Thousands of people have been gathering in Grapevine this weekend for the city's 42nd Main Street Fest. The city also used the festival to dedicate a statue to Mayor William D. Tate who is marking 50 years in office.
Tate was first elected to city government as a councilman in 1972. He became mayor the following year and served until 1985. He was then re-elected in 1988 and has served as mayor since then.
"Our community is a proud example of how great small-town America can be," he says. "I've had a unique connection to the people having grown up here. I knew them, and they knew me."
Grapevine hosts the festival every spring with booths lining Main Street with people selling art, keepsakes and food.
"It's a win-win for everybody," says the owner of BriteStar Honey who says he can introduce the different flavors of his honey to new customers. "It's family oriented. We've got good security, good volunteers. It's the place to go."
"It's really wonderful," says one woman who lives in Grapevine. "I walk up and down Main Street every day, I walk through the historic district. The people are fantastic, they're very nice."
As the population of North Texas has increased to more than eight million, they say festivals like this, GrapeFest in the fall and events around Grapevine's designation as the "Christmas Capital of Texas" can show the city still embraces a community spirit.
"There have been some changes, but the changes have all been for the good, I think. It's still the hometown vibe," a man who lives in Grapevine said as he sat near City Hall. "There's a sense of community. Grapevine is not like Dallas, right?"
P.W. McCallum, the executive director of the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the statue of Tate joins 40 other pieces of public art in the city.
"These are for residents to take pride in who you are, what your community is," he says. "Mayor Tate is one of those who has very much encouraged and supported this program from the very beginning."
McCallum says visitors from other cities account for 84% of Grapevine's sales tax revenue. He says Tate recognized Grapevine's space is limited by Grapevine Lake, DFW Airport and Highways 114 and 121, so Tate advocated for larger projects that would generate revenue like the Gaylord Texan, Grapevine Mills Mall and Great Wolf Lodge.
Tate says he has worked to maintain "community charm" while also drawing those large projects and corporate headquarters like Kubota and GameStop. He says residents have elected him over 50 years to "designate me as a steward to transform our agricultural village into an international hospitality and festival city."
"The people said, 'Mayor, whatever you do, don't lose our community charm and identity," Tate says. "We've listened to the people and worked with them throughout the years. That is why people are happy with what we have in our community."
Grapevine says Tate is the longest serving mayor of any city in Texas history. Of the statue outside City Hall, Tate says, "Some day my body will return to the earth from which it came, but my spirit will live on as a testament to what we were able to inspire the people to accomplish working together."
Main Street Fest runs through Sunday. Details and tickets are available at https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/main-street-fest/.
