AustinFest by LASA Ezine

AustinFest Behind the scenes of SXSW page 20

Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music festival community page 32

Also:

The secrets behind the Texas Teen Book Festival The evolution of celebration Hidden effects of festivals

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Blake Mize

Contents 4

Letter From the Editors

Festival Map

History of Music Festivals

Which Festival Are You?

SXSW: Behind the Scences

Impacts of Music Festivals

Festival Fashion

Local Opinions

Music Festivals: Pros and Cons

Texas Teen Book Festival

Fun Facts About Music Festivals

Dear Readers, Festivals are a great way for thousands of people to gather together and celebrate a common cause. Their topics can range from music to education, and everything in between. This magazine covers a variety festivals in Austin, from the Texas Teen Book Festival to South by Southwest. Some articles focus on the effect of these festivals on the economy, or festivals throughout time. Others include fun facts, a map of festival grounds, or a fashion guide for festivals. We all enjoy attending festivals, especially those in Austin, and we really wanted to extend our common interest to this magazine. Each of our individual articles focuses on our specific passion concerning festivals and what we enjoy about them. This publication took about four months to complete. We spent a few weeks interviewing our sources for our individual articles, writing up rough drafts for our articles, taking pictures, then mapping out the layout of our articles. It has not been easy, though. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve encountered challenges like not having a lot of time to work and not knowing how to put different elements of the magazine into the layout. However, we worked together and overcame every obstacle that we ran into. We have worked really hard on this magazine, and hope that you will enjoy reading our publication!

Sincerely,

Meet the Contributors Matt Oakley Matt has been a resident of Austin for 14 years and attends many festivals annually. He loves to attend the multitude of different festivals in Austin, play the guitar, and indulge in music and arts.

Anthony Perez Anthony has been interested in music all his life, he has been playing the violin for four years and also plays the cello, Anthony has been to a handful of music festivals. Anthonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reason for contributing to this magazine is based on his love for music and the city of Austin. For Anthony, Austin is where his home is, being an Austinite is a part of his character and is representative of his personality. Anthony would describe himself as sporadic and spontaneous, similar to the likes of Austin.

Sophie Newmark Sophie has always been a bookworm and loves discovering awesome books, especially those in the fantasy and science fiction genres. She enjoys writing as well. Also, Sophie finds discovering and learning about lesser-known festivals fascinating and likes sharing that knowledge with others.

Rayna Manchala Rayna has lived in Austin for four years. She enjoys attending different festivals in Austin. Rayna has been playing the piano for ten years, and loves to listen to music. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her dog.

Abigail Jackson Abigail has lived in Austin all her life, and has enjoyed attending the many festivals that Austin has to offer over the years. She loves attending live music performances and going to smaller festivals.

A man crowd surfs as Flogging Molly plays their encore at South By Southwest. Photo by Earl McGehee

Austin City Limits is a famous music festival held in Austin. Photo from Creative Commons

The city of Austin hosts South By Southwest, ACL, and many more festivals every year. Photo from Creative Commons

Left: People enjoy the Texas Teen Book Festival. Photo from texasteenbookfestival.org

ATX Take a look at some of the highlights of the many festivals that take place in the capital of Texas.

Above: Sixth Street is a popular party location during festivals in Austin. Photo from Wikimedia

Austin welcomes 450,000 people every year that attend Austin City Limits. Photo from Wikimedia

People enjoy a street performance during South by Southwest. Photo by Earl McGehee

A woman enjoys a performance during ACL. Photo from Wikimedia

Local Austin Festivals By Anthony Perez

Popular Destinations in Austin Austin has been recognized as the music capital of the world for its live music scene centered around country, rock, and blues. Many people in and around Austin come every year to celebrate music around America. One of Austin’s main attractions is the South by Southwest (SXSW) music and film festival, featuring artists like John Legend; Chance the Rapper, and Snoop Dogg. Not only are the remarkable artist who attend are acknowledged, but as well as the local music scene and atmosphere of the event. Many of the local Austinites attend and take part of the festival through its locally famous musicians and artists. Events hosted in the area also showcase copious amounts of local food from the downtown area and booths presented by argriculturalists who farm and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables grown from Austin soil.

One of the most exciting things about life is making the most of it. Enjoing your life through amazing experinces is what Austin does best. From the local resturants than span from across the world here in Austin, to our SoCo district that contains many cultural influence and eaterys including east asian cuisine, and european delights. Austin is also know for its numerous amounts of music showcases that show the history of Austin music. From old performers like Willie Nelson for our older Austin residents, and Spoon, an indie rock band for our evolving milennial generation. Austin has been reognized for its lively music scene since 1991 for having more live music venues per capita in the nation. Our downtown area is full of marvelous venues that hold our Austin charisma. Austin is a great tourist spot for people who do not live in Texas to get an idea of what Austin pride is about. Though we seem to be a secluded community, we always welcome new comers and always satisfy our newcoming vistors. Downtown Austin is where you will find community and security.

SXSW atendees enjoing what the music capital of the world has to offer, “About SXSW Conference & Festivals.” SXSW, South by Southwest®.

“There’s a freedom you begin to feel the closer you get to Austin, Texas.”

-Willie Nelson

Austin

Festival Locations: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Austin City Limits, Zilker Park Urban Music Festival, Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Austin Reggae Festival, Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Texas Book Festival, 610 Brazos Street Pecan Street Festival, 501 Old Pecan Street Fun Fun Fun Fest, Auditorium Shores at Town Lake AustOber Fest, 1607 San Jacinto Boulevarde Kite Festival, Zilker Park Austin Pride, Congress Avenue VegFest, Fiesta Gardens Austin Film Festival, Paramount Theatre Día de los Muertos Music Festival, Fiesta Gardens 11

A Tour of Festivals Through Time The History of Festivals S to r y b y R a y n a M a ncha la

estivals are a universal way for people to gather and celebrate together. They bring thousands of people together for a common cause. However, while people attend festivals and enjoy them, no one stops to wonder when and where festivals started, how they began, or their journey through time. Festivals have changed drastically over time. Some of the first festivals were recorded in ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, and were primarily focused on religion and worshipping the gods. But as festivals moved through history, they began to feature activities related to topics other than religion. Festivals have always been a way for people to gather together and celebrate something they love, something that is important to them. “They were religious affairs that brought together communities to worship and celebrate their divinities, traditions, identity 12 and each other,” says Professor Nassos

Papalexandrou, an associate professor of Art History at the University of Texas. The earliest festivals began in ancient Egypt. Most festivals were religiously based, or focused or architecture. “Some of the most well documented settings for the religious festivals included these very large temple complexes, one of the most famous being the temple of Karnak,” Professor Esteban Hinojosa, lecturer of Art History, said. “There, the successive made a sport out of building new courtyards, big structures such as gateways to enhance the festival experience, and in doing so, they created spaces that were increasingly exclusive.” However, Egypt was not the only location of the earliest festivals. According to Professor Hinojosa, the some of the earliest festivals also took place in Rome. They were known as triumphal processions, a way to display authority, power and victory.

The theater in Epidauros, Greece, ca. 350 BCE. Courtesy of Professor Esteban Hinojosa

“The procession was designed to be a physical and vice versa, the festivals were good occasions for representation of the hierarchy,” said Dr. Wilson, exchange of goods or showing off, like county fairs chair of the History Department at St. Edward’s today.” University. But they still included spectacles such But these festivals slowly transformed into as athletics or theater, according to Professor entertainment rather than religiously focused, Papalexandrou. according to According Professor Hi“They were religious affairs that to Hinojosa, nojosa. Music, brought together communities to Greek festivals performers, and worship and celebrate their divinities, were similar to costumes were Egyptian festivals, traditions, identity and each other,” slowly brought as both were to the festival. -Professor Nassos primarily religious The entertainPapalexandrou festivals. Along ment-based festiwith Egyptian and Roman festivals, Greek vals traveled across the globe to the Western Hemifestivals also were some of the first celebrations. sphere, bringing history to Early Western festivals. “When we think of those ancient Egyptian or The focus shifted to hope, joyfulness, and fertility. Greek festivals, they had such a religious component “The earliest festivals were for everybody, in to them. Communal prayers, people receiving a one way or another. They would serve to do a lot of religious experience,” said Professor Hinojosa. Greek things, such as the coming of light in the winter, or festivals primarily focused on worshipping their the replenishment in spring,” said Dr. Wilson. But, gods. fast forwarding through time, festivals shifted back “The gods” worship involved sacrifices, as to sources of entertainment. they slaughtered animals like sheep and goat and Now, festivals vary from topic to topic. Some bovines, then they roasted the meat and they all ate feature music, while others may feature education. the cooked meat, and prayers, singing and dance,” says Professor Papalexandrou. “On the side, because 13 many people came to towns from the countryside

“Festivals have become so large because they “As someone who looks across time, I think are drawing from various personalities and different it’s interesting to see that we as a people have this genres,” said Professor Hinojosa. need to do something, whether it’s a core value of According to Dr. Wilson, modern festivals religion, or society. Something to draw us togethdraw people from various er, tapping into a shared communities together, “I think it’s interesting that belief,” said Dr. Wilson. “I rather than a certain group we feel the need, and value, think it’s interesting that we of people worshipping. feel the need, and value, to to draw together and Though it is clear draw together and celebrate celebrate something. We that festivals have changed something. We value that throughout time, their esvalue that opportunity.” opportunity.” sence has not changed. “Fes Festivals have evolved -Dr. Christie Wilson tivals have always existed as they journeyed through throughout the history of humanity,” said Professor the centuries, shifting from religious celebrations Papalexandrou. “Their forms and focus may change and processions to entertainment. But their true in time, but their nature remains the same: they build meaning, the essence of festivals–to bring people communities and they are relevant to everyone.” together and celebrate–remains the same. Festivals provide people a reason to gather together and celebrate a common belief.

ABOVE: A dress from the Fiesta Court, a ten day festival originated in 1891 that honors the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto.

TOP RIGHT: The jewels used for the coronation of the Queen of the Fiesta Court by the Order of the Alamo. The Order of the Alamo was founded in 1909. ABOVE: The theater in Epidauros, Greece, ca. 350 BCE. Courtesy of Professor Esteban Hinjosa.

: Which should you go to? by Sophie Newmark

There are a lot of festivals in Austin, so it can be hard to figure out which to go to. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found six interesting festivals and created this flow chart to help you discover which one is the best for you. Just answer the questions and follow the lines to find your result, and then go to the next page to learn more about it.

Would you prefer a gallery or a performance? Do you like visual entertainment?

Performance

Yes No

Gallery

Do you enjoy very stimulating activities?

Yes

You should go to PrintAustin!

You should go to FronteraFest!

You should go to Other Worlds Austin!

No Do you like sci-fi?

Yes

You should take part in the Cotopaxi Questival!

You should go to Jugglefest! Do you like being outside?

No Yes

You should go to the Zilker Kite Festival!

photo by Rebecca Murphey and taken from Creative Commons

photo below by Gina Pina and taken from Creative Commons

PrintAustin

FronteraFest

Austin is a city where printmaking is thriving. PrintAustin works with individuals and organizations involved in the printmaking community to display prints for the public. The event takes place from January 15 to February 15, 2018. Learn more at printaustin.org.

FronteraFest celebrates the weird in fringe theatre. Throughout five weeks, short plays are performed at Hyde Park Theatre and longer ones at Ground Floor Theatre. But if these venues seem too traditional, there is a unique opportunity to “bring” your own venue for the festival. FronteraFest is January 17 to February 17, 2018. More information can be found at hydeparktheatre.org.

Zilker Kite Festival As the weather warms up again, crowds gather every March to celebrate with the Zilker Kite Festival. Fly a homemade kite to try to win prizes, or just come for fun and to see the spectacle. If you don’t know how to make a kite, and want to learn, you can make your own at the festival’s kite-making workshop. Find out more at abckitefestival.org.

Cotopaxi Questival Feel the thrill of a 24hour adventure race designed to test your limits. Event categories include everything from food to service and more. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll work with a team to submit challenges through an app to earn points and win prizes. Find more information at cotopaxi.org.

Jugglefest Jugglefest is three days of shows, workshops, and games involving juggling and related circus arts. Everyone is welcome to come and learn some tricks, meet people, hang out, and watch the entertainment. Jugglefest will be February 23, 24, and 25, 2018. More information at juggling. place.org.

Other Worlds Austin If you love movies and aliens, space, robots, or anything sci-fi, Other Worlds Austin is the festival for you. A film festival solely for science fiction, Other Worlds Austin strives to catapult sci-fi films into industry recognition. You can come to experience something out-of-this-world December 7-10, 2017. See more information at otherworldsaustin.com. 19

Behind The Scenes At South By Southwest Discover what goes on behind the scenes at one of the world’s biggest music, film, and technology festivals. Story by Abigail Jackson Flogging Molly performs at the Moody Theater during South By Southwest. Photo by Earl McGehee

“The people that work at South By Southwest are the people that travel around the world picking out who gets to play there,” said photographer Earl McGehee. McGehee has taken photographs at South By Southwest for seven years. Those South By Southwest employees are called recruiters. The recruiters go all around the world looking for the best musicians to play at the 200 venues that take part in South By Southwest. According to school counselor Kristina Kern, who volunteered in 2011, some performers could be from Oregon, some could be from Australia. All volunteers have to go through a training that Kern said is more fun than difficult. “You have to go through training, that wasn’t bad. It really wasn’t,” she said. In the training, volunteers learn what they’re going to be doing and how to do it correctly. Photographers also have to complete a training before they can receive assignments.

very year, more than 80,000 people come to Austin to attend South By Southwest, a worldfamous film and music festival that welcomes over 2,000 performers and 700 filmmakers. However, without the help of employees and volunteers, the festival would not be the same as it is today. They load equipment, check tickets, and take pictures, all of which make the festival run smoothly. 20

“In the training period you learn what South By Southwest wants,” McGehee explained. Photographers are assigned performers or speakers to take pictures of. McGehee said that sometimes he gets assigned performers that he has never heard of, but they always turn out to be great musicians.

Volunteers do not get paid with money, but they do get a South By Southwest badge to use on their days off. Kern said that being able to go to concerts or watch films feels like payment enough. In order to One of the main jobs of an employee is to get a badge, volunteers have to work for five of the recruit musicians to perform. ten days.

John Bell of Widespread Panic performs at South By Southwest. Photo by Earl McGehee

However, McGehee was promoted to a member of a paid, professional photography team after two years of volunteering.

As a photographer, McGehee said that “You’d go to the venue, and they’d tell you who to take pictures of.”

“The better thing was when I was asked to take [pictures] professionally. Because then you get published, you get better assignments, and you get published in better magazines,” McGehee said.

McGehee likes being assigned less famous performers.

Also, volunteering opens up a lot of new opportunities. “I’ve been published in Rolling Stone magazine a few times,” McGehee said. Volunteers have lots of various jobs to do while they are working at the festival. Kern said that she was assigned a venue to help out at every night. “I would help musicians bring their band equipment onto the stage and switch out band equipment,” she said.

Matt Nathanson plays the guitar at the famous Moody Theater. Photo by Earl McGehee

“They set up the volunteers to get more photographers so they could cover all these less famous people that might be famous next year,” he explained. “And that’s what everyone is hoping for, that you’ll get one of those assignments… for somebody that becomes famous maybe next week or next year.” Austin’s motto is ‘keep Austin weird,’ and South By Southwest is one of the events that keeps Austin as unique as it is. People come from all over the world to watch the films and performances. “It’s a whole bunch of people wanting to have a good time, and then people wanting to try and get their big break,” Kern said. The City of Austin hosts South By Southwest every year. Photo By Abigail Jackson

Leaping into the air with his guitar, Anders Windin performs with his band, Moneybrother. Photo by Earl McGehee

“They’re always looking for what they call ‘atmosphere pictures’ which are just people having fun at South By Southwest,” McGehee said. Along with the high points of volunteering, both Kern and McGehee have experienced challenges. “One year I shot South By Southwest and it just

“It’s a whole bunch of people wanting to have a good time, and then people wanting to try and get their big break.” poured down rain the whole time,” McGehee said. “So it was tough trying to keep your camera gear dry and getting between assignments.” “This really bad thing happened, where this fairly well know musician’s stuff was stolen,” Kern said. “Because of that, the next day when I showed up, our

manager was way more strict on us.” Even though they encountered difficulties, both Kern and McGehee had positive volunteering experiences. “No matter where you’re volunteering, if you have a passion for it, you feel great afterwards,” Kern said. Both Kern and McGehee highly recommended volunteering to others because it is a once in a lifetime experience. South By Southwest will take place from March 9-18, 2018. Widespread Panic performs during South By Southest. Photo by Earl McGehee

Festivals: A Blessing or A Curse? The effects of festivals on Austin By Matt Oakley 24

ABOVE: People enjoy a concert at a music festival. Photo from Pexels

A picture of overcrowded roads during a festival. Photo from Pexels

estivals are an amazing way to spend time outdoors and meet people with similar interests as you. However, many people are affected by festivals. While thousands of people enjoy festivals, some are affected in negative ways. Many residents who live near places that are used for festivals encounter frustrations. Alicia Rancanelli is an Austin resident who lives near Zilker park, a place where many festivals are held. “Traffic is even worse. Access to and from our neighborhood is blocked. We don’t have access to Robert E. Lee and Barton Springs, which is one of the routes we take to avoid traffic,” Rancanelli said. She has to compensate for the increased traffic by taking unusual routes to commute from place to place. “[The other people that live here and I have] to go out of our way to because

we don’t have access to our normal traffic patterns. We have difficulty getting out of our neighborhood to go to work, go to church, go to UT games, go to the grocery store.” Also, there are problems that occur in or during festivals. Many festivals have issues with substance abuse. A local firefighter, Brian Janek, who works for Firefighter Engine 4, has dealt with calls from festivals. He explained that “the largest number of calls we experience during major festivals are what we call altered mentation and unconscious person, which really means that an individual had too much to drink or took too much of an uncontrolled substance (ie…drugs).” Also, when these festivals are going on, many students miss or skip class to attend. Teachers have expressed their 25 troubles with students. Abey Oden, an

Adjunct Professor who teaches Curriculum and Instruction Department at Texas State University, said that festivals can be “a distraction, can be at times.” Many classrooms are disrupted by festivals and can be cancelled due to attendance of students. But it’s not all bad news for festivals; there are many positives that comes festivals. Janek told us that he believes that “these festivals allow Austin to showcase itself to not only the country, but

the world. I know that the people that live here are sometimes inconvenienced by the extra crowds, traffic, and noise. But in the big scheme of things, it’s only for a few days out of the year… But most importantly… these events bring in massive amounts of revenue for the city coffers…to the tune of about a billion dollars a year. And a lot of that money goes to pay for services such as Fire, Police, and EMS.” However, festivals won’t ever be

“These festivals allow Austin to showcase itself.”

A picture of empty classrooms due to a festival causing students to not attend, Photo from Pexels

able to please everyone. As Janek said, “Is it perfect for everyone…no, but nothing is. We have 3 world class events (SXSW, ACL, and F1) and the city and the event organizers have done a pretty good job.” The people who are in charge of planning and organizing festivals try to please everyone, but the simple fact is that no made how much they try they not everyone will be pleased. Attending a festivals is an exhilarating and mind opening experience, but they also have negative effects on the city of Austin. Festivals in Austin can cause confusion and be a distraction to students, Austin residents, and social workers. Overall festivals and major events are a positive attribute of Austin.

A picture of Brian Janek. Photo by Janek

A picture of Abey Oden. Photo by Oden

A picture of Alica Rancanelli. Photo by Rancanelli

A picture of the atmosphere of a music festival. Photo from Pexels

See whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in trend at festivals all across the counrty this year so that your outfit can be Instagram worthy! A woman dances to a live music performance at a festival. Photo from Pexels

A lot goes into a Daisy Scale rating: popularity, cost, comfort, and durability. When planning your outfit, make sure to check the scale so that your outfit can fit all of your needs.

1. Short-Alls Did you know that short-alls were created as a form of over-alls? They were popularized in the 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s due to their comfort and durability. Wear With: Printed tops, round sunglasses, sneakers

2. Fanny Packs Seen on: Kendall Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Hudson, Fergie, and more! Wear With: Bright colors, stripes, and denim jackets

3. Off-The-Shoulder Tops Remember what Kendall Jenner wore to Coachella back in 2014? An off-the-shoulder top! And guess what? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still in style! Wear With: Bell bottom printed pants, sandals, a cute pair of sunglasses

4. Denim Jackets Did you know that 48% of the whole worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fabric trade is cotton? Cotton is what denim is made of. Blue denim is made by weaving indigo into the cotton. 30

Wear With: Vintage band tees, cowboy boots, round sunglasses

5. Vintage Band Tees Bands To Look For: Pink Floyd, Kiss, Iron Maiden, and Led Zeppelin Wear With: Light wash shorts, Converse, round sunglasses

6. Cowboy Boots Cowboy Boots are traditionally made from cowhide, but can also be made out of lizard, crocodile, snake, or buffalo skin. Wear With: Rompers, short, flowy, dresses, and prints 31

ACL Guitar sign at the entrance of the festival, From Creative Commons Search

Music Festivals: Opinions

Looking into the Austin Experience Story By Anthony Perez

ore than 30 million people in the United States attend music festivals every year. Music influences over 500,000 people around the world who become musicians and composers. Music brings people together and provides a sense of safety, which is the reason why music is apparent in every community. A recognizable community in music and most notable, is Austin, Texas. Austin exemplifies a vibrant neighborhood and emphasises its musical uniqueness. Not only is Austin referred to as The Live Music Capital of the World, but its also features a wide variety of cuisine that draws out numerous cultures. This further acknowledges Austin, and defines, what a melting pot city is, it serves as an influential part of Texas history. “Funky, dank, and fresh; all at the same time. Referring everything from the environment to the music to the experience,” Johnny Storbe, a local Austinite, said. Austin posses an iconic live music scene that is known around the U.S., and is a place of tourism that carries a familiar atmosphere that always feels like home. “For me, I really enjoy late night sets at music festivals, it’s just brings out the coolest people, sometimes the weirdest people--actually all the time, the weirdest people; just really cool environments because it’s late night. People are still up, they want to party,” Storbe said.

Austin is a very communal place where many people come together easily and have a good time. In Austin, people can get out of their comfort zone express themselves. “I love live music, but it’s different when you get into a festival because you almost get to leave whatever your version of the real world is for a little bit, and you get to be surrounded by people that are feeling that same vibe as you are and you get to make your own special place…” Mike Sisco, a local music enthusiast, said. There is a sense of community someone can fel when they come to Austin, it feels like everyone is feeling and experiencing everything at the same time.

The “Greetings from Austin; Capital of Texas” mural on the side of the Roadhouse Relics shop on S 1st Street, From Creative Commons Search

“That having a new experience where you experience either a band or going to a festival, a really fun event with your friends is something that is kind of priceless, and everyone should get to experience a few times 33 in their lifetime,” - Alexis Trapon

Live SXSW concert in Zilker Park, From Creative Commons Search

“And that’s not to say that you can’t get something really special in a really special, small intimate setting, you absolutely can, but when that same kinda vibe or feeling gets exploded onto a much larger scale; it’s awesome,” said Sisco. Austin is a common place where people can just go outside for a music festival, anyone can get out and find music in Austin every day in the downtown area. “I really just like the overall energy of people at music festivals because I feel like in a lot of ways it’s kinda replaces the excitement of religion in past generations to where it’s a bunch of people kind of convening for just this very positive experience to kind of worship the beauty of good music,” Charles James, 34 an Austinite, said.

Festivals are very similar to religion, in respect to having communal gatherings, Music festivals can be seen as a modern form of religious gatherings. “That having a new experience where you experience either a band or going to a festival, a really fun event with your friends is something that is kind of priceless, and everyone should get to experience a few times in their lifetime,” Alexis Trapon, a sophomore at St. Edward’s University, said. Experiences are a part of memories, people can recall times when they have felt happy through experiences. “Nothing brings people together more than food and music it’s just like we’re all one,” Rodeal Blanc, who is visiting Austin, said.

Family gatherings can be very similar to a festival, people are happy to see each other and they enjoy their time spent with the ones they love; and of course food! “I love how Austin likes to be very creative with their food; they’re not afraid to go there and every place that I looked at so far caters to everyone,” Blanc said. Austin is also known for its extensive restaurants with flavorful foods, as well as having a diverse food community. “I really like ACL(Austin City Limits) because it’s all in one park and if you park somewhere you’re there the whole day,” Lina Ungar, an Austinite, said. ACL is a popular music festival that lasts 2 weekends in October, it’s all happens in one month. “It’s the experience,” Sisco said. The “experience” like Sisco said, best illustrates Austin’s colors. Austin’s vibrancy resounds within its people and contributes significance to the meaning of community. Like how a melting pot city is described, Austin blends and incorporates people, and it is the people that define Austin. Through music, Austin will always be a place to visit.

Austin capital Building in Downtown Austin, By Creator

“I love live music, but it’s different when you get into a festival because you almost get to leave whatever your version of the real world is for a little bit, and you get to be surrounded by people that are feeling that same vibe as you are and you get to make your own special place…” -Mike Sisco

View of Downtown Austin, From Creative Commons Search

Festivals are a one in a lifetime experience for anyone who attends. They are a chance to see your favorite artists or bands in person.

Festivals allow the opportunity to connect with like-minded people and make new friends. They can help you break out of your comfort zone and explore new relationships.

The event in general is the whole reason you came to the festival. The music, arts, film, etcâ&#x20AC;Ś is the reason you went through the hassle of getting tickets and finding time to attend the festival.

By Matt Oakley

A list of some of the pros and cons of major festivals

Pros and Cons of Festivals 36

PROS +

CONS Due to the size of these events, usually these is a lot of traffic around the area of the event. They could cause terrible accidents and make it almost impossible to commute from place to place.

Usually the cost for one of these tickets are astronomically pricey. For example, the cost for a 3 day pass to ACL, a music festival in ATX, ranges from $250 to $700.

The schedule isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forgiving. You may miss one band because another is playing at the same time; you are often forced to choose one artist over the other.

Graphic by Sophie Newmark

A Source of Books to Love Behind-the-scenes of the Texas Teen Book Festival By Sophie Newmark

lue carpet covered the floor and teenagers filled the space, clustered around long, wide tables. Drawn by the promise of colorful covers of new books, they browsed, chatted, and lined up to buy whatever caught their eye. This was the book sales room of the Texas Teen Book Festival, held on Oct. 7, 2017 at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. Every year, Austin librarians, bloggers, and booksellers work together for about 10 months to plan the Texas Teen Book Festival, which allows 4,000 young adult (YA)

literature fans to bond with authors and each other and to discover books they come to love. While their task is difficult, to them, it is worth it. “It’s a lot of work to figure out how to make something as complex as this festival easily digestible and so that it feels just fun and organic,” Programming Director Meghan Goel said. The festival’s PR and media director, Jen Bigheart, agreed. “Sometimes I think I hear my inbox crying,” she said.

Books on display in the sales room during TTBF 2017. photo by Sophie Newmark

This amount of work leads to a necesity for collaboration between TTBF’s team and other organizations. One such organization is the Texas Book Festival. “They play a big role in terms of the facilitation of the structures, the logistics, making sure that the day of can happen,” Goel said. Also, the team divides the work according to each person’s strengths. “We have files and files and files in Google Drive of lists upon lists upon lists of ‘this needs to be done’ and ‘who’s going to do this’ and ‘when is this going to done,’” Director Shawn Mauser said. “Whoever can do it and whoever is best suited to do it takes it on and does it.” When the work is overwhelming, the team turns to Trello, a project management tool, to keep things straight. They could be juggling conversations about t-shirt design, the schedule, and author hospitality all at the

People examing books on display in the sales room during TTBF 2015. About 4000 people attend the yearly festival. photo from texasteenbookfestival.org

same time, each topic color-coded. The team members also constantly check in with each other and give each other feedback. “Everybody [is] involved in looking at everything and seeing what’s missing and bringing attention to somebody else, saying, ‘Hey did you notice this?’ or ‘Hey I saw this on my list, has this been done yet?’’ Mauser said. “We’re all really good about giving feedback, honest feedback, so if something doesn’t quite work we’re honest about that, but if something is fantastic we’re honest that way too, so I think we all kind of fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.” This is important because, like any big project, the festival involves a lot of moving parts. “There are all of these different components that have to work together and you have to be able to see how each of those components affects the other components, and so if

An audience at a panel during TTBF 2015. Groups of about 5 authors are selected for panels where they talk about their books for festival attendees. photo from texasteenbookfestival.org

Authors on a panel at TTBF 2015. The members of the panel are decided based on similarities their books share. photo from texasteenbookfestival.org

Assorted books on a shelf. photo from Pexels

“You see readers of all ages freaking out about an author the way most people freak out about movie stars...it’s magical.”

TTBF attendees looking at books in the festival sales room. photo from texasteenbookfestival.org

An announcer at TTBF 2015. photo from texasteenbookfestival.org

Someone getting a copy of The 5th Wave signed at TTBF 2015. Over 1 million copies of the book are in print. photo from texsteenbookfestival.org

you’re not organized and you’re not paying attention, there’s something that causes conflict every single time,” Mauser said. Each component of the festival has its own components. “One aspect might have 500 parts to it,” Mauser continued.

People in the book-signing tent at TTBF 2015. Authors sign in small groups throughout the day, but all sign during a mega-signing at the end of the festival. photo from texasteenbookfestival.org

about an author the way most people freak out about movie stars,” Brewer said. “Passion just explodes out of them and they can’t contain it anymore.” “It’s a really positive festival,” Goel added.

The festival planners are in charge of everything leading up to the festival. However, according to Volunteer Coordinator Shannon Brewer, on the day of, another group of people makes it happen.

Yet the festival is not just excitement. It can have a meaningful effect on people. “A new reader may be born at that festival,” Brewer said. “A reluctant reader or a shy kid or the future J.K. Rowling was in our audience and their life was changed.”

“Our volunteers are the hands and feet of TTBF,” Brewer said. “While we work all year to sort of Frankenstein this monster together, it’s the volunteers that really bring it to life when the time comes.”

Also, the festival affects the community of readers attending it as a whole. “It celebrates a community of readers and it brings readers together and strengthens that community,” Mauser said.

According to Brewer, volunteers direct traffic, help with signing lines and book sales, and monitor panels and events. This allows the planners watch the festival unfold.

However, those strengthened bonds of Austin’s community of readers would not be possible without the community of planners behind the scenes, organizing all the pieces necessary to make the festival happen.

“You see readers of all ages freaking out

Many people gather together on the very last Saturday of April for Eeyore’s Birthday Party. This festival started in 1963, as a picnic for the English students at the University of Texas. However, the festival has grown since then, and includes thousands locals.

Fun Facts about

Festivals By Rayna Manchala

Fun facts about festivals in Austin! Read about Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, and other local festivals.

South by Southwest, one of the most popular festivals in Austin, started out as a music festival in 1978. About 700 people showed up to the first SXSW. There were several rejected names for SXSW, one of them being ‘Third Coast.’ Austin is known as the live music capital of the whole world. Over 2,000 bands and artists reside in this city, and approximately 200 live music venues are in Austin.

“15 Facts About Austin You Never Knew Were True.” OnlyInYourState, www.onlyinyourstate.com/texas/austin/facts-about-austin/. “11 Fun Facts about SXSW.” Mental Floss, 7 Mar. 2013, mentalfloss.com/article/49258/11-fun-facts-about-sxsw.

Austin City Limits was the longest running music shows on television, and was recognized in the Times Magazine as one of the top ten most influential music festivals. “Having been founded 30 years ago as a music showcase, SXSW, along with the rapidly growing city around it, has morphed into an all purpose destination for culture mavens eager to be early adopters in everything from music, cinema and technology to politics and health.” - The Washington Post

The Pecan Street Festival, held in May, is a large gathering of music and food enthusiasts that are there to watch the performances and enjoy the cuisine. This famous festival is held twice a year, and takes place on Sixth Street. This festival is called the Pecan Street Festival because before the street was renamed Sixth Street, it was called Pecan Street.

The Urban Music Festival turned 12 years old on March 31, 2017. Over 500 artists have preformed at the Urban Music Festival, and 10,000 people have attended this festival on average. 45 “2017.” Urban Music Festival | Austin, TX, urbanmusicfest.com/2017-2/. “ANY EXCUSE TO CELEBRATE MUSIC.” Austin, TX | Austin Hotels, Events, Attractions, Things To Do & More, www.austintexas.org/visit/music-scene/festivals/.

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