Summer weekends in Austin never cease to provide unlimited options for the musically inclined. Unfortunately, the heat almost never drops below 100 degrees, which limits the venue options for those of us who prefer not to be drenched in sweat every time we want to listen to a little live music. Lucky for us Austinites, our neighbor down the road, San Marcos, provided an awesome way to beat the Texas heat during their 2nd Annual “Float Fest.”
This was Festivalsforlife’s first time at the festival and definitely not the last. As the name implies, the event combines floating the San Marcos, TX River and hopping out right at the concert venue to walk into the live music cooled off and ready to dance. It’s basically a pregame on the water… fun right? Right. I have to admit I was a little confused as to how the logistics of all of this would work out, but the Float Fest team had it down to a science. We drove out to the concert venue, dropped off the car, hopped on a bus and were dropped off at the river entry spot about 15 minutes later. The bus pulled up next to a massive pile of inner tubes with the float fest logo, built in cup holders, and a small netted bag tied on for the empty brews. They even provided additional floats that had been jimmied to carry your cooler and other belongings. Definitely a more prepared float trip than I’ve ever managed to pull together with my crew.
Once everyone grabbed tubes and got on the water, the vibe was fantastic. People in Texas always tend to be pretty friendly, but these people were just elated to be out on the river, headed to a festival, and surrounded by friends. If your tube ran into another group, chances are you were about to make new friends, take some go pro shots together and probably some fireball shots as well… About two hours into the float we came across a small island on the side of the river that was covered in people having a pit stop party on land. Something about the sunshine and the moonshine just had everybody feelin it. The total float took about 2.5 hours and we got out of the river right at the venue ready for the festival aspect to begin.
The Music at “Float Fest” packed in a diverse lineup that primarily included multiple subsets of indie music and rap. The music paired perfectly with the fun loving summer atmosphere that hovered over the grounds of Float Fest. I honestly was never disappointed with any of the shows I went to, but I would like to give a couple of shutouts.
Texas Rap: The second day of the festival consisted of three Texas rappers almost all playing back to back to back. Paul Wall, Bun B and Devin The Dude were all crowd favorites who really know how to get the crowd going. Devin The Dude’s chilled out style was the perfect Float Fest.
Ghostland Observatory: It is always a treat to see this Austin group, and they have only played a couple of shows in the past few years. The incredible lazer show definitely kept me going as this unique duo closed out the festival on Saturday night. I never know when I am going to see Aaron and Thomas play again next, so it always great to seize the opportunity.
Phantogram: The electronic indie pop band closed out the festival on Sunday night with a bang. If you looked at anyone in the crowd it would be hard to tell that people had spent the past three days partying. Phantogram’s energy radiated off the crowd which danced their way through the entire show. Certainly a perfect ending to a great weekend.
Robert Delong: The face painted up and coming one man electronic percussionist/keyboardist/singer certainly knows how to entertain. The multi talented artist constantly switches instruments while maintaining a constant flow of energy and engagement with the crowd. It was a treat to see him perform “Long way Down” at the end of his stellar set.
The two stages at the festival were close enough that it was easy to move back and forth between them as musicians performed, and we made sure to stop at several food trucks along the way… If you went to Float Fest and you didn’t eat the Mac and Cheese at Crossbones BBQ Smokehouse you seriously missed out. I’d probably go back next year just for that. We also enjoyed the tasty and unique sweet potato quesadilla from 57 Scotsman. I’ve never had Sweet Potato in a quesadilla, but the mix of Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Cheese smothered with southwestern red chili sauce was fantastic. I ended my eating adventure with some fried Oreos from Custom Confections. It is Texas, so I had to have fried something!
The VIP area provides attendees with free food, a free open bar, and an air-conditioned tent with couches that many people decided to use as beds… Overall- VIP definitely had its perks and may be worth the splurge if you like to have the option to take a break. Although we didn’t camp out in San Marcos, many people did. There was a camping area set up just behind the stages lined with tents and trailers.
Some People Just Need A Break!
For those of you wondering how trashed the river was the next day… it wasn’t! There was a clean up crew out on the water for the floaters to hand their trash to as they passed by. They even made it a fun game of shooting hoops but with beer cans and trash bags… you know how it goes. Thank you to the clean up crew!
In case you couldn’t tell, our Float Fest experience was awesome. We definitely plan to go again next year and hope to see this event grow.
