Shrouded with misconception and mystery, the area north of campus will come alive this Saturday, April 9 at the first ever North Gate Fest.
From live music bars to coffee shops to restaurants, the festival aims to promote all North Gate has to offer. The festival begins at 6 p.m. and lasts until 10 p.m.
The festival is organized by the North Gate Merchants Association, a group with 30 members chartered in 2003 for the promotion of the commercial and residential climate in the North Gate area.
Jimmy Wetherford, President of the NGMA and owner of Louie’s Cafe, said the festival will be located just off campus on and around Chimes Street.
A live music stage will be constructed on Chimes Street near The Silver Moon Cafe. The stage, facing Highland Road, will feature local bands Lazy K and The Myrtles. A concessions tent featuring several North Gate merchants including Cane’s, Reggae Cafe, The Chimes, and Mr. Gatti’s will be set up in the parking lot of Pleasant Hall. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased from bars on Chimes Street. T-shirts will also be on sale.
“Hopefully once the festival ends people will go to the bars like North Gate and The Chimes and Chelsea’s,” Wetherford said. “There will be lots of great live music in the bars afterwards. It will be announced at the closing time on the main stage.”
Silvia Hinojosa, manager of Chimes Textbook Exchange, said the festival is a great way to introduce students to the area.
“We’re just trying to get rid of some of the preconceived notions people have of North Gate,” Hinojosa said. “For someone who has all their classes in CEBA, they might not know anything about North Gate, and that’s a shame.”
Gabe Daigle, singer and guitarist of The Myrtles, said the rich history of the area makes it a great part of campus for students.
“I hope to see more activity there in the near future; maybe [North Gate Fest] will help jump-start that,” he said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to play a street party, especially on Chimes Street.”
Wetherford said the festival is just one step in a constant effort to revitalize the Chimes Street area. The NGMA worked with the University and Student Government to improve the street scape and enhance lighting, he said.
Michelle Gieg, former director of legislative affairs and SG president-elect, said SG worked through the executive branch to find areas of Baton Rouge that could be improved. Gieg said SG worked with the NGMA as a sounding board of student opinions. SG did not sponsor the event or donate any money, Gieg said.
“The North Gate area is a place where student engagement is needed,” she said. “Its very important that LSU students get input. We need to work to build upon the character and uniqueness the area already has.”