We woke up on Thursday morning to the sad news about the hit-and-run accident outside the Mohawk on Red River. Throughout the day, many of the performers observed a moment of silence for the victims. I did not go over that way, but I hear that an impromptu memorial has been set up.
Bill and I tried, but didn’t win tickets to the iTunes Festival concert featuring Coldplay today. But it was still a good day. Downtown is starting to get really crowded now that SxSW Interactive has ended and Music is starting. SxSW Film goes through Sunday.
The SxSW Interactive organizers would probably say that Privacy was today’s overarching theme, due to the much-publicized interview with Edward Snowden. Instead of waiting in a long line to get into the main ballroom to see the interviewers, I decided to go to a satellite room that was simulcasting the session. There were still hundreds who gathered in this smaller room to listen. Now I thought the interview was interesting and all, but Free Food was clearly the theme of my day…
Austin’s weather was chilly today, but dry…a welcome break from yesterday’s downpours. No movies for me today. Instead, I attended some Interactive sessions and wandered around the Trade Show (Austin Convention Center), SxSW Gaming (Palmer Events Center) and SxSW Create (Long Center Terrace).
Today I skipped the big SxSW Interactive interview with Julian Assange to watch two SxSW movies. The first was No No: A Dockumentary about Dock Ellis, a baseball pitcher who started with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1968. One of the SxSW founders, Louis Black (above), introduced the screening.
South by Southwest is in full swing now. SxSW Interactive and SxSW Film have started and downtown Austin is buzzing. People are everywhere and traffic is a mess. Food trailers are only exceeded by pedicabs and, of course, conference attendees.
South by Southwest starts tomorrow in Austin. Bill is a wily veteran of SxSW. I am a newbie. The Film and Interactive events begin tomorrow. There’s also Comedy, Sports, Gaming, and other tracks that I don’t know about yet. Music starts next Tuesday.
The non-profit Austin Parks Foundation sponsors It’s My Park Day as a spring clean-up day for our city parks. This year I volunteered at Republic Square Park, home to the Downtown Farmers Market and Movies in the Park.
“The Biggest Open House in Texas” that has always seemed like an accurate description of Explore UT to me. Perhaps because it was a perfect spring day, Saturday’s event seemed even bigger and more crowded than usual. Kids were everywhere. I was one of the few adults walking around campus without a gaggle of children lined up behind me.
Last Friday Bill and I attended the opening reception for the 10th annual People’s Gallery at Austin City Hall. Over 100 works by local artists are displayed throughout the building. Visitors are encouraged to vote for their top three favorites, and at the end of the year, the city will purchase one of the top-recommended pieces for the permanent collection.