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Barton Springs Road will be closed from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm during the Kite Festival.
Free parking is available:
- Downtown at the State parking lots at 1604 Colorado Street
- South at the Toney Burger Activity Center at 3200 Jones Road
The shuttles come round regularly all day to these two parking lots for pick-up and drop-off. Round trip shuttle rides are $2 for persons 12 yrs and over. Well mannered dogs on leashes are allowed on the shuttles. Kids and dogs ride free.
The first shuttle departs at 9:45 am and the last shuttle going to the park leaves at 2:30 pm. Shuttles will continue taking riders back to the parking lots until 5:30pm.
No large coolers on the shuttles please, they are too big to fit (the shuttles are school buses). Kites are fine to bring on the bus!
Shuttle drivers have the authority to refuse to allow any person, animal or object on the bus.
For those driving into the Kite Festival
There is an extremely limited amount of on site parking, and wait times to enter the area can easily last 45 minutes or more. We strongly encourage you to use an alternative method of transportation to help protect our environment.
Northbound visitors: From the Loop 360 exit, proceed along the frontage road. Proceed in the far right lane queue into the park.
Southbound visitors: Use the Loop 360 exit, take the dedicated turn around and proceed along the northbound frontage. Proceed in the far right lane queue into the park.
DO NOT EXIT BARTON SKYWAY OR ROLLINGWOOD/2244. There are significant delays/closures at those exits.
More Parking
There is limited parking in Zilker Park on the Polo fields. You can get to it from the Mopac service road. It is free but there’s not that much and fills up quickly, so come early for parking in the park.
Note: If the Kite Festival is postponed due to weather, there may be a fee to park at the Polo Fields. This would only occur if there is a postponement.
One Texas Center at 505 Barton Springs Road parking lot is available all day at no charge.
The Palmer Events Center (900 Barton Springs Road), depending upon their events schedule, may have parking available for the Kite Festival. There is a fee for that garage.
**NOTE** Those parking on the Mopac median will be ticketed and towed. The surrounding neighborhoods will receive patrols for illegally parked vehicles. The Austin Police Department will be patrolling these areas and issuing tickets. The Rollingwood Poilce Department will likewise be patrolling Bee Caves Road and streets on the west side of Mopac for illegal parking.
Special Needs parking is available in the park and is free. Be sure you have the special needs hanging placard (or other special needs parking designation) and ask the police at the road closure to the park to let you in for Special Needs Parking. The Mopac side of the park is the entrance to use. The special needs parking lot is on the south side of Barton Springs Road just across from the Kite Festival. Drive in like you are going to the pool and continue onward to the lots just beyond the play ground.
Bicycle parking is available. There are bicycle racks next to the Special Needs parking on the south side of Barton Springs Road across from the Great Lawn. We hope many of you can bike in to enjoy the Kite Festival.
Don’t forget the Hike and Bike Trail is next to the park. Enjoy a scenic tour of Lady Bird Lake and end it at the Kite Festival. You can find more information by visiting the City of Austin’s Trail Directory.