Have you ever seen those stickers on someone’s car that say “Keep Austin Weird”? You may have seen them in another version, as many cities have adopted the phrase. But it started in Austin, which is home to the Austin City Limits music festival. It’s the Coachella of the Lonestar State and was inspired by a long-running PBS TV show. If you’re wondering how a TV show births a festival, don’t worry – we’ll get to that. Whether you’re used to how big things are in Texas or you’ve never been – Austin City Limits is the perfect time to visit one of the largest states.

What, Where, When

So, Austin City Limits started as a live concert series on PBS way back in the day. We’re talking late ’70s! The TV show has had guests ranging from Willie Nelson to George Strait, the late John Prine. The TV show had so much success that organizers decided to make it a festival in 2002. No one could say that it went off without a hitch, but it became successful enough to need a second-weekend lineup in 2013. Both weekends of the festival are held in Zilker Park right outside of Austin, keeping true to the “limits” in the name. It happens every October, though the dates change every year.

EATS Austin and Past Performers

There’s an impressive food court at ACL. We’re not talking about some random booths – there’s an entire outdoor food market, dubbed EATS Austin. Want an idea of who has performed in past years, while onlookers were dancing and eating delicious food? Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Stapleton, Drake, Foo Fighters, Bassnectar, and Pearl Jam have taken the stage to name but a few.