Festivals with a Beat

Festivals with a Beat

In the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the world, it's needless to say the two largest festivals in town are all about music.

September

Austin City Limits Music Festival. Austinites love any excuse to party outside, especially when music is involved. This unofficial farewell-to-summer shindig takes over Zilker Park for three days in late September. Fans come to hear 130 international, national, and local bands on eight stages. Performers have included the likes of Bob Dylan, Coldplay, Tom Petty, Bjork, the White Stripes, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and the Indigo Girls. 2100 Barton Springs Rd., West Austin/Zilker Park. 512/389-0315. www.aclfestival.com. $50-$120.

March

South by Southwest. The granddaddy of all music fests arrives in early spring. Usually shortened to SXSW, this event's festivals and conferences combine to form a huge music, film, and interactive extravaganza. In addition to all the fans, SXSW brings a fleet of hundreds of hopeful musicians, producers, and record label execs to Austin to perform and network. It's such a take-over-the-city event that many Austin families evacuate town to some far-off spring break destination. Hotel rooms are scarce, restaurants and bars are packed, and everything from SXSW VIPs to plain, music-loving plebeians mix and mingle in expectation of finding "the next big thing." First-time participants should know that it pays to be organized in terms of the bands you want to see since SXSW happens all over town. Throughout, Austin. 512/467-7979. www.sxsw.com. $130-$175.