver Linings
Despite my prejudice and minor gripes, my low expectations were definitely exceeded by the sheer strength of the local community. Yes, the limbo between festival and carnival allowed Lakewoodstock to get away with not having some crucial stereotypical elements of either, but for its worth, I enjoyed myself. From the perspective of a local resident, I can see how this would be an attractive event on a Saturday at the end of spring. Boy scouts, the local fire department, and community businesses all pitched in to make this possible. With more helping hands, a little more foresight, and an absurd amount of more live music, I can definitely see this little local baby-festival growing into it’s own.