Update: The final Sunday of ACL's second weekend has been canceled due to weather.
For more, including information on refunds see: Heavy Rains Soak Austin, Central Texas; ACL Festival Cancels Final Day
Update (Oct. 11): Traffic could be a bigger problem in the Austin area for weekend two of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Road closures around Zilker Park and Republic Square Park will be in place just like last weekend (see below). But the highways may also be packed.
Thousands of football fans are expected to head to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry game between the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma.
The Texas Department of Transportation is warning drivers about possible delays on I-35 – especially around Waco because of construction. While no northbound main lanes will be closed over the weekend, the speed limit will be reduced to 60 miles per hour in some areas.
Southbound traffic on both I-35 East and West will be reduced to one lane briefly near Hillsboro.
For more information on I-35 traffic, visit My35.org.
Original Story (Oct. 4): The 2013 Austin City Limits Music Festival kicks off this weekend. It’s the first year the fest has grown to two weekends – and the City of Austin is bracing for the impact. Here’s a guide on what to expect:
Transportation & Street Closures
The Austin Transportation Department is encouraging visitors to utilize public transportation and bicycling rather than cars.
- You can plan your trip with Capital Metro.
- You can also take a free shuttle, which picks up at Fourth & Guadalupe streets at Republic Square Park and drops off at the festival entrance on Barton Springs Road. Shuttles run from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
See more about transportation on the ACL website.
The city also has several street closures in effect. Barton Spring Road will be closed, with heavy limitations on roads and parking surrounding Zilker Park.
- View an interactive map marked with full and partial closures.
Public Safety
The Austin Police Department is looking to keep ACL safe. Chief Art Acevedo says people need to keep an eye out for suspicious activity:
“If it’s 90 degrees out and somebody’s wearing a big coat and a huge backpack coming towards ACL, you might want to call the police so we can check it out; that’s kind of suspicious to me. If you see somebody leave something somewhere unattended, you need to tell somebody.”
Austin Fire and Police are also equipped with emergency personnel and medical services for the festival. The agencies also have management plans in case of an emergency event or weather hazard.
- Festival-goers can learn about safety precautions and prohibited items on the ACL festival website.
Environment & Recycling
The city's Watershed Protection department is reminding fest attendees to think smart when disposing of their trash. More than 250 tons of waste and debris are collected from Lady Bird Lake each year. Trash receptacles with separate compartments for recycling and composting will be strategically placed around festival grounds. You can learn more about the city’s vast departmental response to ACL here.
