Come to Two Step Inn prepared

Drake Milligan performs at the Two Step Inn festival in 2024. (Sun Archive)

The third annual Two Step Inn country music festival takes place this weekend – April 5 and 6 – at San Gabriel Park.

Miranda Lambert and Alan Jackson will headline the festival Saturday, April 5. Country band Lynyrd Skynyrd and artist Sturgill Simpson — performing under the name Johnny Blue Skies — will headline Sunday, April 6.

This is the first time in almost a decade Ms. Lambert will perform in the Austin area. The festival is also part of Alan Jackson’s farewell tour, making it one of the last shows ever for the country icon.

Health and safety

Part of having fun at Two Step Inn is making sure you’re staying hydrated, protected from the sun and keeping your feet in the best condition to dance the night away.

Even though the event is taking place in April, Jenna Price, St. David’s Georgetown disease management coordinator, said attendees need to stay protected from the sun by using sunscreen and a hat, regardless of the time of year.

“If the sunscreen, for whatever reason, doesn’t work or doesn’t last all day, you still have that hat as that additional component,” Ms. Price said.

Per festival regulations, attendees may bring an empty personal misting fan with a bottle no larger than 1.5 liters and non-aerosol sunscreen of 3.4 ounces or less. Umbrellas, tents, canopies or shade structures of any kind are not allowed.

For hydration, Ms. Price said the every-day recommended amount is 64 fluid ounces. With the amount of movement at the festival, she suggests drinking even more water.

For those drinking alcohol, she recommends a one-to-one ratio of alcohol to water to stay hydrated for the duration of the event.

Overheating is possible with all-day outside exposure. Symptoms include a racing heart, flushed skin and excessive or no sweating, Ms. Price said.

“An actual bad sign is that you stop sweating. Your body’s trying to conserve all that water, and then you stop sweating,” she said.

Allowed hydration items include empty hydration packs with no more than two pockets, an empty, reusable water bottle, and hydration/electrolyte packets in factory sealed single serving packages. Attendees cannot bring coolers of any kind that aren’t for medical use, glass containers or outside food or beverage.

The festival offers cooling and hydration stations throughout the park. Hydration Stations offer free, filtered water.

For footwear, Ms. Price said broken-in boots can provide protection from rolling ankles and other feet.

“If you have bad joints and things like that, you can put inserts in your boots and whatever shoes you’re wearing,” she said. “Or wear more supportive shoes, if you feel like that’s a better match for you for the day, for sustaining yourself at the festival.”

Those looking to relax and sit down may bring blankets, sheets, towels and non-inflatable chairs.

Park closures

Sections of San Gabriel Park closed beginning March 25 for festival setup. They will remain until April 11 for teardown.

Active closures until April 11 include areas around the baseball fields near the Georgetown Community Center, the area of the park west of Morrow Street up to the Georgetown Recreation Center, Lower Park Road and the area around the Georgetown Community Center, the north end of the park — which includes the sunken garden up to College Street — and the side of the park to the west of Morrow Street.

The pedestrian path along the river will be closed to the public from the end of the day on April 2 through April 11.

Areas around the Recreation Center will also be closed on the days of the festival. The soccer practice area will close on April 3 and the parking lot will close on April 4. Both sections of the Rec Center will reopen on April 7.

On the south side of the San Gabriel River, Texas Disposal Services will be closed to the public April 5 and 6, as is the Georgetown Animal Shelter and McMasters Athletic Complex.

Road closures and parking

Road closures will happen from April 5-7. Road closures encompass the area from North Morrow Street to Weir Road to North College Street. Some of the roads are closed off to through traffic, but are open to those who live in the neighborhood.

The specific roads that will be closed during the festival can be found on the city’s interactive map found at https://tinyurl.com/yc279azw.

Event parking is not allowed in the neighborhoods adjacent to San Gabriel Park, or in the retail centers on the northside of Austin Avenue near Williams Drive.

Designated paid parking areas with shuttle service include the Georgetown and East View high school lots.

Bicycle parking is offered on the east side of the park, near the East Morrow Street festival entrance close to the north shore of the river. Additional bicycle parking is located north of Morrow Street near the west entrance.

A designated rideshare area is at the Georgetown Recreation Center parking lot.