Held every October in Zilker Park, the world-renowned Austin City Limits Music Festival features eight stages with over 130 bands, over two weekends. Considered the Live Music Capital of the World, ACL is the premier live music event in Texas.
Every April art lovers converge on Austin for the annual Art City festival presented by the Austin Art Alliance. With an annual attendance of 20,000, this is the largest art fair in Texas featuring nationally recognized artists and works in a variety of mediums including paint, photography, fiber and wood. The festival also features live music by some of Austin’s most recognized bands and food by local food truck vendors.
The Austin FOOD + WINE Alliance brings together top chefs, winemakers and sommeliers from across the nation and Austin’s own gourmet scene for the annual Austin FOOD + WINE Festival. Over the course of two days in April, attendees can indulge in artisanal food, wine, beer and spirits, view cooking demos, listen to cocktail and wine seminars, and enjoy live music and mingle with top chefs.
The Barton Creek Greenbelt is a seven-and-a-quarter-mile urban oasis in Austin. Featuring hike and bike trails as well as large limestone cliffs, the Greenbelt attracts nature lovers and climbing enthusiasts year round. The Greenbelt is also home to the Airmen’s Cave, the largest cave in Travis County, drawing adventure lovers from around Texas and beyond.
Blanton Museum of Art: University of Texas at Austin
The Blanton Museum of Art is the only museum in Austin with a permanent collection featuring more than 17,000 works including modern and contemporary American art, modern and contemporary Latin American art, 15th-century to contemporary prints and drawings and European paintings including the Suida-Manning Collection of Renaissance and Baroque art. Additionally the museum hosts gallery talks, lectures, traveling exhibitions and special events throughout the year.
Set on 1500 acres just outside of downtown Austin, Circuit of the Americas is the premier destination for world-class motorsports and entertainment in the United States. The racetrack complex is home to the only Formula 1 race in America, the United States Grand Prix. Additionally, Circuit of the Americas hosts ESPN’s summer X GAMES, MotoGP, the FIA World Endurance Championship and Tudor United SportsCar Championship sports car series and more. Nestled within the track are the Austin 360 Amphitheater, the largest permanent outdoor amphitheater in Central Texas and its 251-foot signature observation tower.
Part of The University of Texas campus, the LBJ Library house 45 million pages of historical documents, 650,000 photos and 5,000 hours of recording from President Johnson’s political career. And while the collection is diverse at its core are numerous personal objects owned, used, bought or worn by the president and Lady Bird Johnson.
Every March leaders in emerging technologies, original music and independent film descend on Austin for the South by Southwest Conference & Festivals. SXSW’s original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to develop their careers and to bring people together from a wide area to meet and share ideas in music, film and interactive technologies.
Austin is home to the Texas State Capitol, which offers visitors the chance to learn Texas history, walk the grounds, visit the University of Texas at Austin or view the Texas Legislature in action. Self-guided tours are available daily.
Austinites love their green parks and outdoor activities, and Zilker Park is the crown jewel of Austin’s park system. The 351-acre park plays host to a variety of festivals and events including the world-renowned ACL Music Festival, an annual Kite Festival in March, Austin’s Trail of Lights during the holiday season, and the all natural, three-acre spring-fed pool ideal for you-round swimming due to the average water temperatures of 68–70 degrees.
