Notwithstanding Austin’s regular LGBTQ events and options during the year, SXSW is one of the best times to visit, as during the festival, the city not only bustles with interesting people looking to meet new faces, but serves up Southern hospitality in its everyday haunts.
In a city known for its love of live bands and BBQ, Austin-philes also hail this musical mecca for its wonderful weirdness, which certainly speaks to its queerness. If you’ve never been to the famous festival (happening March 10-19 this year), South By (as locals and regulars call it) overlaps a week of Interactive (read: Internet and app-based panels, events and parties) with its film and comedy offerings (screenings, shows, even more parties) and its line-up of respected musicians and buzzed-about new acts, with every record label, lifestyle company, podcast and YouTube channel clamoring to cover who’s next. Every year, musicians, filmmakers, creatives, techies and the people that love them flock to Austin, Texas for SXSW.
