The big month:
March Madness in Austin has something for everyone.
Despite the cool weather, it really is spring in Central Texas. The calendar may say it’s not official yet, but you’ll know it to be true once you spot a few things that signal spring to locals: The “No UIL Parking” anywhere near the University of Texas campus; and hordes of people dressed in black walking around with mini-notepad-size badges on lanyards around their necks. You see, every spring Austin becomes a mecca for music, film and sports as well as a few plain ol’ spring breakers.
Big events like South by Southwest, the University Interscholastic League boys high school basketball tournament and Rodeo Austin clog our venues and congest our streets and roads. But in the end, the city of Austin is better for it.
During this time, some local residents will do everything possible to stay clear of all the madness. Others will join visitors and participate in the numerous happenings. But despite the headaches, these events are an economic boon for Austin.
For the veterans of this scene, we ask that you show our visitors what Austin is all about by keeping it friendly and weird. If, on the other hand, this is your first time around, welcome and get ready for an insane good time.
Lucky for some, the annual festiv- ities are off to a good start with a few popular events already started, including the finals of the UIL tournament, as well as the rodeo. But the full madness commences this weekend when these events overlap with the start of the annual SXSW — a conglomerate of festivals during a 10day spread. SXSWedu, a four-day event that focuses on education, ended Thursday.
The UIL boys basketball tournament, crowning Texas’ finest high school teams as state champions in their respective divisions, ends Friday. (The girl’s tournament ended March 1). Combined, the tournaments attract more than 150,000 spectators and boast an economic impact to the city that exceeds $19 million.
Meanwhile, don’t forget Rodeo Austin, which runs through March 16 at the Travis County Expo Center. The family-friendly event features all you would expect: livestock show, pro rodeo events and plenty of activities for everyone. It also hosts daily music lineups that include performances featuring teen-heartthrob Austin Mahone, R&B legends the Temptations and country star Dwight Yoakam. The 17day event generates more than $68 million annually.
The big-top event that causes plenty of annoyances for locals and is all the rage for out-of-towners is SXSW.
The event that started as a simple music conference and festival 27 years ago has since added film and interactive components. With each year that passes, organizers wrangle big-name keynote speakers as well as some of the most popular performers in the music industry. Keeping true to its original mission, the festival continues to spotlight thousands of up-and-coming bands looking to break out on a big stage. Anyone who ventures downtown during festival dates — which correlate with local schools’ spring break — will find that large crowds and street clo- sures are common.
Star-watching can be done as events bring celebrities to Austin. Among those in town for the festival are Lady Gaga, Diego Luna, Nicolas Cage and Jon Favreau.
For all its troubles — congested streets and sidewalks that frustrate regular commuters and loud music that has central city residents reaching for earplugs — SXSW is good news for the economy. Last year SXSW events had a $218 million impact on Austin, according to organizers. That figure was up from $190 million in 2012, an increase of 15 percent. In fact, in 2013 SXSW’s core events set a record by attracting more than 41,700 registrants.
Other events in our March Madness also add to Austin’s cultural flavor and financial line. Collectively, these relatively smaller events mean millions in revenue for Austin — like the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays track and field meet scheduled for March 26-29; the iHeartRadio Country Festival on March 29; the Austin Urban Music Festival from March 2829; and the Capitol 10,000, Texas’ largest 10K race, on March 30. For a full list of events happening locally this month, go to austin360.com
If you do plan to venture out to the madness, make sure to check the weather and plan for traffic. Happy spring!