Austin Live Music Scene!
Austin has a strong musical tradition. On any weekend night (and most weekday nights) you can find live music of every conceivable type. The center of the music scene is on Sixth Street, but there are numerous clubs that are well known for their live music, such as Antone's, the Back Room, La Zona Rosa, Emo's and Stubb's.  Don't forget to mark your calendar now for the Austin City Limits Music Festival and SXSW!

The Hollywood of the Southwest!
Austin has emerged as the "Hollywood" of the Southwest, as the city is becoming well known for its burgeoning film industry. Not only does Austin have the most movie screens per capita in the U.S., it is the No. 1 location for movie making in the state of Texas, as the state ranks as the third most popular destination for film-making behind Los Angeles and New York City. The production budgets for films made in and around Austin in 2000 are expected to total $100 million.
Stars and filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Costner, Sandra Bullock, Ron Howard, Matthew Mc Conaughey, Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Hurley are some of those who have graced the red carpet at local Austin film premieres of "The Newton Boys," "EdTV," "The Faculty," "U-571" and "For Love of the Game." Bullock has moved her film production company, Fortis Films, from Los Angeles to Austin.
Films that were produced in and around Austin: A Perfect World, Austin Stories, Courage Under Fire, Dazed and Confused, D.O.A., Home Fries, Hope Floats, Lonesome Dove, Michael, Office Space, Slacker, The Big Green, The Faculty, The Newton Boys,The Soul Collector, Spy Kids, The Substitute Wife, Varsity Blues, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Where the Heart Is, to name a few. 


World's Largest Urban Bat Colony!
The Congress Bridge over Town Lake houses approximately one and a half million bats in mid-summer. In the spring, the pregnant female makes her way north to roosting sites in the Southwestern United States . They each give birth to a baby and at five weeks of age the pups can fly. Hundreds of people line the bridge at dusk to catch a rare glimpse of the bats as they leave the bridge for their nightly feeding. It may take up to 45 minutes for all the bats to exit. They will consume between 10,000 and 30,000 pounds of insects each night.