SXSW Secrets

Top SXSW secrets for parties, RSVPs, and more at Austin's biggest, craziest and most fabulous festival

Here are the best SXSW hacks for this year's festival.

Photo by Daniel Cavazos

If you’ve never attended SXSW, the sheer magnitude of the event can be overwhelming. With 2,200 acts and over 100 venues for music alone, the entire festival, which kicks off today and runs through March 20 in Austin, is a choose-your-own adventure. Whether you gravitate toward established names or new discoveries, there’s something for everyone.

After 11 years of attending the festival, we’ve learned a thing or two festivalgoers can utilize for a more enjoyable week. Here is our advice for maximum SXSW happiness.

Prepping for the fest

Badge, wristband, or neither
There are three levels of privilege at SXSW. In most cases, badge holders have priority access, wristbands are second, and RSVP (or cash covers) come third. If you really want to catch someone like Santigold or Ryan Adams, you’ll likely need a badge for those gigs. If you’re going on the cheap, be prepared to line up very early, or opt for discovering smaller acts.

RSVPster
The unofficial day (and night) showcases at SXSW are an amazing benefit to locals who aren’t springing for a badge, but the random timing of showcase announcements and RSVPs can leave you tethered to your computer for weeks. The solution? RSVPster, a website that uses a burner email of your choice to RSVP you to as many public events as possible. Priced at just $30, this may be the best time saver of the festival.

Showlist Austin
While a number of public lists are available for unofficial day showcases, the old-school text formatting at Showlist Austin is our favorite pocket guide to day shows. Simply check the boxes of the ones you’re interested in, then print out a customized page or two for each day you attend. You’ll be thankful to have it.

Battery case and earplugs
Go to Amazon now, and order an Anker iPhone battery case ($31) and a pair of Etymotic earplugs ($13). You will be desperately sorry if you don’t. While you’re there, grab a $6 pack of rain ponchos. For $50, you’ll protect your hearing, double your battery life, and be prepared for inclement weather.

Restaurant reservations
This is an underrated but critical tip: Go to OpenTable and grab 6:30 pm dinner reservations at one restaurant per night. While other hungry festivalgoers wait in half-hour food trailer lines, you can walk right into El Naranjo, Olamaie, or Emmer & Rye for an air-conditioned, relaxing meal.

At the Austin Convention Center

Don’t sleep on the day stage
SXSW’s day stage at the convention center hosts radio simulcasts, meaning that badge holders have great access to bigger acts (albeit in a random convention hall). This year, you’ll find White Denim, Chvrches, Hinds, Låpsley, and many more.

SXXpress Pass
Did you buy a badge? Are you downtown early? If so, head to Exhibit Hall 5 at the convention center and grab a pass for the evening show you’re most excited about. Doing so allows "line skipper" privileges — critical for headliner shows.

Big show lottos
It seems like at least one arena or stadium band drops in for a surprise show each year. (We’d like Prince to come back, please.) When these shows are announced, ask at the convention center information booths about lottery tickets. To play fair, the festival often takes names for 24 hours and then sends an email to the lucky winners.

Let the big brands pamper you
If you have a Samsung smartphone, you can get tickets to shows by Public Enemy and Lil Wayne from the mobile company's booth (ask for details). If you have a Marriott Rewards card, the hotel will host shows from Mayer Hawthorne and The Avett Brothers that are free for members. YouTube is also hosting a showcase from Future. Stop by these brand booths to get hooked up.

In the field

Daily pack list
Here’s a good starting list to check before leaving the house: gum, cash, credit card, ID/license, phone charger, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, cap, comfortable shoes, sunscreen, Wet Wipes (trust us), and a light jacket.

Phone apps
The official SXSW app is a must. All panels, official day parties, and evening showcases are searchable here. Having a Twitter account and app is also vital for real-time updates on long lines, spots to avoid, and surprise appearances. Other apps that are very useful on the go include The Fader and DoStuff.

Backup plan
For every day party and showcase you plan to attend, circle at least one backup choice in case your preferred event reaches capacity. With large crowds and artist cancelations, events are often in flux, so plan accordingly.

Old-school meet-up points
At least once, you’ll kill your phone battery and lose track of your friends. To combat panic, set a couple of predetermined meal or happy hour gathering spots to reconvene with pals.

Lyft, Uber, and Mazda
Setting up Lyft and Uber accounts is helpful for SXSW — even with small surges, their pricing is usually more affordable than a cab. Mazda is also deploying some free shuttles from the convention center to official SXSW venues — grab these if you spot them.

Breaks and downtime

Food trailer park
The SouthBites food component curates a smart selection of food trucks in the lot on the Southeast corner of Cesar Chavez and Red River streets. This is an easy and quick break for lunch or a snack, but expect a minor price hike. This year’s selections include Burro, Chi’lantro, East Side King, Kerlin BBQ, and Veracruz All-Natural.

Escape the corridor
If Red River and Dirty Sixth are wearing you down, cross Congress Avenue. You’ll find a surprisingly light crowd at Congress and Warehouse District restaurants, so use these as a temporary reprieve. We recommend Second Bar and Kitchen, Swift's Attic, and La Condesa as easy wins.

Pay for a good drink — and tip
This is our favorite tip of the festival. While free well vodka or light lager is a big SXSW draw, you don’t have to down every free drink you're offered. Many venues are happy to sell you the drink you actually want, and some (Mohawk, Parish) even have pretty great whiskey and beer selections. Treat yourself — life’s too short for bad booze. Remember to tip generously, even on free drinks. These bartenders are your neighbors and friends — take good care of 'em.

Hotel lobbies are your friend
Nobody will blink if you park in the Hilton or Driskill lobby to plan your night and recharge your phone for a bit. That said, it is good karma to patronize said hotel by buying a snack or a beverage while you’re there.

food-trucks sxsw music festivals downtown

New Parks

54,000-acre Hill Country ranch to become Texas' 2nd largest state park

Photo from property listing by Icon Global

Silver Lake Ranch adds 54,000 acres to Texas' public lands.

Texans will soon have a massive new state park to explore, second only to Big Bend Ranch State Park in size. Silver Lake Ranch, the 54,000-acre plot of land spanning Edwards and Kinney counties, was owned by the Moody Foundation, and now, largely thanks to a major philanthropic gift, it's headed into public hands.

The Moody Foundation gifted its 87.5 percent ownership interest in the ranch to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), with TPWD purchasing the remaining interest for $11.85 million. The funds come from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund and Sporting Goods Sales Tax — both approved by Texas voters.

“The Moody Foundation is proud to help preserve this remarkable stretch of Texas Hill Country and make it accessible for generations to come,” said Ross Moody in a press release. “Silver Lake Ranch represents the natural beauty, history, and spirit of our state, and we are honored to make this gift to Texas Parks and Wildlife to ensure it remains protected and enjoyed by all Texans for years ahead.”

The property will officially become Silver Lake State Park, named for the spring-fed 30-acre lake at its heart. Sitting roughly 350 miles west of Houston, nestled between Rocksprings and Uvalde, the land is home to some beautiful hill country wildlife and nature at a Texas manageable drive of about two hours from San Antonio.

Currently the park is in its most rugged and undeveloped form: steep limestone canyons drop into rolling hills lined with live oaks and juniper trees, with miles of river frontage tracing the West Nueces River. Several creeks wind through the property, including Sycamore Creek, Lost Creek, and North Spring Creek, along with Blue Waterhole and Dutch Waterhole.

Caves and other landmarks dot the landscape, and wildlife includes white-tailed deer, turkey, javelina, and dove. Portions of the property have even been identified as a potential habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.

According to the press release, this land, previously used for sheep and cattle ranching, will be developed in phases over the next several years, also using the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. Initially, access to the park might look like guided tours and limited day-use opportunities while planning and infrastructure are underway. Later, trails and basic visitor facilities will be added, and ultimately, the park will include expanded recreational amenities like camping and paddling access.

Now that the acquisition is complete, TPWD staff and private contractors plan to gather feedback from the public and surrounding communities to help map out recreational opportunities. This may take "many months to complete," says the press release. TPWD will communicate any upcoming milestones, including a potential opening date, at TexasStateParks.org

"This is an exciting addition to our state park system, and we are grateful to our partners at the Moody Foundation for their philanthropy and for bringing this slice of the hill country to the people of Texas," TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz says in the press release.

And as folks are pointing out on TPDW's reel announcing the new park: it's "Better than any subdivision."

silver lake ranch state parks parks nature wildlife animals