The Austin City Limits Music Festival kicked off with a challenging muddy terrain during its first weekend, impacting festivalgoers in various ways. Attendees arrived in a range of footwear, from sandals to rain boots, while others resorted to creative solutions like wrapping plastic bags around their shoes.
For individuals with disabilities, navigating the muddy grounds proved particularly difficult. Dawn Ogle, a veteran and a seasoned festival attendee, faced the event for the first time with a back and neck brace, cane, and a paralyzed foot following recent surgery. With the assistance of her husband, Ogle managed to maneuver through the crowds. “He directs me to places, and especially people that are not aware of their surroundings and try bumping into me,” she explained, highlighting the challenges posed by the festival environment.
Elliot Briones, who was using a motorized wheelchair, expressed his determination to enjoy the festival despite the obstacles. “This is my second day,” he said. “It’s been pretty rough with the mud, but I’ll make it happen.” However, he noted the lack of adequate accommodations for disabled attendees, and shortly after his interview, he experienced difficulties getting stuck in the mud, necessitating assistance from bystanders.
The event organizers, C3, acknowledged the challenges and stated that they had implemented additional accessibility measures, including the placement of Mobi-mat and ground protection around the park. Over the weekend, they began installing artificial turf and plastic mesh walkways in certain areas of Zilker Park to improve mobility.
Darrick Siagan, who navigated the festival on crutches due to an ACL injury, described the conditions as particularly tough, especially on the festival’s opening day when the mud was significantly deeper in some areas. “It was a lot deeper, maybe about two, sometimes three inches worth of mud in the really low spots,” he remarked. Siagan recommended the park’s southwest entrance as a more accessible route for those with disabilities, underscoring the need for careful navigation in the challenging conditions.
