Make it the South by Southbest

Your ultimate guide to SXSW 2023

SXSW draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Austin every year. | Photo by ATXtoday

Some Austinites love the hustle and celebrity-spotting that comes with SXSW, and some Austinites grumble about traffic and crowds — whichever camp you’re in, it’s undeniable that SXSW means big things are happening in ATX.

Today, we’re breaking down the festival’s impact on the Capital City and sharing our must-see sessions.

Stay tuned: we’ll also be releasing guides to locals at SXSW and how to do SXSW for free.

🏙 Impact

SXSW is not actually one festival: it’s several. The event — which takes place from Friday, March 10-Sunday, March 19 this year — includes conferences plus a comedy, film, and music festival.

The amount of people who come to Austin for SXSW is usually in the hundreds of thousands, with more than 278,000 attendees in 2022. The economic impact on the city is substantial, ranging between $218 million-$355 million per year over the last decade.

Jared Leto signing things for fans — SXSW premieres are often a star-studded event.

🎙 Conference sessions

Much of the programming at SXSW is panels, speakers, and keynotes categorized into tracks based on subject area. Here are some must-see sessions we’re keeping our eye on:

Featured Speaker: Eva Longoria | Saturday, March 11 | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | The actress, director, producer, and activist chooses projects based on how they represent underrepresented communities.

Track: Creating Film & TV
Badges: Music, Platinum, Interactive, Online, Film & TV

Futuring Food Systems: A Seat at the Chef’s Table | Sunday, March 12 | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Austin Marriott Downtown, 304 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | Canje chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph will join Tiffany Derry, Adrian Lipscombe, and Gerald Sombright to evaluate challenges and opportunities facing food systems.

Track: Food
Badges: Music, Platinum, Interactive, Film & TV

There’s more — a lot more — where that came from. Click the button below for more of our top picks.

16 MORE MUST-SEES

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Monday, Feb. 27

The Black Fund Awards Show | Monday, Feb. 27 | 6 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $42 | Celebrate 21 local Black-led nonprofits receiving grants from The Black Fund.
University of Texas Women’s Basketball vs. Baylor | Monday, Feb. 27 | 6-8 p.m. | Moody Center, 2001 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $9-$15 | If 10,000 fans show up to this game against the Bears, head coach Vic Schaefer has pledged to donate $10,000 to the Neighborhood Longhorns Program.

Tuesday, Feb. 28

Rococo Disco | Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Meanwhile Brewing Co., 3901 Promontory Point Dr., Austin | Free | Sit back and relax at this South Austin brewery for an all-ages concert.
John Mellencamp | Tuesday, Feb. 28 | 8 p.m. | Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $49.50-$299 | Dance to the “Jack and Diane” singer-songwriter live.

Wednesday, March 1

I Live Here I Give Here: 11th Annual Amplify Austin Day | Wednesday, Mar. 1-Thursday, Mar. 2 | Times vary | Virtual | Free | This 24-hour period of donating to 700+ local nonprofits is considered the biggest giving event in Central Texas.

Thursday, March 2

Independence Day Celebration at the Driskill | Thursday, Mar. 2 | 4-7 p.m. | The Driskill Hotel, 604 Brazos St., Austin | Free | Celebrate Texas’ independence with local artists and take photos with Brisket and Chuck, two rescued longhorns.
Jacqueline Novak | Thursday, Mar. 2 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $30 | The comedian and actress is known for her appearances on late night talk shows and her stand-up show, “Get on Your Knees.”

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

84º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain

Biz

Luling is headed to the moon. New Mexico-based rocket technology company X-Bow Systems announced plans to invest $25 million in a 150-acre manufacturing facility in the Central Texas town. 🚀 (Austin Business Journal)

Sports

Austin FC was defeated by St. Louis City SC by a score of 3-2 at their opening match on Saturday. El Tree will next play CF Montréal at Q2 Stadium this coming Saturday, March 4. ⚽️

Coming Soon

Flo’s wine shop and Allday Pizza will open at 3111 W. 35th St. this Wednesday, March 1. Expect a nearly 200-bottle long wine list and a selection of 16-inch pies from the new Tarrytown spot. 🍷 (Eater Austin)
H Mart announced plans to open a second Austin location in 2024. The Asian food supermarket is expected to span ~23,000 sqft at 5222 Burnet Rd. 🛒 (KVUE)

Health

Austin nonprofit People’s Community Clinic will receive $850,000 in federal funding to help transition to a new electronic records system. The clinic — which has locations in Manor, Windsor Park, and Central Austin — attends to more than 20,000 patients. (Austin Business Journal)

Closing

Henbit and TLV — two restaurants in the downtown Fareground food hall — will close on Monday, March 20. The restaurants are owned by Emmer & Rye Hospitality, which is pivoting its efforts to focus on new concept Ezov opening this spring. (Eater Austin)

Outdoors

McKinney Falls State Park was the No. 4 most-visited state park in Texas last year, with more than 335,000 visitors. Check out our guide to the Travis County gem, or see how it compares with other state parks. 🌳 (KXAN)

Arts

Day jobs and side hustles are on display at the Blanton Museum of Art. See works by Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol, plus a portrait of a Whataburger cup at the exhibit, which runs through Sunday, July 23. (Austin American-Statesman)

Finance

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Got clutter?

Where to make spring cleaning donations in Austin, TX

We’re getting the itch for some home reorganization. | GIF by Pottencial Seguradora S.A. via Giphy

Where are our Monicas at? Spring cleaning season is on the horizon.

Start planning your attack (we mean, your approach) with these three tips to manage clutter:

If you’re looking to donate furniture

Austin Habitat for Humanity uses donated equipment + furniture to build homes — whether you have leftovers from a project you didn’t complete or can reuse supplies from a remodel. It will also pick up pre-approved car donations.

If you’ve got tech to recycle

If you have usable tech items like laptops, TVs, scanners, or smartphones, Travis County’s Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center collects technology.

If you simply need more space

Neighbor offers storage options listed by locals. Rent anything from an attic, a shed, a spare bedroom, and a garage to store your stuff. Bonus: You can also rent parking spots.

MORE SPRING CLEANING TIPS

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: Calling all plant-based Austinites: where do you like to eat in ATX? Let me know what your favorite vegan restaurants in the city are, especially if you have a must-try dish. 🥑

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We’re drooling over these six Austin homes.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Camille McLeod | Advertise with us.

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