You’ve got wristbands for ACL Music Festival this year! Woo hoo! But wait, you don’t have a babysitter? No need to panic. We can walk you through how this could actually work — and be fun!
The awesome folks at Austin City Limits go to great lengths to make this major festival really quite family-friendly. Kids ages 10 and under are FREE with adults who have wristbands! That’s a pretty good start, right?
There’s actually a whole section of ACL devoted entirely to family fun — the Austin Kiddie Limits area, open from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day of the festival. Within Austin Kiddie Limits, you’ll find a stage with a great lineup of children’s performers who were hand-picked to not only get the kids dancing but to also be entertaining for grown-ups. There will be some real deal talent on that stage! Click here for the full schedule. Check out the artists:
- Steve Songs
- Elizabeth McQueen
- Sugar Free Allstars
- Peter DiStefano & Tor
- Ralph’s World
- Q Brothers
- School of Rock
In addition to the music, Austin Kiddie Limits offers a ton of free activities for the kids such as:
- painting ceramic magnets with Cafe Monet
- playing games and percussion instruments in the Drum Zone
- getting a killer new hair do from one of the on-site stylists
- taking part in the hip hop workshop
- joining other little artists in creating a huge mural
- singing their hearts out with Rock Star Video Karaoke
- and more!
Seriously, watch this video from last year’s fest, and you might actually feel guilty if you don’t take the kids:
Now for the tricky stuff! How do you get there? How do you possibly navigate the festival with kids? What on Earth do you pack?
Here’s our compilation of best advice:
— Austin City Limits Festival Parent Survival Guide
With everything from what to put in your MomGyver bag to DIY port-a-potties, here’s pretty much every detail. This is a must-read if you’re heading to Zilker one of the next two weekends.
— Getting to ACL
Taking the bus, parking, Cap Metro? What’s your plan? Read these tips first.
— What to Bring to ACL
Stroller, sunscreen, hats — what do you need? You don’t want to pack like you’re going away on a weekend vacation, but you don’t want to show up with regrets that you forgot something important. Here’s some great advice on what to pack.
— Kid Time vs. Grown-up Time
Sure you want the kids to have a good time, but you really, really want to hear your favorite bands. Here’s some tips on how to balance out the experience.
We’s so lucky to have such an amazing festival right here in our own backyard! No matter how you do it — planning or winging it, kids or no kids, one day or three in a row — go have a really great time!
Photographs Courtesy of Austin City Limits Music Festival
