officially and unofficially free

Here are 10+ SXSW events that are free for everyone

Art Island is one of many local organizations hosting free events.

So you didn't buy a wristband. Welcome to the club. South by Southwest (SXSW) brings so many events to Austinites' doorsteps that it's hard not to do something during the conference and festival.

The lines are ever more blurred between official and unofficial events. Many unofficial events have high production value and the freedom to do basically anything they want. An array of official ones exist either on the fringes of Austin or for the sole purpose of getting as much foot traffic as possible. Just remember, official events will always prioritize visitors with credentials, so be prepared with a backup in case of long lines.

These free events are hard to nail down, so here's a list of some of the most promising official and unofficial happenings that welcome the public without any ticket price. We'll keep adding events as we hear of them.

Looking for live music? Here's our music columnist's top picks for free music showcases. Many of the events below also feature live performances, but each has a little something extra, too.

Official

Pura Vida Experience
March 8 and 9, times vary
It can be a little emotionally complicated to watch all the tourists having a vacation while Austinites work; Perhaps a proxy visit to Costa Rica will help? This official SXSW "house" is welcoming visitors even if they don't have a badge, although a backup is a good idea in case it's very crowded. Here at Fareground, would-be travelers can enjoy Costa Rican coffee, massages, nail art, and a community gratitude wall. As usual for this space, these offerings are wellness-oriented.

Audible Sound Experience
March 8-10 from 1-8 pm
The audiobook platform Audible brings some of the most involved, high production-value events to SXSW every year. Last year, that included a sound booth for recording memories to vinyl. This year, that includes a whole ferris wheel in the parking lot at 3rd Street and Congress. Passersby can join the festivities including listening to audiobook snippets on the wheel, playing carnival-inspired games for Audible-themed prizes, and snacking on carnival concessions like hot dogs, cotton candy, and popsicles.

Waterloo Greenway Community Market
March 10 from 2-5 pm
To celebrate the unveiling of a new Waterloo Park mural by Austin artists Ruben Esquivel and Kat Talley, arts and culture nonprofit Future Front Texas is hosting a local pop-up market featuring over 20 artisans and entrepreneurs. Attendees can shop handmade candles, art, textiles, and jewelry from vendors such as Neon Swan Studio, Tawa Threads, Ivelisse Designs, and more. Event partner Delta Airlines will sponsor interactive activities, including a build-your-own hand-tied bouquet with Wildly Flowered and a create-and-design-your-own plane activity.

All Things Food Summit
March 14 from 9:30 am to midnight
This annual summit is an official event, but it's certainly off the beaten path. Held at Barr Mansion in North Austin, this all-day food summit will feature more than 60 speakers, also offering tastings, film viewings, and live performances. It's organized in collaboration between Huston-Tillotson University and Food Tank, a global nonprofit that works on bolstering food security and solving problems in agriculture and nutrition. Many Austinites will be there including chefs, farmers, writers, and food policy makers.

Extended FAM presents: A Taste of Houston
March 14 from 7-11 pm
Get ready to be transported from Austin's festival setting to Houston’s vibrant cultural lifestyle. Extended FAM’s pop-up at Revival Coffee will immerse visitors in Houston’s food, art, and music scenes with food by Boo’s Burgers and Taqueria Del Sol; art by Donkeeboy, Donkeemom, and Mister G; and live performances by seven Houston-based artists. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis, but those with SXSW badges will be granted priority entry. (This hybrid event contains a link to an official Sunday SVC day of Christian programming, but does not seem to be explicitly faith-based.)

~Pourri's Funk Factory Experience presented by Rolling Stone
March 15 & 16, times vary
Yes, you read that right: Poo-Pourri is hosting its own two-day activation at Speakeasy during the final weekend of SXSW, featuring special performances by big name acts like DJ Johnny Jane (a.k.a. Janelle Monáe), DJ Questlove, BLK ODYSSEY, Natasha Diggs, and others. Three funk-themed events include a pop-up speakeasy, panel discussions, a live-taped podcast with celebrity guests, an industry mixer, and a "refreshing" rest stop, "~Pourri's 5-star bathroom experience," intended for use in between events.

Unofficial

Panel Discussion on Representation and Gender Equity in the Beverage Business
March 8 from 6:30-7:30 pm
On International Women’s Day, female leaders from Austin’s alcoholic beverage industry are meeting at Central Machine Works to discuss the underrepresentation of women in the male-dominated beverage industry. Among the list of six panelists include Central Machine Works’ Brewer Jill Paluch and Beverage Director Addie Hauber, Independence Brewing Co. President and Co-founder Amy Cartwright, and The Spirit of Women film director Leigha Kingsley. While you’re there, the brewery will debut the 2024 Pink Boots Society beer, a Saison.

Affordable Art Fair's Unofficial SX Art Experience
March 9 from 3-7 pm
Almost everyone loves art, but sometimes making it attainable can be a challenge. Affordable Art Fair is partnering with Vaughn Gallery, where festival attendees can nab budget-friendly, but collectible art pieces and learn more about the brand’s mission to make art more accessible to shoppers. This will prep them for the art fair's official Austin debut from May 16-19, with works starting at $100. Sommelier Cori Teague will also be at the showcase to lead guests through the world of wine from 3-4 pm.

Art Island presents Austin Edge
March 12 from 1-8 pm, plus ticketed event until midnight
Folks who want this festival to feel like one — fun outfits, dance music, etc. — should stop by Art Island's unofficial "pop-up culture hub" at The Portal (note: changed from DadaLab). This group with Burning Man roots throws some of Austin's best artist parties, and is planning a very full day of live performances, panels, workshops, and art experiences. That includes things like an herb bar, collaging, dance yoga, and talks on wellness and community activism through art. At 8 pm this turns into a ticketed event ($40) with an open bar.

Ilegal Mezcal x Paste Magazine East Austin Block Party
March 13-15 from 12-7 pm
Hosted by High Noon and The Coral Snake, festival goers can jam out to 63 bands across four different stages during the East Austin Block Party at High Noon and The Coral Snake. X Ambassadors, Shannon and the Clams, Being Dead, and Allegra Krieger are scheduled to perform throughout the weekend, as are several other highly anticipated acts. Ilegal Mezcal will give away free screen printed block party t-shirts, offer free live chain stitching, and free flash tattoos by local artist Scott Barbier.

Music industry talks at First Light Books
March 13 & 15
Two authors who had official panels are taking similar talks to First Light Books, a new cafe and independent bookstore in Hyde Park. First up is Audrey Golden, author of I Thought I Heard You Speak: Women At Factory Records. Golden will be talking to longtime Austin musician and writer Jesse Sublett of The Skunks. Then comes Shain Shapiro, author of This Must Be The Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better. Shapiro's talk focuses on city-level advocacy for better music policy, and will feature an important Austin change-maker in the musical sphere.

Talk to Song Confessional at KUTX Live at Scholz Garten 2024
March 13-16 from 8 am to noon
A unique podcast by Austin musicians is soliciting secrets during this local radio station's multi-day showcase. Walker Lukens and Zac Catanzaro are setting up the Song Confessional trailer, where they'll collect anonymous stories from anyone who has one to tell. If one of their musical friends like Buffalo Hunt or Croy and the Boys likes the story, they'll turn it into a song. This venture isn't mentioned in the event listing, but CultureMap got the scoop directly from the hosts in this interview.

Get Roasted with Removery and La Colombe Coffee
March 15 & 16 from noon to 6 pm
Whether a free tattoo sounds like a good idea or reminds you of a bad prior decision, this day party honors both. Free tattoos and tattoo removals are on the table, plus free drinks and merch, whatever that entails. Tattoos will be provided by Austinites Scott Weatherwax and Jess Ritchie. The removals are sponsored by Removery, which is headquartered in Austin. This event is filling up fast, so RSVP as soon as you can, and try and get there early for best chances at receiving a free service.

Red Bud Ice House preview party
March 17 from 2-6 pm
In practice this is mostly a music event, but it's also going to be a cool way to stay up-to-date in Austin's food scene. Red Bud Ice House has moved in at the former location of Contigo and, briefly, BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya. The original Contigo founders are involved in the new concept, so old fans will likely find many comforting similarities. Apparently there will be a "limited menu" available, so the event is free, but the food doesn't appear to be. This is a preview two days ahead of the official opening on March 19. Back to the entertainment: The lineup is a showcase by local nonprofit label Spaceflight Records.

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Belles of the Ballroom

9 Austin bar and venue experts take over popular Old Austin space near UT

29th Street Ballroom/Facebook

Changes are coming at the 29th Street Ballroom, but the goal is to preserve what already makes it special.

The evolution continues at the 29th Street Ballroom, the music venue formerly attached to Spider House Café. It's no secret, Resound Presents CEO and co-founder Graham Williams says, that he and a large team of other industry pros are taking over the space; but now they're ready to talk about what comes next for the venue and adjoining bar.

Although Spider House Café closed in 2020, the Ballroom stayed open, and has continued serving University of Texas students and anyone else who wants to see a show outside of the ordinary: punk shows, burlesque revues, fundraisers, and more. It'll stay open through most of the renovations, scheduled through January of 2025, and is expected to hold a grand opening in March.

Now Resound — one of Austin's top live music organizers, which was itself born from the ashes of another Austin institution — is lending two of its co-founders to managing the space going forward: Williams and Ian Orth. They're joining seven other team members from venues around town, many of them overlapping: Amy Mullins, Brian Tweedy, Jason McNeely, John Yaklin, and Shannon LeBoeuf of Hotel Vegas, Chess Club, Kinda Tropical, Tweedy’s, and Yellow Jacket Social Club, in varying capacities; and Brian Buscemi and Mike Sanchez of the Little Darlin’.

Williams emphasizes that although things will be changing at the Ballroom, the goal isn't to change anything people already love.

"Over the next few months as we kind of ease into the spring, we're using this downtime to revitalize things, decorate, revamp some of the stuff in the venue and the bar, and just kind of get things moving in the right direction," Williams says, "taking what's already popular about the venue and just adding to it, really."

Bar updates
The biggest shift will be turning the bar from an accessory to live shows into its own entity that's open even when there's nothing else going on. Amy Mullins, best known as a co-owner of Yellow Jacket Social Club, is overseeing that transition. She's never operated a venue that is primarily focused on music, and has been enjoying learning more about how to do it; she even worked the door recently when a staff member called out sick.

Mullins echoes Williams in assuring that the change is more about logistics than tone. It'll still feel like Old Austin, but she does express a hope to run more than the "typical venue bar," handing out simple drinks as quickly as possible. She's working on a new menu that includes wine, beer, craft cocktails, and non-alcoholic options like tea, kombucha, or mocktails. Regardless of what's on the schedule on any given night, Mullins says the menu will stay the same.

"There's no drink too complicated for us to make, however busy we are," she says.

Food options
Another goal for the team will be making sure the space works when there's not someone onstage to crowd around. They'll expand the front and side patios and create a food truck food court that features the same trucks that are there now, plus one newcomer. All in all, that includes Yalla Burger & Wings, Gyro Center, Li’l Nonna’s Vegan Pizzeria, Guppy’s Indian Fried Chicken, Waylon J’s BBQ, and Ay Chihuahua Tacos.

The expanded patio will connect to Tweedy's Bar next door, which also has its own food trucks. The idea is to create a space to hang out after shows that feels fit for the purpose. It's possible to stick around after events now, but the layout does create a vague feeling of loitering.

Artist and fan-friendly tweaks
On the entertainment side, Williams says some of the renovations include putting in a new sound system, redoing the green room, updating the facade, and repainting signs. Since the winter is a slower time for live music, they'll be taking advantage of the extra time to work on things before packing the calendar with more events than before. Resound will handle most of the bookings in live music, comedy, and DJ sets, welcoming both national and local talent.

Whatever the details end up being, this team has proved to Austinites that they know how to run venues worth visiting. And since they're all friends and business partners on multiple levels, it sounds like having this many cooks in the kitchen just isn't an issue.

"Some of us have been roommates and known each other since we were young," says Williams. "It's a good mix of people who are all very like minded, so a lot is being brought to the table per decision. So yeah, it's it's really exciting. Sometimes that's not the case. .... But with this project, it's a lot of really great, creative people that are good at what they do [and] they trust each other."

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