Austin City Limits Recap

Never in a million years would I say that I am an expert at music festivals, but I would say I am an expert at putting comfort at low efforts first. I went to Lollapalooza a few years ago and can confidently say that I did absolutely everything wrong for that. This year was my second Austin City Limits festival and I feel like with it has come a sense of preparedness I didn't previously have. So without further ado, let's get in to it!

Festival Style, but Make it Texas

Something that I love about festivals is the fashion and seeing who is going to show up. I remember being really young and refreshing my Tumblr and Instagram feeds waiting to see who was going to show up to Coachella and what they were going to be wearing. I was living for King Kylie and her new hair color every day. Then there was Vanessa Hudgens, the queen of boho Coachella style in her crochet and flower crowns. I was absolutely living for it!

All of the big festivals kind of have their own energy that they bring, like Stagecoach is where you'll see the most cowboy boots being wore unironically. Coachella, you're likely to see more flashy outfits. At Lollapalooza, you'll likely see a lot of Chicago street style. Austin City Limits is no different! ACL is where Western meets Bohemian. You'll see a lot of boots, a lot of denim, a lot of maxi skirts. You'll also see a lot of crochet tops, swimsuits, and lace. At the end of the day, the big part of ACL is staying comfortable because even in October, the Texas Sun can be quite unforgiving.

The Goal is to always be comfortable and not wearing something that is really restricting!!!!

You won't catch me in boots because it's not really my style but they're also super uncomfortable to be standing in for long periods of time. With all that said, here are some examples of what me and my roommate wore this festival season:

Essential Packing List

Here is a list of all the things that I think were really helpful! One thing about me is that I am trying to carry the bare minimum with me, so let's get in to it:

1. Camelbak Backpack

   Water is free at all hydration stations and when you're standing for hours waiting to see someone or just existing in the Texas heat, it is so nice to have hands free water at any given moment.

   
   

   

   
   
   
   

2. Portable Charger You're on your phone, You're recording every thing, You need a portable charger. Just don't make the mistake I did and get one that is a USB-C port instead of a lightning. I like this one a lot because of how compact it is without having any major effect on the grip.

   

   
   

3. Portable Fan I think that this will forever be a necessity. October, in theory, should be really nice. Sometimes though, you get a major heat wave sending the temperature to the 95-99 range while you're trying to listen to whoever is on stage. So while this didn't make it feel like fall, it did provide some very much needed air flow.
   

   
   

   

4. Wristband Credit Card Nowadays, you really don't need to take any wallets in to ACL because you have your wristband. Personally, I think it is the greatest thing that has ever happened. My bank account may not agree because It did make me think that I money isn't real, but that's a future me problem.

Austin City Limits Truly is one of the best weekends of the year, and hopefully we'll be back next year!