http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/28/uzede9ev.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/28/mahetyve.jpg

Went for the first time ever this evening. It was really cool but by the time we got down there the lines were absurd. Currently at The Garage in The Guardian, for the first time as well.

Saw several people I know including Catch22 and LASomeday.

They need to double the amount of food trucks... The lines are seriously outrageously long.

Between this and Okcfest, I really have to wonder how many people were downtown last night.

Any estimate of number of people at h & 8, 1-5k, 5-10k?

Any estimate of number of people at h & 8, 1-5k, 5-10k?

Per Steve Lackmeyer, 20,000 per event. That seems a bit high, but food truck business might help with the estimates because I dont know how you would have the time to partake of more than 2, given the lines. It's spilling over to Walker and almost up to the Midtown Plaza.

Between this and Okcfest, I really have to wonder how many people were downtown last night.

Huge weekend for downtown, don't forget about the regatta tonight as well

They need to double the amount of food trucks... The lines are seriously outrageously long.

This describes why I haven't attended. Standing in huge lines does not interest me one bit.

Between this and Okcfest, I really have to wonder how many people were downtown last night.

Also Redhawks game and le miz at the civic center. It was a great night down town

This describes why I haven't attended. Standing in huge lines does not interest me one bit.

We go early to eat, wander for a bit, then head home when it fills in. I can't do the crowds either.

We go early to eat, wander for a bit, then head home when it fills in. I can't do the crowds either.

That makes sense. That is the same approach I use at the Arts Festival and State Fair

From bellaboo:


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/h8th1.jpg

My youngest and his lass were thinking about going up last night. I commented it was growing so big it would not interest me, thousands upon thousands gathered in the heat to stand in line for food trucks and people watching. As it turns out, they share Poppa Pate's acute disinterest in crowds.

I think Bleu Garten might actually be a blessing in disguise for H&8th. It might serve as a bit of a pressure valve.

"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." Yogi Berra

I went for the first time and thought it was awesome -- I'd never seen life like that in Downtown before and it was really inspiring. I almost felt like I was in Austin. It was super crowded, but the lines at the food trucks I ate at weren't so bad. Waited probably 10 or 15 minutes for dinner and 10 for dessert, but with the point of the event being the food trucks I didn't mind waiting.

As for the estimates, I noticed they had a drone flying above the event. I wonder if that could help with the estimates? The article I read said they expected something close to 30,000 people last night but with OKCFest going on I don't know how possible that is.

8397

8398

8399

From bellaboo:


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/h8th1.jpg

Sometimes I really love this city.

Don't get too caught up in the idea of getting fast service or even acceptable service - the line is THE experience. It's a chance to get to know your neighbors, to interact with people in person, to connect to your community. Catch 22, think of it this way - what is the longest amount of time you've spent typing in discussions here at OKC Talk? If you're like many, I'll bet you've spent 30 minutes or more on a good conversation. And there's nothing wrong with that. But that time is far more rewarding engaging in such interaction in person at an event like H&8th. Think about it.

Here's an old post by Steve, but this is how I think of H&8th. It's not about waiting in line, it's about socializing with friends and others in the community.

Expanding to 10th Street was a great idea and I'm glad they did it. Though there were easily 20,000 people there, it didn't seem as crowded as it usually does, which means you were standing shoulder to shoulder with people. It also allowed people to hang out on the grassy hill on 10th and Hudson, which was cool since that place is usually entirely dead.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's an old post by Steven, but this is how I think of H&8th. It's not about waiting in line, it's about socializing with friends and others in the community.

Not real big on socializing either so that aspect doesn't appeal to me either. I would have likely hit every one of these in my 20's or early 30's, but I just don't dig lines or crowds these days

Serve me free beer while I wait and we might have a deal lol

Who is "Steven?"

From bellaboo:


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/h8th1.jpg
Haha, I'm in that picture...

Reminds me of trips to six flags as a child, sans the rides. Come to think of it, that may be where I originally pick up my aversion to crowds.

Downtown OKC Inc. is reporting (https://twitter.com/DowntownOKCInc/status/483710807797018625) 30k+ for this and 35k+ for OKCFest.

Amazing night for OKC.... H&8th, OkcFest, Redhawks game, Energy Soccer game, & Stars&Stripes River Fest. This is all within blocks of each other.

Amazing night for OKC.... H&8th, OkcFest, Redhawks game, Energy Soccer game, & Stars&Stripes River Fest. This is all within blocks of each other.

Actually Riverfest and H&8th weren't on the same night and the Energy Soccer game was quite a distance from the other activities but I agree with your point.

Sorry but to me waiting in line will never be "the experience" to me.

If u get there a little early the lines aren't too bad.

Does anyone have any numbers as to what a food truck does there and what it would do on a normal Friday night?

Between this and Okcfest, I really have to wonder how many people were downtown last night.

Friday night, I was working the donor reception area in the Civic Center during Les Miserables and a guy came in to grab a glass of wine before the show. He said, "What is with all the traffic? It was almost impossible to get down here!" I told him OKCFest and H&8th were going on. He didn't really know what either of those were so I had to explain them to him and them he seemed interested that OKC was doing those types of things. He might be the type that drives from the burbs to the Civic Center every other week for the Lyric summer shows, drives home afterward and doesn't know the goings on of everything else happening.

Friday night, I was working the donor reception area in the Civic Center during Les Miserables and a guy came in to grab a glass of wine before the show. He said, "What is with all the traffic? It was almost impossible to get down here!" I told him OKCFest and H&8th were going on. He didn't really know what either of those were so I had to explain them to him and them he seemed interested that OKC was doing those types of things. He might be the type that drives from the burbs to the Civic Center every other week for the Lyric summer shows, drives home afterward and doesn't know the goings on of everything else happening.

Sometimes it amazes me that even the people in the city don't know whats going on. I have people send me text now and then asking if anything is going on this weekend.

another h and 8th is tonight. with the perfect weather out I presume it will have a monster crowd

Sometimes it amazes me that even the people in the city don't know whats going on. I have people send me text now and then asking if anything is going on this weekend.

Same thing here. Its a regular thing to have people text me asking what's going on this weekend or on a particular night. They seem amazed I usually have a list of at least 3-5 things to do.

Will they still be doing this when it gets a tick cooler?

Will they still be doing this when it gets a tick cooler?

The last one of the year is on Halloween.

Well, I will probably be hanging with the Grandkids that night. I like cool weather festivals too. Being stationed at Ellsworth A.F.B. as my last duty station taught me what real cold is.

Haha, I'm in that picture...

So it's a game of Find Braden. You could have at least wore a red and white striped sweater.

Haha, I'm in that picture...you've been spotted

The last one of the year is on Halloween.

I bet it'd be successful if they had a scaled-back winter version with a few areas with heaters. Maybe just on 8th street and not Hudson. No?

I bet it'd be successful if they had a scaled-back winter version with a few areas with heaters. Maybe just on 8th street and not Hudson. No?

I bet Bleu Garten fills this role.

They'll have live music, artists, etc. And during December, the Pop Up Shops will be right next door.

A small controversy has arisen.


Street fight: Food truck owner applies for permit next to H&8th festival
By Brian Burs
The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma City restaurant operator who felt excluded from the popular H&8th Night Market food truck event has scheduled a mobile restaurant rally of his own.

Eats on Harvey & 8th, as Rick Vick is calling it, will be directly adjacent to the original event at Hudson Avenue and NW Eighth Street and on the same nights.

“I want to create space for alternative cuisines that deserve a chance to be discovered,” said Vick, owner of Galley Soul Food & More. “We have a commitment to support local operators and diversity. I think this will help solve some of those concerns we’ve had with H&8th.”

Vick asked City Council members this week to take a more active role in ensuring market fairness at H&8th. He said organizers’ current lottery system for awarding a limited number of street parking spaces in the Midtown district favored certain vendors and lacked transparency.

Mayor Mick Cornett asked city staff to look into the matter. While City Hall’s influence is limited in how organizers run special events, ultimately it’s up to council members to approve permits based on their public benefit. H&8th gathers March through October, much more frequently than an annual arts festival, for example, so Vick said he would expect a responsibility to the restaurant community to avoid creating the appearance of a monopoly on public space.

On Tuesday, the council approved H&8th permits for its final Fridays of this year: July 31, Aug. 28, Sept. 25 and Oct. 30. Organizers also asked for slightly expanded space and earlier street closures so the events can begin at 6 p.m.

Late Wednesday, Vick had filed his own request for permits on the same days and times, just one block to the east near the Oklahoma City University law school. His request cannot be reviewed by the council until the next regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 4. He said he already has commitments from 10 truck operators.

Brian Bergman, one of the founders of H&8th, said he had discussed the matter with Vick but does not feel a resolution was at hand. Bergman said he and the not-for-profit H&8th Night Market Association agree to make their lottery-drawing process for 10 of the 30 truck parking spaces more open to scrutiny. However, the remaining 20 spaces are granted according to the organization’s standards.

“I understand he just wants to see that everyone is getting a fair shake,” Bergman said. “But at the end of the day, it’s still our event, and we’re still going to be inviting the best trucks we can. … The thing we can’t do is to change the rules for a small group of people to weigh in anybody’s favor.

“It’s within our prerogative to choose anybody we want,” he said. “We made a decision to honor trucks that were with us from the very beginning. They took the risk with us; they showed up when we were only 50 people. This is our way of saying, ‘You stood by us, we’re going to stand by you.’”

The event began in 2011 with just three trucks that drew the wrong kind of attention from the police and health officials for lacking the proper permits. H&8th regularly draws more than 20,000 people now with about 30 trucks.

A number of inaccuracies in that article. Not sure if it was in the reporting or in the statements being made. I assume inaccuracies found between quotation marks are more likely from the source rather than from the reporter. Lots of tweets and subweets on this topic yesterday from the PR and downtown communities.

turf fight. The Jets and the Sharks will dance out a solution.

A number of inaccuracies in that article. Not sure if it was in the reporting or in the statements being made. I assume inaccuracies found between quotation marks are more likely from the source rather than from the reporter. Lots of tweets and subweets on this topic yesterday from the PR and downtown communities.

Care to share with us what is inaccurate?

This 2011 article might help answer that question: Oklahoma City, state agencies defend sweep of MidTown outdoor food market | News OK (http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-state-agencies-defend-sweep-of-midtown-outdoor-food-market/article/3599409)

More on the controversy.

Food Fight: H&8th food truck policies criticized by local food truck vendor | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/food-fight-h8th-food-truck-policies-criticized-by-local-food-truck-vendor/article/5437435)

Never attended the event. Not a crowd junkie.
But any notion that someone, or some group of someones, who put together an event, especially a repeating event, should not be able to have preferred vendors, is just downright silly. Of course they should be able to protect spots for a core group of well established vendors, trucks or otherwise, who have demonstrated commitment to an event and are a known draw.

I realize it sucks for the guy who is complaining but I like his solution, line up some folks and run a nearby companion event. If that strip goes well, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts he will decide he wants to protect the success as well.

I think the H&8th folks can choose whomever they want at their fest. But most of the food trucks really aren't that good. OKC is in a maturing phase of the food-truck craze. That will hopefully lead to better food trucks.

If this guy gets more food trucks out, I'm good with that, because I hate waiting 45 minutes for mediocre food. Bring it.

From today's council meeting.

Five takeaways from Tuesday's Oklahoma City Council meeting | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/five-takeaways-from-tuesdays-oklahoma-city-council-meeting/article/5440963)


Council approves permit for food truck festival to be held adjacent to popular H&8th night market. Council members worry out loud about city being dragged into conflicts between events.

So this is the 1st night with both h&8th and Eatson8th
should be interesting

Turf war tonight! j/k

For some reason Michael Jackson "Beat It" video popped into my head. Maybe it will be more of the "Weird Al" "Eat It" version though.

Has there been any reason to think that there isn't room for both events or even more?

Crowds pack Hn8th event (http://m.newsok.com/video/4450683609001)

As Urbanized has previously posted, look for a change in the near future. The folks coordinating H&8th appear to have accomplished their goals and might passively pass the the banner others that care to take up the monumental task of coordinating events that draw upwards of 30K folks to the area monthly. Super Damn Good on them. Must have been a daunting task. Every month!

This is amazing.

It's the end of the month so it's time for H&8th and friends to populate Midtown | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/its-the-end-of-the-month-so-its-time-for-h8th-and-friends-to-populate-midtown/article/5449066)

If I'm counting correctly, there will be 38 food trucks in the area tomorrow night plus any at Bleu Garten.

The H & 8th website lists the hours from 7 to 11 but does anyone know if the food trucks are there before 7?

I was think of stopping by tonight but need to be somewhere at 7.

The H & 8th website lists the hours from 7 to 11 but does anyone know if the food trucks are there before 7?

I was think of stopping by tonight but need to be somewhere at 7.

Trucks seem to show up sporadically throughout the day both at H&8th and at Bleu Garten.

The H & 8th website lists the hours from 7 to 11 but does anyone know if the food trucks are there before 7?

I was think of stopping by tonight but need to be somewhere at 7.

Eats on 8th will start at 6:00pm. (https://www.facebook.com/Eats-on-8th-Harvey-484846148346074/timeline/)

I ended up going later... Around 9:30 and first time I had been to H & 8th.

Holy Cow, what a crowd! Big lines everywhere but it never felt *too* crowded, just full and lively.

Then went and sat down at Bleu Garten and watched them absolutely crank in the money from 3-4 bars all with continual lines. I'd be very interested to know how much money they make on an H & 8th night.

H&8th moves away from monthly event in Midtown OKC | News OK (http://newsok.com/h8th-moves-away-from-monthly-event-in-midtown-okc/article/5454589)

It looks like this month will be the last H&8th. It really surprises me they would end the festival as popular as it is. They say it will "evolve" and the festival we know will still happen annually.

It's probably just way too much work and headache for the organizers and it was always a nonprofit venture anyway.

Glad I got to go last month and it was fun, but frankly there is tons going on every single night in that area.


I actually think this will help the other events on Film Row, Auto Alley, Western, The Plaza, etc. And that's a good thing.

It's a good move, one that has been discussed behind the scenes for a year. It accomplished great things, but was outliving its own usefulness.

There is no shortage of hungry hipsters with money around so a big shout out for all food trucks. I do wish they would run through a few more months. Hot food taste even better when it's cooler. Mmm, reindeer sausage.

I think it's a great move. It's an awesome concept, but there are so many moving parts, I think the logistical issues might have caused them to implode. The fact that there's another identical festival, plus Blue Garten next door, this really is perfect timing for them to ride off into the sunset. We can thank them for putting the spotlight on Midtown and being the major catalyst of the food truck boom in OKC.

Going once a year is a good idea, but coinciding with the Pro-Am is always a parking nightmare. Hopefully a once-a-year event will give them time to think through transportation/parking solutions for the area.