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Austin Cave Festival
February 23, 2019 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Austin Cave Festival
Saturday, February 23, 2019 from 10am-3pm
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
FREE admission! Event will be held rain or shine!
In addition to caving, there will be lots of indoor and outdoor activities. Visit the website for more information!
Cave Adventure Tours (10:15am–2:30pm)
Please come prepared if you plan to participate in a cave tour. Wear proper closed-toed shoes and clothing you don’t mind crawling in and getting muddy. We also suggest you bring a water bottle and clean change of clothes for afterwards. Caving gear will be provided.
Follow green arrows and signs to the caves. Cave tours require registration. No pre-registration this year, cave tours are first come, first served. All registration and completion of the required waivers takes place on the Play Lawn at the tents.
All registered cave tour participants must check-in at the cave tour check-in tent, located on the Play Lawn (Family Garden), 15 minutes prior to their tour time. All participants must complete a waiver, also located on the Play Lawn.
Experts from City of Austin Watershed Protection and Wildlands are leading the tours of La Crosse Cave and Wildflower Cave. Children must be accompanied by an adult and there are age restrictions for the caves. Tours are about 30 minutes each.
La Crosse Cave (for ages 4+) has a staircase that provides access to the cave. Most of the cave can be walked through. Some stooping is required, but crawling is minimal. There are parts of the cave that may also be explored by crawling.
Wildflower Cave (for ages 4+) requires participants to crawl on hands and knees. This cave has a low ceiling; participants will mainly be sitting or crawling.
Sinkhole Hikes (10:30am, 11:30am, 1pm, and 2pm)
Approximately 1-mile guided hikes focused on hydrogeology and land management for recharge. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled hike time and bring your sturdy shoes and raincoat. Registration and meeting spot will be in the Courtyard. Tours are about 45 minutes each.
A Salamander’s Tail Puppet Show (11am, 12pm, 1pm)
Hey Lolly Puppet Theater is presenting a musical puppet show in the Library about the unique salamanders that call our aquifers home. Shows are about 30 minutes each.
3D Aquifer Expedition (11am, 1pm, 2pm)
A 3D photo real expedition to the Edwards Aquifer, using VR goggles to see Seco Sinkhole. 3D expeditions are about 30 minutes each and will be located in the Classrooms downstairs.
Event Stickers
Guests can receive augmented reality stickers from a variety of activities during the event. These dishwasher-friendly stickers, when used with the Explore AR Science app, have a salamander or bat that comes out of them. So, stick your favorite critter on your water bottle or lunch box for endless AR fun! Visit the website for links to download the app or follow these instructions:
iPhone App Store link or search for “Explore AR Science”
Android Google Play Store link or search for “SAExploreAR”
Install and launch application, aim camera at the Austin Cave Festival stickers!
Hands-On Activities (10am-3pm)
A variety of indoor and outdoor activities will be highlighting water, geology, and other cave-oriented organizations. Come-and-go style activities located in the Great Hall, Little House, and Family Garden throughout the festival.
Cave Fest Talks (After the Festival)
Join us for cave talks after the festival at the Alamo Drafthouse located on Slaughter Lane. Nerd Nite Austin and the Austin Cave Festival are teaming up for some talks about the city’s underground world – from springs, to stygobionts, to salamanders, to sweet but smelly cavers.
This extension event is currently at capacity, so if you can’t attend please help others out by removing your name from the list. We anticipate letting people in from the waitlist at the door to fill any unclaimed seats. Visit https://goo.gl/1YpzMs to get on that waitlist! Directions: https://her.is/2V2YvSN
Doors for the theater open at 3:00pm, show begins at 3:30pm.
Food and drink available for purchase from Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter