Spring Break in Austin also means it’s South by Southwest time! This year, SXSW is estimating that it will attract over 50,000 registrants for its conferences, trade shows and festivals starting today, through March 16th. Creative minds from over 64 nations will meet each other to share ideas and together experience the sensory overload attendant to SXSW.
SXSW can be pretty overwhelming to navigate with so many different things to see. With SXSW Interactive, Film, Music and Art events, it is 10 days that is sure to keep anyone engaged. What’s really amazing, is that for years I thought it was only a music festival – that is definitely not the case. In fact, several of my “must-do’s” are not music.
Earlier in the week Vanessa had a great experience at SXSWedu . She had the opportunity to hear from Teach for America Founder Wendy Kopp, Senator Wendy David and a parent-lead community group against standardized testing. The diversity of the speakers was apparent, but the message was obvious: We have to continue innovating education for our students. Thousands of people from across the world (literally! She sat next to someone from London during one session) are working to improving and perfecting education. Pretty inspiring that it’s happening in Austin.
It was tough for me to narrow down my top picks – I circled at least 10 events each day! So, in the hope of keeping this blog from turning into a novella, and giving you some top notch options for yourself and your family, I’ve limited my suggestions to those that are FREE and open to the public either with NO wristband or just a free Guest Pass only.
- The SXSW Eco Light Garden at Republic Square Park: Swing by the park one evening between Saturday, March 8 and Saturday, March 15 to see new installations that play with light, sound and geometry.
- SXSW Gaming: This diverse and widely popular array of events combines well-loved elements of geek culture with the cross-console video game world. With panels, a free expo, rocking parties and exceptional demos, no event bridges the gap between industry insiders and the general public quite like SXSW Gaming.
- SXSW Create: Doing creative and revolutionary things with new technologies…From 3D printing to drones to biohacking and much more, this community event showcases the disruptive solutions that are shaping our future.
- LABRARY is an experimental pop-up library, landing on the lawn of the O. Henry Museum. The project is a collaboration between the Austin Public Library Friends Foundation and the Library Test Kitchen, a Harvard Library-supported Design Seminar that engages students in designing and building future library machines.
- Free Music at the Outdoor Stage at Butler Park: Incredible bands including Los Lonely Boys, Foster the People, and a Jimmy Hendrix celebration featuring Slash!
- Austin Family Jam at Threadgills: This is a great venue to families – eat a yummy dinner, then head outside to listen to music with the skyline as your backdrop. We took Hudson a couple of years ago and he loved it!
- Family Music Meltdown: Austin Nap After Party: This year, families in town have their own unofficial showcase to check out at the Thinkery. All ages are welcome, and it’s free! The showcase will take place on Wed. March 12, at the Thinkery’s events courtyard, and parking is also free in the garage behind the museum.
- Get your shop on at the Renegade Craft Fair. The Renegade Craft Fair (RCF) is a curated indie-craft marketplace showcasing the brightest talents in contemporary craft and design. This three-day marketplace will feature a range of exceptional artisans as well as workshops, art installations, demonstrations and special events.
There you have it. A VERY small listing of some really fun stuff to check out at SXSW the next couple of weeks. Who are you looking forward to? Oh – and don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for the Violin Monster!!!! He’s awesome!
