SXSW 2013

The annual phenomenon known as SXSW began a few days ago as SXSW.edu kicked off and Austin is gearing up for the other portions of the festival. Interactive and Film will officially get underway tomorrow but the parties have already started. The Music fest starts playing March 12.

SXSW began in Austin in 1987 as a music festival and attracted 700 registrants its first year. The music event has since grown to more than 16,000 registrants and added the Interactive and Film components in 1994. Together, the festival and conferences will attract tens of thousands geeks, nerds, film buffs, music lovers, artists and performers of every creative stripe and experts in dozens of fields. You can find a complete list of official events and sessions at sxsw.com.

In addition to the officially sponsored SXSW events there are a myriad of parties and other free and not-so-free unofficial events to entertain the out-of-towners and locals alike. Check out Austin Chronicle’s interactive list of everything SXSW-related.

Regardless of whether you’ll be attending SXSW or any of the associated activities or avoiding the downtown crowds the infusion of energy that SXSW brings to Austin every year is felt throughout the city so enjoy the blast of culture and visionary excitement. And keep your eyes open for Famous People Sightings!