Fall Fun
Austin's upcoming family-friendly music festival celebrates all things local
Austin reigns as the Live Music Capital of the World, but if you’re looking for a departure from busy city life (and perhaps a warm-up for that other music festival), head to Vista Brewing in Driftwood on Saturday, September 21, for the second annual Outside the City Limits Festival.
This one-day, family-friendly, dog-friendly music festival will feature Austin bands, local craft beer, wine, and cider on Vista Brewing’s 21-acre property.
All seven bands on the OCL lineup call Austin home, and though their styles and sounds differ, the common thread is American roots music. Think country, blues, indie folk, funk, and bluegrass — all set to the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country across two stages.
“We really wanted to curate a festival of local bands playing original music and to support and even help grow our local music scene," said Vista Brewing's manager and talent buyer Adam Brown. "HAMM [Health Alliance for Austin Musicians] will be there sharing the work that they do. This is about our local music community.”
This festival is indeed all about that local vibe. Vista Brewing’s own craft beers — 12 in all — will be available on tap, including the Encore Double IPA brewed exclusively for this year’s festival.
For non-beer drinkers, representatives from Texas Keeper Ciders, Lewis Wines, and Duchman Family Winery will be pouring samples of their products, available for purchase by the glass.
A full menu of farm fresh festival food, much of it grown on-site, is set to fuel festival attendees, like the smoked chicken with honey hot sauce; pulled pork sandwich with pepper slaw and hot mustard on house made brioche; and a grilled veggie burrito with oyster mushrooms, black beans, arugula, and jalapeño basil pesto (a vegan option). For dessert, don’t miss the beer doughnuts with Vista honey from the on-site apiary.
In keeping with the local, homegrown theme, a pop-up market featuring a curated selection of local vendors will be part of this year’s festival. In addition to the market, representatives of the Hill Country Conservancy will host a booth educating festival-goers about the Violet Crown Trail, which begins at Zilker Park in Austin and will eventually stretch 30 miles deep into Hays County toward Driftwood.
Leashed dogs are welcome to the Divine Canines Watering Hole for a drink, while their owners learn how the organization provides therapy dogs to those in need. Meanwhile, competitive festival attendees can test their skills at the ReWork Project Game Zone, win beer and wine in the Ring Toss for Bottles, or flex their muscles in the Stein Hoisting Competition. For kids, there will be face painting and a photo booth, and more.
General admission tickets are $20 and include access to Vista Brewing grounds, all shows, and parking. VIP admission is $85 and includes priority parking and fast-track entry, access to the VIP Lounge with stage-side seating area, private bar, and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages. VIP pass holders also receive a swag bag featuring, among other goodies, a Vista Brewing-branded Yeti rambler in the new fall-themed clay color (aka burnt orange).
For tickets, information, and to see the full lineup, head here.