AUSTIN (KXAN) — Weekend 1 of the Austin City Limits Music Festival kicks off this weekend as hundreds of thousands of concert-goers flock to Zilker Park. But how do you go to festivals?
Festival-goers will not be able to drive directly to Zilker Park on any ACL weekend, and Barton Springs Road near the park will be closed to the public. Parking in surrounding areas and on local streets is prohibited, and city officials warn drivers that parking in overgrown or unauthorized areas will result in significant fines.
Instead, the city of Austin and C3 Presents, the event management company behind ACL, are emphasizing public transportation, festival shuttles and rideshare options to get attendees to and from the festival safely.
ACL Music Festival Shuttle
ACL operates a free festival shuttle to and from the festival gates. The shuttle pick-up location is Republic Square Park in downtown Austin, on the corner of Fourth and San Antonio streets.
Attendees will be picked up and dropped off right outside the entrance to the Barton Springs West Festival. Festival shuttles start running at 12:00 AM on Fridays and 11:00 AM on Saturdays and Sundays.
CapMetro Bus Service
CapMetro’s MetroRapid 803 route is the most direct route to ACL. Northbound and Southbound stops are located near the intersection of South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road. From there, visitors head west along Barton Springs Road to the festival’s entrance.
CapMetro passengers can use the transit trip planner to understand the route and the transfers required to board the MetroRapid 803 route.
CapMetro’s local fare program caps daily rides at $2.50 per day pass, regardless of the number of rides or the number of transfers a passenger makes on the route. An individual who qualifies for CapMetro’s discounted fare program pays his $1.25 for a day pass.
CapMetro will extend its late-night service to 3am on festival weekends so attendees can take it home.
Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail
Attendees looking for a little fresh air can walk or bike along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail to get to the festival. There is a parking station for private bikes and a charging dock for Metrobikes near the festival entrance.
Remind trail walkers to pack lights to help them navigate their way home. Motor vehicles are not permitted on the trail.
scooters
Shared scooters and bicycles are another option for accessing ACL. There is a designated drop-off zone for users to drop off scooters and bikes before entering her Zilker.
bicycle
If you bring your own bike, you can use the MoPac Expressway Pedestrian Bridge with bike parking along Stratford Drive.
Ride share service
Pick-up zones for rideshare services such as Lyft and Uber are located near the MoPac Expressway at Veterans Drive, Lee Barton Drive and Wallingwood Drive.
The city has also outlined several road and lane closures before and after the festival.Affected roads include Barton Springs Road and Stratford Drive.
ACL Weekend 1 will take place October 7-9, with Weekend 2 scheduled for October 14-16.
