Every year we can count on certain events to break the monotony of everyday life, and you can certainly rely on these annual festivals in Austin for fun all year round!
2018 Austin, TX Tequila, Taco & Cerveza Festival at Fair Market
Do you like tacos? How about tequila, margarita, and beer? Then get down to the fair market on April 14th for the first annual TTC Festival in Austin. The festival isn’t just about food and drink; there will also be live mariachi bands, Lucha Libre matches, DJs, bands, and water pong as well as cornhole. Tickets are $30 for general admission and $60 for VIP but are $10 more at the gate. Designated Driver tickets are $10 and only give admission.
Hot Rods and Hatters 7th Annual Car Show Festival
Don’t miss out on the largest even in Lockhart history: Hot Rods and Hatters. Head down to The Caldwell county Courthouses to see more than 1,200 hot rods with plenty of vendors, food truck, local shops, and restaurants to spice up the afternoon. Vote on the best hot rod with donation voting, $5 adults and $2 kids, with all proceeds going to Hot Rods for Homes charity. Cars with the most donations will receive one of three Best in Show Hot Rods and Hatters trophies. So go out and enjoy great cars February 2 and 3.
Pirelli World Challenge Texas GP
Take the challenge as the Pirelli World Challenge returns to the Circuit of The Americas on March 24th. Treat your senses to six separate classes of Sprint and SprintX races and enjoy cars from legendary manufacturers including Audi, Ferrari, McLaren, Maserati and Porche. Witness two full days of more makes and models in racing than in any other racing series. With access to the paddock to see the cars up close and talk to the racers, this annual festival is a dream that sports car lovers can’t miss! A weekend pass is $50, one day access is $29, and kids under 12 get in free!
Lonestar Rod & Kustom Round Up
From humble beginnings as a one-day outdoor car show at an football stadium, the Lonestar Rod & Kustom Round Up has evolved into a sprawling week-long celebration. If you like building, driving, or even looking at hot rods and custom cars, this is the place for you! The music, art, and history inspired by them is just a bonus. Listen to live music, go to a swap, meet vendors, and see plenty of cars from around the country at the Travis County Expo Center. Don’t forget about the BBQs, open house parties, and cruise nights all over Austin that Round-Up is famous for. General Admission is $15 and includes a wristband that is good for Friday, April 6th and Saturday, April 7th. Children under 12 are free as is general admission parking. Come out and enjoy this unique, home-grown, Texas-sized experience and the cars that made this annual festival famous.
Enjoy wine and food and need a three-day weekend? Then Austin’s Food and Wine Festival is the place for you! From April 27th through the 29th, experience tastings from tops chefs and sommeliers, hands-on grilling demos, and interactive demos and panels in the heart of the state's culinary capital. Enjoy Austin’s acclaimed gourmet scene while seeing the beautiful views of Auditorium Shores and Republic Square. Prices remain the same as 2017: the all-inclusive package (including access to the festival grounds with tastings, fire pits, and demos as well as Love’s grilling demonstration, Rock Your Taco, and Sunday Gospel Brunch) is $625. Tickets to this annual festival and the brunch are $250 for both days. A separately-priced Feast Under the Stars dinner featuring a collaboration from Austin’s chefs at Auditorium Shores is $250. Tickets may be pricey, but they sell out quick so get yours today!
Want to enjoy music, film, comedy, and interactive festivals? Look no further than the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW), which has been held every year since 1987; this year's festival is from March 9th through the 14th. So much more than just a group of festivals, this event also holds conferences, exhibitions, and networking events. First thought of by a group of colleagues in 1986, SXSW was created to provide local creative and musical communities with exposure. This annual festival has grown considerably since 1986 and has expanded to provide opportunities and learning well beyond music from art to journalism to gaming, bringing people together from not only all over the country but all over the world. Creative people need tools to meet, learn, and share ideas, thereby developing their own careers, and this is what SXSW has always and continues to provide each year. Register now to attend SXSW’s 2018 festival and experience life-changing events.
The Keep Austin Weird Festival (KAW) is aptly named. On June 23, it’s a fun excuse to throw a large party, and the festival is all about crazy, inventive costumes and games. Enjoy balancing people on you during yoga, petting an armadillo, and participating in dunk tanks filled with things other than water. If that doesn’t sound weird enough to you, try the ‘Slowest 5K’ full of at least 10 fun stops. What are fun stops? Anything that fits the organizers' dreams, including beer stops, shot stops, ice cream stops, and the perennial favorite: slip n' slide stops! Starting at 4:00 p.m. a line of bands will provide live music through the evening. One dollar of every ticket goes to the Central Texas Food Bank, which accepts canned food and other nonperishable items as donations at the festival as well. Registration is $20 for adults and $11 for kids, so go to this annual festival and stay weird!
Bookmark this article and make sure you go to at least one of these fun annual festivals in Austin this year. Find more annual events in Austin like these by registering on 512area, your free guide to everything in Austin!
Cover photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
