Party for the Parks: Live from ACL Music Festival in ATX

Thanks for making our 2023 event a success!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Event

Where is the event located?

This year’s party takes place at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Stage in the heart of ACL Music Festival at Zilker Park.

What time does the event start?

5:30PM – Doors Open
7:15PM – Main Event Begins

Your printed program will have a schedule of the full night’s events!

What food options are available?

APF is thrilled to partner with Austin’s Taco Madia to cater this year’s event! The Taco Mafia is made up of Austin-based chefs and restaurant owners, including recently announced 2023 Food & Wine best new chef and James Beard Award winner Edgar Rico and partner Sara Mardanbigi of Nixta Taqueria; Beto Robledo of nationally recognized food truck Cuantos Tacos; and Discada’s visionary owners, Xose Velasco and Anthony Pratto.

These culinary heavy-hitters will be serving up an array of tacos, including:

Campechana taco from Cuantos Tacos
Discada taco from Discada
Duck carnitas taco from Nixta Taqueria
Mexican street corn

What drink options are available?

Attendees will have access to several open bars with a selection of beer, wine, craft cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages from some of Austin’s premiere beverage brands.

Who is able to attend the event?

Party for the Parks is a 21+ event. Due to the nature of the event, we’re asking that guests do not bring children. Additionally, pets are not allowed in the ACL Music Festival Grounds. This party is rain or shine! Texas weather can be unpredictable, so be sure to check the forecast and plan accordingly.

What to Wear?

This party is “Festival Fun”—rock your favorite sundress, jeans or whatever you’d wear to a concert. Remember, this party is in the park so comfortable shoes are a must.

Where is Check-In?

Check-in will be at the Lady Bird festival entrance at the corner of Stratford Drive and Lou Neff Road. No need to print a ticket – just give your name at the entrance. Need to update your guest list? Visit GiveSmart to update guest names, add your credit card for easy checkout, and more.

Fundraising

Why do you need to fundraise? Where does the money go?

Did you know that Austin is home to nearly 400 parks, trails and green spaces? As a nonprofit organization, Austin Parks Foundation works to fill the City’s funding and resource gap to ensure those outdoor spaces are cared for. We rely on the generosity of our community to support our mission to develop, maintain, and improve parks all across the city, meaning your dollars will stretch far and wide!

How can I give during the event?

Party for the Parks isn’t just a night of food and fun – it also raises critical funds for our local parks, trails and green spaces. This year, we want to raise $500,000 and we need your help! Will you support our mission and help us reach this goal?

Live Auction/Paddles Up:

Get ready for an engaging and impactful live auction experience led by Cowboy Auctioneer Heath Hale and his team of champion ringmen! Heath and the Cowboy Auctioneer team have raised more than $200 million for charities across the country and they are proud to be a part of this event, supporting the APF mission! During the live auction, you will have the chance to bid on luxury getaways, fine dining, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and more.
If you feel inspired during the Paddles Up Mission Moment, you can raise your hand to make a meaningful gift to support Austin’s parks and green spaces for generations to come.

YETI Raffle:

Sponsored by one of our favorite home-grown brands, the YETI raffle features three exciting packages that any park lover would be thrilled to win. Buy more tickets to increase your chances, and bid on one package or all three. The best part? Every ticket purchaser walks away with an APF branded YETI rambler.

Tipsy Toss:

Take a chance (or several) to win a bottle of liquor from our tipsy tower. For $30, guests will get 5 throws–you ring it, you bring it home. All bottles are valued between $30-$100 and all proceeds benefit our parks, trails, and green spaces! Brands include Tito’s Vodka, Dripping Springs Gin, William Chris wines, Dos Hombres Mezcal and MUCH more.

Gift Card Gamble:

Guests will have an opportunity to win a gift card valued anywhere from $25 – $125 from local favorites like Jo’s Coffee, Sour Duck, Hold Out Brewing and so many more! At the Gift Card Gamble, everyone walks away with something…what will you win?

Can I donate even if I don’t attend the event?

Absolutely! You can give back to APF at any time. Please consider making a donation of any size to help us improve the parks and green spaces that make Austin, Austin: austinparks.org/donate

Travel + Parking

Is parking available?

There will be no on-site parking available for this year’s event. We strongly encourage guests to arrange safe, alternative modes of transportation OR utilize our free Shuttle Service to get to the party.

How do I get to the park?

Shuttle Service is included in all Party for the Parks All-Access tickets. Pleaser refer to your event emails for shuttle information!

Remember: there is no parking at Zilker Park or in the surrounding neighborhoods during ACL Fest, so we’d recommend taking advantage of alternative modes of transportation for those opting out of our free shuttle.

Bicycles, Scooters + Walking:
By far the easiest route to the park! Bike parking is available on Stratford Drive after crossing the Mopac Pedestrian Bridge. Additional bike and scooter parking will be located at Toomey Rd. and Sterzing St. and on Azie Morton Rd. Take the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail for easy access to the festival grounds.

Ride Shares:
Get around without worry! Ride share drop-off and pickup instructions will be emailed to attendees prior to the event.

CapMetro:
CapMetro offers several bus routes operating near Zilker Park. Check out the MetroRapid Route 803 and other options at capmetro.org/plan.

Ticketing

What kind of tickets are available this year?

All-access is our only ticket level this year to ensure that everyone enjoys the same elevated experience. Your ticket includes:

- an array of tacos from Austin’s Taco Mafia
- complimentary open bar access
- lounge seating
- shuttle service
- access to live auction, gift card wall and all of the night’s festivities

The party concludes with a Concert Under the Stars at Party for the Parks featuring Portugal. The Man!

How do I purchase a ticket?

You can purchase your All-Access Party for the Parks tickets here. Get yours before they’re gone!

How do I know my ticket purchase was completed?

You will receive an email with your ticket confirmation details. Don’t see an email? Check your SPAM folder if you don’t see an email within 2 hours of ticket purchase. Still don’t see an email? Contact our team: development@austinparks.org for help.

2022 GOLDEN SHOVEL AWARDS

Garden book donation Gus Garcia Rec Center

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Deana Dossey

Deana Dossey has been involved with parkland support since the early 90s. During this time, she’s taken on many roles such as identifying potential land for Copperfield Neighborhood park, volunteering with Friends of Copperfield Nature Trails and sitting as the Chair of Copperfield Nature Trails. Deana has been instrumental in the progress at Copperfield Park—updating entrances and adding benches along the trails.

ABOVE & BEYOND AWARD

Ulises Jimenez

Ulises Jimenez played an integral part in the completion of Kendra Page Nature Playscape. He works with Unity Contractor Services and APF learned about him through his work managing invasives at Kendra Page as part of the nature trail project. Ulises worked tirelessly to make outdoor learning and nature play happen at 6 school parks, helped create a unique nature playground at Kendra Page park, and installed an outdoor community learning and meeting space at Parque Zaragoza.

VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Al & Nancy Morgan

Al and Nancy Morgan’s efforts to give back exceed the Austin’s city limits, reaching as far West as Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Over the last 10 years, they set their sights on serving Austin’s parks. In that time, they’ve led It’s My Park Day projects, Clean Sweep workdays, created an Adopt a Creek plan, and many other park service projects in the name of Heritage Hills-Woodbridge Neighborhood Association.

PARK ADOPTER OF THE YEAR

Raul Alvarez

Raul Alvarez is with the East Austin Conservancy, an organization that advocates for people and places in East Austin. He also works as an adopter with Amigos de Parque Zaragoza. In May of this year, he orchestrated a 90th anniversary celebration for Parque Zaragoza, a celebration that honored the unique history and culture of the park and the surrounding neighborhood. Later, he applied for a neighborhood grant to install an outdoor classroom and meeting space to foster more community gatherings at the park.

PARK CHAMPION OF THE YEAR

Zilker Brewing Company

Our partnership with Zilker Brewing Company began in 2017 when they created the Parks & Rec Pale Ale. Originally intended as a limited release, the popularity of the crisp, citrusy beer earned a spot in their year-round rotation. Since 2017, Zilker Brewing Company has donated over $25,000 to APF through a portion of each Parks & Rec sale! For our 30th Anniversary, they ran limited edition cans, held numerous pop-up events around the city, and continued to share the story of their partnership with APF.

PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Moreland Properties

Moreland Properties joined forces with APF in 2019, supporting our Party for the Parks events each year. Moreland is a founding donor of the Zilker Eagle mini train and supports APF’s mission, community-centered programming and activations year-round.They are also involved with the progression of Austin Parks Foundation’s future and strategic planning. Cory Laurel, a Moreland Realtor, is a current member of the Board.