It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since the last Via Colori in Houston. And I will admit the reality did not really hit me until I actually arrived downtown in the early afternoon to witness a scene similar to the one in 2009. Except, of course, much drier, and with a slightly different position for the main stage.

I went ahead and did the paperwork for my volunteer assignment, not due to start until 2pm. I figured I would take in the spectacle and catch the first part of the Runaway Sun set, which theoretically my volunteer shift would start before the conclusion of. I take a good hour or so to walk the entire festival grounds and see what this year’s street art looks like. And I was quite impressed by what I saw.

And then it was time for Runaway Sun, who started their set right around 1:15pm with “Lovebite” which is the catchy yet disappointingly short track from the band’s full length album “The Bridge.” I remember “Miss Whiskey,” “Lily,” (from the EP) and  “Headin Down South” in the set as well, and from a distance “Sweetheart” but I’m a bit fuzzy on the remainder of the set list.

I’m back at the volunteer tent around 2pm. I’m instructed to wait over at the photography tent, then after about a half hour of waiting, I venture out for a soda and I just happen to bump into the guy I’m supposed to be helping out. I had been given what would be a surprisingly helpful description of his appearance by Elaine Mesker-Garcia, a friend of mine who was volunteering in the photography tent, so it was just a question of approaching and asking. He tells me we will probably begin around 3:30pm so I make a mental note and go back to strolling around until about that time. I think it was about this time I ran into a few other people I knew, including Ingrid Fuller, who is not only one of the artists but also represents one of the sponsors, CityScope Net. It’s an honor to know Ingrid and others like her who help make Via Colori what it is.

Then, I check back in with the volunteer tent, and they tell me to wait there until it’s time to start with the scissor lift run. And I wait a while, and a little while longer, and before I know it 3:30pm comes and goes. Then, the volunteer working the tent wonders why I’m still there; it turns out the other two volunteers had already been sent out, and she had radioed over to send me out as well. Thankfully I hadn’t missed much; I catch up to the scissor lift crew (photographer, guide, and two other volunteers also helping with crowd control).

Apart from a few issues with the condition of the streets, it’s mostly a problem-free shift. We started from the intersection, worked our way down to the end, then back the other way, then back towards the main stage.

There’s still a sizable crowd as we approach the main stage, which we approached in the middle of The Tontons’ set. I didn’t get to catch a whole lot of it, as I was more focused on the task at hand. However, I heard enough to know that the band has still “got it.” I’ll have to make a point to see The Tontons’ next show when there’s one in the area as it seems like they are becoming a rarity.

Anyway, we go away from the main stage and turn down the last of the streets. There are a few issues with being able to get the entire picture in frame (during the square layout, there were places where insufficient room was alloted for the scissor lift). Hopefully this won’t be an issue next year.

I had a unique perspective, getting to see many of the artists putting the finishing touches on their squares as we came by. I was able to take a few snapshots of my own, which hopefully I’ll find time to post to my Flickr account in the coming days.

In  summary, there are many reasons that Via Colori is becoming one of my favorite annual events in Houston. Due to my busy schedule this year I was only able to show up for Sunday, but next year I’ll make it a point to be there both days, as I was in 2009. Congratulations to the Center for Hearing and Speech for another successful year of Via Colori.