Social Hour: Texas Creatives Come Together for Weekend-Long Celebration, The Front Fest
Music, film and diverse artistic voices were given the spotlight over Labor Day Weekend
The Front Fest, an annual community festival and end-of-summer celebration hosted by Future Front Texas (FFTX), returned this Labor Day weekend, welcoming music, film, creative experiences and talented artists to venues across Austin.
Formerly Boss Babes ATX, FFTX was first launched in 2014 by singer-songwriter Jane Hervey with the goal to build a more inclusive creative community and empower women and LGBTQ+ artists in Central Texas. As the team grew, the brand transformed into an official 501c3 nonprofit in 2018. Three years later, with the help of nine founding team members, they evolved again to become Future Front, allowing for even greater impact to artists in Texas and beyond.
“After transformative years for our organization, I am enlivened by our ability to reemerge as something new and better rooted in our reality, but still with ample room to grow and change with our members and collaborators,” reflects Founding Board President and mixed media artist Xochi Solis.
Known for hosting regular meetups and markets around town, the organization teamed up with some familiar collaborators to put on four distinct events during this year’s Front Fest. Kicking-off with a sold out opening party at the LINE Hotel, stylish fans flocked poolside to dance until sunset with tropical beats courtesy of the PERREO CLUB.
The following day, film returned to The Contemporary Austin’s gorgeous outdoor grounds at Laguna Gloria with a curated slate of 15+ shorts created by Texas-based women and LGBTQ+ independent directors, including musician Caroline Rose, Magna Carda’s Megz Kelli and filmmaker Tracy Droz Tragos. Before the screenings, The Contemporary Austin’s Simone Alexander led a panel alongside local creatives Miriam Conner, Liz Moskowitz and Jay (Bobby Pudrido) on the resurgence of storytelling in the Texas South.
Saturday was all about the music with a colorful showcase at downtown’s Cheer Up Charlies. Illuminated in neon lights, guests grooved to R&B sets by Grace Sorenson and local openers BabiBoi and Brandix. Afterwards, Houston-based Southwest Sisters curated a vivacious drag show dedicated to Leyendas Latinas and southern roots.
The festivities culminated on Sept. 3rd with another Swim Session at the LINE — this time featuring Future Front resident DJs Dreamchild and Clancy Jones. Tito’s and Desert Door were onsite with tasty cocktails while guests munched on Veracruz tacos and CBD snacks from Calibrate Wellness.
While Future Front has changed over the years, their mission to uplift local artists and underrepresented communities has remained a constant. All donations received during the festival went towards the organization’s Creative Future of Texas Fund, which contributes $10,000 annually to emerging women and LGBTQ+ creatives in Texas.