Zilker Park Austin Parking Information

Located in the heart of south Austin, Zilker Park is a public recreational area, serving as a hub of various recreational activities and events each year. The park boasts over 350 acres, which makes it a functional venue for large scale events like Zilker Park Kite Festival and Zilker Park Tree Lighting and Trail of Lights.

Could you hardly sit still and itching to have a go for these activities? Well, go ahead! However, if you intend to go in your own car, there may be a little inconvenience, as there is no parking at the festival site. For some large scale events, the park provides parking facilities, but the options are a bit different.

Zilker Park Kite Festival - Spanning over 80 years, the Zilker Park Kite Festival is one of the oldest annual events in Austin. As a free event, the festival is held for one day each March in the park. This is a day for anyone to fly kites.

Zilker Park Kite Festival Intro

http://www.zilkerkitefestival.com/

During the festival, Barton Springs Road will be closed from 9am to 6pm. If you drive to the park, you can get free parking at the State parking lots, located at 1604 Colorado Street. Then take shuttle to the park. Shuttles begin at 10am and run continuously until 3pm. The last shuttle goes out from the park at 5:30pm. So don't miss the last shuttle, if you park your car at the State parking lot.

Parking is also available in Zilker Park on the Polo fields and is limited. You can get to the location from the Mopac service road. It is free, but there are only a few spaces. So maybe early bird can catch a parking space. If the Kite Festival is delayed because of weather, there may be a fee of parking at the Polo Fields. But this would only occur on the condition of postponement.

Special Needs Parking is available and free in the park. Ensure to have the special needs hanging designation with you. The Special Needs Parking lot is located on the south of Barton Springs Road just across from the festive site. Show your special needs parking designation and ask the police to let you in.

The Palmer Events Center may provide free parking facilities for the Kite Festival, relying on their events schedule. The center is located just down Barton Springs Road east of Lamar.

Zilker Park Tree Lighting and Trail of Lights - The festival is an annual event that happens in the holiday season and begins with the lighting of the Zilker Tree. The tree is 155 feet in height with 3500 multi-colored lights. Take a short walk from the lighting tree, you will find the trail of lights.

Austin's Zilker Tree and Trail of Lights Intro

http://www.texastripper.com/festivals/austin-zilker-tree-trail.html

On that day, the Barton Springs entrance to the park will be closed during the evenings. All traffic must enter via the northbound frontage road of MoPac. To our delight, free on-site parking is available in Zilker Park Polo Fields and hard surface lots.

There are also parking facilities for people with an appropriate handicapped parking permit or license plates. Be sure your hanging permit is clearly and readily shown at the moment you enter the park.

Various Transportations: Parking is not encouraged in surrounding neighborhoods, especially during the festival. For safety concerns, a few nearby streets will be closed and parking will be restricted during the festival. However, you don't have to be distressed about how to get to the park, as there are many different ways to reach there.

To help make Austin "green" year round, folks are encouraged to ride Capital Metro to Zilker Park. You can find their trip planner at:

http://www.capmetro.org/planner/

Taking the free shuttle is another ideal option. The shuttle will pick you up at Republic Square at 4th and Guadalupe in downtown Austin. This round trip shuttle service is completely free. Shuttles begin at 2:30pm and run continuously until 11pm.

Taxis are also readily available. With convenient access to the entrance and exit, there is a designated area for loading and uploading.