Latino Festival organizer: Event happening despite Montgomery's threats, neighbors' complaints

The organizer of a Latino Festival is speaking out after the city tried to shut down his event in rural Montgomery County.

Edgar Valerios said the music festival will take place this Saturday regardless of the neighborhood's protest and the city's steps to shut it down.

Members of the Snowdoun community complained the event was a noise nuisance and traffic hazard when it first took place in July and again when advertisements surfaced for future events. 

The festival, which includes bands playing Noteño music, a rodeo and professional bull riding, has been held twice in a rural area south of Montgomery — and is scheduled for this Saturday.

"We feel really bad about how the Snowdoun Community is reacting to this event. We hope everyone can come and join us and have a good time," Valerios said in a Facebook comment Thursday.

More:Montgomery takes steps to shut down Snowdoun's Latino Festival

The festival's location, at 1890 Snowdoun Chambers Road, has caused some confusion between the city, the county and event organizers. The land is not within city limits, but it is within police jurisdiction. To further the complicate the dispute, the property is zoned for agricultural, not commercial use. 

The city denied a request for the zoning to be changed at a public hearing Tuesday, issued an abatement order and filed a civil complaint against Valerios and festival organizers. On the same day, the county approved an occupational license for the event.

Valerios said a portion of his property is not within city jurisdiction nor police jurisdiction, so the city has no authority to enforce zoning rules. He said the festival will be held on a portion of the property that is solely on county lines. He said he's simply moving the festival to a different portion of his property.

More:Snowdoun residents protest Latino Festival, call it a noise nuisance

The festival will take place in the same general area of the Snowdoun community. Festival attendees will enter from the same entrance at 1890 Snowdoun Chambers Road.

About 20 people from Snowdoun came to a hearing to protest the festival Tuesday. More than 100 Snowdoun residents signed a petition in support of the abatement order to stop the festival from taking place. 

"I'm the voice for the 102 people that signed the petition," Snowdoun resident Mike Crutchfield.

At the public hearing in front of the Board of Adjustment, one of the Latino Festival organizers complained the Snowdoun community, that has been relaying messages to him through County Commissioner Doug Singleton, has not contacted him directly.

"He don't need to be talking to us. He needs to talk to the city. The city is the one who controls all the rules and he's not following the rules," Crutchfield said.

When asked if the Snowdoun community was predominantly white, Crutchfield said the neighborhood was diverse but wasn't sure if there was a Hispanic population.

"We have people of color, we have people of Asian decent. I'm not sure about whether there is a Hispanic population in the neighborhood," Crutchfield said.

More:Complaints prompt organizers to hire off-duty deputies, private security for Latino festival

Valerios said he has listened to the community. He hired an expert to monitor the sound and had the stage repositioned so the noise doesn't carry as far. He also hired private security and an on-site ambulance. But the Snowdoun neighborhood has continued the effort to prevent the event from taking place.

"We just want to have our festivals. At this point, they keep pushing. We don’t think that it's the right thing either," Valerios said.

Sara MacNeil can be reached at smacneil@montgome.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter.