How to Escape SXSW
While the rest of the city is packed into over-crowded music venues, here’s how to take advantage of some of Austin’s most obscure places.
Words by Grace Schrobilgen
Last year our readers loved learning creative ways of avoiding the hustle of SXSW business, so we have created an additional list of places you can go, both inside and just outside of Austin.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of strangers pile into our city for a week and a half of music, speakers, and exhibitions, leaving Austinites feeling as though our beloved town has been abducted by the entertainment industry. While some choose to embrace the chaos of this unique facet of the Austin culture, others would prefer to hide out at home and escape it altogether.
Blue Hole
About 30 minutes north of Austin and conveniently located in the middle of Georgetown, Blue Hole is a natural swimming hole that is good for all ages. Kids will enjoy swimming in the clear water of the San Gabriel river, and parents can relax and soak up some sun. It is even a popular destination for teenagers, and the area near the water is also wheelchair accessible. After spending the day outside and hiking the trails, you can head to El Monumento, a restaurant and bar that has happy hour every day from 3-6pm. With SXSW bringing so many people to Austin, Blue Hole might even be less busy than usual.
parks.georgetown.org | 100 Blue Hole Park
elmonumentogeorgetown.com | 205 W 2nd Street
[adrotate banner=”9″]
Make Some Money
Instead of struggling to find parking in your own neighborhood, take this opportunity to list your home on Airbnb or Home Away. SXSW is a great excuse to leave town for a few days, and putting your house up for grabs during one of the busiest weeks of the year will allow you to earn a little extra money at the same time. Depending on where you choose to go to escape the SXSW madness, renting out your home could potentially pay for your entire trip.
airbnb.com | homeaway.com
Country Boyz Fixins
Head east of Airport Boulevard and any venue you choose likely won’t be teeming with tired, hungry people who have been walking and standing all day. One such destination is Country Boyz Fixins, a restaurant on East 12th Street that serves Southern comfort food. This restaurant is family-owned and operated, and its off-the-beaten-path location will make it less accessible to SXSW goers.
facebook.com | 4140 E 12th Street
Johnson’s Backyard Garden
If you’d rather stay home for the entirety of SXSW’s duration, it’s now possible thanks to the development of veggie box pick-up and delivery services. One service based in the Eastside is Johnson’s Backyard Garden (JBG). As an operation that started as nothing more than a family’s backyard garden, JBG is now a community-supported agriculture operation (CSA) with more than 1,000 members. Their online Veggie Guide notifies customers of the contents of each week’s veggie box, and all you have to do is drive to one of their pick-up locations before SXSW starts and you’ll have veggies for the whole week. They will also do home deliveries on certain days for an extra charge.
jbgorganic.com | 9515 Hergotz Lane
Culinary Variety: Country Boyz Fixins serves “traditional” comfort food such as mac-n-cheese, gumbo, and po’ boys, but they also serve dishes with alligator and pig feet. There’s something for everyone, no matter how adventurous (or non-adventurous) of an eater you are!
Did you know? JBG offers four veggie box sizes— Individual (1-2 people), Small (2-4 people), Medium (3-5 people), and Large (4-7 people).
