Live Music Meets Tubing at Float Fest 2017

Guest article by Brandon Navarro

If there is one thing that immediately comes to mind when I think about the city of Austin, it’s the music. On any given night, you can go into coffee shops, hole in the wall bars, and restaurants, and there will be live music of every kind playing. Everything from live shows to music videos are celebrated here. Not only that, but Austin is home to music festivals that range from well-known to new: SXSW, ACL Fest, Levitation, Reggae Fest, and Austin Food + Wine Festival are just a few of the many that come to mind.

Many don’t realize it, but there’s a new kind of festival in the Austin area. In its short lifespan of four years, Float Fest has grown into something people have been and will keep talking about. When a river can cool you off and spit you out right where the good music starts, that’s where most of us want to be. 

Arriving at Float Fest

Driving into the festival at Cool River Ranch near San Marcos is somewhat of an adventure in itself. I noticed random things, from helicopter rides, to ferris wheels, to hundreds of tubers. When I got inside, there were food trucks to satisfy any craving, and vendors sold just about every product you can imagine.

Then I came across two stages: the Sun stage and the Water stage. These platforms were the right size to keep the thousands in attendance entertained, big enough to contain the energy of acts such as Cage the Elephant.

Top Tier Musical Talent

This year’s line-up was more than satisfying. We had the local talent of Walker Lukens, Sweet Spirit, Neon Indian, Wild Child, and Heartbyrne. The festival has grown so much that it also attracted some amazing major artists, as well. Names like Zedd, Weezer, Cage the Elephant, MGMT, Passion Pit, and Mac Miller came out and gave performances most of us will never forget.

We won’t forget seeing Matt Shultz zoom from one end of the stage to the other, stage diving, and running through the crowd. We won’t forget Mac Miller coming out with an attitude of “I got this.” We won’t forget the vibes of MGMT or Weezer…talk about taking a trip down memory lane.

I could go on and on about the excitement of Float Fest, but this is something people have to experience for themselves. They have to experience walking from one stage to the next, beating the 100-degree heat, floating the river, and hearing the sweet sounds of summertime fun. Even though Float Fest is in its fourth year, I think it’s safe to say this festival will be around for years to come.

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@theAustinot wants to know:

What are your favorite memories from Float Fest?