Austin's New Year's Eve festivities kick off tonight at 7:30 on the south shores of Lady Bird Lake. With street closures downtown and free public transportation options, here's what you need to know to get around smoothly.
Let's start with the basics. The city's New Year's celebration will take place at Vic Mathias Shores, also known as Auditorium Shores, starting at 7:30 p.m. Dogs are welcome, but must be leashed. Alcohol is not welcome.
Live music starts at 8 p.m. with The Peterson Brothers followed by Shinyribs at 9 p.m., the city said in a Facebook post. The fireworks finale starts at 10 p.m. The city says folks are more than welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
A few downtown and South Austin roads will be closed during the celebration, including Cesar Chavez Street at Guadalupe Street, Riverside Drive from Lamar Boulevard to South First Street and South First Street from Riverside to Cesar Chavez.
The National Weather Service forecasts a sunny day with a high near 60, dipping to the low 40s by the time fireworks start. Chances of rain increase after 3 a.m. New Year's Day.
Capital Metro is offering free rides on buses and the Metro Rail starting at 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve.
If you're planning on running the gauntlet of downtown parking on a major holiday, there are options: City Hall, the One Texas Center and the Austin Convention Center parking garages are all a relatively short walk to the fireworks show.
And if you leave your car in a city spot, don't worry about getting a ticket. The City of Austin will waive the fine if you can prove you took a safe ride home.
