The ACL Festival contributed $8.4 million to Austin parks from its 2024 event proceeds. The funding supports maintenance and improvement projects across the city's green spaces through a long-standing partnership.
The Austin Parks Foundation received the funding this week during a presentation ceremony. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin Parks Foundation CEO Colin Wallis attended the event.
The festival and the foundation have partnered for 20 years. A portion of each ticket purchased supports the parks. Since the partnership began, ACL has provided more than $71 million for Austin parks.
Beyond park funding, the 2024 ACL Festival generated $534.8 million for the local economy. A report from Angelou Economics stated this figure is the highest recorded for the event. Since 2002, the festival has contributed more than $4.1 billion to the city's economy.
Past funding from ACL has supported over 250 projects. These include investments in specific locations such as Brownie Neighborhood Park and Pan Am Neighborhood Park, which each received $250,000, and improvements at Deep Eddy Pool totaling $200,000.
The $8.4 million from 2024 is designated for numerous current projects. Planned uses include the restoration of the historic Henry Madison Cabin and playground replacement at Rosewood Neighborhood Park, construction at Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park, and engineering work at Jamestown Neighborhood Park.
Additional projects scheduled to receive funding include the creation of the first all-abilities playground at Onion Creek Metro Park and trail improvements across the city. This year's amount surpasses the $8.1 million raised in 2023 for local parks.
