My family would visit in October, during Fright Fest, which was the first time I ever encountered a possessed zombie or scarecrow.
It was the epicenter of fun for Houston kids up until 2005, when the amusement park closed.
Maybe, it was my brother shaking the gondola ride that took us from one side of the park to the other, or getting stuck at the top of malfunctioning water rides that caused my fear of falling.
I found one ride in particular always brought me back to the park, it was called the Mayan Mindbender.
The life-sized Looney Toons characters would roam the streets interacting with their fans, and perform songs and skits.
Houston’s best-known trio, Destiny’s Child performed their first show with a live band in July 2000 at the Southern Star Amphitheater inside AstroWorld, before they started touring internationally.
To me, this transformed the park into a space for Texas female artists to be put on a nationally-recognized platform in front of the fans that got them there.
Although Travis’ Astroworld has booked Megan Thee Stallion in the past, there has only been a small amount of women booked for the festival, even though there is still plenty of room.
I always leave the festival wondering what it would have been like to see Z-Ro or Bun B perform at the amphitheater back in the 2000s.
Overall, Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival captures the aesthetic of the original amusement park, with the fun and excitement you feel just by being there.