The Austin City Limits Music Festival is the largest annual event of its kind in Austin. Held at 46-acre Zilker Park in early October, the festival features more than 130 artists from around the world, including The Eagles, The Strokes and Sonic Youth in 2010. The ACL began in 2002 and has become a staple of the city's music festivals.
Over three days, guests can enjoy not only the music on stage, but also the food and pavilions throughout the park. The Kiddie Limits gives the little ones something other than loud live music for their entertainment needs. The youngsters have a chance to play and sing along with popular kids songs.
Austin City Limits Music Festival
Zilker Park
2100 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
aclfestival.com
Founded in 2008 and held in the spring, the Austin Psych Fest is a celebration of psychedelic rock. Austin has long been considered its birthplace, making it a logical location for such a festival. The mind-expanding music and performances are not for the shy; the live performances are accompanied by experimental multimedia and other visual art to create a greater experience.
But the festival isn't just an homage to past psychedelic greats; it is also a celebration of modern psych rock, with The Black Angels, The Ravonettes and Silver Apples all performing at past festivals. The Psych Fest celebrates vintage and modern music while promoting artistic expression. As a result, the festival is not suitable for the whole family; leave the little ones at home.
Austin Psych Fest
The Mohawk
912 Red River St.
Austin, TX 78701
Austinpsychfest.com
For a taste of reggae, the Austin Reggae Festival is a celebration of the art form, Jamaican food and culture. Held every spring with a four-day line-up of some of reggae's hottest stars, the festival offers arts and crafts with a distinctly Jamaican take. The festival was founded in 1994 and has continued to rise in popularity. Reggae has often been considered a specific genre of music with a exclusive following, but the Austin Reggae Festival makes the island rhythms accessible for all.
Since the festival lasts for four days, guests are encouraged to bring a tent to set up a base of operations in the Auditorium Shores, but you cannot spend the night, so book a hotel.
The Auditorium Shores, located in downtown Austin, provides an ideal setting for the festival, with views of the sky line in the background. Its open space gives you a chance to see everything at once: the music and the pavilions together, which also makes it difficult to get lost or miss anything.
Austin Reggae Festival
Auditorium Shores
950 W Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
Austinreggaefest.com