Yesterday, Austinites gathered together to “embrace their weird” at the 11th annual Keep Austin Weird Fest. This festival combined some of Austin’s favorite pastimes: listening to live music, eating at food trailers, dressing up in costumes, doing a 5K race, and admiring the downtown skyline.

Keep Austin Weird Fest had been advertised as “family-friendly” and was definitely tamer than Eeyore’s Birthday Party. The Long Center Terrace was filled with an unusual assortment of vendor booths, including a bath remodeling company, a kite shop, and a dream interpreter.

The corresponding 5K race was advertised as the “Slowest 5K on the Planet.” The race followed the usual route—across the First Street Bridge, west on Cesar Chavez, and then back to The Long Center— but had plenty of fun-and-games stops along the way. I had decided to skip the race (geez, it was still 90+ degrees at the 7 PM start time!), and instead took advantage of the short lines to get a falafel wrap at the Kebabalicious trailer, watched some acrobatic dancers, and listened to local hip hop band Riders Against the Storm.

The weird fun continues this week with an online costume contest. Tomorrow morning, photos from the festival are supposed to be posted to the Keep Austin Weird Facebook page. The one with the most “likes” will win a years’ worth of Amy’s Ice Cream.

Here’s a preview of what you can expect to see in the Facebook photo gallery…

Pink unicorns out in full force.

Celebrities.

Artie the Robot, who finished the 5K and is applying for a Guinness World Record.

A couple who was well-prepared in case of a porta potty shortage.

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