2 Welcome to weird Getting to Know

Our 4th FlyingLab to SXSW, the FlyingLab team is thrilled to be heading back to Austin. Whether this is your first time, or you have also grown attached to the city over multiple visits, we would like to share with you some fun and interesting ways to explore Austin’s truly Texan roots. From mutton bustin’ to honky-tonk, from Texas wine country to Tejano music, you can dance, zip line, or ride (horse or race car—take your pick) your way into the heart of wonderful, weird Austin.

Hats Off to Austin! Turning heads again in 2019, Austin was voted the No. 1 place to live in Ame- rica for the third year in a row by U.S. News & FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab World Report. While excellent job prospects and affordability translate into a high standard of living for its residents, this state capital has a rich history stretching back to its founding in 1839, long before high-tech firms and the SXSW festival would transform the city into a global hub for twenty-first century creatives. 3 Once upon a time in Austin The Past in the Present

Anglo-American settlers put down roots in the area that would become Austin in the 1830s. At that time, it belonged to the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas. In 1835, how-ever, Texas declared itself independent from Mexico, lead- ing to the Texas Revolution that ended in 1836 with the formation of the independent Republic of Texas, which was in turn ratified in 1845 as the 28th state of the Union.

Over the period of European settlement that began in the 1600s, Texas would be claimed by France, Spain, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, and the U.S.A. These cultures can still be felt in FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab Austin, along with African- American and Native American history, as well as the influence of German settlers who immigrated to Texas in the 1800s. 4 Ride him, cowboy Hold on to Your Hat!

To witness the visceral connection between man and animal, just sit yourself down for a few hours of bronco and bull riding, steer wrestling, and calf roping at Rodeo ­Austin (March 14–28, 2020). Be prepared, however, to lose any romantic notions of the cowboy’s life you may still harbor. Grit and guts and then some are required to master the steeds of the wild west.

After the ProRodeo, calm your adrenaline rush at one of the many live music performances— from country music to punk rock, you’ll like what you hear. See established artists perform on the rodeo main stage or two-step the night FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab away at the 100X Dance Hall. Even more live acts perform throughout the week at the out- door stage on the fairgrounds, where this family-friendly carnival offers thrilling rides, tasty food, and shopping galore.

Hold on to Your Hat! 5

And, if you’re curious about the many breeds of farm animals that populate North America, stop by the stock show. Learn about the horses and cattle, goats and poultry, that farmers depend on. And see for yourself an honest-to- goodness Texas Longhorn! rodeoaustin.com FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab 6 A little night music Every Rhythm Tells a Story

SXSW is brimming with the hippest grooves from across the globe. While in Austin, why not indulge in the local vibe as well, live at a historic venue in the city. Tejanos—Texans descended from Spanish-speaking residents of Coahuila y Tejas—created their own musical style influen- ced by the diverse cultures that settled in Texas. With a combination of Hispanic and European roots, música tejana (Tex-Mex), developed in the early twentieth century.

At that time, traveling musicians visiting Tejano

FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab ranches and farms and performing Mexican folk music encountered European settlers, many of whom had fled to Texas during the Mexican Revolution (1910–1917). The musicians adopted the new sounds, like the waltz or polkas, that these immigrants from Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic had brought with them.

Every Rhythm Tells a Story 7

This cultural exchange eventually combined the European oom-pah sound with the Mexican bajo-sexto and the German button accordion to create a new musical genre.

To attend a live performances of Tejano music while you’re in town, check out three of the top venues in Austin: Texas Club of Austin, OK Corral, and El Nocturno Dance Club. texasclubofaustin.com facebook.com/OKCorralVIP m.facebook.com/ElNocturnoAustinTx

Or maybe you’ve always wanted to dance the Texas two-step. Inspired by traditional European dances like the German polka, the Waltz, and the Polish Varsovienne, the Texas two-step was FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab ultimately derived from the foxtrot. It reversed the latter’s “slow, slow, quick-quick” and repla- ced the hop with a cool, country glide.

Well, there are plenty of honky-tonks in Austin to fulfill this wish, and we picked out two that fit the bill perfectly: Every Rhythm Tells a Story 8

the legendary dance hall The Broken Spoke, founded in 1964, features live music nightly, and The Little Longhorn Saloon bills itself as the “honkiest, tonkiest” beer joint in town, with a full roster of live, local country music performers. brokenspokeaustintx.net thelittlelonghornsaloon.com FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab 9 The country life Head for the Hills!

Within an hour’s drive of Austin, the 9 million square acres (ca. 14,000 square miles or 36,000 square kilometers) of rolling landscape known as —stretching to the west of Austin and south to San Antonio with Fredericksburg at its heart—embodies the uniquely Texan convergence of Hispanic and German culture in its food, beer, wine, archi- tecture and music.

It is also the home of Texas wine country with over 50 wineries. Fifteen varietals comprise the wines produced in this region, with the most common being Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab Touriga Nacional, Tannat, and Sangiovese. Spa- nish missionaries established the first vineyard in North America in Texas in 1662, near the border with Mexico and New Mexico.

With a limestone soil base and relatively stable precipitation, Texas Hill Country provides solid

Head for the Hills! 10

ground for producing excellent wines, with diurnal temperature variation and frost posing the primary challenges to vintners. To explore Texas Hill Country from Austin, check out the popular “Salt Lick & Winery Shuttle” provided by Austin Detours, or book Texas Tipsy Tour’s “Best of Texas Wine Country” for you and your friends. Or, rent your own private limousine tour with Discover Texas Wine. austindetours.com texastipsytours.com discovertexaswine.com FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab 11 Back to the roots Grüß Gott, Austin!

Are you compelled to dig a little deeper into the Texan-German roots of Hill Country? Then the Gruene (pronounced “green”) Historical District of New Braunfels, Texas—just an hour outside Austin—is your destination, named after Ernst Gruene, a German immigrant who settled there in the 1840s.

After more than a century of upheaval and eco- nomic hardship, this jewel of American frontier architecture had become a Ghost Town by the 1950s. Its surviving buildings were saved from demolition at the last minute by the intervention of a young architecture student who discovered FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab the remains of the town while kayaking on the Guadalupe River.

He convinced developers to restore the buildings and revive the town, which is now a thriving tourist destination founded on its original, his- torical structures like the main attraction, Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas. Grüß Gott, Austin! 12

Its storied stage has hosted live music since 1878, and is now a leading venue for established artists and rising stars of country music.

And for the collector at heart, visit on the third weekend of the month, when the Historic ­Market Days (Saturday & Sunday) showcase over 100 craftspeople selling handmade regio- nal arts and crafts. Austin Detours offers a day-trip package, called the “Gruene Getaway”. austindetours.com FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab 13 Living like a local Austinites Unite!

Imagine what it was like to be a leading citizen of Austin in the nineteenth and twentieth cen- turies— from the Civil War to the Mexican Revolution and Prohibition—with a tour of the Neill-Cochran House Museum. This fully restored Greek Revival mansion embodies the lives of its owners. Get to know Austin through their lives, and the historic architecture, furni- shings, and decorative arts they collected. nchmuseum.org

Those Were the Days Can’t imagine life without your smartphone? Then a visit to Jordan-Bachman Pioneer FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab Farms will reset your technology clock. This open-air historical site spanning 90 acres of wooded land captures the reality of pioneering life in Texas in the 1800s.

From a German immigrant farm to an Indian encampment, the 6 historic sites bring the American frontier experience to life through Austinites Unite! 14

walking tours and special, hands-on events, like knife-making, the archery range, or a moonlit Ghost Tour. And to celebrate St. Pat- rick’s Day, the Farms hosts a special celebra- tion of all things Irish. Visit on Sunday, March 15, 2020 to enjoy Celtic music, Irish dancing and language, food and drink, and of course, plenty of good craic for everyone! pioneerfarms.org stpatricksdayaustin.com FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab 15 One world, many stories Unlocking the Door of Freedom

George Washington Carver, an African-American born into slavery in the 1860s who would be- come a prominent agricultural scientist and environmentalist, once said “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” Visit the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin named in his honor and explore its core exhibition entitled “The Juneteenth Exhibit.” Dedicated to the American holiday commemo- rating the June 19, 1865 abolition of slavery in Texas, which was enforced once the Confederacy had collapsed—more than two years after the

FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab Emancipation Proclamation of 1863—it reveals a deeper understanding of the significance of freedom to formerly enslaved African-Americans. austintexas.gov/carvermuseum

Unlocking the Door of Freedom 16

16,000 Years Ago, Today The “New World” for European explorers, the Americas had already been home to human life for millennia upon their arrival. Learn about the Native American experience and European settlement in Texas with a trip to the Texas State History Museum in Austin where the Texas His- tory Galleries display artifacts, antique and contemporary, created by the native peoples of Texas. Bullock Museum, thestoryoftexas.com

Just 40 miles north of Austin at the Gault ar- chaeological site, researchers discovered in 2018 what may be some of the oldest artifacts of human manufacture in North America. Roughly 16,000 years old, the ancient tools FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab have changed our understanding of when hu- mans may have first inhabited the western hemisphere. To visit the Gault site, contact the Gault School of Archaeological Research in Austin to arrange a tour. gaultschool.org 17 Race to the finish Dribble, Drive, Ride . . . or Glide?

For sports fans, Texas also boasts world-class sporting events. Check out these NBA games taking place during SXSW at the AT&T in San Antonio: March 14 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. March 16 vs. San Antonio Spurs March 20 vs. San Antonio Spurs

Or, if you want to see the locals battle it out, watch Austin’s own teams in home games and matches at the nearby H-E-B Center in Cedar Park. During the week, the (NBA

FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab G-League) and the () will be facing off in 5 games/ matches: March 17 Austin Spurs vs. Erie Bayhawks March 18 Texas Stars vs. March 19 Austin Spurs vs. March 20 Texas Stars vs. March 21 Texas Stars vs. Chicago Wolves

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Formula 1 racing has also made Austin its home. The first race track of its kind to be built in the United States, the Audi was completed in 2012. The complex includes the 2.4 mile (5.5 km) long racetrack with twenty turns and an elevation change of 133 feet (41 meters), home to the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. Also located here is the Austin- 360amphitheater which accommodates up to 14,000 people. On March 14, 2020 Rüfüs Du Sol, an alternative dance group from Sydney, Australia will be performing.

In addition, the arena boasts a brand-new sta- dium for the Austin Bold FC. Founded in 2017, they just finished their first season in the sta- dium in 2019. Check their 2020 schedule for FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab matches during your stay at austinboldfc.com.

The Circuit also offers customized car-racing experiences for the thrill seekers among us. Get behind the wheel of an AUDI R or RS ve- hicle, and don’t be shy! All are welcome, from experienced racing enthusiasts to the novice Dribble, Drive, Ride . . . or Glide? 19

speed demon. Or, if you like to accelerate closer to the pavement, book a group go-kart session for a fun, fast time. circuitoftheamericas.com

For the nature lovers on board, you can expe- rience the thrill of gliding through a canopy of old-growth cypress trees on a zip line at Cy- press Valley Canopy Tours. Located in Spice- wood, Texas, just 30 miles West of , this is your chance to reboot your senses. cypressvalleycanopytours.com

And for all of you equestrians, what would a trip to Texas be without horseback riding, like a true cow-girl or boy of the American West. FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab Texas Trail Rides in south Austin makes it easy for you to saddle up and enjoy the local coun- tryside. texastrailrides.com 20 Bon appetite All the Fixins’ Please

You’ll need energy to get the most out of your time in Austin. To follow are some of our favorite places to unwind with fine food and refreshing drinks after an adventurous day around town. Craft beer breweries abound in Austin—for the aficionado it may come close to beer heaven— and we wish you happy trails as you navigate the delights that await you. For the rest of us, here are a couple of places that will give you a fine impression of the art of beer in Austin. For an introduction to the scene, head to Craft Pride in the heart of Austin’s historic Rainey Street District. With 54 Texan craft beers on tap, you’ll be stumped by where to begin. FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab craftprideaustin.com

Secret Food Tour Want to dive into Austin cuisine but leave the planning to someone else? Austin’s Secret Food Tour will gladly take the reins so that you can enjoy the flavors more. This three-hour All the Fixins’ Please 21

walking food tour provides you with the perfect introduction to Austin’s culinary delights. secretfoodtours.com

Jester King Brewery If wine isn’t really your thing, Texas Hill Country also offers a Craft Beer Trail. One highlight among many is the Jester King Brewery on the western outskirts of Austin. With a tasting room and kitchen on its 165-acre ranch, they also host Friday Night Bluegrass: come see talented Texan musicians perform live while enjoying beer made on site and farm to table deliciousness. jesterkingbrewery.com

Fonda San Miguel FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab Everyone who’s been to Austin must leave with an understanding of the difference between Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. We’ve lined up two first-rate restaurants that will show you the fine line between the two. Head to the beloved- by-locals Fonda San Miguel for cocina mexi- cana auténtica. Then dedicate an evening to All the Fixins’ Please 22

Matt’s El Rancho for la vera cocina tejana. Discover for yourself where the difference lies! fondasanmiguel.com mattselrancho.com

Leroy and Lewis Barbeque Like craft beer, Texas BBQ in Austin awaits around practically every corner. Go crazy!!! But for the record, here’s our favorite, and not just because the breakfast menu includes a bagel with chopped brisket schmear but also because of the cheddar cheesecake with a Ritz cracker crust for dessert. Only at Leroy and Lewis Bar- beque. leroyandlewis.com

Terrace 59 Speakeasy FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab Who doesn’t like to watch the sun set? And what better place than in the city of the violet crown. Catch a glimpse Austin’s famed sunset as it lights up the surrounding hills with a lovely, lilac glow just after the sun dips below the horizon from an ideal spot around the city, like the Ter- race 59 Speakeasy. Soak up the view from the All the Fixins’ Please 23

rooftop lounge while sipping a signature cock- tail. After dark, head downstairs for more local Austin live music in the Music Lounge. speakeasyaustin.com

Oasis Texas Brewing Company Just north of Austin and overlooking , the Oasis Texas Brewing Company has also gained quite a reputation for its sunset views. With a modern, tasty take on pub food that combines all things Texan (from Bretzel to wings and tamales) to accompany their crafted brews, it’s another perfect place to wind down your day. otxbc.com FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab 24 Take the magic home Wait! Don’t Leave Town without One of These . . .

Shopping is not a problem in Austin. And, since you may have noticed we are just a little bit fascinated this year by how attached Texans are to their hats—the source of so many spot on sayings—we decided not one of you should head home without the most Texan souvenir of all—your very own cowgirl or cowboy hat. We checked out the local stores for you already, so don’t be shy: wake your inner vaquero.

Hatbox: A Modern Haberdashery will help you choose the perfect fitting hat from their selec-

FlyingLab Austin City Guide City Austin FlyingLab tion of classic styles. At Goorin Bros. Hat Shop, their broad selection of fine-tuned styles can match any taste. And visit Tiny’s Western Shop to indulge in a custom-made cowboy hat that will put the stamp of the West on you wherever you wear it. hatbox.com | goorin.com tinyswesternshop.com Have a wonderful time while you are in Austin, folks, and muchas gracias for traveling with Lufthansa and being part of the FlyingLab to SXSW 2020.