I think it's pretty well known that here in Austin, the "Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge" hosts the largest urban bat colony in North America. And we're glad to have them. About 1,500,000 Mexican free-tailed bats stay here from March through November and winter in Central Mexico. Every evening during "bat season", the colony (mostly females) emerges at nightfall to feast on 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects.
Totally organic bug control, for free ; thank you ladies.
Just witnessing the emergence of a million-and-a-half bats from a relatively small space is an amazing site as well as a major tourist attraction.
But this year the show is getting disappointing reviews; seems the bats have been "ordering in", due to an unusually rainy spring and summer that yielded a bumper crop of bugs. The air under the bridge is so full of mosquitoes and other bugs that most of the bats don't need to commute to get a meal. So this summer there's no familiar, never-ending spiral of bats swirling up into the night, which is a bummer for spectators, but nice for the bats, I guess.
I think of it as the dark lining to the silver cloud of all that much-needed rain. But regardless of fewer visible bats this summer, Batfest! 2007 goes on as usual on Labor Day Weekend.
Here's their promo with the details:
Sept. 1 & 2, 2007 on the Congress Avenue Bridge
Saturday Sept 1st 2 PM until Midnight
Sunday Sept. 2nd 2 PM until 10 PM
Batfest!
Austin's largest attended Arts & Crafts show, will feature Arts, Crafts,
Music, Food, Bat Watching, Children's Activities, and Educational Displays.
Estimated attendance is around 40,000!
With the Scenic backdrop of Lady Bird Lake and a great new lineup for 2007, Roadway Productions is working tirelessly to put on the best Batfest! ever. All professional Artists and Craftspeople are invited to participate in Batfest!...
Approximately 150 Booths will be set up in the Festival Area located
on the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin.
The booths will feature Arts & Crafts such as
pottery, jewelry, fine art, woodwork, stained glass,
metal sculpture, mosaics, dicrylic, photography and much more.
This area is well know for its eclectic night life (no joke intended)
as well as it's proximity to downtown and to
the more relaxed South Austin (78704 to those who know).
BAT COSTUME CONTEST!!!
Each Day we will have a contest for the best BAT COSTUME!
There are two Categories Best Individual costume and best group costumes.
$200 prize for each!
But you can only win once, so bring your best costumes!!!
Bring your Cameras! We will be bringing in special BAT LIGHTING for photo-ops.
$4 admission, Kids 10 and under FREE
Live Music
MUSIC LINEUP Saturday, Sept. 1 (everything subject to change)
BATMAN STAGE (North Side of Bridge)
2:30pm - Live Oak Decline
3:50pm - Pride & Joy
5:10pm - Firekillshttp://www.myspace.com/firekills
6:30pm - Johnny Goudie
8:00pm - Alpha Revhttp://www.alpharev.com
9:30pm - Maneja Beto
10:50pm - Del Castillo
3:50pm - Pride & Joy
5:10pm - Firekillshttp://www.myspace.com/firekills
6:30pm - Johnny Goudie
8:00pm - Alpha Revhttp://www.alpharev.com
9:30pm - Maneja Beto
10:50pm - Del Castillo
ROBIN STAGE (South Side of Bridge)
2:30pm - Kepi & The Cave Bats
4:00pm - Idgy Vaughn
5:30pm - Future Clouds & Radar
7:00pm - Papa Maliwww.papamali.com
9:00pm - Ray Wylie Hubbard
2:30pm - Kepi & The Cave Bats
4:00pm - Idgy Vaughn
5:30pm - Future Clouds & Radar
7:00pm - Papa Maliwww.papamali.com
9:00pm - Ray Wylie Hubbard
MUSIC LINE UP Sunday, Sept. 2 (everything subject to change)
BATMAN STAGE (North Side of Bridge)
2:00pm - Color & Light
3:10pm - Lions
4:20pm - Sounds Under Radio
5:30pm - Band of Heathens
6:50pm - Adrenaline Factor
8:10pm - Vallejo
9:30 pm - Anagen
2:00pm - Color & Light
3:10pm - Lions
4:20pm - Sounds Under Radio
5:30pm - Band of Heathens
6:50pm - Adrenaline Factor
8:10pm - Vallejo
9:30 pm - Anagen
ROBIN STAGE (South Side of Bridge)
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