The Cap 2K is an open water swim race and fundraiser for Friends of Deep Eddy Pool that annually takes place on a Sunday in May on Lady Bird Lake Lake, the section of the Colorado River that runs through the heart of Austin. The 2,000-meter race goes downstream from Red Bud Isle to the Texas Rowing Center near Austin High School and ends with an awards ceremony, picnic and celebration at Eilers Park adjacent to Deep Eddy Pool. First staged in 2003, the race averages 200 swimmers. It is illegal to swim in Town Lake without special permission from the City of Austin due to fluxuating currents from the dam release and lake traffic, so the Cap 2K is a rare opportunity to swim in Lady Bird Lake.
Each May and June, tens of thousands of Austinites and visitors from all over the world make the two hour drive from Austin to converge at Quiet Valley Ranch in Kerrville for eighteen consecutive days of traditional folk, bluegrass, acoustic rock, blues, country, jazz, and Americana music. Founded by Rod Kennedy, the Kerrville Folk Festival has run annually since 1972 and is the longest continuously running music festival of its kind in North America. Many visitors camp at the ranch during the festival and almost all the staff are volunteers. One of the most unique aspects of the festival happens after the official shows when fans, volunteers and performers play music by the campfires, sometimes till dawn. The 2011 Kerville Folk Festival is scheduled for May 26 through June 12.
