Cedar Park Heritage Festival Right Around The Corner With Fun For The Entire Family

CEDAR PARK, TX -- Mark your calendars, festival lovers: The annual Heritage Festival is right around the corner.

This is not SXSW (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but a more family-friendly, more subdued, decidedly smaller-scale gathering. Best of all: It’s free!

“Enjoy live music, pony rides, train rides, petting zoo, kids’ rodeo, carnival games and rides, washer tournament, photos with a longhorn, sack races and inflatables,” Cedar Park officials urge on the municipal website.

Photos with a longhorn steer. Now there’s a selfie opportunity not offered at SXSW.

Oh, and here’s something one wouldn’t even dream of in attending SXSW: “You are welcome to bring your own ice chest, no glass containers please.”

Despite that glass ban, what a concept. That aforementioned free thing is also rather appealing, especially when one considers the pricey proposition in attending the just wrapped-up SXSW.

Additional parking for the festival will be offered at the nearby Austin Community College campus, Cedar Park High School and Cedar Park Middle School.

Again, on this front, what a contrast from SXSW where merchants capitalized on the captive crowds by hiking up prices. One, let's just say "enterprising," business owner tried charging $80 for parking, knowing the desperation of visitors needing a spot to leave their car.

A social media firestorm ultimately shamed the parking garage operator to go back to the normal $35 maximum daily parking rate.

Most assuredly, this sort of thing doesn't happen in Cedar Park during its own decidedly low-key festival.

The Heritage Festival is scheduled for April 2, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It’s staged at the MIlburn Park at 1901 Sun Chase Blvd. Additional parking will be available at area facilities.

For additional information, contact samantha.roos@cedarparktexas.gov or call (512) 401-5528. The Heritage Festival is staged in conjunction with the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-off. For information regarding the cook-off, please visit the website or call (512) 260-7800.

>>> Image of longhorn via WikiMedia Commons