Austin Events Thread

[KevinFromTexas]

Mayor pulls support for F1 music festival at Auditorium Shores

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/conte...usic_fe_1.html

Officials: Formula One music festival won’t happen at Auditorium Shores

By Sarah Coppola | Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 01:36 PM

A music festival that Circuit of the Americas was planning to hold at Auditorium Shores during November’s Formula One race weekend won’t happen — at least not at that location.

Organizers need the OK of the City Council because 25 days of events are already scheduled for the premier park space this year, the maximum allowed under city rules.

The festival would have taken place Friday and Saturday nights, Nov. 16-17, the same days as a Junior League of Austin fundraiser and popular holiday market called A Christmas Affair, held at nearby Palmer Events Center.

[KevinFromTexas]

They've released more of the acts for the free shows. I'm pumped about seeing Bright Light Social Hour.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...wn-duri/nSftD/

Posted: 11:34 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012
Local bands announced for free shows downtown during F1 festivities

By Dave Doolittle
American-Statesman Staff

Austin’s Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Bright Light Social Hour, Bob Schneider and more will perform at a festival planned downtown during Formula One weekend next month.

The free shows on the Bud Light Center Stage will be part of the Austin Fan Fest, which is scheduled for Nov. 16 through 18.

Fan Fest, centered around Congress Avenue and Colorado Street near the Warehouse District, will be open to the public and will feature displays by a number of racing teams and sponsors, live music and food, organizers have said.

In addition to the free concerts downtown, performances by rappers Flo Rida and Lupe Fiasco, Latin artists Enrique Iglesias and Juanes, rockers Aerosmith, Cheap Trick and the Wallflowers, and country legends Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel are also planned as part of Formula One festivities.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/busine...ct-on-a/nTGwk/

Posted: 4:09 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012
Report: Fun Fun Fun Fest had $27 million impact on Austin economy

By Gary Dinges
American-Statesman Staff

This year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest meant money for Austin businesses.
The three-day music festival, which took place Nov. 2-4 at Auditorium Shores, pumped an estimated $27 million into the city’s economy, according to newly released figures from the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

More than 55,000 people attended, organizers said, up 17 percent from last year. About 83 percent of festival-goers were from Texas, 16 percent were from elsewhere in the U.S. and 1 percent came from outside the country.

A total of 160 acts performed throughout the event, including several side shows at venues around town.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...xpanded/nTfMH/

Posted: 6:21 p.m. Monday, Dec. 24, 2012
Popular Trail of Lights could be expanded

By Ben Wear
American-Statesman Staff

Paul Carrozza says that when he and other Trail of Lights organizers decided to keep the rejuvenated event at just eight days, or seven days less than its traditional length, they were playing it safe. No one could be sure how many people might show up for a Zilker Park holiday stroll in the celebration’s first year after a two-year hiatus.

They have their answer now: somewhere between 400,000 and 500,000 people. Or about twice the attendance that used to hit the trail, Carrozza said, in about half the time.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/l...xpanded/nTfMH/

I didn't even get to go. I really wanted to, but I didn't want to be crammed in like sardines. Adding a week will even out the crowds.

[KevinFromTexas]

It wasn't so bad. In fact, we took Barton Springs Road from Lamar and it was very easy actually. I mean yes, it was busy, but not any worse than any concert at Zilker. Actually, I remember the old days when people could drive through the Trail of Lights. I remember the traffic back then being horrible and you having to sit in traffic waiting in traffic on Lamar, Mopac and Barton Springs. Of course we walked 4 miles in total that night, but it still wasn't too bad.

[lzppjb]

I've never been to a concert in Zilker. I have no reference with that. haha

But I have been to many football games, so I know it probably can't be worse than that.

[KevinFromTexas]

And the biggest Austin event by attendance is...the Trail of Lights with 400,000 attendees.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...nd-events.html

Feb 8, 2013, 1:20pm CST
Top 5 Austin festivals and events

The Austin Business Journal's new list of the largest annual festivals and events is packed with some staggering numbers and a few surprises.

This was our first attempt to show readers where the people go — and we all know that where there is a critical mass of people, there is an opportunity to make money. Of the top 25 events we ranked in this week's print issue, the smallest came in with an attendance of 15,000. The top event last year attracted about 400,000 people — and it's probably not the event you're thinking of.

Oh, and about South By Southwest. Many will undoubtedly notice that SXSW — arguably Austin's most popular annual event — is not within the top 5. It ranked No. 7, with 2012 attendance coming in at 147,000. This is indeed a tough list to top.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

And the biggest Austin event by attendance is...the Trail of Lights with 400,000 attendees.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...nd-events.html

It says a lot about Austin that SXSW didn't even make the top 5.

Pretty impressive list of events.

[KevinFromTexas]

Good photo-op coming up this weekend.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/85th-...193301961.html

Zilker Kite Festival this weekend

by Jordan Armstrong / KVUE.com
Bio | Email | Follow: @JordanA_KVUE

kvue.com
Posted on February 26, 2013 at 10:20 AM
Updated yesterday at 12:06 PM

AUSTIN -- An annual festival returns to Austin this weekend, kicking off a season of spring activities around town.

The 85th annual Zilker Kite Festival will be held on Sunday, March 3. The free event starts at 10 a.m. and lasts until 5 p.m.

Organizers say more than 20,000 people come to the park every year to fly kites. About 200 to 400 volunteers help with the festival, which holds contests and giveaways throughout the day. Contests will be held to pick a winner in categories like largest kite, strongest pulling kite and more.

The Zilker Kite Festival is the longest-running event of its kind in the United States. It began in 1929, founded by the Exchange Club of Austin. The festival moved to Zilker Park in 1936.

[MightyYoda]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Good photo-op coming up this weekend.

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/85th-...193301961.html

The Kite Festival is amazing. I will bring my good camera and take some pics. Hopefully amazing weather again like last year. Last year's weather could not have been more perfect.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.trailercrawl.com/

• Video Link




http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austi...railers-for-20

Sample 65 Austin food trailers for $20
New food trailer festival

By Kate Weidaw

Updated: Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 7:03 AM CDT
Published: Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 5:14 AM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A new festival kicks off Tuesday in Austin called Truck by Truckwest.

It’s a chance to sample 65 food trailers around the city for $20.

Brian Erickson, a business consultant, dreamed up the idea after not only being a fan of the food trailers but realizing some trailers need to receive more public support in order to stay in business.

[KevinFromTexas]

The Zilker Kite Fest is this weekend (March 2nd). It looks like we might get some rain, though, and the rain delay day is the 9th. I'd be able to do it this weekend, but we'll be out of town the weekend after that.

http://www.abckitefestival.com/

[KevinFromTexas]

SXSW free stuff. They're doing the concerts at Butler Park this year since Auditorium Shores is under construction.

http://sxsw.com/free

[KevinFromTexas]

Today at 5 pm KEYE will have a segment about SXSW. From their Facebook page:

COMING UP AT 5PM: Austin's SXSW tops a new list of the most loved music festivals in the country. It beat out 24 other popular events, including Lollapalooza and Coachella for the #1 spot. ACL did not appear on the list.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Today at 5 pm KEYE will have a segment about SXSW. From their Facebook page:

The ranking seems to be based on Tweeting activity. Since SXSW is all about social media and coordinating your plans around thousands of bands and hundreds of venues, of course it will have more tweets than ACL, Lalapalooza, Bonaroo, etc,

[KevinFromTexas]

Ah, that makes sense. There's a fair amount of time spent between shows compared to the other format of a huge park filled with music where people simply navigate within it.

[The ATX]

All six days of ACL Fest are sold out, unless you want to shell $1K+ for VIP or Platinum passes.

http://www.aclfestival.com/tickets/

[KevinFromTexas]

This is a ways off, but the LEGO KidsFest is coming back to the Austin Convention Center September 4-6.

http://www.legokidsfest.com/austin/

They'll have life-sized models of Darth Vader, Batman and others, along with a huge map of the United States covered with LEGO skyscrapers that people can build and contribute to. They also had a full sized Lightning McQueen model from the Cars movie. And of course they'll sell LEGO sets there.

We went a couple of years ago. It's a must for any LEGO nut like me or people with kids.

[KevinFromTexas]

They're coming back...

This says tickets are free, by the way. You just have to request them.

http://www.kvue.com/story/entertainm...able/23005739/

Jimmy Kimmel Live in Austin tickets available

KVUE.com, KVUE 4:55 p.m. CST February 6, 2015

AUSTIN – The tickets for the Jimmy Kimmel Live shows in Austin are now available for request.

Kimmel will return to Austin during SXSW in 2015, taping shows at the Long Center Mar. 16-20 starting at 4 p.m.