April might be one of the best months to be in Austin.

The weather is usually warm without reaching the unbearable summer heat, patios are packed, parks are full, festival season is in full swing and Austinites have plenty of excuses to get outside. After the madness of SXSW in March, April feels like the city gets a chance to breathe again—but there is still plenty happening.

And two of Austin’s most recognizable traditions are about to take over the city.

One involves hundreds of colorful kites filling the sky.

The other involves a giant party celebrating the birthday of a fictional donkey.

Only in Austin.

The first big event on the April calendar is the ABC Kite Fest, returning to Zilker Park on April 2.

The event has been an Austin tradition for decades, bringing families, kite enthusiasts and spectators to the park for a massive celebration built around one very simple idea: fly a kite.

That simplicity is part of the appeal.

You don’t need a concert ticket.

You don’t need a fancy outfit.

You don’t need a reservation.

You don’t even need to be particularly good at flying a kite.

You just need to get to Zilker Park, look up and enjoy the spectacle.

And it can be spectacular.

When the wind cooperates, the sky above the park fills with enormous colorful kites, unusual shapes and elaborate designs. Some are traditional diamond-shaped kites, while others are massive creations that look more like floating sculptures.

For families, it is one of the easiest Austin events to recommend because kids can actually participate instead of simply watching something happen.

Bring a kite.

Bring a blanket.

Bring snacks.

Find a spot in the grass.

And spend the afternoon outside.

The event also includes food, entertainment and competitions, turning what sounds like a simple kite-flying afternoon into a full spring festival.

For anyone new to Austin, the Kite Fest is also a great introduction to the city’s outdoor culture.

Austin loves its parks.

It loves its festivals.

It loves being outside.

And it especially loves events that don’t require people to spend a lot of money.

That’s why the Kite Fest has remained popular.

It feels like an old-fashioned community event in a city that is changing incredibly quickly.

You can look around Zilker Park and see families, longtime Austinites, young professionals, tourists and kids all doing essentially the same thing.

Looking up.

But the Kite Fest isn’t the only April tradition that feels uniquely Austin.

A few weeks later, the city gets considerably stranger.

Eeyore’s Birthday Party returns to Pease Park on April 29.

If you’ve never been, there really isn’t an easy way to explain Eeyore’s Birthday Party to someone who has never experienced it.

Yes, it is officially a birthday party.

Yes, the guest of honor is a donkey from Winnie-the-Pooh.

And yes, tens of thousands of people can show up.

But it isn’t a children’s birthday party.

It is one of Austin’s most unusual annual celebrations, featuring costumes, drums, live music, dancing, food, drinks and an enormous collection of people dressed in ways that are difficult to explain outside of Austin.

The tradition dates back to the 1960s, when University of Texas students began celebrating Eeyore’s birthday.

It eventually grew into one of the city’s signature counterculture events.

And while Austin has changed dramatically since the first party, Eeyore’s Birthday has managed to retain its unusual personality.

That’s increasingly rare.

A lot of Austin’s older traditions have either disappeared or changed beyond recognition as the city has grown.

Eeyore’s Birthday is different.

It remains intentionally strange.

There is no corporate festival branding trying to make it feel polished.

There isn’t a carefully curated Instagram aesthetic.

It’s messy.

It’s colorful.

It’s loud.

And that’s exactly why people love it.

The 2023 party is scheduled for Pease Park on April 29, with the celebration returning after the pandemic-era disruptions that changed the event in previous years.

For longtime Austinites, that makes this year’s party especially significant.

It’s another opportunity for one of the city’s oldest traditions to bring people together in person.

And if you’re planning to attend, prepare accordingly.

Wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.

Bring water.

Wear comfortable shoes.

Don’t expect to spend the afternoon looking sophisticated.

The people around you probably won’t be either.

That’s part of the fun.

April also means that Austin’s patio season is officially underway.

This is the month when restaurants and bars really begin taking advantage of their outdoor spaces.

The weather is warm enough to sit outside but usually hasn’t reached the point where you’re questioning your life choices after ten minutes in the sun.

That makes April one of the best months to explore Austin’s bar scene.

Instead of going directly downtown, try spending an afternoon exploring one of the city’s neighborhoods.

East Austin is an obvious choice.

The area continues to develop new restaurants and bars, while longtime neighborhood spots remain part of the scene.

You can start with lunch, walk around, stop for a drink, find live music and finish with dinner.

South Congress is another good option.

The neighborhood has become one of Austin’s most recognizable destinations, but it remains especially enjoyable in spring when people can walk between restaurants, shops and bars without dealing with the brutal summer heat.

And then there is Rainey Street.

By April, the outdoor patios are in full swing.

The historic houses converted into bars make the area unlike almost anywhere else in the city, and the warm spring evenings make it an easy place to spend several hours.

But don’t limit yourself to the obvious entertainment districts.

One of the best things about April in Austin is that neighborhood bars become destinations.

You don’t necessarily need a giant event.

Sometimes the best Saturday is finding a patio, ordering a cold beer and spending three hours talking with friends.

That’s particularly true after SXSW.

March can be overwhelming.

April is when you can slow down and actually enjoy the city.

Food is another reason to love the month.

Spring brings more farmers markets, outdoor food events and seasonal menus.

Austin’s food-truck scene becomes especially enjoyable in April because you can sit outside without sweating through your shirt.

Grab tacos.

Get barbecue.

Try a burger.

Find a food truck you’ve never visited.

And eat outside.

That’s the April Austin experience.

The city’s breweries are also worth watching.

April is a great month for brewery patios and outdoor events, particularly on weekends when people are looking for something less chaotic than downtown.

A brewery can be the perfect middle ground between a restaurant and a bar.

You can bring friends.

Order food.

Try several beers.

Sit outside.

And often bring your dog.

Austin’s dog-friendly culture also becomes much more visible in April.

Patios fill with dogs.

Parks fill with dogs.

Trails fill with dogs.

And at some point, somebody will probably bring a dog to an event where everyone else is dressed in a costume.

That is Austin.

Music is still everywhere, of course.

After SXSW, the city’s live-music calendar doesn’t suddenly disappear.

If anything, April is a good month to focus on local shows instead of major festival performances.

Check the smaller venues.

Look at Red River.

Explore East Austin.

Find a neighborhood show.

The city’s smaller music rooms are where you often discover artists before they become major festival acts.

And because the weather is better, some outdoor venues begin becoming much more active.

April also starts the countdown toward the enormous spring and summer events that dominate Austin later in the year.

That means this is a good month to start paying attention to what’s coming.

The city is entering its busy season.

More visitors are arriving.

Restaurants are opening new patios.

Bars are announcing summer events.

And Austin’s event calendar begins filling rapidly.

But if you’re looking for something to do right now, the two events to put at the top of your calendar are simple.

Kite Fest.

And Eeyore’s Birthday Party.

They couldn’t be more different.

One is a family-friendly afternoon in Zilker Park.

The other is one of the strangest parties in Austin.

But they have something important in common.

Neither one feels like it could happen anywhere else.

That’s what makes these events special.

Austin has plenty of large festivals that could happen in any major American city.

But watching hundreds of kites fill the sky over Zilker Park?

That’s Austin.

Walking into Pease Park and seeing thousands of people celebrating the birthday of Eeyore?

That’s Austin too.

And in a city that is changing as quickly as Austin, those traditions matter.

They remind people that the city existed before the newest apartment tower, before the newest restaurant opening and before every bar had an Instagram account.

They’re part of the city’s personality.

So if you’re looking for something to do in April, don’t overthink it.

Buy a kite.

Head to Zilker.

Spend an afternoon outside.

Then, later in the month, put together your strangest outfit, grab some friends and head to Pease Park.

Between those two events, you’ll experience two completely different versions of Austin.

One is colorful, family-friendly and floating above the park.

The other is loud, weird, unpredictable and completely Austin.

And that’s exactly why April might be the city’s best month.

The weather is right.

The patios are open.

The food is good.

The music is everywhere.

And Austin is still weird enough to throw a birthday party for a donkey.

Welcome to April in Austin.

Bring a kite.

Bring a costume.

And leave your expectations at home.

by John Beard

Cons or conventions are characteristically known for their ability to bring individuals from all walks of life together to examine, discuss and celebrate a common interest. Now with that being said the only cons or conventions I’ve ever attended were home and boat shows some twenty years ago with my parents. So it suffices to say that I have no idea what to expect when it comes to attending Dreamcon. 

Knowing what I do about RDC World who happens to be the host and presenter of Dreamcon, I’m expecting nothing less than to have to wholeheartedly defend my stances on multiple anime subjects; from One Piece being the most unnecessarily long anime to what anime has the best character development (it’s my hero academia). With that being said, I’m looking forward to discussions, debates, and insider information from guest speakers and everyone in attendance. Conversation creates comradery and helps build relationships that last beyond the con itself. 

After trying to convince the whole con that Naruto is just a half-decent anime at best, it’s time to make a run for the food and drink vendors. Now as I mentioned earlier this would be my first con in a good while so I’m looking for a variety of foods and drinks to choose from. I’m hoping that there will be a lean towards Japanese cuisine to reflect what our favorite characters eat on the shows. Themed food and drinks that reflect anime and manga are starting to become more commonplace at smaller scale restaurants and drinking establishments just think of the DBZ-themed ramen bar. 

Last but not least, I’m ready for the cosplay. I feel that a good measure of how well a con is doing overall is the lengths people will go to make their cosplay come to life. Let’s be honest if you go to a con and not one person is dressed up it basically sets the tone for the rest of your stay at that con. 
Overall I’m expecting Dreamcon to have at least these few key elements throughout the convention. Now if RDC has any other tricks or treats up their sleeves for those of us attending that will just act as the cherry on top of what I hope to be a very engaging convention. 

ReplyForward

December has arrived in Austin, and the city is trading festival wristbands and outdoor concerts for Christmas lights, holiday markets, special dinners, new restaurants and plenty of reasons to get out of the house. After a year when many of Austin’s traditional holiday traditions looked very different, this December’s calendar is packed with familiar favorites returning alongside new events, restaurants and nightlife options.

The biggest holiday attraction in town is, of course, the Austin Trail of Lights at Zilker Park. The city’s enormous holiday light display returns for its 57th year, turning the park into one of Austin’s most recognizable Christmas destinations. The 2021 Trail of Lights runs from December 10 through December 23, with millions of lights spread throughout the park and dozens of illuminated displays creating a walking route through Zilker.

For anyone who hasn’t visited in a few years, this year’s Trail of Lights is worth putting back on the calendar. The event is more than simply a drive-by Christmas-light display. Visitors walk through the park surrounded by enormous trees covered in lights, holiday installations and colorful displays. The famous Zilker Tree remains one of the centerpiece attractions, and the combination of the lights, music and food vendors makes the Trail of Lights feel like its own little holiday festival.

One of the best things about the Trail of Lights is that it gives Austin something many other local holiday events don’t: a genuine reason to spend an evening outside. Families can make a full night of it, couples can walk through the displays, and groups of friends can stop for food and drinks before or after making their way through the park. The event has also become one of those Austin traditions that works for both longtime residents and visitors who are seeing the city during the holidays for the first time.

And this year, there is another reason to make the trip. The Trail of Lights is continuing to expand its food and beverage experience, with local vendors providing everything from snacks to drinks along the route. For Baller ATX readers, that’s important because the event isn’t just about looking at Christmas lights anymore. It has become part holiday festival, part food outing and part Austin tradition.

If you’re looking for something a little more grown-up after the lights, Austin’s restaurant and bar scene has plenty going on.

One of the most interesting developments heading into the holiday season is the continued growth of Tiki Tatsu-Ya, the highly anticipated tiki bar from the team behind Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto. The bar has been designed as an immersive tropical experience rather than a traditional cocktail lounge, complete with elaborate drinks, food and a heavily themed interior.

That makes Tiki Tatsu-Ya one of the year’s most interesting additions to Austin nightlife. Austin has never been short on bars, but the city’s cocktail scene has increasingly moved toward places that offer an experience in addition to the drink itself. Tiki Tatsu-Ya fits directly into that trend.

The bar is especially notable because it isn’t trying to be subtle. This is the kind of place where the décor, drinks and atmosphere are part of the entertainment. For anyone looking for somewhere different to take friends or out-of-town visitors this month, it’s exactly the kind of Austin nightlife destination that can turn a normal night into an event.

December is also a good time to explore some of Austin’s newer restaurants before the holiday crowds become overwhelming.

One of the year’s most talked-about openings is Canje, the East Austin restaurant from the team behind Emmer & Rye. The restaurant focuses on Caribbean food, bringing flavors and dishes inspired by places including Guyana, Jamaica and Puerto Rico into Austin’s increasingly diverse restaurant scene.

Canje is particularly interesting because it represents where Austin’s food scene is going. The city is still famous for barbecue, tacos and Tex-Mex, but the restaurant landscape has become much more international. Caribbean cuisine, Southeast Asian food, Japanese restaurants, Indian concepts and other global influences are increasingly becoming part of the everyday Austin dining experience.

For December, that makes Canje a strong choice for anyone who wants to try something different rather than going back to the same holiday dinner spots.

The restaurant scene is also benefiting from the continued expansion of Austin’s food-hall culture. St. Elmo Public Market remains one of the city’s major food destinations, bringing several different food and drink concepts together in the South Austin development. The project is particularly well suited for groups because everyone can order something different without having to agree on one restaurant.

That is becoming increasingly important in Austin.

The city’s restaurant scene has grown so large that choosing where to eat can sometimes be harder than deciding what to eat. Food halls provide an easy solution. One person can get pizza, another can get tacos, someone else can grab a drink and everyone can sit together.

December is also bringing plenty of holiday food opportunities.

Austin restaurants are rolling out special Christmas menus, holiday cocktails, brunches and New Year’s Eve events. Reservations are becoming increasingly important for some of the city’s more popular restaurants, especially as office parties, family gatherings and holiday visitors begin filling dining rooms.

For anyone planning a December night out, the best strategy is to think of it as an itinerary instead of a single restaurant reservation.

Start with dinner.

Find a nearby bar.

Walk around a holiday light display.

Catch live music.

Finish with late-night food.

That’s one of the things Austin does particularly well, and December provides plenty of opportunities to put together an entire night without leaving the city.

Music remains part of the December calendar as well. Austin’s live-music venues continue booking local and touring performers throughout the month, giving the city plenty of options for people who aren’t ready to put the festival season behind them.

Instead of massive outdoor festivals, December’s music calendar shifts toward clubs, theaters, lounges and smaller venues.

That change in atmosphere can actually make December one of the better months for discovering Austin musicians.

A packed festival crowd can make it difficult to focus on a performer you’ve never heard before.

A smaller venue is different.

You can walk in, grab a drink, stand near the stage and discover a local artist without having to navigate a giant festival crowd.

For visitors coming to Austin during the holidays, that’s a much better way to experience the city’s music identity.

December also means the return of holiday markets and shopping events throughout the city. Local makers, artists and small businesses use the holiday season to showcase products that make particularly good gifts, and Austin’s markets have become an important part of the December experience.

Instead of ordering everything online, shoppers can find local art, clothing, jewelry, food products, home goods and Austin-themed gifts while supporting small businesses.

For Baller ATX readers, that’s another reason not to spend the entire month inside a shopping center.

Austin’s independent businesses are part of what makes the city interesting.

December is the perfect time to explore them.

And then, of course, comes New Year’s Eve.

Even though the biggest celebrations won’t happen until the final days of the month, bars, restaurants and venues are already preparing for one of Austin’s biggest nightlife nights of the year. Expect special dinners, ticketed parties, live music, DJ sets, champagne packages and plenty of people looking for somewhere to spend the final hours of 2021.

For anyone planning to go out on New Year’s Eve, waiting until December 31 to make plans is probably a mistake.

The best parties and restaurant reservations tend to fill early, and Austin has enough options that it is worth deciding what kind of night you want before buying a ticket.

Do you want a big downtown party?

A rooftop?

Live music?

A fancy dinner?

A neighborhood bar?

A brewery?

A DJ?

Austin has all of them.

The biggest challenge is choosing one.

But before New Year’s Eve arrives, the Trail of Lights remains the event that will dominate the first half of the month.

There is something particularly Austin about the Trail of Lights. It is enormous without feeling like a corporate holiday attraction. It takes over one of the city’s most recognizable parks and turns it into a Christmas wonderland for a few weeks.

For families, it is an annual tradition.

For couples, it is an easy holiday date night.

For visitors, it is one of the easiest ways to experience Austin during December.

And for longtime Austinites, it is a reminder that some traditions survive even as the city around them changes.

That may be the biggest theme of December 2021.

Austin is changing quickly.

New restaurants are opening.

New bars are appearing.

Neighborhoods are developing.

The food scene is becoming more diverse.

The nightlife scene is becoming more elaborate.

But some things remain unmistakably Austin.

The Trail of Lights.

Live music.

Food trucks.

Local restaurants.

Breweries.

Holiday markets.

Late-night tacos.

And people looking for something fun to do on a Friday night.

So if you’re trying to figure out what to do in Austin this December, don’t limit yourself to one event.

Make a night of it.

Start at the Trail of Lights.

Grab dinner afterward.

Find a new cocktail bar.

Catch some live music.

Or spend an afternoon exploring one of Austin’s newer restaurants before heading downtown for the evening.

December is giving Austin plenty of opportunities to do exactly what it does best: eat, drink, listen to music, explore something new and find a reason to stay out a little later.

And with New Year’s Eve waiting at the end of the month, Austin isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Austin didn’t have to wait until spring for another massive event after ACL. By November 2021, the city was still buzzing from one of the biggest weekends on its annual calendar: Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.

The race had taken place in October, but its impact was still being felt across Austin as November began. The 2021 United States Grand Prix had drawn an enormous crowd to COTA, with more than 140,000 spectators attending on race day and a three-day attendance of more than 400,000. The numbers demonstrated just how important Formula 1 had become to Austin’s tourism, restaurant and nightlife industries.

But November wasn’t simply the month after a race.

It was the month Austin realized Formula 1 had become part of its identity.

For years, Austin had built its reputation around music, food, bars and festivals. Formula 1 added something different: an international sporting event capable of bringing visitors from around the world into the city for an entire weekend.

And those visitors didn’t stay at the racetrack.

They stayed downtown.

They ate at Austin restaurants.

They visited bars.

They went shopping.

They booked hotels.

They rented cars.

They explored neighborhoods.

They turned the entire city into part of the Grand Prix experience.

That was one of the reasons the 2021 race was so significant.

COTA wasn’t simply hosting a sporting event.

Austin was hosting Formula 1.

The distinction mattered.

During race weekend, downtown Austin became a second venue. Hotels and restaurants prepared for an influx of visitors, while bars and entertainment businesses benefited from customers looking for something to do after spending the day at the track.

The city was already accustomed to huge crowds from SXSW and ACL, but Formula 1 brought a different demographic and a different kind of energy.

There were international fans wearing team colors.

There were people carrying Ferrari and McLaren merchandise.

There were groups traveling specifically for the race.

There were longtime Austinites who had never paid much attention to Formula 1 suddenly talking about racing.

And there were restaurants and bars that realized the event could become one of their biggest weekends of the year.

The food scene was particularly important.

Austin had spent decades building a reputation as a food destination, and Formula 1 gave that reputation a global audience.

Visitors weren’t going to leave Austin without trying barbecue.

They wanted tacos.

They wanted margaritas.

They wanted craft beer.

They wanted breakfast tacos.

They wanted the restaurants locals had been telling them about.

And they wanted to experience the city’s nightlife.

Formula 1 essentially created a massive temporary tourism campaign for Austin’s food scene.

The race also had an unusually strong connection to the city’s celebrity culture.

Formula 1’s growing popularity in the United States was bringing celebrities, athletes and entertainers into Austin. The 2021 Grand Prix became a place where the worlds of sports, music and entertainment overlapped.

That was especially fitting for Austin.

This was already a city where musicians performed at restaurants, chefs appeared at festivals and celebrities could end up sitting at the table next to you.

Formula 1 simply added another layer.

The result was an Austin weekend where you could spend the afternoon watching racing and the evening listening to live music.

You could eat barbecue for lunch, visit COTA, return downtown and spend the night at a bar.

You could spend Sunday watching one of the world’s most prestigious motorsports series and Monday morning eating breakfast tacos.

Formula 1 fit Austin surprisingly well.

The city had the infrastructure for large events, the restaurant scene to feed visitors and the nightlife to keep them entertained after the race.

It also had something that many cities hosting major sporting events don’t have: an established culture of entertainment.

Austin knows how to throw a party.

And Formula 1 gave it another excuse.

The race’s success also reinforced COTA’s position as one of the most important event venues in Texas.

The facility wasn’t just a racetrack. It had become a major concert and entertainment destination as well, hosting large performances and other events throughout the year.

That meant the Formula 1 weekend was part of a larger transformation in Austin’s event landscape.

The city was increasingly capable of hosting huge events that combined sports, music, food and entertainment.

That was important because Austin’s growth was changing the type of events the city could attract.

For decades, Austin’s biggest cultural export had been music.

Now it had music plus food plus technology plus sports plus nightlife.

Formula 1 fit directly into that broader evolution.

And there was another reason the 2021 race mattered: it showed just how powerful the Austin tourism machine could be when all of those industries worked together.

Hotels benefited from visitors.

Restaurants benefited from hotel guests.

Bars benefited from restaurant customers.

Transportation companies benefited from everybody.

Local retailers benefited from tourists.

Musicians benefited from the increased demand for entertainment.

The event became a citywide economic engine.

That was particularly important for Austin’s hospitality industry, which had endured an extraordinarily difficult 2020.

The return of major events such as ACL and Formula 1 demonstrated that the city could once again generate the enormous bursts of tourism that had helped restaurants, bars and entertainment businesses thrive before the pandemic.

But November wasn’t only about Formula 1.

The month also marked the beginning of Austin’s holiday season, and the city’s restaurants and bars were preparing for one of the busiest times of the year.

Thanksgiving brought families back together, while restaurants began promoting holiday dinners, cocktails and special events.

Austin’s breweries and bars were also entering the holiday season with special releases and events, while restaurants increasingly shifted menus toward the fall and winter flavors that accompany the holidays.

The city’s food calendar was becoming packed again.

That was an important contrast with the previous year.

November 2020 had been a much quieter holiday season, with many businesses still operating under significant restrictions and uncertainty.

November 2021 felt different.

People were making reservations.

Restaurants were advertising events.

Bars were promoting holiday parties.

Businesses were preparing for larger crowds.

The calendar was full.

Austin’s social life was becoming busy enough that people once again had to decide where they wanted to go instead of simply asking whether anything was open.

That was perhaps the clearest measure of the city’s recovery.

And the city’s bar scene was particularly vibrant.

East Sixth Street remained one of Austin’s best-known nightlife districts, while Rainey Street continued developing into a major destination of its own. Downtown cocktail bars, breweries and restaurants were attracting visitors who had come into town for everything from Formula 1 to Thanksgiving trips.

The city’s nightlife was becoming increasingly diverse.

You could spend the evening at a traditional Austin dive bar.

You could visit a high-end cocktail lounge.

You could drink beer at a brewery.

You could find live music.

You could visit a rooftop.

You could end the night at a taco truck.

That combination was becoming one of Austin’s defining characteristics.

Formula 1 simply amplified it.

For visitors arriving from outside Texas, Austin wasn’t just the place where the race happened.

It was the place they went after the race.

And that distinction was extremely valuable.

COTA could provide the track.

Austin provided the rest.

The restaurants.

The bars.

The music.

The nightlife.

The culture.

The food.

The personality.

That combination was what made the United States Grand Prix so successful in Austin.

By November, the race had already become one of the city’s major annual events, and the 2021 attendance numbers made it clear that it wasn’t going anywhere.

Formula 1 had found an audience in Texas.

More importantly, Austin had found another event capable of putting the city on a global stage.

The city’s traditional identity wasn’t disappearing.

It was expanding.

Austin could still be the Live Music Capital.

It could still be a food city.

It could still be a bar city.

It could still be the home of SXSW and ACL.

And now it could also be one of the most important Formula 1 destinations in the United States.

That combination made November 2021 feel like an important moment in Austin’s evolution.

The city was no longer defined by one thing.

It was becoming a destination where major events of completely different kinds could coexist.

Music fans came for ACL.

Racing fans came for Formula 1.

Food lovers came for barbecue and tacos.

Nightlife visitors came for the bars.

Tourists came for all of it.

And Austin was more than happy to entertain them.

By the end of the month, the city was already looking toward the holiday season and the next year’s event calendar.

But the lesson from Formula 1 was clear.

Austin had become a city capable of turning a major event into an entire weekend experience.

The race might happen at COTA.

But the party happened everywhere.

And in 2021, that was becoming one of the most valuable things Austin had to offer.

If you’re a live music fan, I think you can agree that it’s been the longest 18 months EVER! Here at Baller ATX, we are SO READY to get back out there and enjoy what we love most… live music in Austin, TX! That’s right, y’all… we’re heading out to ACL Fest Weekend 2 to hear some amazing bands, eat some incredible food, and experience all the other fun stuff we have come to know and love from our favorite little hometown music festival!

Yes, there is way more than just live music and food at ACL. So many of their sponsors have some pretty sweet activations going on inside Zilker Park. Some to keep you cool, some to give away that coveted swag, and all of them help you make new friends along the way!

Let’s start with Tito’s “Party in the Shack” (Located just to the right of the Tito’s stage)

Show some love!
Festival goers can write a thank you postcard to a festival crewmember & hang it on the “Love, Tito’s” wall. For every card that is signed, Tito’s donates $5 to Crew Nation (up to $10,000) to support production crew who were out of work during the pandemic. (Tito’s has always been a generous company, and this is amazing!)

Play to win!
Stock up on Tito’s swag playing Plinko (Sunglasses! Bandanas! Koozies!) or test your hand-eye coordination at the infamous Tito’s claw machine (where you can win a pair of wristbands granting access to the exclusive, private Stillhouse Lounge backstage at the Tito’s tent!)

Get a souvenir for your dog you left at home!
Create a personalized dog tag at the Tito’s custom dog tag machine

Relax and recharge!
People can enjoy a taste of free WIFI and find a spot to relax in the chairs outside the “shack”, which is actually a tiny version of Mockingbird Distillery, where Tito’s was created! There is also a phone charging station and lawn games to play with friends.

Don’t forget to stick around and enjoy the shady Tito’s tent where you can catch some amazing artists like one of my new faves, Claud, who is playing at 1:45pm on Friday!

It’s Miller Time!

Head over and enjoy Miller Lite’s new Miller Time Social space near the ACL Fest Photo Frame! This is THE spot to connect with your friends, enjoy a Miller Lite (21+ only please), cool off with their fan walls, and recharge yourself and your phone!

And don’t forget about the incredible artists playing the Miller Lite stage over by the Lady Bird Lake entrance to the festival. Check out the incomparable Erykah Badu at 7pm on Friday, or local faves Nane at noon on Sunday.

Party with T-Mobile at “Club Magenta”

Chill out and charge up at the ultimate FREE backstage experience located behind the T-Mobile Stage (entrance is to the right of the stage). Gain instant access if you’re a current T-Mobile customer, or snap and share a selfie to score entry. When you get inside, you’ll find charging stations, upgraded (A/C!) restrooms, a private (cash) bar, and a chance to score epic prizes thanks to T-Mobile. You’ll also find a water refill station, a giant misting fan, and seats in a shady space where you can watch the bands appearing on the T-Mobile and Lady Bird Lake stages on a huge screen. That private bar will certainly come in handy when the bar lines around the park are 50 people deep!

…and more!

Be sure to check out the Bumble Hive to charge your phone and snag some swag, or the Honda Trading Post (across from the Honda stage) to recharge with friends and get a free tattoo! So many of the activations this year are not only giving away free stuff, but are providing phone charging, a space to relax a bit in the shade, and lots of “meetup” spots to gather with those friends who tend to get lost in the crowd. Hey, you paid a lot for those wristbands, so take advantage of everything ACL (and its sponsors) have to offer! Happy fest-ing everyone!

If you had only one day to attend Riot Fest 2021, would you go? I sure did and it was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time. Having a day job and getting very little notice of my approval for a press pass meant I would only have one day (Friday) to attend. Thankfully three of my favorite bands were playing one after the other with no conflicts on that day. Motion City Soundtrack, Coheed and Cambria, and The Smashing Pumpkins: the bands that made up most of my high school playlists circa 2004. I couldn’t ask for a better lineup for my first event coming out of the pandemic. Riot Fest really brought the heat on this one.

COVID precautions also took center stage, with vaccine cards or negative results being a prerequisite to gain entry. I felt better about attending and being in such a large crowd with those guidelines in place. Riot Fest also went one step further and even had a rapid test station on-site (for $50), as well as a local hospital administering free COVID vaccines for those who wanted one. For us photographers, we had to wear a mask in the pit and in our press area when not eating or drinking. It wasn’t that big of a deal to me and I am glad they were thinking of everyone’s safety.

It’s been two years since my last festival, Intersect, and it was great to be back again. The lines to get in seemed to move quickly, the VIP line even faster. This being my first Riot Fest, I was impressed by the sheer size of it. However, trying to get from one stage to another can get tiring, and I’m not sure if I could have done all 3 days. I definitely got all my steps in for the week! The food vendors were great, most of which consisted of carnival-themed food, which I love, and the VIP area had an even better selection. I will admit being able to use VIP bathrooms was great. Upgraded (cleaner) bathrooms are where it’s at.

I started my day with Circa Survive, not a band I really listened to but still a pretty great show. Anthony Green was very energetic and it made for some great photos. After that, I went to see Anti-Flag, where I got to see some excellent moshing after we left the pit. I went to the ferris wheel during the remainder of their set where I got to witness one of the largest circle pits (seen in the cover photo of this post). Soon after, it was time for a band I’ve been into since I saw them at my first concert ever (Warped Tour 2004)… Motion City Soundtrack. Seeing them took me all the way back to high school, and they still had the same classic sound and energy as if they hadn’t aged a day. I took some of my best shots of audience members after crowd surfing; some of the happiest faces I’ve seen in such a long time.

Next up was a band just as close to my heart, Coheed and Cambria. While we were standing outside the pit, there were so many of us photographers who were split into two groups having 7 minutes each, and I thought to myself… what, so 1 song? And of course, the first song they played was In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, but damn what a song to open with, and to be that close! I found myself getting lost listening and headbanging with the crowd. Who can’t resist shouting “MAN YOUR OWN JACKHAMMER!!!”?

I couldn’t have picked a better way to end my night and the whole reason why I would make such a journey for one day of the fest… The Smashing Pumpkins! I was born in ‘87 so I wasn’t quite old enough to see them in the beginning. It wasn’t until they released Zeitgeist and went back out on tour that I finally got to see them live. I had fond memories of watching MTV (when it played videos) waiting for Tonight, Tonight, or 1979 to air. Billy Corgan still has those pipes. They played pretty much all classics and some new songs from CYR. However my favorites had to be EYE with Meg Myers stepping in, and then Shame, two rarities I haven’t heard live before. It even rained and it only added to the magic of the night.

Trying to leave Riot Fest was madness that took hours, albeit through no fault of the festival. So many people using the same rideshare app made for long delays and surging prices. Also, downtown was mostly shut down due to celebrations of Dieciseis de Septiembre (Mexican Independence Day), another wild sight to see. All in all, it was a great day and an amazing festival. I would like to thank the staff at Riot Fest and congratulate them for pulling this off during the most difficult times for live music in our lifetime.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Photos by Terry Flemings

This year Amazon decided to up the madness by not having just one or two activations but three all in one giant area. I was invited to a special press preview on Wednesday to see the madness first hand and without all the lines. The installations for this year consisted of The Expanse, returning for another season, and two brand new shows, The Boys and Carnival Row. Upon entering you are greeted by the extra friendly staff who give out tokens that could be used for a variety of snacks, such as kettle corn, fruit cups, pretzel bites, and my favorite Churros.

And an extra special treat for the media folks was the free Carls Jr burgers and fries. I was in heaven and even tried the new beyond burger because let’s face it at Comicon this would be my only healthy meal.

The first Activation was based on their hit show the Expanse. We were loaded into what looks like a spacecraft after a briefing from our commanders we exited and were transported to an alien world as un peacekeepers to find out what’s going on with the “belters” who were accused of attacking settlers. After some conversations with prisoners, we heard loud inhuman noise and quickly had to leave. Once over we received this lovely show branded mugs. After that, I went to The Boys installation. A brand new show coming out this week based on the Comic book by the same name (top comic in my list). We went inside to a full setup electronic store where a car had crashed through. We were briefed that we were to help the boys hide the crime of defeating a superhero. Once over we got a nice branded pin.

Unfortunately, I was not able to complete carnival Row due to prior engagements but I hear it was the best one. Smack dab in the middle of the area was the large glass pyramid structure where we were treated to special acts based on the three shows. If the shows are even half as good as the activation Amazon prime will be a force to reckon with when it comes to streaming televison.

Photos by Terry Flemings

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

This is my third Comic-con in a row being from Austin and a party blogger for SXSW, you could consider me an expert at parties off-site from the conventions. I was disappointed to find out the Wired CAFE would not be returning for their 3-day bash and had to find something. Thankfully I was able to find an event at the luxurious Fluxx night club in San Diego. Xlevelent hosted a 3-day party from Wednesday to Friday night each day had its own theme.

The club itself was set up each night to represent the theme for each event. My first night there I was thrust into the world of ready player one. The second (my favorite) I was transported to the upside-down. And for the final third night, we were treated to the awesome mixer that was themed after Marvel and the guardians of the galaxy. What set this event apart was the sheer star power that these events were able to obtain. Each night there was a red carpet for special guests such as RJ Word, Dan Fogler and King of Rap, Darryl “DMC” Mcdaniels. An even better surprise was the Celebrities that came to the party with the Vip crowd. From the cast of Agents of Shield to the Workaholics Crew.

Everyone wanted to show up to these parties during ComicCon. Of course, the best part was not needing a badge to attend just a ticket purchase. The music was top-notch several different Dj’s, the 80’s cover band the Flux capacitors, Dan Fogler and Darryl “DMC” all performed for us. We can’t wait to see what they will do next year. Hopefully, they will think about coming to my neck of the woods and doing an event for SXSW but not sure if they’re ready for 14 days of madness…or are they?

Photos by Terry Flemings

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Here’s the RSVPS we have been waiting for hope to see you all there.

IGN’s Official SDCC Party featuring The Expanse: Belter Party
What: Dedicated to our fellow humans born on the Asteroid Belt, this party will feature cosmic cocktails and delicious eats that are out of this world. Attendees will dance the night away with select cast members of The Expanse.
When: Thursday, July 18 Time TBD
Where: The Amazon Prime Video Experience at Comic-Con, MLK and 1st, San Diego, CA 92101
Important Info: For our parties, 21+ to attend, ID required.

The Boys: World Premiere Fan Screening and Party
What: Cast & creators of The Boys will join fans for an exclusive 2-episode sneak preview ahead of the series premiere.
When: Friday, July 19 from 7 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. PT
Where: The Amazon Prime Video Experience at Comic-Con, MLK and 1st, San Diego, CA 92101
Important Info: For our parties, 21+ to attend, ID required.
The series is rated MA.
PUBLIC / GENERAL ADMISSION RSVP: https://rsvptheboys.eventbrite.com

Carnival Row: Come As You Are Party
What: Come as you are! Whoever you choose to be, your individuality will be celebrated at this closing celebration of the 50th Annual San Diego Comic-Con. As you enjoy a drink or a few, be on the lookout for characters from Carnival Row, enjoy a sneak peek of the upcoming series, and dance to live DJ performance.
When: Saturday, July 20 from 7 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. PT
Where: The Amazon Prime Video Experience at Comic-Con, MLK and 1st, San Diego, CA 92101
Important Info: For our parties, 21+ to attend formal ID required.
PUBLIC / GENERAL ADMISSION RSVP: https://rsvpcarnivalrow.eventbrite.com

Fans will be Transported into the Worlds of the Amazon Original Series The Boys, The Expanse and Carnival Row through an Immersive Activation Designed to Captivate Customers with Live Performances and Experiences Inspired by the Shows

The Amazon Prime Video Experience will also Host Exclusive Parties and The Official Fan Premiere of The Boys
Amazon Prime Video’s Panel Line-up Includes Cast & Creators from New and Returning Series, Including Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne from Carnival Row, Karl Urban and Jack Quaid from The Boys, the stars of The expanse, Undone, The Man in The High Castle and More.

THE AMAZON PRIME VIDEO EXPERIENCE
The Amazon Prime Video Experience will celebrate the new Amazon Original series The Boys and Carnival
Row, as well as the upcoming fourth season of The Expanse, with an immersive 60,000 square-foot activation
located across from the San Diego Convention Center. The Amazon Prime Video Experience will be open from
Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21, with a special preview day open, to press on Wednesday, July 17.
Located on the corner of MLK and 1st, fanboys and fangirls will be drawn into the Amazon Prime Video
An experience by the sight of a 40-foot tower adorned with giant LED screens that will be playing scenes from The
Boys, Carnival Row, and The Expanse. Comic-Con attendees will also be treated to live, show-specific
performances taking place atop the multi-level tower.

Once inside, attendees will receive collectible gold and silver coins which they can use to further explore the activation. Fans can begin their day covering up the crime scene of a superhero kidnapping at the Audio Visual shop where Hughie works on The Boys. On the opposite end of the space, a Rocinante spaceship is positioned that will take adventure-seekers on a United Nations peacekeeping mission to a newly colonized planet seen in The Expanse. Guests can also discover the Carnival Row universe in which humans and exotic creatures coexist before entering The Forbidden Lounge, a neo-Victorian decorated hideaway venue, to enjoy a special performance. Amazon Prime Video collaborated with LG within the series activations to provide a premiere viewing experience for attendees.

After exploring the shows, guests can escape the summer heat and relax under a tented awning with refreshing beverages and a selection of mouthwatering bites, including Carl’s Jr., which will provide burgers on-site for press and fans as part of The Boys campaign. Cosplayers can even find a Cosplay Photography
Corner within the walls of the Amazon Prime Video Experience, where a lifestyle photographer will be onsite to take professional portraits as digital takeaways.

images provided by Prime Video

   

FB: /AmazonPrimeVideo
IG: AmazonPrimeVideo
TW: @PrimeVideo