| Austin may not have much in common with the rest of | | | | It is mandatory that you travel with an open mind if |
| its Texan neighbors, but it certainly is right up to speed, | | | | you are visiting Austin during any of their zillions of |
| if not in high speed, with the rest of the international | | | | festivals spread throughout the year. Eeyore's Birthday |
| community. Find yourself some cheap airfare to Austin | | | | Party is an annual celebration of self-expression |
| and discover why most cars and t-shirts of Austinites | | | | where face painted families enjoy live music and drum |
| proudly proclaim, "Keep Austin Weird." Travel to Austin | | | | circles alongside rockers, teens, drag queens and just |
| to experience a vibrant city deeply entrenched in the | | | | about everyone else in Austin, while a statue of |
| tenets of self-expression, ever-evolving music of all | | | | Eeyore dressed like the Statue of Liberty is |
| genres, and the pride of a unique southern history. | | | | prominently displayed. To keep in theme with Austin's |
| Austin was the original capital of the Republic of | | | | quirkiness, the city hosts SPAMORAMA, an annual |
| Texas, and remained the capital of the state of Texas | | | | homage to SPAM in all forms including a cook-off, |
| once incorporated into the United States in 1845 as the | | | | recipe contest, kid's SPAM sculpture and craft booths |
| 28th state. The Texas State Capitol Complex is | | | | and even the SPAMALYPICS. |
| certainly worth a visit while taking in the sights of | | | | Austin also boasts a prosperous and eclectic film and |
| Austin. The gardens are peaceful and the 1856 | | | | theater industry. Over a dozen independent theaters |
| Governor's Mansion is an architectural testament to | | | | line the streets of Austin, offering enough space for |
| the Greek revival style. The LBJ Presidential Library is | | | | the many theater groups ranging from improv and |
| also located in Austin and offers rotating exhibits | | | | offbeat to classical and cutting-edge. Check out The |
| focused on domestic and national history and art. | | | | Off Center for a real taste of Austin's finest original |
| Travel to the Tune of Austin | | | | music, comedy and theater acts. Hollywood seems to |
| Anyone who pays much attention to contemporary | | | | have developed a satellite industry in Austin over the |
| music would know that Austin is known as "the Live | | | | years, with the help of the University of Texas at |
| Music Capital of the World." There are more live music | | | | Austin's acclaimed Department of |
| venues per capita in Austin than any other city. | | | | Radio-Television-Film. Recent productions include |
| Wander down 6th Street on any given night and you | | | | Office Space, A Scanner Darkly, Miss Congeniality and |
| will find yourself overtaken by jazz beats, rock | | | | Sin City. |
| progressions, twanging country or experimental electro. | | | | It's All About Austin |
| Each year Atlanta hosts the famous South by | | | | A trip to Texas is simply incomplete without traveling |
| Southwest music and film festival, which is a major | | | | to Austin. The city single-handedly places Texas on |
| gathering and showcase for the entire live music | | | | the cultural and artistic global map and smoothes out |
| industry. The Austin Reggae Festival is hosted in April | | | | the edges of the Texan stereotype. Get in on the |
| and this eccentric Texan city even celebrates its own | | | | nutty free spirit of Austin and don't miss another beat |
| version of Carnaval in February. | | | | of a breakthrough artist. |