Austin Food and Wine Festival at Butler Park

A foodie and wine lovers paradise, the Austin Food and Wine Festival gathers the top chefs in the country to participate in food competitions and cooking demonstrations.

Combine this with live music, countless food samples that make you melt, and the most exquisite wines and spirits and you have one hell of a party.

The festival just completed its second year. Based on this year’s festivities, it is fairly certain that the Austin Food and Wine Festival is here to stay as a long-time staple in the Austin festival scene.

Buick Opens the Door to the Austin Food and Wine Festival

For us, the journey to the Austin Food and Wine Festival began with a night out with the fine folks from Buick. They invited us out to learn more about the latest innovations from their company, and to partake in magnificent food and cocktails provided by Paggi House.

Some of our favorite bloggers people in Austin joined us at the Buick Paggi House event, including Kristin Sheppard of Mad Betty fame, the adorable Hilah Johnson and partner in crime Christopher Sharpe of Hilah Cooking, the gluten-free maven Rachelle King of Blinded by the Bite, and the incomparable Kay Marley-Dilworth of ATXFoodNews, among many others. It was quite a collection of Austin-area bloggers and social media influencers.

Austinot Brittany Highland with her “Taste Pass” provided by Buick

The food was delish, the company fantastic and the night nearly perfect. Buick also graciously provided us with two “Taste Passes” to the Austin Food and Wine Festival.

Talk about knowing how to take care of a customer, right?

What You’ll Experience at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

Upon arriving at the Austin Food and Wine Festival, parking was a bit of a challenge, but not impossible. The garage at the Palmer Events Center was full, so attendees had to find street parking in nearby neighborhoods. In hindsight, had we driven up in a brand new Buick, we probably could’ve parked right in the middle of the action at Buick’s Festival Sponsor tent.

Buick – sponsor of the Austin Food and Wine Festival

Once we were within the Festival grounds at Butler Park, our senses were immediately assaulted. A mixture of smoking meats and the scent of wine filled the air. All around us, stages were filled with live demonstrations from experts in the food and wine business, mesmerizing audiences with unique flair.

Live demonstrations from the nation’s top chefs were the order of the day at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

Chef Tim Love has way too much fun with his presentation at the Austin Food and Wine Festival as blindfolded attendees down shots

Tim Love, the official chef for Austin City Limits and owner of The Woodshed Smokehouse, The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and The Love Shack, had the crowd in stitches during his live demonstration. Tim shared some of his culinary secrets, while participants attempted to replicate his mastery of the grill.

To say that Tim had a little fun with the crowd would be an understatement. He ended his demonstration by blindfolding participants and… let’s just say that there were some hefty shots involved.

Participants attempt to replicate the culinary mastery of nationally recognized chefs at the Austin Food and Wine Festival.

Everyone was having a blast. After watching the end of Tim’s demonstration, we headed over to the La Condesa Tent. Lamb and pork were being served hot off the spit on fresh tortillas.

The spit at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

La Condesa paired lamb and pork with attendees’ choice of habanero mustard or creme sauce, which added a perfect tangy bite to the mix. Delish!

Lamb from La Condesa at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

Pork taco from La Condesa at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

Immediately following our time with La Condesa, we waited in line for Barley Swine’s offering of pork on a baguette with sauce and veggies and jumbo shrimp. The shrimp was enormous and fresh. The pork was succulent and tender. Barley Swine never seems to leave one wanting.

Jumbo shrimp courtesy of Barley Swine at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

Only in their second year, the Austin Food and Wine Festival is still working out some of the kinks. The flaw that I noticed this year was that some of the lines in the main area of Butler Park were extremely long and slow for the price point of entry. Don’t let this deter you, though. The Festival is sure to continue to work out these details as they grow. Overall, the event was fantastic.

HEB Grand Tasting Pavilion

After standing in two of these slow-moving lines under the heat of the midday sun, we decided to head over to the shaded HEB Grand Tasting Pavilion. Now that was awesome! 20,000 square feet of shade, food and over 50 of the nation’s finest beverages, along with music provided by DJ Mel.

Austinot Brittany is holding three, count them three drinks at the Austin Food and Wine Festival. Yep, we had a great time!

Simply put, it was one giant party. It doesn’t get much better than sampling from the very best in food and spirits, with the skyline backdrop of Austin.

Check out these photos!

Food samples were plentiful and scrumptious at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

The Topo Chico girls were on hand to cool down the masses

Local celebrities like Teo of Teo Gelato were on hand to greet visitors to the Austin Food and Wine Festival (Matthew a.k.a Teo is center)

Local bakery Butterface Bake Shop made an appearance at the Austin Food and Wine Festival

A great time was had by all. Make sure you add the Austin Food and Wine Festival to your “bucket list”

There you have it, folks. Get your tickets for next year early and stay up to date with the Austin Food and Wine Festival on their website.

@EricHighland asks:

Have you attended the Austin Food and Wine Festival? What are your thoughts?

***

We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and where we give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here!

The Austinot

The brewery kicked off this intro to a new year in the traditional Austin way: with a party.

Vendors and artisans from across the Austin area showed up to congratulate the once-tiny brewery…and it wasn’t just any party.

A Bit About Rogness Brewing Company

Kind of like Mario after eating a mushroom, this local brewery has grown into a large contender in the local beer market over the past year. It has gained loyal followers, from local beer nuts to national magazines.

The Texas craft beer industry is exploding and it’s difficult to break into. This is why the 1UP party is such a big deal. Surviving for a year as a microbrewery in Austin is impressive enough, but Rogness Brewing Company is doing much more. It’s thriving.

The Party Starts

Rogness’s 1UP video game celebration was the perfect combination of beer and video games. It was my personal utopia.

Where to begin? The 1UP party was a playground for retro game fans. As soon as I walked into the brewery, I saw classic games like Galaga and Pac-Man projected against the walls. Players and onlookers crowded around the gaming consoles, some of which were older than the people playing the games. Occasionally I would hear cheers or moans from across the brewery, as players lost and surrendered their controllers to the next person.

Nothing brings people together like beer and video games. Until someone loses.

Scattered between the gaming systems were beer stands with Rogness brews on tap. At the door, I was given a custom glass and the suggestion to fill it with whatever beer caught my eye.

The Atari is mankind’s greatest achievement. Twenty years old, and this thing still worked like a charm

Somewhere around my third glassful of the raspberry stout, I heard a cymbal crash. A guitar and bass kicked in, and suddenly the crowd was grooving to live renditions of video game soundtracks. I didn’t know it was possible to rock out to music designed for 8 bit computer programs, but these bands did it.

The whole crowed jammed to the music. Some two stepped, some skanked. All drank.

So here I was, sipping craft beer and wandering around a craft brewery while video game tunes played overhead…

This thing puts the five gallon carboy in my closet to shame.

…Utopia.

Soon I met up with a small group that was talking passionately about the brewing equipment. An impromptu tour was forming.

The Rogness crew mingled with the partygoers and chatted us up.

The brewers themselves provided low-key tours of the brewery equipment. A small group of beer enthusiasts followed the brewers around and pointed at every small bit of equipment. “What’s that?” we asked. The brewers smiled and explained the processes of brewing with the enthusiasm of those who truly love and understand their craft.

I personally appreciate their creative approached to traditional beer styles. Here is a short list of beers that I drank at the party and I recommend:

• Tenebrous (Double Chocolate Stout)
• Bella (Belgian Golden Ale)
• Gigantophis (Imperial IPA)
• Rook (Scotch Ale)

Raising a Glass to Another Good Year

Let’s make sure that Rogness can celebrate a second anniversary. Who knows what the theme will be next year? The Austinot is all about supporting local business, and I am all about supporting good beer. Our glasses are raised to Rogness for a successful and profitable second year.

You can find a complete list of the Rogness brews here.

@DustyVegas asks:

Have you ever enjoyed a pint from Rogness Brewing Company?

***

We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and where we give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here!

The Austinot

An earlier prototype of Mug Muscles

This guest blog post is by George Hillhouse.

Growing up in Alabama, one of my favorite sayings was, “Hold my beer and watch this.” In fact, if that’s not the State Motto, it ought to be. Beer, or the consumption thereof, has inspired many otherwise rational people to do things they would never have thought possible. Sometimes subsequent hospital trips confirm they were right in the first place.

But do we demonize beer after one of these episodes? Hardly. Beer gets a pass, a get out of jail free card, even when we know we won’t get out of jail free for things we did on a beer binge. Beer may be unique in this regard. No one says, “Hold my meth pipe and watch this!” thinking that subsequent events will be explained away and forgiven. It takes a beer, or two, to get that kind of a pass.

Mug Muscles Is Born

So it was that two of my friends and I created Austin’s coolest start-up, Mug Muscles, the world’s first exercise beer mug.

Let me explain: Mug Muscles is a beer mug with a grip exerciser in the handle, thus allowing people to get exercise while drinking a cold one. And if a lifetime of drinking beer has taught us anything, it is that beer drinkers are in dire need of some exercise. It’s time to get Sippin’ ‘n Rippin’!

Even Mug Muscles needs a blueprint

The genius behind Mug Muscles is John Lynn, a former patent attorney turned entrepreneur, who was sitting on the couch on July 4th weekend, drinking a beer, wondering why he couldn’t get a workout in at the same time. No one can say for sure how he came upon this brilliantly absurd idea, but beer was involved, so there you go. Being a former patent attorney, he filed a patent after a brief search revealed that nothing remotely like this had been patented. Shocking!

Fast forward four months later, and John and I are sitting at Maudie’s. This time we have tequila to blame. Instead of merely laughing away the notion of an exercise beer mug, we thought, “What the hell?” So, throwing caution and a couple of margaritas to the wind, we set out on our path to create a company around the new beer mug. We invited another likeminded friend, Beau Ross, to be our CFO.  Beau, being from New Orleans, was no stranger to peculiar drinking traditions. After one Sazerac, he was in.

As much as I would like to say that everything else went along just as smoothly, that would be a lie. It turns out that making a plastic beer mug is easy, and making a grip exerciser is easy, but when you combine the two, things get complicated. Our first manufacturer outside Austin told us that we could not mold the mug around a grip exerciser.  Bummer. Then they told us what it would cost to build it here. Let’s just say my current late model car cost less than the tooling we needed.

My friend Reese modeling Mug Muscles proper usage

A Wink and a Nod

We have a friend who sources plastic parts from China. Next thing we know, Beau and I are on a plane to Shanghai to inspect factories. We quickly learned two things from that trip. One is that the Chinese have an uncanny ability to reproduce things in massive quantities quickly, and the other is that Chinese beer sucks. Honestly.

After selecting our first and second back-up factory, we then learned our third and hardest lesson about manufacturing in China: nodding your head up and down can mean one of three things:

1. “Yes, we can make it for that price,”
2. “Yes, we understand you want us to make it for that price,” or
3. “We have no way in hell of knowing whether we can or will make it for that price, but we like nodding our heads up and down anyway.”

Long story short, we spent five months learning that our first factory was definitely in the third camp of head-nodding. The good news is that our back-up factory seems to have unlocked the code, and produced acceptable samples of the mug. There is light at the bottom of the mug.

Mug Muscles is born

Viva La Revolucion

In truth, Mug Muscles is more than just a beer mug, it is an exercise revolution. The workout program we created is the Beer Exercise Revolution Program, better known as B.E.R.P. Our customers are not just drinking buddies, they are Beer Athletes. On our website, we are even building a hall of fame for them, the Beer Athletes Hall of Recognition and Fame, or B.A.H.R.F. We even completed a successful KickStarter campaign to fund our first order. Life is good keeping Austin weird.

As of this writing, we are in the middle of our first production run, and we are keeping our fingers crossed, beers firmly in hand. Mug Muscles is about to invade Austin.

George Hillhouse is CEO of Mug Muscles, an Austin based start-up and already the world’s leading manufacturer of exercise barware. George can be found at MugMuscles.com.

The Austinot

Raising a glass to Groovy Sunday at South Austin Brewing Company

This guest blog post is by Edgar Barguiarena.

Sometimes Friday and Saturday don’t give you enough time to take full advantage of the weekend. You’re left wanting more for your Sunday, but you want to try something different. After you go to brunch and get started with a few mimosas, you want to enjoy the last few hours of freedom you have left. If you’re still jonesing for live music and great beer, South Austin Brewing Company has your solution.

South Austin Brewing Company got their start in late 2010 with two signature brews that are still selling strong today: the Belgian Style Golden Ale and their Saison D’Austin. Each brew is featured in a hand-corked 750-ml bottle that looks almost as good as it tastes. Sound familiar? You may have seen these beers at your local grocery store or liquor shop.

South Austin Brewing has done an impressive job of getting their beer all over the Central Texas area, considering the young age of the company.

Groovy Sunday at South Austin Brewing Company

You may have been to brewery tours or open houses before. But this won’t be your typical brewery visit, and this isn’t your typical brewery. Groovy Sunday is an open house hosted at South Austin Brewery Company, located appropriately enough at 415 East Saint Elmo Road in South Austin.

South Austin Brewing Company invites folks who enjoy fine beer to visit their place, enjoy good craft beer, and listen to awesomely sourced local music, hand-picked by Chris Oglesby, Director of Events & Tours. $10 will get you a fancy tulip glass (designed to better enjoy South Austin Brewing’s style of beer) and four drink coupons.

South Austin Brewing’s Belgian Style Golden Ale

A word of warning here: the glasses may be on the smaller side, but the beer is definitely stronger. The Golden Ale clocks in at 7.8% ABV, while the Saison ups the ante to 8% ABV, about twice as strong as your typical light beer.

Once you are done with your samples, you may even have the option to trade in your glassware for a snazzy South Austin Brewing Company t-shirt.

The brewery is located in a warehouse location that houses many amazing craft breweries, so there will be plenty of room to roam around and pick a spot to enjoy your beer and listen to live music. South Austin Brewing Co. provides a few lawn chairs, but it’s recommended that you bring your own. Jordan Weeks (head brewmaster) and Chris Oglesby are always happy to engage with fans who visit the brewery. They’re passionate about what they do, and very approachable if you want to have a conversation and learn more.

How May I Partake?

South Austin Brewing doesn’t have a set schedule every month, but they’ll be holding an event on an almost weekly basis through the month of June 2013. The next few shows are as follows:

• May 19 – The Hard Pans
• May 26 – Lisa Marshall
• June 9 – Herman the German
• June 16 – Dr Zog
• June 23 – TBA
• June 30 – Leeann Atherton

Your host, Chris Oglesby, is an avid local music fan. He has even published a book about music from the area. Because Chris personally curates the lineup of bands featured during each Groovy Sunday, you’re sure to hear quality acts during your visit.

You can check out an updated schedule of Groovy Sundays on their website, along with the local bands that will be featured. To get to Groovy Sunday at 415 East Saint Elmo, Unit 1D, Austin TX 78745, head south on Congress from downtown. About half a mile after passing Ben White, turn left onto East Saint Elmo Road. The brewery is directly south, across the street from Music Lab studios. Be sure to bring a designated driver, and get ready to enjoy some fantastic beer and great live music!

Edgar is an avid world traveler with a deeply rooted love for the city of Austin and the amazing craft beer scene that has sprung up recently. You can follow him on Twitter at @Crafty_Ed.

***

We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and where we give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here!

The Austinot

Not a straight ramen joint

In the interest of being hungry fair in my assessment of Austin’s Ramen Offerings™, I’m trying places that don’t necessarily specialize in ONLY ramen.

So for my next foray in the Yummin’ Austin Ramen series, I checked out Kome Sushi Kitchen, located at 4917 Airport Boulevard.

Kome is mostly famous for their fresh, delicious, sushi. With the surge in ramen popularity, however, they opened up a ramen-only “sister” restaurant called Daruma this year (review forthcoming).

Three kinds of ramen at Kome

Kome has a full Japanese menu and three different kinds of ramen to choose from: Miso, Shoyu, and Tonkotsu.  Because Kome’s focus isn’t ramen, there isn’t a lot of advertised customizability. But they have all of the components available, so you just need to be knowledgeable going in, in order to craft your perfect ramen dish.

We started off our meal with tempura and edamame. I wouldn’t usually mention basic Japanese-type starters, but I will say that their edamame was uniquely good and fresh-tasting, and not weird or chewy or too salty.

Salad ramen?

The ramen looked very different from other places we’d been to. My ramen had all sorts of bamboo and spinach and leaves in it. And corn! It was sort of like ramen salad with soup hiding underneath.

It wasn’t bad. The elements inside were yummy. It also had these little fish medallions in it. I don’t know if they were the cause, but the whole dish ended up having a very fishy taste to it.

Now that I’ve been to several ramen places, I state with excitement that Kome ACTUALLY HAD TAKE-HOME CONTAINERS.

PROOF of the elusive Take-Home container

Later in the evening when I went to eat my leftovers, the problem was that they were impossibly fishy and I didn’t even want to eat them. I feel like maybe “yuckadoo” is a bit judgmental, but I neglected to take a picture of my sour face to show you my disappointment.

A popular Austin restaurant!

Kome doesn’t really need to have perfect ramen because they’re one of the most popular restaurants I’ve been to so far. By the time we left, there was a big line of people waiting to sit at our table and eat things.

Bottom line: Everyone loves Kome, but their ramen is nothing to write home about.

So how will Daruma, Kome’s ramen-only restaurant sister, fare? Stay tuned for the next installment of Yummin’ Austin Ramen!

@amalthya asks:

What has been your Kome experience?

***

We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and where we give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here!

The Austinot

Austinot Brittany checking out the event t-shirts at Austin Flea

Every 6-8 weeks, Austin Flea gathers dozens of Austin’s most creative individuals together to showcase and sell their unique products.

The Highball hosted the event for two years.

But due to current renovations there, The Rattle Inn has stepped up as host. The March 2013 event at 610 Nueces (off W. 6th St.) was jam-packed with vendors: downstairs in the bar and lounge area, upstairs on the patio, and lining the sidewalk along Nueces.

Vendors line the sidewalk during Austin Flea

The next Austin Flea event is taking place this weekend, just in time for Mother’s Day. From 11 AM-5 PM at The Rattle Inn on May 11, 2013, you’ll have a chance to browse local handmade items and vintage wares.

We thought we had seen everything, when we discovered that the inside area of The Rattle Inn was also full of treasures!

Did I mention that Austin Flea is free and appropriate for all ages?!

Love the dino planters from The Plaid Pigeon

What You’ll Find at Austin Flea

Wondering what you might find? As of this writing, 57 vendors have signed up for this month’s Austin Flea. Here’s a small sample of the fabulous goods you can discover:

• Jewelry
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Purses
• Baby items
• Vintage wares
• Antiques
• Quilts
• Artwork
• Glasswork
• Candles
• Pottery
• Stationary

Mimi’s Latest Obsession repurposes everyday items like Altoid tins and dominoes!

These vendors have signed up for the May 11th – you should recognize a few of them!

• Jen Hearts Art
• The Burlap Bag
• Lost Little Things
• Tasty Jewelry
• Coat and Tail Pet Portraits
• Crema Bakery and Cafe
• Old Factory Soap Company

See the full vendor list here.

Jen Hearts Art creates fabulous jewelry and artwork

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ will also be on site, serving up hot and delicious food.

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ at Austin Flea

Get Involved and Stay Up to Date

To stay updated on future event dates and locations, hit up Austin Flea on Facebook.

If you’re interested in becoming a vendor, fill out the application on Austin Flea’s website.

@QuasiBrit asks:

Have you been to Austin Flea before? Planning your first trip this weekend?

***

We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and where we give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here!

The Austinot

Find your Zen-Yoga with WeViva at KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program)

Living in one of America’s fittest cities, an Austin woman identified a lack of healthy lifestyle options for adults in low income communities, particularly in the areas of fitness and wellness.

Carolyn Haney, Founder of WeViva, created an amazing mix of lifestyle and social trials that are changing the way families in low income communities think about and implement exercise and nutrition in their daily lives.

In 2011, Haney took her knowledge and training from a Social Work background and joined the Austin start-up scene with a goal to enrich the lives of families residing in Austin’s lower income and at risk neighborhoods. The mission was to change the lifestyle and habits of one family member, positively impacting the entire family structure over time.

Hands on nutrition education and shopping for family meals

Haney has focused efforts on communities in need and relies heavily on forming partnerships and collaborative ventures with other local non-profits, the City of Austin and many other community supporters.

This fitness and nutrition model is a sustainable effort that will allow one person to enroll and participate in six weeks of unlimited fitness and nutrition classes at no cost. The six week fitness challenge motivates participants to reach healthy goals and track progress along the way. Haney shared, “This is a one of a kind program; no one else is doing onsite fitness for adults in low income communities. We are really paving the way.”

Dance Your Way to FIT

The certified, group fitness instructors and nutritionists at this 501(c) 3, encourage individuals to participate in Zumba, Yoga, Strength Training and Nutrition classes that are structured to encourage better lifestyle choices regarding fitness and nutrition.

Southwest Key Zumba Class

WeViva offers supportive, bilingual, group instruction designed for women that is not only accessible, but also free. Haney and her fitness fairy godmothers currently host 22 classes at 14 locations each week for adults, and provide free childcare. Using a cross fit business model, participants are sent on an energetic path, introduced to fitness, and they take away culturally appropriate and hands on nutrition training.

As WeViva has incorporated dance, a support system of other like-minded individuals and instructors who provide comfortable and safe workout environments, classes have quickly become over-crowded.

Six weeks of fitness form friendships among participants

Meanwhile, Haney is finding creative and inexpensive ways to keep the programs available.

Feel like dancing? WeViva and Zumba Fitness recently introduced Austin to Zumbathon, a two hour, dance like no one’s watching, feel good event that benefits WeViva participants. If you missed it this time around, keep your eyes peeled for similar announcements in the future. Haney has high hopes that Zumbathon will become a bi-annual event.

Give New Life to Fitness

Certified instructors lead quality classes

Although Haney is filling this particular fitness void for Austin, it does come with a price. As with many non-profits, funding and time are the largest obstacles to keeping this start-up afloat. With a resounding 70 percent return participants, the classes are full and attracting lines and crowds outside of some of WeViva’s most popular venues.

WeViva communities, which include AISD, Austin Charter Schools, Foundation Communities and Southwest Key Programs, have helped to raise a massive amount of awareness and interest in program participation. Since January 2013, nearly 700 people have participated in at least one WeViva class. Plans for the future of this wellness program include adding more instructors, adding classes and locations, incorporating incentive programs and possibly introducing classes for kids.

Interested in helping to keep WeViva community members running, dancing and cooking their way to healthy? You can sponsor an individual or an entire fitness class, nutrition class (includes food lesson, cooking demo and tasting and a supermarket tour) or donate in-kind fitness equipment.

@CrisMueller asks:

Had you heard about WeViva before? What do you think of this local non-profit’s mission?

Photos courtesy of Carolyn Haney. Video courtesy of Austin Multimedia Group.

***

We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and where we give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here!

The Austinot

Moontower attendees wait for a show outside The Parish

This guest blog post is by Kelly Love.

The Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival - yes, another festival in Austin! – premiered last year at main stage presenter Paramount Theatre. In its second year, the festival brought over 100 talented funny people here from April 24-27 2013.

This year’s fest saw a rise in attendance and badge sales, along with the introduction of midnight headliner performances at the Paramount. As with most festivals, it’s impossible to be everywhere at once. But since Bill Hader of SNL fame was one of this year’s headliners, I’ll give you a summary as Hader’s popular NYC club-hopping character Stefon (who made an appearance during his show) would put it (it helps to read the following in Stefon’s voice):

“Austin’s hottest new festival has everything…angry clowns, giant megaphones, hipsters on longboards, angry women with tattoos who will yell at you in exchange for cash, game shows that dare you not to laugh, geese riots…”

OK, so no actual geese. But I did attend one show where the most hilarious bit was in the audience, a person who had the best honking laugh. It didn’t even matter what was happening on stage, people laughed because the honking person laughed. This is why I love comedy.

Moontower 2013 Headliners

Besides Hader, this year’s festival featured names like Jim Gaffigan, Dana Carvey, Michael Ian Black and Janeane Garafalo, playing to sold-out audiences at the Paramount. Chris Hardwick of The Talking Dead and Nerdist podcast, Godfrey (who brought it, seriously funny), Maria Bamford, Derek Phelps, Todd Barry, and Marc Maron all appeared at Stateside.

I’d love to give you a rundown on Bamford’s new material, exactly what Godfrey said about pit bulls, and whether or not Jim Gaffigan did his Hot Pockets bit (he did), but I was too busy laughing to take notes.

I’m not a critic, I just love comedy. And I love comedians, which is why I thought the all-access festival badges are so great. Not only could I flit from show to show on a whim, but badge holders were also invited to attend nightly “Laugh Your Ass Off” happy hour parties at the Esquire Lounge/Stephen F. Austin Bar & Terrace, complete with DJs spinning and funny people milling about.

Moontower happy hour party

Let me clarify that I’m not a comedy groupie. I’d put myself more in the voyeur category. I like hanging out with funny people. I’ve attended more improv class “showcases” than I can count, as most of my friends have taken improv classes. I have not done so myself, being averse to any situation that involves people pointing at me and demanding, “be funny.” But I love to watch.

What I like about mingling with comedians and comedy audiences (who are mostly funny people as well) is that people who choose to stand on a stage and do 30 minutes of funny for a living usually don’t make that decision because they had sunny childhoods or a lack of psychological problems. I get it. I’m the daughter of a psychotherapist. Shrink’s children are not necessarily poster children for mental wellness either, but I don’t think many of us could top the deep, abiding neurosis of a comedian.

I’m not going to name names, but you could literally tell a comedian the most traumatic, messed up thing that happened to you and they will not blink. Then they will top it and you will never be able to forget. Tell your worst to a “normal” person and they gasp. Tell the same story to a comedian and they’ll tell you about the time their stepfather smoked too much meth and sat up all night on the end of their Scooby Doo comforter with a loaded shotgun in his lap. Comedian: one. Me: zero.

Psychological issues aside, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love to laugh. Four straight days of showcases and headliners, laughter guaranteed? We’re so there. I’m happy to tell you that you can LYAO next year, as the Paramount just announced that the third annual Moontower Comedy & Oddity Festival will be held April 23-26, 2014.

Stay Updated on Local Comedy

Follow Moontower on Twitter or Facebook for festival updates and next year’s lineup. Check out Moontower’s web page for video highlights from this year’s fest and announcements for 2014.

Don’t forget to get your badges and tickets early – VIP badges and ACE badges sold out a few weeks before the festival

If your funny bone can’t wait until next year, Austin has some great local talent and venues like The Velveeta Room, Cap City Comedy Club, The Hideout Theatre and The New Movement Theater that play host to locals and out-of-town headliners alike (the latter two even offer improv classes). Get out there and get your laugh on!

Kelly Love Johnson is a writer and editor who moved to Austin from Charleston, SC, for a year…a little over three years ago. She’s been semi-regularly blogging semi-funny things on her site, Microfamous, since 2003-ish.

Festival photos courtesy of Nick Simonite.

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We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. You’ll get a recap of our best articles and share our fun giveaways. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here! 

The Austinot

Brittany and me during our zip lining tour, with Hill Country in the background

In the Texas Hill Country, we’re spoiled beyond measure. Few places on earth compare to the natural beauty in our area.

Most drive through Central Texas and get the perspective from the ground. But everyone does that, right?

Why not see the majesty of the Hill Country in a way that you’ll never forget? It’s time to zip line in Wimberley, Texas!

Wimberley Zipline Adventures

I’ve had a pretty adventurous life, but soaring over the Texas Hill Country on a zip line was one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done. Definitely checked this one off my “bucket list,” and I highly recommend you do too!

Gearing up for the tour

Wimberley Zipline Adventures is located between Austin and San Antonio, just south of Wimberley on the Four Winns Ranch. It’s less than an hour away from Austin.

Allow me to set the stage.

Imagine over a mile of zip lines, with stunning views extending 15 miles. You glide safely and effortlessly at speeds of up to 30 MPH from one end of zip line to the other. The experience is something you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life.

Everyone wishes they had Sarah’s unicorn helmet

Each zip line differs in length, ranging from 150 feet to over 900 feet. All of the zip lines are designed to hold 26,000 lbs, and the anchoring system and harness are designed to hold 5,000 lbs. Highly trained and experienced guides provide a fun instructional session at the base camp which they call Flight School.

Sarah teaching us the ropes during Flight School

Our guides were Sarah, Andrew and Tesia. They were not only professional, but hilarious and kind. It’s obvious that they love what they do. By the time the training session was done, anyone who was previously concerned about the adventure was completely at ease. Not an easy task for these guides, but they really did make everyone feel confident about the upcoming journey.

Our group stands in line, awaiting the next zip lining cruise

Once Flight School was complete, our group hopped into an all-terrain vehicle that took us to the top of the hill for the first of 10 zip lines. Once there, we got ready for the ground underneath our feet to start slipping away.

Don’t let the chill look fool you – Austinot Brittany is travelling a lot faster than you might think

More Than Just Zip Lining

We learned about the Texas Madrone during our tour

At the first launch point and throughout the tour, the guides took the time to talk about the ecosystem of the area. This perspective helped us to appreciate the area even more, as we learned about fossils found on the land and the Balcones Fault Line nearby. You can see a large collection of fossils that have been found by the guides back at base camp. But if you find a fossil on your tour, it’s yours to keep!

The most interesting natural element to me was the Texas Madrone tree that’s found on the Four Winns Ranch. Some of the trees are 250-300 years old. The Texas Madrone has a colorful spiral pattern on the trunk, and it’s said that its berries are hallucinogenics.

How Wimberley Zipline Adventures Started

Mike Robinson and Jim Turner are the owners of Wimberely Zipline Adventures. The two tried several business ventures over time, but nothing captivated them both. That all changed in 2006, when Mike and his wife took a cruise to Belize and tried zip lining as part of a tour package. He was hooked (pun intended).

Upon Mike’s return, he shared the experience with Jim who knew several ranchers in the area. The duo approached various ranchers, and the owners of the Four Winns Ranch were interested. It was an ideal location for constructing zip lines, so construction began on the project in January 2007. By March 2008, Wimberley Zipline Adventures opened for business.

Zip line stretching across the Texas Hill Country Landscape

Tours originally opened with five ziplines. Since that time, they’ve expanded to ten. Even with the expansion over time, Mike and Jim have done their best to keep their surroundings naturally beautiful and rugged.

When I had the opportunity to sit down with Mike, I asked him what separates Wimberley Zipline Adventures from other zip line companies. His response was quick and simple, “The experience itself is like no other. The attitude, enthusiasm and concern for the customers that our guides have makes the experience [with us] more than worthwhile.”

Wimberley Zipline Adventures can accommodate up to 125 people per day. They have five time slots and can hold up to 25 people in each time slot. Spring, summer and fall are very busy seasons, and it’s recommended that you reserve your spot early.

Tips for Zip Lining in Wimberley

1. Use the restroom before you arrive. The only options on site are port-a-potties by the parking lot. Once you’ve started your adventure, it’s just you and nature.
2. Weight limits are 250 lbs for men and 200 lbs for women. A minimum weight of 70 lbs is required to zip line.
3. Everyone zip lining must be 10 years of age or older. Pregnant women may not zip line, and persons with neck, back, joint or heart problems are advised not to participate.
4. Wear closed toed shoes. Avoid short shorts (which can be uncomfortable with the harness) and avoid extra baggy clothes. Leave your jewelry at home and your cell phone in the car. Also, no smoking is allowed on tours.
5. Though there isn’t too much walking, only about half a mile total, it’s on rugged, uneven and uphill terrain. So be prepared. They’ll provide you with water. Take it!
6. Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your tour time. If you’re more than 10 minutes late, you’ll miss your tour and there are no refunds given. This is in consideration of the other guests in your party.
7. Don’t be afraid to try it. We absolutely loved it and would go back in a heartbeat! Any questions, hit us up with a comment. We’re happy to share about our personal experience.

There I go!

For location, pricing, availability and more information, check out the Wimberley Zipline Adventures website.

@EricHighland asks:

What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done in Austin or the Texas Hill Country? Please comment and let me know. If we haven’t tried it yet, we’d love to check it out!

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We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. You’ll get a recap of our best articles and share our fun giveaways. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here! 

The Austinot

What is this mysterious structure behind a fence at Barton Springs? Find out on today’s episode!

Click Play on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast or find us on iTunes.

After a two-week sabbatical, the Austinot Podcast is back! Thanks to everyone who has continued to send in awesome questions about Austin on Facebook and Twitter.

We really enjoyed answering your questions this week.

Farrah Fawcett during her time as a student at UT

Here’s what we’re covering on today’s podcast episode:

• “What is the rocky, cylindrical structure near Barton Springs that is surrounded by a chain link fence? It has a sign about the poor salamander by it.” -The Long Center, Facebook
• “What years did Farrah Fawcett attend UT and was she in a sorority?” -Ryan Bearden, Facebook
• “What is the best farmers’ market in Austin?” -Jessica Harper, Facebook
• “Where’s the best burger joint in Austin?” -Rodrigo Bruno and Kim King, Facebook

Where is the best burger joint in Austin? Take a listen and see if you agree with Eric!

Many of you have been following Eric’s “Search for the Best Burger Joint in Austin” series, so you know how much we have to say about that! We only talk about the top two picks so far, but you can read all his reviews and decide for yourself.

Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you next week. Smiley face.

@QuasiBrit asks:

Do you have anything to add to our answers this week? We’d love your input!

Photos via Flickr CC, courtesy of Wally Gobetz and flfawcett.

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We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter 2 times a month. You’ll get a recap of our best articles and share our fun giveaways. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here! 

The Austinot