Open Carry at the Grapefest Festival between Dallas and Fort Worth

Gun Watch ^ | 19 September, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

My Daughter and Son in law, and two grandchildren were going to the Grapefest in Grapevine, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth. They graciously invited me to tag along.  Sunday afternoon, 19 September, 2016, was the time that fit with schedules and the kids naps.  The temperature was 97 in Dallas, and I could feel the humidity.

I missed my Sun Helmet.  I am heat acclimated, but the kids were not.  We had to walk a couple of blocks to the festival, and the family stopped in some shade to consider options.

I notice some sign-age that looked as if it might contain a 30.06 or a 30.07 sign.  I went to investigate.  It contained neither, but did stipulate that no weapons were allowed, except legally permitted firearms.

I went to the ticket counter.  There was one for media, so I went there.  After I handed them a Gun Watch card, they handed me a media pass for free.

I casually strolled through the gate, pass in hand.  I was openly carrying my old Glock in a Fobus retention holster.  No one seemed to mind or pay attention.  I handed my pass to the proper person, and found  a couple who were willing to take my picture.  I asked them to be sure to get the pistol in the frame.

They were very friendly and helpful.

As I wandered out, the people at the entry were searching backpacks, strollers, and purses.

I told the lady doing the searches that I was writing a story, then asked what they were looking for.  An efficient and alert looking officer with a pistol in a higher level retention rig was sitting next to her.

She told me they were looking for "big knives, mostly" and that when they found one, they checked for a permit. She said people with firearms permits could bring in guns. She said permits were checked out by the officer.

Last session, Texas came very close to removing the silly limitations on knives in the Lone Star State.  Only the unethical maneuvers of a Democrat committee chairman kept the reform from becoming law.

Everyone was very pleasant.  The festival seemed a success.  Quite a few people were going in and out, even in the heat.

My daughter and her husband had made a wise decision not to keep the children out in the extreme heat and humidity, but I was glad we came.

Open carry is becoming accepted in Texas.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Open carry is becoming socially acceptable. This is a very good thing. At the Gun Rights Policy Conference, Sheriff Ivy, a charismatic speaker, said open carry will be law in Florida in a year or two (almost passed this year).

That will only leave 4 states that ban open carry of holstered pistols in most public places.

Those will be South Carolina, New York, California, and Illinois.

[arthurus]

Jihadis will not go there.

[fwdude]

I’ve attended Grapefest in the past, marktwain, (used to live a few block from “downtown” Grapevine) and am glad that you proudly exercised your constitutional right in a very public place.

I open carried as soon as the law became effective, and had very few stares and no conflicts. As a courtesy, I asked the proprietors if they minded my exposed firearm, and most were graciously agreeable, or appreciated my asking.

[Uversabound]

Jihadis will not go there.

Socialists will not go there.

I was going to say liberal but...

[SpinnerWebb]

Keep in mind that Texas has a zero tolerance policy for any alcohol consumption while carrying.

I couldn’t carry there because I would want to be sampling the wares.

[usual suspect]

I was in a softball tournament there maybe 10 years ago in Grapevine. The wine...not so good. Not Napa Valley:-(

[Yo-Yo]

If you are going to open carry, I strongly suggest you follow Dean’s example and use a good positive retention holster.

My concealed holster is an IWB hybrid with only friction retention, but my open carry holster is a Safariland ALS with positive retention.

Can’t find it now, but someone had their weapon snatched from them at the counter of a McDonalds because it was in their back pocket with no positive retention and no cover.

[Rockpile]

That happened in Arizona.

[marktwain]

Here is the story you reference:

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2016/05/gun-stolen-from-back-pocket-at-phoenix.html

[fwdude]

The wine isn’t even predominantly from the area even.

[Vinnie]

My son recently moved to Coppell. I need to ask him if he attended. Probably not.

[JimRed]

That will only leave 4 states that ban open carry of holstered pistols in most public places.

Those will be South Carolina, New York, California, and Illinois.

Then there is New Jersey. Though there is no distinction in the law between open and concealed carry, it is almost impossible for the unconnected to obtain a permit. The effect is the same as a ban.

[marktwain]

There are a couple of others in the same boat. Hawaii and Maryland, for example.

But it is a legal difference. When we get national reciprocity, activists can go into NJ and show them violating the law.

With a little luck, it will result in big settlements for our side.

[Redcitizen]

If you’re gonna open carry at a grape festival, carry a shotgun just to say you have grapeshot loaded.

[T-Bone Texan]

Grapevine: Nice, but a little too close to Garland for my comfort.