SXSW Student Tips
If you’ve decided to stick with Austin for your Spring Break and curious about how to get around the SXSW crowd or to get in the middle of the crowd, here are some tips!
If you’re like me and want to lay low for SXSW, you’re actually in luck if you live in West Campus or North Campus. Of course there will be some venues jamming out local tunes or a an artist displaying their moving and emotional art exhibit near by but it will be nothing like the madness happening Downtown. For me, I’ve always caught a few shows from visiting the SXSW Schedule website: (For Free Events) http://explore.sxsw.com/2017-sxsw-free-events-daily I choose the shows I feel are worth the trek to Downtown and fighting the crowds. Usually with Free shows you should arrive early to avoid not being able to see or hear the artist. Some venues reach max capacity too. I always caught some shows and events on St. Patricks Day, because let’s be real, who doesn’t like to celebrate the famous Iris Holiday?
If you’re a social butterfly and want to catch all the action, check out the website posted above for all the Free Shows all over Austin. It’s important to know that transportation can be scarce with ride sharing apps so be prepared to catch a bus! Austin has great bus lines for the festival and can accommodate many people. There are stops all over town to make it easy, just be sure to bring some bottled water because most of downtown is closed off and you’ll be walking quite a bit and you’ll have to walk blocks to the bus stop to make it home or to your venue. A great starting point is the Metro Rapid Stop on Guadalupe and 24th St. which can shoot you Downtown in a jiffy.
Whatever your plans may be for SXSW 2017, stay safe and always have a buddy with you when going from venue to venue. It’s easy to get lost and at times there are so many people gathered in one area, your phone may not have reception so be sure to have a back up plan and know where the bus stops are!