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Still in anticipation of a special permit from the City of Austin, the Austinites are less than concerned that the Austin City Limits Festival won’t return in 2021.
With just three more weekends to go until the legendary music festival hit the headlines of a festival cancellation, especially after approval was denied to the Pecan Street Festival and Bat Fest. ACL must obtain special permits for events each year as it operates on the city site.
This year’s event application – with more than 2,500 outdoor attendees – requires event organizers to take precautions against COVID-19 and submit a safety plan in advance. Precautions include obtaining a negative test from all participants, regardless of vaccination – a rule that ACL has yet to update in its own policy. ACL’s health policy still states that those who are fully vaccinated can provide evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination instead of showing evidence of a negative test.
However, ACL started setting up at Zilker Park and shipping wristbands this week.
Maggie Palacios, a Rio Grande Valley native who has lived in Austin for five years, struggled to get her weekend ticket, but said she was confident the crews would settle down for the show to go on.
Palacios’ first concert was Vance Joy at the ACL 2017, so she has a soft spot for the park and the festival.
“I was definitely in that queue trying to get a ticket for a while. It was really stressful and I was really excited when I got it,” said Palacios. “It’s definitely comforting to see something as normal as ACL going on. It’s also just very exciting to be able to experience something again.”
According to Sara Henry, program manager for public information and marketing at the Austin Center for Events, ACL did not receive approval for its approval until September 26, 2019. The office has not yet made a specific decision so tension may fuel speculation.
“It is not uncommon for special event permits to be approved a few days before an event begins,” Henry told Austonia. “As always, the Austin Center for Events, which includes Austin Public Health, is working closely with event organizers to help them address the evolving health and safety requirements of COVID-19 during the events.”
After a tough year and a half in the hospitality industry, ACL companies are counting on being able to serve the crowd this year.
The Juiceland booth has been a staple of ACL for the past nine consecutive years – this year they are upgraded to two separate booths bringing back the blue raspberry lemonade. (Juiceland)
With not one but two Juiceland booths coming to the ACL this year, Matt Shook, CEO and 20-year-old ACL contestant, said he and his team have been playing it safe for the festival after more than a year.
“There are a lot more Juicelander hoping for the festival this year than ever before,” Shook told Austonia. “We see a lot of old friends and old fans of the brand who come to Austin maybe once a year just for ACL, so it’s kind of homecoming. It’s a really good time and everyone is looking forward to it.”
Juiceland will have twice as many staff at the festival this year. (Juiceland)
APH officials said Friday morning they are working with organizers for the time being to make sure the festival can continue safely. However, APH interim director of health Adrienne Stirrup said circumstances could change in the blink of an eye.
“You can go to bed on a Friday night thinking we are on this slick road to Phase 4 and wake up on a Monday to find out something happened over the weekend and those predictions say we will need a little a little longer, “said Stirrup.
No matter what, Shook said he and his Juiceland family will try to see the silver lining as they look forward to ACL 2022.
“If Zilker Park is open to people for a month longer than usual, which it would be, that’s a pretty good thing,” said Shook. “You have to be safer than you’re sorry. So if those in power decide that the festival is canceled, we’ll just roll with the blows and make lemonade out of lemons.”
They know what they say, good things come to those who wait.
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