HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – An event hosting more than 3,000 people was shut down on Saturday night after officials from the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said its promoter did not have a permit to have that many people in attendance.
The function took place at the Maya Lagoon Park in the 2000 block of Connorvale Road in north Harris County.
According to officials, residents in that neighborhood began complaining as the thousands of event-goers began flocking to the park for the Baywatch Weekend event.
Officials from the HCFMO were called and issued a stop-work order on the event. Those in attendance were asked to leave the property immediately, which caused heavy traffic throughout that area for some time afterward.
Various videos across social media under the hashtag #BaywatchWeekend show the thousands of people partying while surrounding a pool.
The shut down took place on day two of the event’s three-day weekend, intended to ‘kickoff Spring Break,’ according to its Eventbrite link.
A spokesperson for Baywatch Weekend released the following statement:
“Baywatch Weekend started on Friday with 2,000 people in attendance with no complaints. On Saturday about 1,000 more people came. The party started at 3 p.m. and [was] scheduled to end at 2 a.m. We were ordered to vacate around 10 p.m. Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office told us that we had to leave since we didn’t obtain a large gathering permit and the amount of people in the pool caused an occupancy hazard in the pool. Today (Sunday) we have changed venues for Baywatch Weekend after being informed by Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office that the event cannot happen at Maya Lagoon Park without a large gathering permit. Baywatch Weekend set up a day party and night party at two different locations. Baywatch Weekend wants to send love and care to our supporters.”
Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie L. Christensen said:
“It is imperative event promoters submit the appropriate application and documents detailing safety measures, which are reviewed by the HCFMO. The event has no known crowd control, emergency plans, and it is unknown what safety precautions were in place. Without obtaining a permit and providing the appropriate information, Harris County cannot ensure the event and promoters have all safety elements in place for participants taking part in these large events.”
Information on how to properly obtain a permit for large events can be found at The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office website.