February 24, 2023

Council Updates

2023 Special Events Preview

Interim Special Events Director Yesenia Saldivar gave the City Council a sneak preview of the 2023 Special Events at the February 13 Council meeting. As the start of the 2023 event season nears, staff is preparing for a full slate of festivals and events that will combine the traditions and best practices of past years with enhancements designed to improve the attendee experiences and optimize the Addison brand.

Addison After Dark events are expanding in scope but reducing in number in 2023. Favorites like Fiesta Noche (April 15) and Pints & Pups (August 19) will be returning and Harvest Hootenanny and Holiday Cheer are going to be combined into a Harvest Hayday celebration (October 21). These free events take place in Addison Circle Park and will feature more activities, expanded vendors, and improved entertainment. All the details can be found at www.AddisonAfterDark.com.

Taste Addison will take place June 2-3 in Addison Circle Park and the VIP experience returns as one of the hottest tickets in Town. VIP tickets include access to a main stage viewing deck, indoor/outdoor seating, specialty entertainment, and private restrooms. In addition to two stages of entertainment, Taste Addison will have several featured areas including the Wine Garden, the Family Fun Lawn, the Marketplace, and the Grove which will offer spirits sampling and a full-service bar. Get all the details at www.TasteAddisonTexas.com.

Everyone's favorite fireworks show, Addison Kaboom Town!, returns on July 3. Admission to the watch party in Addison Circle Park will be free, but tickets will be required. Addison residents will receive a postcard in the mail with a code to allow them to secure tickets before the general public ticket release. The Addison Airport Airshow will return with specialty flights and more. Learn more at www.AddisonKaboomTown.com.

Finally, Addison Oktoberfest returns to Addison Circle Park September 14 - 17. The open-air tent layout will return, along with the Paulaner Biergarten, Kleinhalle, Kinderzelt, and Marketplatz. Guests will be able to enjoy polka, chicken dancing, and games on three stages around the festival site. Get all the specifics at www.AddisonOktoberfest.com.

You can watch the Council's Special Events discussion here and read the presentation here. 

Oktoberfest Operations and Financial Reconciliation

At the February 13 City Council meeting, Interim Special Events Director Yesenia Saldivar presented the 2022 Addison Oktoberfest operations, financial, and marketing reconciliation . A four-day festival held September 15-18 at Addison Circle Park, Addison Oktoberfest 2022 featured food, music, and entertainment focused on German culture.

This year marked the 35th anniversary of Addison Oktoberfest. The popular Partyhalle Deck which included a dedicated bar and increased seating this year sold out on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Due to supply chain issues, the 2022 commemorative steins were delayed, but the Special Events team was able to secure enough steins locally to fulfill prepurchased package orders. Visitors were encouraged to bring vintage steins from past events which tied in with the anniversary celebration.

Of the more than 700 people surveyed at the event, 95% rated it as above average or excellent. The event, which is designed to generate tourism, resulted in 653 hotel room night bookings, an increase of 47% over 2021, and marketing efforts exposed millions of people to Addison. Oktoberfest admission was up from last year, but down slightly from projected numbers. However, overall the event was within the budget for Fiscal Year 2022.

You can watch Council's Oktoberfest discussion here and read the presentation here.

Construction Corner

Main Lane Demolition of Midway Road from Keller Springs to Dooley to Begin the Week of February 27

Main lane pavement demolition in the northern segment of the Midway Road Revitalization Project will begin the week of February 27. The southbound lanes from Keller Springs Road to Dooley Road will be closed and all traffic will be moved to the northbound lanes. The traffic configuration will have one lane of traffic in each direction and a continuous left turn lane in the center. Drivers should pay close attention to the traffic control and lane assignments in this area and observe the location of signal heads and directional signage at the intersections.

The lime stabilization process of the main lane subgrade of Midway Road from Belt Line Road to Proton Drive is underway. After a “cooking period” the lime subgrade will be remixed and then compacted into its final configuration. Next will be the installation of the reinforcing steel and joints and finally the placement of the street Pavement.

You can register for Midway Road text updates by texting the word Midway to 888-777 or subscribe to email updates at www.Addisontexas.net/midway. Thank you for your patience as we strive to make Addison a better place to live, work, and play.

Around Town
Economic Development and Tourism Visit El Rancho Supermarket's Headquarters

On Wednesday, February 22, the Economic Development & Tourism Department paid a visit to El Rancho Supermarket’s new headquarters in Addison. Economic Development Director Orlando Campos and Economic Development Manager Lauren Williams were joined by Mayor Joe Chow and City Manager David Gaines. City representatives met with El Rancho Founder Salah Nafal, CEO Mario Nafal, CFO Alejandro De La Mora, and Senior Director of Facilities Viviana Bernal.

The company operates grocery stores targeting the Hispanic community in North Texas, Houston, Austin, Oklahoma, and now Kansas, and are working to expand to other markets. El Rancho, which relocated their headquarters to Addison in 2022, occupies close to 30,000 square feet of space at 16775 Addison Road. Company executives are very excited to be in Addison, and many of their employees have relocated to town as well. We are pleased to have them be part of the Addison business community and look forward to being part of their successful future.

Addison Hosts Broker Breakfast

On Thursday, February 23, the Economic Development & Tourism Department hosted a breakfast with approximately 25 real estate brokers who help attract new investments to the community. The focus of the event was to provide real estate executives with an update on Addison including new developments around the community, projects in the pipeline, and updates on infrastructure projects. The event was hosted at the Addison Airport Administrative Offices. Mayor Joe Chow helped welcome the guests, Economic Development and Tourism Director Orlando Campos provided the presentation, and City Manager David Gaines provided closing remarks. Other Addison participants included, Council Member Guillermo Quintanilla, Assistant Airport Director for Real Estate Bill Dyer, and Economic Development Manager Lauren Williams.  These type of events help the Town develop and maintain strong working relationships with the local real estate community to help attract new investments to the community.

Calling All Volunteers

Welcome Suchi Rao, the Town of Addison’s new volunteer coordinator. While Suchi has had the opportunity to meet some of the Town’s dedicated volunteers over the past few weeks, she looks forward to meeting more members of the community in the coming months. During the pandemic, Addison lost touch with some of its volunteers. If you have been active in recent years and would like to re-engage, please reach out to Suchi Rao at [email protected] or 972-450-2874. Addison values its volunteers and appreciates your willingness to share your time and talents with the community.

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