Mayor Kirk Watson, City Of Austin | City Of Austin website
Mayor Kirk Watson, City Of Austin | City Of Austin website
The City of Austin and Visit Austin are preparing to host the annual New Year's celebration at Auditorium Shores on December 31, 2024. The event will feature live coverage by CNN personalities Sara Sidner, Harry Enten, and Cari Champion as part of "New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen." Attendees can enjoy entertainment headlined by Third Eye Blind, various food trucks, beverage vendors, and a fireworks display at midnight.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed enthusiasm for the event: “Austin’s New Year is back and bigger than ever, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate at Auditorium Shores,” he said. “This City is no stranger to hosting world-class events, so it’s no surprise CNN is returning to count down to the new year in the Live Music Capital of the World.”
The Central Time Zone countdown will be broadcast live from Auditorium Shores starting at 11:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs but should leave pets at home unless they are trained service dogs. A selection of local vendors will offer food and both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks for purchase. Participating food trucks include Amy’s Ice Cream; Burro Cheese Kitchen; Garbo’s Lobster; Gelu Italian Ice; Iron Burger; Peace, Love and Burgers; RedFin Mobile; Shawarma Point; Tacobaby; The Mighty Cone; and Yapa Artisan Empanadas.
For safety reasons, attendees cannot bring outside alcohol, glass containers, fireworks, or sparklers into the venue. Additional information on allowed items can be found on the event's official website.
Parking near downtown may be congested due to road closures around South Lamar Boulevard, Barton Springs Road, Riverside Drive, and Bouldin Creek Neighborhood restrictions. ADA-accessible parking will be available at Palmer Event Center Garage and One Texas Center.
Roads along Riverside Drive in front of Auditorium Shores will close from December 29 through January 1. Lady Bird Lake between the railroad trestle bridge and South First Street bridge will also close to watercraft from 10:30 p.m. on December 31 until 1 a.m. on January 1 for safety reasons.
Safety measures are coordinated by Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department, and Austin-Travis County EMS. Health guidelines recommend vaccinations against illness as well as hand hygiene practices during the event.
Visit Austin serves as the city's destination marketing organization while ACE (Austin Center for Events) assists with special event permitting across public spaces in collaboration with multiple city departments.
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