Fall Festival Season is upon us, which means thousands of people descend upon downtown Austin each week for events that inspire, educate, and celebrate our shared culture. The last weekend of October is particularly jam-packed this year, with the Texas Book Festival, Austin Film Festival, and Mexic-Arte's Viva la Vida Parade all taking place on the same day! It promises to be an unforgettable celebration for the whole family, unless you try to find parking....

PARK & RIDE INSTEAD! No matter where you're headed, Capital Metro and the Austin Public Libray invite you to park for free at seven (7) different branch library locations and ride for free with a Transit Day Pass -- so you can spend more time at the festivals and less time circling downtown for parking.

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CHECK-IN | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Go to the front desk at any of the participating branch libraries (below) to get a free Capital Metro Day Pass and a Travel Guide, so you can get to and from downtown with ease.

• Recycled Reads | *open at 12 PM* | 5335 Burnet Road | Routes 3, 803
• Pleasant Hill | 211 East William Cannon Drive | Routes 1, 801
• Little Walnut Creek | 835 West Rundberg Lane | Routes 1, 801
• Ruiz | 1600 Grove Boulevard | Route 20
• Carver | 1161 Angelina Street | Route 2
• Cepeda | 651 N Pleasant Valley Rd | Route 4
• Southeast | 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd | Route 7

CATCH CAP METRO | All locations are served by high-frequency transit lines -- arriving every 15 minutes or faster -- that will drop you within blocks of the festivities. New to transit? No worries! Capital Metro will provide you with a Travel Guide to help you get to and from the events. Use the CapMetro App to help plan your trip when you head back.

ARRIVE DOWNTOWN | Get off the bus by Republic Square Park or the Austin History Center and walk to the Dia de los Muertos Parade, the Texas Book Festival, the Austin Film Festival -- or anywhere Capital Metro goes!

RETURN TRIP | Head towards Republic Square to catch a ride back. When's the bus coming? We'll give you a Travel Guide to make sure you can find your bus stop and know the schedule for the whole afternoon!

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WHERE TO MEET
Check in at any of these Austin Public Library branch locations and a librarian will get you ready to roll with a free Capital Metro Day Pass and a Travel Guide tailored to your trip.

• Recycled Reads | 5335 Burnet Road
• Pleasant Hill Branch | 211 East William Cannon Drive
• Little Walnut Creek Branch | 835 West Rundberg Lane
• Ruiz Branch | 1600 Grove Boulevard
• Cepeda | 651 N Pleasant Valley Rd
• Carver Branch | 1161 Angelina Street
• Southeast Branch | 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd

TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL is one of he largest and most prestigious literary festivals in the country, the annual Texas Book Festival features 250+ nationally and critically recognized authors, 20+ venues including the State Capitol, 100+ exhibitors, local food trucks, family activities, and countless opportunities to meet authors and fellow book lovers. Founded in 1995 by First Lady Laura Bush, the Festival has hosted thousands of notable and award-winning authors over the years, including Margaret Atwood, Robert Caro, Sandra Cisneros, Salman Rushdie, Cheryl Strayed, Walter Mosley, Molly Shannon, Frank McCourt, Ziggy Marley, Liz Carpenter, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and many, many others.

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL was founded by Barbara Morgan and Marsha Milam in 1993 to celebrate the art of storytelling through film. Known as the “Writers Festival,” AFF recognizes the writer as the core of the creative process in filmmaking. Diligently seeking strong examples of written and visual storytelling, AFF screens the highest caliber narrative, documentary and animated films. With over 150 regional, national and world premieres each year, AFF features everything from highly anticipated Hollywood fare to breakthrough independent filmmaking.

MEXIC-ARTE'S "VIVA LA VIDA" is Austin’s largest and longest-running Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. The festival features a Grand Procession, the Education Pavilion with hands-on art activities and artist demos, and a celebration with traditional foods, local artist and retail booths, a low-rider exhibition, live music and performances throughout the day.

PLAN YOUR TRIP
On the web: http://www.capmetro.org/planner
On your phone: http://www.capmetro.org/app

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