Nicknamed the "Live Music Capital of the World," Austin houses more than 120 live music venues, offering a complete range of musical styles from rhythm and blues and Southern jazz to hard rock, country-western and Tejano.

Local, national and international acts of all sizes and styles can be heard year-round, but things always heat up in March when Austin hosts South by Southwest (SXSW), an internationally acclaimed ten-day music, film and multimedia event. During the day, SXSW features multimedia and music industry exhibitions, educational panel discussions and workshops examining all three industries. At night, the SXSW Music Festival showcases more than 400 bands, and film screenings are held in numerous Austin venues.

Austin’s cable access music channel — Music & Entertainment Television —showcases the best local talent and airs videos sampling all of the region's musical diversity. The inaugural Austin City Limits Music Festival attracted more than 75,000 music lovers to Zilker Park in 2002. An extension of the popular PBS show “Austin City Limits,” the festival aims to showcase the best local music as well as major acts from around the world. Be on the lookout every September for this festival.

Austin provides cuisines to suit almost every palate imaginable. From vegetarian to down-home barbequed ribs, there’s something for every eater in Austin.

The city’s ethnic diversity makes dining out an adventure. Local chefs are ready to cook up delicious dishes hailing from the Middle East, the Caribbean, India, Thailand, South and Central America, Europe and, of course, Mexico. Great Tex-Mex is plentiful: just try the seafood enchiladas at Matt’s El Rancho or a margarita and nachos at Chuy’s. There are many fine interior Mexican restaurants, as well.

Plenty of American fare here, too, such as the Broken Spoke’s chicken-fried steaks (don’t forget to dance while you’re there) and Green Pasture’s classic southern fine dining. Or try top-notch barbeque at The County Line. A great list of Austin Chamber Member restaurants can be found using the online Member directory at www.austinchamber.com.

And don’t forget the fixings. Whether you want to buy exotic ingredients or learn to cook the latest gourmet meals, Central Market and Whole Foods are there to serve all your foodie needs.

Austin and environs are home to wineries, breweries and great places to have a relaxing drink. Central Texas’ most famous brewery creates the ubiquitous dark beer Shiner Bock. You can have a drink with a fabulous view of Lake Travis at the Oasis or relax in one of Austin’s most eccentric movable landmarks, The Cedar Door.

Rolling hills and sunshine in the Hill Country have created sites for some excellent vineyards. Texas boasts more than 85 wineries and is the nation’s fifth-largest wine producing state.

From festivals spotlighting today’s arts and music to museums showcasing our rich and varied history, Austin possesses a wealth of cultural offerings.

The University of Texas' Performing Arts Center and other world-class facilities attract nationally- and internationally-renowned artists and performers as well as Broadway shows throughout the year.

Concerts and public events at UT's newly renovated Frank Erwin Center feature everything from the latest pop and rock artists and country music legends to the Ice Capades and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. During basketball season, the Erwin Center is also home to the nationally ranked UT men’s and women’s basketball home games.

The soon to be constructed Long Center for the Performing Arts will serve more than 250 performing arts groups in Central Texas as well as area school children. The Austin Symphony, along with Ballet Austin and the Austin Lyric Opera, offers a variety of programs and concerts throughout the year. You'll find all kinds of music to suit your mood, from orchestral to intimate performances.

Dozens of music and art festivals are held during the year throughout Austin and Central Texas, including Blues on the Green, the Old Pecan Street Festival, the Clarksville Jazz Festival, Sixth Street Music Fest, Laguna Gloria Art Museum Fiesta, the Austin-flavored Eeyore's Birthday Party and many more.

Each spring, Austin plays host to South by Southwest (SXSW), an internationally acclaimed ten-day, music, film and multimedia event. The event features hundreds of concerts and film showings, multimedia and music industry exhibitions, educational panel discussions and workshops examining all three industries.

Austin is home to a host of historical museums, including the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Austin Children's Museum, Pioneer Farm, state history museums, the George Washington Carver Museum, the historical home of writer O. Henry, the Bremond block of historical homes and the French Legation. The arts are equally well represented with the Elisabet Ney Museum, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, the Austin Museum of Art-Downtown.

The Capitol Complex Visitors Center is a great marching off point for exploring the Capitol Grounds, and for more Texas history (it's a big state, so there's a lot of history) try the Republic of Texas Museum or the Texas Memorial Museum.

Austin is home to more than 35 art galleries, including Laguna Gloria, The Austin Museum of Art, the Blanton Art Museum at the University of Texas with one of the world's largest collections of Latin American art) and the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, also at UT.

The Nature Center and Botanical Gardens at Zilker Park provide a variety of programs and exhibits, or you might trek through these bucolic settings:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Zilker Botanical Garden
Austin Nature Center
Austin Zoo

The Austin Public Library System has a large downtown main branch and neighborhood branches all over the city. The University of Texas boasts the fifth largest library in the nation and several libraries of national renown, including the Perry-Castañeda Library, Tarlton Law Library and the Science Libraries. Search for these and other university libraries at UT Library Online.