Zilker Park's western lawn reopens Saturday
The area will be accessible until November 16, after which volleyball courts will close while the park prepares for holiday events.
By Leila Reynolds ·
The western section of the Great Lawn at Zilker Park will open to the public on Saturday, October 31.
This area, which is separated from the eastern lawn by a central island of boulders, closed for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Local residents watched with concern during the festival's first weekend when rain damaged the turf beneath attendees' feet. Photos of muddy conditions circulated online, prompting fears that repairs would take longer than expected. Some also questioned the financial impact on the city. However, existing contracts between Austin Parks and Recreation and festival organizer C3 specify that the parks director determines necessary repairs and that C3 covers the costs.
Recovery efforts have already been underway. Teams from APR Turf and Zilker Maintenance, alongside C3 contractors, have performed debris removal, lawn aeration, and rye seed distribution. These crews also provided special attention to the volleyball courts and the areas located south of Barton Springs Road.
Access to the park will vary through the end of the year. The western lawn will remain open throughout the holiday season. The volleyball courts in that section will only be available from October 31 to November 16. Stratford Drive, which separates the lawn from the Zilker Botanical Garden, and its associated parking lot will stay open. In contrast, Lou Neff Road, which loops around the majority of the lawn, will be closed through the holiday season to make room for the annual Trail of Lights display.
Even without rain damage, Austin Parks and Recreation performs annual maintenance to clean up the space after the festival. This routine work extends the period when the Great Lawn is inaccessible. Public access is currently a compromise while the trail is installed. Crews are now setting up the holiday trail on the east side of the lawn. Events related to the trail are scheduled to span December 4 to 23.
Further recovery work on the lawn is planned to occur after the trail's closure period ends. Residents can monitor project status and closures across the park system by visiting austintexas.gov.
