Zilker Park, ATX Apr. 11, 2026
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Know Before You Go

Here’s everything you need to know about getting to ABC Kite Fest

Transportation Options

WEATHER UPDATE: Given the current weather and to preserve Zilker Park’s landscaping, the City of Austin has closed access to the Polo Fields for parking.

Shuttle bus passes are still available for purchase. Attendees are encouraged to purchase shuttle passes in advance or use the city’s hike and bike trail, public transportation routes or rideshare services to reach the event. There will be no parking in the surrounding neighborhoods.

WEATHER UPDATE: Given the current weather and to preserve Zilker Park’s landscaping, the City of Austin has closed access to the Polo Fields for parking.
Shuttle passes grant round-trip service to Zilker Park. Board at the Burger Activity Center (3200 Jones Rd, Austin, TX 78745) and you’ll be dropped off near the entrance to the ABC Kite Fest. After your day of kite flying, return to the drop-off location for your return trip. Shuttles will run on a continuous loop from 9:45 AM – 5:00 PM. Click here to purchase shuttle passes.
Rideshare drop-off point is on the north side of the river at the pedestrian bridge.
ADA parking is available for free. Navigate to our ADA area, and show your ADA hanging placard (or other ADA parking designation) to our partners at the Austin Police Department.
Bicycle parking is available on Barton Springs Rd.

Scooter parking is available.

The Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail spans 10 miles around the lake. Enjoy a scenic tour of Lady Bird Lake and end it at the ABC Kite Fest. See map below for parking options for Hike-and-Bike Trail Access.

Zilker Park is served by Cap Metro Routes 3 and 803.

  • MetroRapid 803: Running every 15 minutes during the event, this route takes riders to Barton Springs Station on South Lamar Boulevard.
  • MetroBus 3: Running every 30 minutes, seven days a week, this route takes riders to Barton Springs Station on South Lamar Boulevard.

Transit schedules are available on the CapMetro website and on the transit app

Note: Route 30 will be diverted during the festival

Waste, Recycling, and Guest Facilities

The ABC Kite Festival is committed to keeping Zilker Park clean and reducing waste wherever possible. With support from Texas Disposal Systems (TDS), convenient waste, recycling, and guest facility services will be available throughout the festival grounds to help ensure a clean, comfortable, and sustainable experience for everyone.

To make waste disposal easy for guests, you’ll find trash and recycling X-Frame stations located throughout the park. These stations help ensure festival waste is properly sorted so recyclable materials can be recovered and diverted from the landfill. For a list of accepted recycling materials, click here.
For guest comfort, portable restrooms and handwashing stations will be available throughout the park. TDS portable restrooms feature slip-resistant floors, door latches, and ventilation to ensure guests are comfortable while having privacy. Guests in the High Flyer Club will enjoy access to air-conditioned restroom trailers, offering a comfortable and convenient upgraded experience during the festival.
Behind the scenes, ABC Kite Festival food vendors will participate in a back-of-house composting program. Food scraps and compostable materials from vendors will be collected separately and sent for compost processing, helping reduce landfill waste and support more sustainable event operations.
All recyclable and compostable materials collected during the ABC Kite Festival will be processed and transformed into new resources less than 20 miles south of Austin at the Texas Disposal Systems facility in Creedmoor, Texas. It’s one more way the festival helps keep Austin beautiful while turning materials into new resources.

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