Austin, TX
Celebrate the Fourth of July in Austin at free spectacular with music, food and fireworks
The stars won’t be the only part of the night sky that’s big and bright deep in the heart of Texas on the Fourth of July.
If you’re in Austin, Texas, for the holiday, there’s one party in particular worth checking out: Star Spangled Fest. The annual Fourth of July celebration takes place on Thursday, July 4, at Auditorium Shores, located at 900 W. Riverside Drive, and Vic Mathias Shores, 800 W. Riverside Drive, in Austin.
The patriotic bash is presented by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, which will perform before the Fourth of July fireworks blast off over Lady Bird Lake. While the event is entirely free and open to the public, you can drop some cash to elevate your experience at Star Spangled Fest. But we’ll get into that in a moment.
Whether you’ve never been to the Austin Symphony Orchestra’s Fourth of July bash or it’s been a minute since you last attended, allow us to fill you in on all the good fun the free event offers.
From road closures to event activities, here is everything you need to know about Star Spangled Fest, including VIP options.
When does Star Spangled Fest in Austin start?
The Fourth of July fun for Star Spangled Fest starts at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 4, when both GA (free) and VIP (ticketed) areas will open.
There will be a DJ performance at 5 p.m., followed by performances from Tameca Jones at the VIP stage on the Long Center lawn at 5:45 p.m., Bidi Bidi Banda on the main stage by Lady Bird Lake at 6:30 p.m. and Sundance Head on the main stage at 7:15 p.m. The Fourth of July ceremony will start at 8 p.m. followed by the Austin Symphony Orchestra’s free concert at 8:45 p.m.
The Fourth of July fireworks show over Lady Bird Lake will start around 9:30 p.m. Event organizers recommend attendees get familiar with the festival map before arriving. You can find the map here.
What is there to do at Austin Symphony Orchestra’s Fourth of July fest?
There will be many things to do at Star Spangled Fest before the Austin Symphony Orchestra takes the stage at 8:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 4.
After claiming the perfect spot at Auditorium Shores or near Vic Mathias Shores, you can browse market vendor booths, enjoy some family-friendly activities like yard games, grab some grub from one of several local food trucks that will be on-site and enjoy the views of downtown Austin as various performers take the stage.
Guests also can take pictures with Santa, who will be donning summer attire. Event organizers told LoneStarLive.com that lines for photos will be shortest before 8 p.m. If this is something you want to do, be sure to get there early!
Food trucks that will be at Star Spangled Fest include Garbo’s, Dirty Dough, The Corndog Co., Southside Flying Pizza, Shawarma Point, Amy’s Ice Cream, Casey’s New Orleans Snowballs, Espadas de Brazil and Sweeter Than Sour.
There also will be multiple bars on-site for attendees ages 21 and older. If you’re looking to get a boozy drink from one of the bars at Star Spangled Fest, remember that you must consume the entirety of your alcoholic beverage in the bar areas or designated VIP areas before returning to the general event grounds.
What can I bring to the free concert and fireworks show in Austin?
Attendees can bring chairs, blankets, snacks and nonalcoholic drinks in coolers. Guests are not supposed to bring outside alcohol to the event, either. If you feel like being a risk-taker and breaking the rules, that’s entirely up to you.
Glass, grills and personal fireworks — including sparklers — are not allowed at the event. According to the official website, coolers and outside food and beverages are not permitted in VIP areas (including shoreline access) at Star Spangled Fest.
What are the different VIP options, plus the cost?
If you’d like to elevate your Fourth of July experience at the event, you have a few options. Though the event is free and open to the public, there are three types of upgrades attendees can purchase:
- Shoreline access
- VIP lawn access
- VIP reserved tables
Here is what’s included with shoreline access tickets
Shoreline access allows ticket holders to get closer to the stage where the symphony will be playing its free concert and thus closer to Vic Mathias Shores, where the fireworks show will be. These tickets also include access to air-conditioned bathrooms, private access to a cashless bar and prime proximity to food trucks.
Shoreline access tickets start at $35, plus fees. Ticket holders can bring chairs and blankets.
Here is what’s included with VIP lawn access tickets
VIP lawn access grants ticket holders the ability to set up in the VIP lawn area near the Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive, but that’s not all. Those with VIP lawn access tickets also will be able to enter the lobby of the Long Center, premium viewing of the VIP stage that’s located on the Long Center’s hillside lawn, access to air-conditioned bathrooms, lawn games and access to a private bar.
VIP lawn access tickets start at $75, plus fees. Children 10 and younger get in free.
Here is what’s included with VIP reserved tables
VIP reserved tables offer attendees a top-tier Fourth of July experience. These tickets include 10 seats at a designated VIP table, family style dinner at each table, a private bar that’s cashless, access to the Long Center’s lobby and air-conditioned bathrooms, access to the Shoreline viewing area at Vic Mathias Shores, where the fireworks show will take place, access to the VIP after party and a VIP parking pass.
You can get tickets for an entire VIP reserved table for $2,500, plus fees. Or you can reserve half of a VIP table (five seats) for $1,250, plus fees. Payments for VIP reserved tables will serve as donations to the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
You can purchase VIP tickets, including shoreline access tickets, here.
Where can I park for the Fourth of July fireworks in downtown Austin?
Road closures for Star Spangled Fest might impact how you access the event. West Riverside Drive between Lee Barton Drive and South First Street will be closed from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4.
South First Street will be closed from Cesar Chavez Street to Barton Springs Road from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4. South Congress Avenue will be closed from Cesar Chavez Street to Barton Springs Road from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., too.
The stress-free way to go, according to event organizers, is taking a rideshare or a cab to the event. Rideshare pickup and drop off will be located at the intersection of Lee Barton Road and West Riverside Drive.
Given the numerous closures, your best bet for parking will be in one of the several parking garages in downtown Austin, along Barton Springs Road and at the Long Center. Street parking will be available, too, but make sure to check signs as some street parking will be blocked off.
As a reminder, you cannot park on most streets in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood. There will be no parking signs and signs indicating residential permit parking only. If you find a spot in a nearby neighborhood, ensure you’re good to go by looking for no parking signs before leaving your car and heading to the event.
You can find road closure maps and specific parking garage information here.
AUSTIN, Texas – State and federal agriculture officials said highly pathogenic avian flu has been found in a herd of dairy cows in Texas.
What we know:
Officials said the H5N1 virus was confirmed with laboratory tests in late May after cows at an unspecified farm became sick and milk production dropped. The dairy has since been quarantined and an investigation is underway.
This is the first case of avian flu in a Texas dairy herd this year, officials said.
What they’re saying:
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is confident that pasteurization is effective at inactivating H5N1, and that the commercial, pasteurized milk supply is safe,” officials at the Texas Animal Health Commission said in a statement.
A dairy cow is seen at a farm on June 1, 2026. (Tim Evans/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Dig deeper:
H5N1 has a high rate of severe disease and death in animals that become infected.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk to the general public from avian flu is low. Some sporadic human infections have been reported around the world since 1997. There have been no known cases of person-to-person spreading of avian flu.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Texas Animal Health Commission, the USDA, the FDA and the CDC.
AUSTIN, Texas — Self-driving cars have become a common sight on Austin streets, but a new Texas law is adding tougher requirements for the companies behind the wheelless vehicles.
Senate Bill 2807 imposes stricter rules on autonomous vehicle companies operating in the state, including state authorization, emergency response plans for law enforcement, and a public portal where residents can verify operators and file safety complaints.
The changes come as Austin continues to track incidents involving autonomous vehicles. The city’s autonomous vehicle dashboard shows 75 incidents in 2026, including a collision, eight near misses, and seven incidents of ignoring police direction.
Attorney Drew Gibbs, a partner at Slingshot Law, said one crash involved a Waymo vehicle.
“There was a T-bone collision. A pretty serious T-bone collision where a Waymo just crashed into the side of my client’s vehicle,” Gibbs said.
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One of the incidents of ignoring police direction happened during the mass shooting on West Sixth Street back in March, when three people died, and 15 others were injured.
Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock said autonomous vehicles can struggle in unusual situations.
“It didn’t impede on anything in the moment, but it’s not necessarily uncommon where these vehicles don’t quite know how to deal with these one-off scenarios,” Bullock said.
The new law requires autonomous vehicle companies to be authorized by the state, to provide an emergency response plan for law enforcement, and to participate in a public-facing portal that allows the public to verify operators and submit safety complaints.
Kara Kockelman, a professor of transportation and engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, welcomed the added oversight.
“I’m glad that the state is taking this a bit more seriously now,” she said. “It’s important not to just let others slip in without kind of meeting those basic minimums.”
Bullock said the emergency planning requirement may not make a major difference in fast-moving situations. Asked how impactful it is to have a fully laid out emergency response plan, Bullock said, “These plans are great, but it takes time to work through all of those versus the immediacy of having someone behind the wheel.”
The four autonomous vehicle companies operating in Austin — Waymo, Zoox, AV-Ride, and Tesla — are all state-authorized.
The Texas DMV said an autonomous vehicle company can lose its authorization to operate in Texas if the agency deems the vehicles are operating in a way that endangers public safety.
Waymo was contacted for comment, but had not responded.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said Tuesday she will leave the post next month.
What we know:
In a statement, Nelson said her resignation will be effective July 17 but did not provide a reason for the departure.
“It has been an honor to serve the people of Texas in this role,” Nelson said. “My time as Secretary came at an important moment for Texas, and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish as an agency in under four years.”
Nelson has served in the role since 2023.
Among other things, the Secretary of State oversees elections and business filings in the state and serves as the chief diplomat of Texas.
View of Texas State Senator Jane Nelson, during the 80th Texas Legislature, on the floor of the Senate at the Texas State Capitol, Austin, Texas, January 22, 2007. (John Anderson/The Austin Chronicle / Getty Images)
What they’re saying:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott described Nelson as extraordinary.
“I am deeply grateful for her long and loyal service and outstanding leadership. She has represented our state with grace and honor across the globe, and Texas is better because of it,” Abbott said. “Cecilia and I wish her all the best in the next chapter of her distinguished career.”
Dig deeper:
According to the Secretary of State’s office, Nelson has presided over seven statewide elections during her tenure with a cumulative 27 million ballots cast and broke a record with more than 3 million active business filers.
Nelson also served three decades in the Texas Senate, where she remains the longest-serving Republican in state history.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
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