137 My Space

Spring is nearly here and with it the anticipation of upcoming summer music festivals; give me that special aroma of exotic foods mixed with the unwashed masses and I am in my element. There are thousands of festivals in the UK alone during the summer months, bringing people together from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and areas, attracted for the same reasons; the atmosphere, passion for the music and the thrill only experienced at an open air festival.

Whether you are a regular festival groupie or have been saving like crazy to get to that one special event this year, then you need to think about getting your tickets now before they are all sold out. If the festival you want to go to is a huge event, such as Glastonbury or WOMAD, tickets will be in demand and are likely to sell out in record breaking time. Once you know the date of the festival, find out where to buy your tickets from and when they will be going on sale.

The best place to start looking for your ticket is to search the internet, this is a great source of information and advice and often you will be able to buy a summer festival ticket online with no fuss. These call centres work from the same database as you can access directly, so it makes sense to sit at home in comfort and do it yourself online.

For big festivals there are a number of agents authorized to sell tickets on the promoters’ behalf. They sell the tickets at their face value and add on a booking and processing fee, usually around 5-10%, for their service. You might have heard of some of the well-known agencies.

If you do find that it seems as if all the tickets are sold out don’t give up that easily as tickets usually go back on sale again closer to the date of the festival. The reasoning behind this is that musical festivals are given permission to operate with a certain capacity awaiting fire and safety checks. After these checks have been made and plans finalized then they receive the actual allowed capacity, which is always higher, and so at this point they can release more tickets. Keep checking out the web sites for tickets if you couldn’t get them before.

Another option open to you if you are finding it impossible to get a ticket is the resale market. Always ensure you use a secure exchange system which can provide guarantees that if you’re a buyer you get your tickets and if you’re a seller you get paid. EBay always has tickets on sale for music festivals, theatre tickets and concerts and is a secure site so see what is available.

When desperately seeking festival tickets be cautious of whom you are buying from as there are loads of touts eager to rip you off or sell counterfeits, it’s always best to buy from the official websites and agents. Ensure any online exchange you use is trustworthy; it’s possible for anyone to create a website or procure links on Google. Lastly, never buy tickets outside the grounds as this is the most common place for fraud. Forgeries can look as good as the originals these days and as you are getting turned away from the door the tout will have disappeared.

If music festivals such as South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits festival are testament to the city’s reputation as the Live Music Capitol of the World, the Texas Book Festival is proof positive that Austin is a hotbed of creativity in the literary world as well. Founded by Laura Bush in 1995, it has grown to become a nationally important event, featuring over two thousand authors, local, national and international, in twelve years of existence. Exciting, fun, musical and educational, this all-ages event is considered to be one of the premiere literary events in the country.
Located primarily in the State Capitol, the festival takes place every fall, drawing upwards of 40,000 spectators to delight in panels, concerts, demonstrations, and other activities in the House and Senate Chambers, as well as tents and stages erected on the sprawling green lawn of the Capitol grounds. Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and other high-profile politicos have given keynote addresses, and the late Governor Ann Richards was a regular as well. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Jim Lehrer, and Roy Blount Jr., and other such notables have made appearances as well.
A variety of themes are represented at the festival, with panels dedicated to mysteries, biographies, photography, retrospectives, periodicals, journalism, and many other topics. A “Lifestyle” tent hosts discussions and activities including parenting, wineries, birding, and yard art.
In keeping with the interests and expectations of Austinites, the festival emphasizes a high level of entertainment and music, dedicating one tent to musical performances throughout the festival, and hosting events at satellite locations including the legendary Continental Club. A concert featuring Austin’s finest musicians is held on the Capitol steps. Musician authors such as Joe Ely read from their works, as do those who write books about musicians, including Kathleen Hudson and Joe Nick Patoski.
Other aspects of the entertainment world are well-represented also. Actors including Eli Wallach and Marlee Matlin have appeared there, and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi offered live cooking demos for exotic recipes. Food and cooking are also highlighted, with an entire tent equipped with cooking supplies and dedicated to cookbooks and examinations of food culture.
The Texas Book Festival has raised over two million dollars for Texas Public Libraries, and their commitment to children is clear. With one tent dedicated to children’s authors, one to children’s entertainment, and one to activities for the little ones, this festival is a perfect way to combine books and literacy with a fun and exciting event. Storytimes abound throughout the festival, and activities can include hula dance, puppet shows, drawing, and sing-alongs. When children’s authors are in town for the festival, they often take part in “Reading Rock Stars,” an affiliated program that brings them to public schools to read their works.
A truly Austin event in spirit, the Texas Book Festival is a lively, creative and exciting way to explore the literary world both on a local and national level.