The usual liveliness of West Chimes Street spilled into the streets Friday night in what many local store owners called a rebirth of the North Gate community. The third annual North Gate Festival kicked off Friday evening to an ever growing crowd of hundreds of people at the north gates of the University. “We’re coming into a Renaissance,” said Jimmy Wetherford, owner of Louie’s Café and president of the North Gate Merchants Association. Wetherford, along with Highland Coffees owner Clark Cadzow, remember how the lively North Gate community, then called Tiger Town, thrived in the ’20s up until the mid-’90s when it hit a low point. In the ’20s up until the ’80s, the North Gate area flourished with movie theaters, groceries, record shops and bars. Cadzow said the area is re-establishing itself with new businesses and apartment complexes that are looking to do more with the area. Cadzow would eventually want to connect the North Gate community with the downtown area of Baton Rouge. Wetherford said the festival, which had beer tasting and served free food from 6 to 8 p.m. and hosted live music until 11 p.m., is a vehicle for the resurrection of the North Gate community. The festival lined up West Chimes Street and came to an end with a stage and four bands. Tracy Mckee, event planner, said a two hour VIP event was targeted directly to people who have roots, like her, in the North Gate community, and another two hour slot was geared towards the college crowd. After the event was concluded, nearby bars such as the Varsity Theatre and North Gate Tavern had shows ready to continue where the North Gate Fest bands left off. Mac McCumsey, co-owner of North Gate Tavern, said he initially chose the name for his bar because it was generic, but now he is proud to have it. “I’ve been walking up and down this street for 15 years,” McCumsey said. “It’s one of the last remaining historical spots in Baton Rouge.” He said there is no competition between bars and business, and he would rather not see any vacant buildings on the street. Reginelli’s was the hot spot of the night, giving away free samples of pizza. The restaurant is the newest addition to the community, and Wetherford said it has been welcomed with open arms. Many University students attended the event to show enthusiasm for the North Gate community. Ryan Dwyer, finance senior, and some of his friends attended for the music and to support the area they’ve been coming to for the past few years. “We [really] hate Tigerland,” Dwyer said. “Here, you can walk around in and out of bars and just hang out and have a good time. There’s no violence or overly drunk people to worry about starting something.”
—-Contact Adam Pfleider at [email protected]