Events kick off Friday, March 7. City leaders gathered at Butler Park to discuss preparations, and how guests can safely enjoy the experience.
The City of Austin formally welcomes Austinites and visitors to Spring Festival Season 2025. Events kick off with the SXSW Conference and Festival beginning Friday, March 7. Before excited attendees from around the globe make their way to Austin, City leaders gathered Monday at Butler Park to discuss ongoing preparations and how community members and guests can safely enjoy Spring Festival Season.
"Spring Festival Season is here, and Austin continues its happy tradition of hosting significant events, drawing thousands to our city who just want to be part of the one-of-kind experience,” Mayor Kirk Watson said. “With SXSW around the corner, I want you to know that Austin is prepared. As we welcome leaders and enthusiasts from education, technology, film, television, government, and music, we also embrace the vibrant spirit they bring to our city; and we ask for patience and partnership from our residents as we navigate the by-products festivals and events bring with them.”
Spring Festival Season continues to be successful because of the positive relationship between event organizers and the Austin community. Below, essential information is provided on transportation adjustments, safety tips, and services available that will help attendees make the most of this Spring Festival Season.
A replay of today’s press conference will be available in the coming days on ATXN.
Transportation and Public Works Department
Spring Festival Season will be a busy time in and around downtown. Road closures and detours will add congestion in the area and could cause delays for those choosing to drive. Anyone who is able to walk, bike or take transit during this time is strongly encouraged to do so. For those who can telework, this is a great time to take advantage of that option.
An interactive Spring Festival Season Mobility Guide is available to see street closures, rideshare staging areas and loading zones, public transit stations and routes, bicycle routes, and more. Festival attendees are advised to take advantage of the City’s downtown mobility options, including the CapMetro Bikeshare system, walking and public transit.
Attendees choosing to drink at Spring Festival Season events can use the City’s parking ticket waiver program when making the responsible choice to leave their car overnight. Remember to save the receipt from your safe ride home and fill out the waiver form at AustinTexas.gov/GetHomeSafe.
Austin Police Department
Please drink responsibly and have a plan to get home safely. A no-refusal initiative will begin on March 7 and run evenings and nights through March 17. The Austin Police Department (APD) will be visible downtown to assist with everyone’s safety to ensure all attendees are having a great time and enjoying the vibrant events Austin welcomes every year.
With an increase in pedestrians, everyone should double check they are following traffic signals, signage, and officer instructions. Additional officers will be assisting at some intersections to manage pedestrian traffic.
There will be limited parking in certain parts of downtown and many residential areas near downtown require permits. Please do not park in a “No parking / Tow-away” zone as these will be enforced.
Pay attention to your surroundings, especially in crowds. If you see something, say something.
Austin-Travis County EMS
Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) will have multiple dedicated response units and personnel (including ambulances, Special Response Units (SRUs), and Motor Medics) assigned to the downtown area to respond to calls for service and transport patients who require additional care.
The ATCEMS Patient Collection Point will be in operation from Tuesday, March 11 through Saturday, March 15 from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. each day.
Austin Fire Department
The Austin Fire Department’s (AFD) Special Events division works to ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for all attendees by:
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Performing both public assembly (PA) permit and night inspections.
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Deploying teams of night inspectors to ensure venues operate safely. The focus will be on inspections for overcrowding as well as general fire- and life-safety issues, including locked, blocked, or obstructed exits, and complaint calls.
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Performing fire watch where necessary due to the complexity or size of particular events and/or variances allowed.
AFD will work with its partners to respond to and investigate complaints, such as overcrowding in bars and other public assemblies, and reports of unpermitted events.
Austin Public Health
Spring Festival Season attendees are encouraged to be vaccinated, use hand sanitizer, wash hands often and stay home if they feel sick.
- Find vaccines near you at vaccines.gov (vacunas.gov en Español).
- Free mail-order rapid antigen test kits are available once again through covid.gov/tests. Households are eligible for another round of four tests for a limited time.
Austin Public Health's Environmental Health Services Division will be busy working throughout the festival season conducting food safety audits in mobile food units and special events. This work ensures events have sufficient drinking water, restrooms, handwashing stations and more.
Austin Parks and Recreation
It is important to Leave No Trace so parks, trails, and green spaces can be enjoyed for Spring Festival Seasons to come. When visiting:
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Be considerate of other visitors.
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Take trash and leftover food with you when you leave Austin’s green spaces.
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Plan ahead and dress appropriately for the weather.
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Stay on established trails when walking to events.
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Bring bags for pet waste and dispose of them in designated areas.
For more information, visit AustinTexas.gov/LeaveNoTrace.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Airport officials recommend travelers arrive 2.5 hours prior to domestic flights and 3 hours prior to international flights. Travelers checking bags with airlines that offer free, or discounted bag check can expect longer-than-usual wait times their airline's ticket counter.
Travelers should ensure they are not accidentally packing prohibited items in their bags and can text "Travel" to AskTSA (275-872) for questions on what to bring through the checkpoint.
The airport's Department of Aviation will have additional team members in the terminal to provide customer support during busy days and to manage TSA Security and airline ticket counter lines.
Communication During Spring Festival Season
The City of Austin (@austintexasgov) and Austin Emergency Management (@AustinHSEM) will utilize X to share relevant information using #SpringFestATX.
The Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police), Austin-Travis County EMS (@ATCEMS), and the Austin Fire Department (@austinfiredept; @AustinFireInfo) will also employ their X feeds for time-sensitive public safety notifications.
Community members and visitors should call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency – if there is an immediate threat to life or property – and Austin 3-1-1 (512-974-2000) to report a non-emergency situation.
Details and updates for Spring Festival Season will be posted on AustinTexas.gov/SpringFestivalATX.
About Austin Center for Events
The Austin Center for Events (ACE) is a collaborative assembly of City of Austin departments and agencies designed to streamline special event permitting on public and private property. ACE is anchored by teams from Austin Public Health, Transportation and Public Works, Parks, Music, Police, Fire, EMS, Austin Resource Recovery, Development Services, and partner agencies, and works closely with event organizers to guide them through the special event permitting process.
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