Heat, Traffic Don't Stop Festival Goers From Filling Brady Arts District

Two of the seven heat calls EMSA reported to Friday were people attending the Center of the Universe festival  - but that didn't stop music lovers for turning out for the second annual music fest.

The extreme heat was serious out at the Center of the Universe Festival on Friday, and EMSA wants you to try to take frequent breaks by going indoors or getting out of the sunlight Saturday.

This year the Center of the Universe Festival did things a little differently by making it a ticketed event. Boston Avenue was filled with fans waiting to get into the Center of the Universe Festival.

The gates opened at 5:00 Friday evening with festival goers dashing to get spots on the front row.

7/24/2014 Related Story: Brady District Prepared For Center Of The Universe Crowds

More than 40 bands played Friday - inside bars and out on three stages.

Festival goer, Tammy Willyard, said, “I like walking around, like the people, like the atmosphere."

Tammy and Aaron Willyard are here all weekend from Muskogee enjoying the festival.

"This is great for Tulsa. It's a really good thing," Aaron Willyard said.

Food trucks lined the busy streets to feed thousands of fans during the shows. Bill Hatcher at Louie's Dog House was glad to be back at the festival serving up hot dogs this year.

More information on center of the universe festival

"We're out doing a lot of events on a regular basis and this is another good one here," Hatcher said.

Something different this year is that the Brady Arts District is closed off during the festival.

Festival director Chris Lieberman said change shouldn't hurt attendance too much.

"Last year, our first year, over 80,000 people; it's just almost unheard of. This year, moving to a ticketed environment, there might not be as many people, but they're all going to be passionate," he said.

Brady Arts District Business Association President Bob Fleischman said the more foot traffic centered in the neighborhood, the better.

“In order to control the population and keep everyone inside and excited about the venue, I think it’s very great," Fleischman said.

While the festival is closed, unless you have a ticket, drivers will want to avoid several streets including the I-244 off ramp to MLK. Traffic into downtown can back up because cars have to detour on to Cameron.

If you’re out enjoying the Festival, it’s important to know when it’s time to step out of the heat and mass of people and get into a cool place. Fortunately, there are several bands playing at indoor, air-conditioned venues.