Sidelines
··1 min read

Austin, TX Celebrates 7th Annual Bat Fest

Bats Austin, TX © dwhartwig

Vagabondish is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Read our disclosure.

This weekend the city of Austin, Texas celebrated its 7th Annual Bat Fest with live music and a sunset viewing of the city’s 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats.

Since the 1980s Austin has been the seasonal home to the world’s largest urban bat colony. The colony has found a perfect habitat in the beams of Congress Street Bridge near downtown. The bats endeared themselves to the city so much they now have an annual festival in their honor.

The article, on MSNBC, states that on an average summer night, between 2,000 and 3,000 bat-watchers assemble to watch the bats emerge from under the bridge and begin their nightly hunt for food.

Between 2,000-3,000 people? Is there really nothing else better to do in Austin?

Melanie Chamberlain
Melanie Chamberlain is a coffee addict, cheap wine connoisseur and a semi-professional "real life" avoider. She blogs about her (mis)adventures traipsing around the world at girlwithgumption.com and overshares via twitter @grlwithgumption.

5 Comments

  1. Between 2,000-3,000 people? Is there really nothing else better to do in Austin?

    That’s a pretty snarky comment, isn’t it? Have you ever been there to see it? I haven’t, but it sounds interesting and something pretty unique to see. I could imagine going downtown, watching the bats, then heading out to eat or catch a band or do any number of other interesting things in the Austin area around that bridge, especially if I were a resident with guests in town. You may be smart and interesting and have other thoughtful travel insights, I don’t know, but a comment like that really makes you seem like a shallow dumbass, you know….

    Reply

  2. I concur with Chris’s comment – it makes you seem incredibly narrow-minded and quite shallow-minded indeed. I live here in Austin, and around these parts it’s more of a tradition than anything. It’s not that bats are particularly exciting or anything, but it’s a nice place to congregate and hang out for an evening. Austin is an incredibly diverse city with much more “better” things to do, if you will. Having lived here two decades, I can tell you that it’s gotten progressively bigger and more well-rounded, and will continue to as time goes on.

    Reply

  3. I wouldn’t do it every night but its neat to see. Its cooler by then and you can time your lake walk to end there. When I was in Austin, early 90s, we generally had 30-50 spectators – an intimate crowd when compared to that many thousands. I can’t imagine where they all park.

    Reply

  4. In total agreement with the other commenters. Your tone was really unnecessary. I think it sounds like something fun and off the wall to do. What doesn’t sound fun is hanging out with you or anyone else with your holier-than-thou, judgmental attitude.

    Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let's Make Sure You're Human ... * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

Subscribe to Our 'Under the Radar' Newsletter
If you love travel, you're gonna love this!