Your wristband to ACL Festival helps fund maintenance and improvement of Austin’s parks. | Photo courtesy Austin Parks Foundation
If you attended ACL Festival in 2024, your wristband helped contribute $8.4 million in funding to beautify local parks.
The 2024 funding is ~$300,000 more than the amount awarded to Austin Parks Foundation in 2023 and ~$1.2 million more than 2022’s total. Here are a few more fun facts:
• ACL Fest 2024 contributed $534.8 million to the local economy, which isthe equivalent of 3,607 full-time jobs. • ACL Fest has generated an estimated $4.1 billion for the local economy since its partnership with APF began. • ACL and APF’s partnershiphas raised more than $71 million for Austin green spaces since it began in 2006.
Data from 2020 was excluded since the festival was held online that year.
Graphic by ATXtoday
Compare that to years prior: • 2023: The festival raised $8.1 million for local parks and generated $499.9 million for the local economy. • 2022: ACL raised $7.2 million dollars for parks and generated $447.9 million for the local economy. • 2021: $6.7 million went toward local parks and $369 million in economic impact was generated.
Austin Fashion Week | Thursday, May 8-Saturday, May 10 | Times vary | The Domain | $50+ | Calling all fashionistas — snag a seat near the runway to see a series of showcases at this 17th annual event.
Friday, May 9
SKYROCKET! | 8:30 p.m. | ACL Live at 3TEN | $25+ | Get ready to rock when this local cover band — which has ~500 songs in its repertoire — takes the stage.
Saturday, May 10
World Migratory Bird Day | 7 a.m.-2 p.m. | Hornsby Bend | Free | Join fellow birding enthusiasts for bird walks, surveys, and social hours.
Sunday, May 11
Mother’s Day Party | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Meanwhile Brewing Co. | Cost of purchase | This all-day celebration includes a pop-up market, “Mommy and Me” yoga, live music, food specials, and more family-friendly activities. Be sure to RSVP.
Monday, May 12
“Friends” Trivia | 7-9 p.m. | Upstairs at Caroline | Cost of purchase | Tell your pals “I’ll Be There For You” as you take on other teams in a battle of sitcom smarts.
Wednesday, May 14
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival | Wednesday, May 14-Sunday, May 18 | Times vary | Austin Film Society Cinema | $12+ | Celebrate Indigenous and Latin American stories through films created by Texans, panels, and workshops.
Monday, May 19
Waxahatchee | 8 p.m. | ACL Live at The Moody Theater | Free | The singer-songwriter behind “Lilacs” will film for the 51st season of “Austin City Limits,” but get in line early if you don’t have a ticket.
Put your business in front of thousands of daily readers. | Graphic by 6AM City
This month, we launched our 2025 Parents’ Gift Guide to showcase gifts that say I appreciate you to parents, grandparents, neighbors, mentors, and life-long friends.
While we’ve already filled all our slots ahead of Mother’s Day, we’ve opened up a few more for Father’s Day.
Whether your business offers a neat product, one-of-a-kind gift, or unique service that could be enjoyed by a father figure — we want to feature it. Secure your spot by Friday, May 23.
Zach Theater’s 2025-2026 season is here, and it’s stacked with contemporary and classic productions. Whether you’re a fan of “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Annie,” or “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
Announced
The annual Creek Show will be held at The Confluence, aka phase two of Waterloo Greenway, in 2026. According to the press release, Creek Show won’t return “in its usual form” in November.
Plan Ahead
The Paramount Theatre’s annual Pride event, The Majestic Ball, will return to the venue on Saturday, June 21. Guests are invited to dress to the theme, Mythological Mayhem, while they watch performances from Diamond Dior Davenport and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Kennedy Davenport. Get tickets.
Opening
An “experiential entertainment venue” — featuring bowling lanes, movie theaters, an arcade, and dining spaces — called Hooky is slated to open on Friday, May 23 in Hutto. This will be the first Hooky location to open, with more slated to launch nationwide later this year.
Try This
Sixty wines, so little time. Texas Hill Country Wineries will bring its Austin Road Show to the Austin Central Library on Friday, June 27. The intimate event is limited to 200 guests and will allow visitors to try 60+ sips from 27 wineries. Tickets start at $75.
Edu
The Texas State University System Board of Regents plans to increase the university’s student body to 50,000 by 2033, according to its master plan. The school surpassed 40,000 students in the fall of 2024. (KXAN)
Sports
The Spurs’ new head coach, Mitch Johnson, has big shoes to fill as he takes over for Gregg Popovich. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the San Antonio Spurs with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
You know that moment when a company goes from “never heard of” to “suddenly everywhere?” That’s RAD Intel — and you can still invest. Join their supporters like Adobe and Fidelity by end of day today, May 8.†‡*
Stat
$8,000+. That’s how much you could spend if your dog breaks a bone in a car crash, fall, or collision — from wound treatment and x-rays to emergency surgery and aftercare. Luckily,this pet insurance plan could reimburse you up to 90% of that cost.*
Job
We’re hiring. If you love digital media, hate boring jobs, and think Texas is the best place on Earth — we want you. 6AM City is growing fast, and we need a sales executive who can talk the talk and walk the walk. Let’s build something big, together. We offer competitive salary, benefits, and more. Apply now.
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❤️ Save the date
Warning: these romantic outings will have your date saying “I love you so much” by the end of the night. | Photo by ATXtoday
Kids, this is the story of how I met your mother, and it was all thanks to ATXtoday.
Whether you’ve met “the one” or are hoping to impress someone new, we’ve got local date night ideas that are legen — wait for it — dary.
It’s easy to support small businesses across the globe when you shop unique + one-of-a-kind products on Etsy. One of our favorite things to browse is Etsy’s selection of custom artwork. These are five of our favorites:
I’ve been thinking about Side Eye Pie’s OG Margherita pizza since we tried it at The Wheel’s new south Austin location. Wood-fired pizza is my favorite — I also love the red pie at Bufalina.
‡This offering is made pursuant to Regulation A Round and involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. The Company valuation is set by RAD Intel. Please review all offering materials before making an investment decision.
‡‡Texas CUP License No. 0005. Please note: Legalities in your state may vary. Texas Original advises consumers to read the company’s terms and conditions. Patients must consult a physician and receive a prescription to purchase medical cannabis products. The information about providers and services contained in this newsletter does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by ATXtoday.
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