via the City of Georgetown
Celebrate the City’s signature event on the most beautiful town square in Texas at the 21st annual Red Poppy Festival. The festival kicks off on Friday night and runs through Sunday with three days of music, entertainment, family fun, and more than 100 artisan vendors.
The City is offering a variety of options for visitors to get to this year’s Red Poppy Festival. Several free public parking lots are available throughout downtown, as well as shuttle options Saturday.
“We are so excited to bring Red Poppy back to April after two years,” Tourism Manager Cari Miller said. “We have a great lineup, lots to do, and we can’t wait to see everyone again. I do want to remind people to plan to arrive early, be patient, and be prepared to be amongst hundreds of people, especially Saturday night.”
Volunteers Needed
Each year, thousands of people attend the Red Poppy Festival. And each year, attendees generate more than 10,000 pounds of waste. Georgetown wants to recover as much recyclable materials as possible to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and to keep the Square beautiful. To do this, the City is asking for volunteers who want to make a difference in our community.
Volunteers will walk through the event to pick up litter, assist vendors with breaking down and stacking cardboard, and provide recycling information to attendees. No experience is needed, and the first 100 volunteers to sign up will receive a free Red Poppy Festival T-shirt. Sign up for a two-hour shift here.
Enter the Poppy Parade
As of April 5, Saturday’s Red Poppy Parade had 11 openings for a place to be in the parade. There is no fee to participate in the parade. Entry options range from walkers and dancers to car riders and trailers, and the goal is simple: Celebrating all things Red Poppy!
Apply here while spots last. Contact Assistant City Secretary Karen Frost with questions: 512-930-3651.
Event Schedule
Jack Ingram is the headliner Saturday night and takes the stage at 9:30 p.m. Chris Knight and Peterson Brothers will open for Ingram at 7:45 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively. Longtime festival favorite Dysfunkshun Junkshun is back for the Friday night concert at 7 p.m. There is no admission charge for the concerts or other festival activities. Feel free to bring your own chair and cooler if you are coming for the day.
Other festival highlights include the Red Poppy Parade at 10 a.m. Saturday. The parade route has changed this year and will go down Ninth Street, rather than 10th Street, to increase the availability of handicap parking. The Car Show starts at 11 a.m. Saturday. On Sunday, come see the pet parade at 11 a.m.
The Red Poppy Kids Zone is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The Kids Zone is free and includes an obstacle course, a huge slide, a basketball game, and a toddler playground.
Event Parking
The Williamson County parking garage at Rock and Fourth streets and the public parking lot on Austin Avenue between Fifth and Fourth streets (next to The Monument Cafe) will be open during the festival. Public parking lots on Martin Luther King Jr. Street at West Eighth and West Sixth streets are also available. There is no charge for parking.
Attendees are asked to be courteous when parking on neighborhood streets and avoid blocking driveways or parking in No Parking Zones. No Parking Zone restrictions will be enforced. Parking in a No Parking Zone can result in a citation as well as your vehicle being towed.
Handicap parking is available at the parking lot at 10th and Main streets.
The City parking lot at Sixth and Main streets will be closed starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 21.
Free Shuttles on Saturday
Free shuttles will run 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23.
Shuttles will run from East View High School, 4490 E. University Ave., and from First Baptist Church, 1333 W. University Ave. Both shuttles will drop off at the corner of Austin Avenue and Ninth Street, a block from the Red Poppy Stage.
There will be no GoGeo fixed-route bus services. People with a qualifying disability may receive paratransit services until 7 p.m. Friday. Eligible riders pay $2 per trip and must make a reservation 24 hours in advance. More information at gogeo.georgetown.org.
Street Closures
Austin Avenue closes Friday morning: Starting at 6 a.m. Friday, April 22, Austin Avenue will be closed from Sixth to Ninth streets. Traffic will be detoured to Rock Street. This is to allow the placement of the main festival stage. Austin Avenue will be closed through 11 p.m. Sunday, April 24.
Other streets around the Courthouse Square will close at 6 a.m. Friday, April 22, to allow for vendor set-up. Streets around the Square will remain closed through 10 p.m. Sunday, April 24.
Where are the poppies? Click here for a map showing the locations of red poppies in Georgetown. You can also stop by the Visitors Center at 103 W. Seventh St.
For a complete schedule and more details, including information on parking and road closures, visit RedPoppyFestival.com.
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