Austin is no stranger to live music. This is the crowd at the Honda Stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival in 2010. Image by Dave Mead.

// AGP is excited to expand our Austin F1 weekend coverage with the anouncement of our "AGP Street Team." The team consists of six Austinites who will explore the many fan activities in downtown Austin at Austin Fan Fest, a giant street festival organized by Circuit of The Americas and sponsored by Mobil 1. In this primer, Nicholle Jaramillo and Mike Boone get you up to speed on the event and help you plan for one giant party. You can read more about the AGP Street Team members here.

The rubber meets the road this weekend in Austin, Texas as 100,000 visitors are projected to attend the city’s inaugural Formula One race. Each year fans travel to Grand Prix events in major cities across the globe. For the first time in history, Austin will be in direct competition with those famous races held in Monaco, Abu Dhabi, and 17 other international destinations. 

Over the next few days, the city has an opportunity to give the world a glimpse into the considerate nature and gallantry found deep in the heart of Texas.  The founders of the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) are banking on Austinites' friendly and eccentric character; literally.  Leaders of this race circuit believe that this weekend’s one-on-one interactions will define success of the event here in town versus other F1 races worldwide.

If Austin locals, COTA staff and volunteers can match or exceed the magnitude that the physical track development itself represents, then there is no question visitors will go home having had the ultimate F1 experience, right here in Austin’s back yard.

The Austin Fan Fest will hold additional entertainment opportunities for both locals and visitors. The free event includes everything from interactive exhibits, and Formula 1 teams and sponsors to games, food trailers, live music, and more. 

Also, be sure to join the Austin Grand Prix Street Team at the Austin Convention Center, which will be converted into an Ibiza style “COTA Club” for the weekend.

The COTA Club @ The Austin Convention Center event scheduled: