Art, live music, the great outdoors; For years, Austin has honed its identity to be a hub for individuality and self-expression. A most iconic celebration of this fact is, of course, Austin City Limits. ACL is a magnet for everyone the city hopes to bring together and represent itself, but younger festival-goers may not be aware of its spiritual predecessor, Austin Aqua Festival. Running from 1962 to 1998, it was a 10 day festival held on the water of Town Lake and hosted a multitude of events from boat racing to live concerts. As Moreland was able to grow up alongside the passing torch from one event to the next, we've seen firsthand that the passage of time is nothing against Austin's spirit. Stick around to learn a bit of history surrounding this iconic piece of local history.
Lady Bird Lake, then known officially as Town Lake, is a man-made reservoir originally created in 1960 as a cooling pond for the now-inoperative Holly Street Power Plant, and didn’t always look as pretty and lively as it does now. In an effort to promote Texas Highland Lakes during the off-season and bring more commercial activity to Town Lake, Aquafest was established in 1962 by Art Linkletter, a radio and television personality.
Right out the gate, the 10-day festival was alive with a canoe race, sailing regatta, daytime and nighttime parades on both land and water, fishing competitions, beauty pageants, firework shows, cultural nights, and, of course, live music concerts. Controversial drag boat racing was introduced as an event in 1964, along with other sportier activities that sparked displeasure among local homeowners who were disturbed by the noise and traffic that the festivities brought. They, however, wouldn’t be able to stifle the festival’s growth or popularity. In 1966, the Battle of the Bands was brought on as an event, quickly becoming the prime attraction.
With the demand for attendance increasing significantly in anticipation of the various artists and bands who would be playing, the festival only continued to expand. A recording of Willie Nelson's 1973 performance is a great display of the authenticity that was fostered at these events. Other notable performances from Blondie, Oingo Boingo, Fleetwood Mac, and Billy Ray Cyrus eventually led to a record crowd of 252,000 people in 1985. The overblown capacity of the lake itself led to the festival’s movement from Festival Beach to Auditorium Shores.
Characteristic of the decade was a mounting reputation of rowdiness and unrestrained excitement. Former attendants report an indulgent, fun-loving atmosphere. "Chill" was the word, if only because there was no pressure to follow the rules. The festival was notorious for freely admitting those who avoided main entrances and distributed collectible “skipper pins” for patrons that granted event discounts. Pagers were the only form of communication, excitement was plentiful, and it seemed like everyone was riding the momentum of the event as long as they were allowed.
Continued increase in focus on live music as the main event of the festival and construction of multiple entertainment stages in the 1990s lead to the transition from “Aquefest: civic festival” to “Aquafest: music festival.” With such high-profile names as Dolly Parton coming to perform, ticket prices rose. One of the main draws of the event had been the relaxed attitude surrounding entry and event prices, and the general friendly camaraderie often encouraged the sharing of food, drinks, and space. The feeling that Aquafest was becoming more exclusive drove attendance numbers down, and 1998 marked the festival’s final year.
Luckily, with ACL kicking off in 2002, Austin wasn’t without a fall music festival for very long. We can only guess that locals’ thirst for a uniquely "Austin" live music festival in Aquafest’s absence drove ACL’s success, but we do know one thing for certain: Austinites love to celebrate their eccentricity. Aquafest’s many years of operation are a wonderful reminder that Austinites will never shy away from an opportunity to come together as a community. We know that we're defined by our differences, and our individuality only strengthens our bonds.
As we continue on, we hope you’ll include Moreland in that uniquely "Austin" identity as well 💚
