For over 60 years Austin has been celebrating Eeyore's birthday - the sad donkey from Winnie the Pooh. The most amazingly fun adventure in Pease Park. Filled with colorful costumes people and activities. Drinks and food available for purchase. Thousands of people frolicking and dancing enjoying nature in celebration of Eeyore. Happy 62nd Birthday Eeyore!!! read more

This year was my first time getting to attend the annual celebration of Eeyore's birthday! Prior to relocating to Austin, I would visit family here 1-2 times a year but the timing never worked out for this event. I can't wait to make this part of my annual Austin routine. Parking is an absolute nightmare and we didn't even attempt it. We opted to use a car service to and from our place, and I cannot recommend this option enough. I know this festival has changed over the years especially for those who've been attending since the start. But it was still exciting and fun for me. Lots of things going on from live music, food and beer tents, performances, etc. People just chilling on blankets and enjoying each other's company. Definite flower power, San Francisco in the 60's vibe going on. A family-friendly, legendary Austin happening that I think folks should check out at least once. read more

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If you're an Austinite, this is one of those bucket list things to do if you haven't already. It's the perfect place to watch thousands of carefree spirits in motion with costumes (or lacking costumes) to match. I was surprised to see that after all these years, there's less than 30 reviews. Parking here is basically nonexistent, use their shuttle system, get dropped off or ride a bike. This is one of those events that are like no other, especially since there is no entry fee and you can bring your backpack. There's lots of local craft beer for sale, dozens of Porta potty's, numerous vendor tents, non-profits and a drum circle (which grows in intensity as the day wears on). The majority of the vendors take cash, credit or Venmo, but you have to have tickets to buy beer. There are hydration stations and places to fill your water bottle up for free. There's also a very large play area filled with swings and playscapes for the kids. There's also face painting, live music and games for the kids. There's lots of shady acreage in case you want to set down a blanket and listen to the sights, sounds and smells. As the late April afternoon sun starts to blaze, be sure to have a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses (body paint is encouraged, but optional). You may also want to add incense, a portable bubble machine, tie-dyed shirt and a rhythmic device to your list of things to bring. You definitely want to check out the videos and link below. https://eeyores.org/faq/ read more

Eeyore's Birthday Party - Sporting my authentic late 1960s shirt. - Local Flavor Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Eeyores 2019 My 42nd. I almost didn't go. But, that wasn't an option since I have been volunteering for the past 25 or more years. My team was already put together so off we went. Leslie is always reminisced and missed. There seems to be less folks dressing up, more painted boobies and stoners. If you are tripping so hard that you cannot talk to me about what beer you wish to have, I am not going to serve you. Throw your hissy fit somewhere else and move along please. I dunno, perhaps it's the times, but I did notice a larger hallucination presence this year. I did say it was my 42nd, so been there done that.. however something a little disturbing seeing middle aged 50-60 something year olds, tripping balls. But Hey! Their life and the party must go on. There was an impressive drum circle under a awesome round tent, complete with a multicolored canopy at one entrance of the park. Packed full of hot, sweaty bodies jumping around to the beat of all the drums. I left at 4pm, so don't know if they had the unicycle football game as they have in the past. Pro tip.. take the shuttle, it's free. Tow trucks were circling, with County Deputies, making a killing. The tow trucks not the deputies. They would tow a car and within 10 mins another car would park in the same space only to be towed shortly thereafter and the cycle would continue. Get there early.. The throngs of people arriving as we were leaving was huge. I would imagine the audience doubles from 3pm to 4pm. Yes, there will be painted boobies, people tripping doing strange stuff. If you have kiddos, you may want to stay in the south end of the park where all the kid's activities are staged. There are food/drink booths there and you will find other families to play with. This event for this old Austinite brings back many, many memories of the late 70's when I arrived from London. Always see folks who I really only interact with once a year and friends from the past 40 yrs. Truly a unique Austin Experience. read more

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The first month I lived in Austin I went to Eeyore's and I wasn't real impressed. There was hardly anyone there. I felt a bit concerned for the Eeyore that was being mauled by little kiddos. But I went this year and OMG it was a madhouse! So many people and so much smoke. I got roped into volunteering for a few hours so free beer was the payment. Pretty cool. I wish they would have had more johns for the volunteers and more tp too. The johns were so gross you almost wanted to hurl upon entering. Guys are so lucky. I did lose all my friends and had to wait at the bus stop and the bus never came so I hailed a cab for the cutest guy ever and he saved the day. It was worth it because I would have spent at least that much on beer. Fun Fun FUn. Just don't get seperated from your friends because they may not answer their lame phones. read more

Eeyore's Birthday Party - my new bus friend! - Local Flavor Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Poor Eeyore thought all his friends had forgotten his Birthday when in reality they were planning a surprise party for him. Now we can all celebrate his birthday every year the last Saturday in April at Pease Park. For the whole story click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eeyore's_Birthday_Party Well this year was no different from the past 8 years I have been going - lots of awesome costumes, lots of painted bare boobies, lots of beer drinking and pot smoking, bare butts, naked children, cats on leashes... It seems like the drum circle gets bigger every year. By 4PM the park was packed and the drum circle was the place to be. Despite all the bare body parts and pot smoking, this is very family friendly event. The kiddos can have there picture taken on the donkey (Eeyore), costume contest, May Pole, body paint... Also, very pet friendly lots of dogs, cats, horses, pet birds. If you have never been you are truly missing out on an Austin tradition that helps keep Austin Weird. read more

Eeyore's Birthday Party - Tara M. in front of Eeyore of Liberty - Local Flavor Near Me - Austin, Texas

If you don't think Austin is all that weird, then you've never attended Eeyore's Birthday Party. If you live here, you're more-or-less obligated to attend this event at least once. You'll be glad you did. read more

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I am no longer a virgin to this party as of this Saturday. Wow! Do you want a place for awesome people watching? I saw people dressed up as Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh, centaurs, crazy evil rabbits, Wizards, fairies, etc. I also saw many topless and almost naked women. Do you want delicious over priced food for charity? This place gots you. They had bruschetta, grilled cheese & tomato sandwiches, sausages, funnel cakes, turkey legs, etc. anything your munchies would enjoy. Next you have the beer. It is about $5 per beer. Others have bitch about this and honestly the price is like a cheaper beer in DC. Being that I moved from DC metro a few months ago it was no big price shocker to me. I enjoyed trying local Austin brewing companies and at one point I wanted to try all the highest ABV. People do dumb stuff. Haha Now if you have areas all around the park where you can listen to music and it can sound better if you hang out with the right people read more

http://youtu.be/WANNqr-vcx0 And every other Jefferson Airplane song. read more

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It was a beautiful day for a party. Trying to find parking was a pain in the ass, but its Austin in 2008, so forget about convenient parking. We ended up on parking on the street at 12th and Windsor, and found out later that we had scored primo parking compared to many others. We listened to some good music, including a latin band named El Tule we really liked. Ate some crappy food, but drank some great beer, and hung out with friends. This year was like all the rest - folks walking around reveling in their freakiness, lots of near nudity, sweet smoke everywhere, and tons of kids and dogs. We saw a poodle dyed pink and white on the way in, and within 10 minutes came across a old dude wearing a speedo who was completely encased in silver paint. Ho hum, just another Eeyore's. All in all we had a great time. Ran into McLovin and her beau, and some old friends we hadn't seen in a while. We ended up going to Homeslice for dinner and had a wonderful day out. I agree with Tara that in a weird, hippy-dippy way, Eeyore's is kid friendly, but we were kind of happy that both our teenagers declined to come with us. Something about my 14 year old boy seeing a woman with breasts hanging down to her waist, exposed and painted with bright orange/yellow/red targets just doesn't sit right. read more

There's really no way to understand Eeyore's Birthday Party until you've seen it with your own eyes. You'll enjoy yourself if you are open to the 'Austin way of life'. To summarize, bring your: 1. costume (butterfly wings, face paint, steampunk, risque, doesn't matter, just keep in mind it's hot out) 2. blankets (chairs are not really necessary, and are bulky on the bus) No coolers allowed. just bring blanket and buy food there. camp out. 3. Bug spray, water and warm-weather clothes. Be prepared to sweat. 3. Cash for buying food 4. Musical instrument, hoop or other diversion. 5. Stay all day but be prepared for dirty portapotties. Everyone has their crowd here - hippies, beer drinkers, sporty outdoorsy types, nudists, musical types. People with wolf emblems on their tents. The hill was covered with people who camp out on blankets all day. There's a drum circle, hooping, and outdoor activities like an egg toss. You could see someone practicing their whip skills around the corner. Everyone has their dog (or cat zipped inside a bike trailer). As they say, "Please wear a costume". Last year's Halloween costume totally works. Note, we saw at least 3 topless women, including those with painted breasts, and Eve. However, there are still kids here. The food was all reasonably priced, despite the fact that Eeyore's birthday party is a benefit. Buses were prompt and free and we took the one leaving from a city garage in central Austin. read more

Always my favorite festival, Eeeyore's still gives one a peek through the rapidly closing window of yesteryear. The drum circles, in harmony with the various aromas, sights and good vibes, provide a soundtrack to the day. Little kids and kids at hear giggle in unison to the randomness that continually surprises and entertains all attendees. The great local craft beer stands provide libation to the celebration and the food stands do quadruple duty providing nourishment with a smile despite the heat from their equipment and the sunny day's rays. I have to admit I am starting to dread some our festivals, but I continue to look forward to Eeyore's and I am already looking forward to next year's birthday party with great anticipation. read more

Eeyore's Birthday Party - Local Flavor Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I scouted this event out due to its name thinking it was kid friendly. There were definitely a lot of kids there, but the smoke and nudity made me question my decision. We went with it and had a great time people watching and enjoying the music, playground, and overall experience. We parked at the state building and took the free shuttle. The line to get on the shuttle was huge, but they came one after the other, so it wasn't so bad. They packed each shuttle full, but no one had to stand. It drops you off at the edge of the park near the main "official" stage and then you are on your own. With exception to the "official" stage, people bring their own instruments and entertainment and form their own activities, including drum circles, human acrobatics, etc. Keeping Austin weird I guess. Everyone was extremely nice and the limited vendors were all reasonably priced and offered a variety of fares. We spent a couple of hours here and then caught the shuttle back, with a shorter line this time. Definitely do it once if you haven't done it already. read more

What a fun and unique experience. Got delicious Independent Saison beers, enjoyed drums circles and talking to complete strangers. Yes there is a lot of illegal activity going on, but no one cares. There is also a lot of cool stuff for kids and don't worry - these sections are no where near each other. Most of the kids are out petting Eeyore or watching the show on the little stage, doing potato sack races, etc. People are all over the open fields and also in the woods. Even in April, I still got a sun burn and almost couldn't stand the heat. We took a bus there, which would have been a good idea if we knew how to get BACK onto it. But we didn't. If I ever go again, I'd take a taxi. But in my opinion, one only really NEEDS to experience this once unless it's just really your thing. If you aren't open minded and don't believe in the Free Love philosophy, do not go!!! I can't repeat that enough. read more

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Check out our group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=47458672142 Eeyore's Birthday is Saturday, April 24th, 2010 read more

This party should never die out. Coming in costume, people watch, mind altering substances, drum circles. Why not? It's a great Austin tradition which should go until the end of time. Some tips - It gets hot. Dress accordingly or undress, depending how gutsy you are. Parking. Just take the free, yes free shuttles. Not too sure where the pick you up. I know it's available on the website Go nuts. Well don't hurt anyone in the process. You know what I mean. There's price gouging but it always happens in every festival. Anyway, just have fun. And don't complain how weird it is. That's the whole point! read more

The wife and I were in town for just the weekend and were (lucky?) enough to attend a few afternoon hours of this distinctly Austin event. It was a very hot and humid day outside, but that sure didn't stop tons of people from all walks of life coming in to experience one day of pure "anything goes." There were at least 2 drum circles, dancing around the May pole, unicycle football, and (it goes without saying, here) a live music stage. Of course there were plenty of booths serving of cold craft beers and food options that ranged from fair fare (ha ha!) to various grilled meats. But that's not what you to to this "birthday party" for. No, my friends, this is people watching at its very best. It's like a Hippy Halloween in the middle of April. Literally, everything and anything counts as costume- men in skirts, women in only paint, and outfits that range from wild to "what the heck is that?" And then there's the back of the park, in the hills, where the offerings can get more "adult." Magic brownies and weed, topless body painting, and plenty of other mischief. The constables are around but nobody cares, it's like this one day is a free pass and as long as nobody gets hurt, it's all allowed. Now don't go thinking this is just an adult party either. We saw lots of children, many dressed up too, enjoying the Eeyore petting pen and walking the grounds. The openness of it all was pretty amazing to see- just know there is no boundary line between a family section of the park and rest of the proceedings- heck, it's all one big family of diverse weirdness anyway. Truly an individual expression of pure Austin, this party is an event where you can let your hair down and be amongst others expressing the same. Best advice- just go with the flow, enjoy the sights and sound and leave your judgments at home. Glad to see there are still opportunities to do this. read more

My first observation is that there were fewer bare breasts than ever before but a good time was had by all. The beer was COLD, the brat was HOT and the event was orderly and well attended. Drum circle.....well, it's a drum circle so after a few minutes it all starts to sound the same to me. Just one of those Austin parties that help to keep us weird. read more

Why review a local event? Well, if I can convince one or 100 of you to check it out, then we'll just have that many more who come back year after year ... and bring their friends. This is just a very chill event with all walks of life roaming around. Want to people watch the weird of Austin? Well this is THE day to do it! A large number of folks dress in some form of costume and/or body paint -- it's encouraged. Dogs are welcome. I even saw a cat (on shoulder), a goat, and several boa snakes this year. Of course, there's always a donkey (aka Eeyore) in a fenced pen for the kids to check out. volunteer!!! I can't stress this enough. The event is run by volunteers -- many who've been participating for decades. There are many areas to help out including but not limited to setting up in the morning, transporting ice from the trucks to vendors, serving beer, general security, etc. And it's not like you have to 'work' all day. Many positions are just a few hours and then you're free to enjoy the party. Volunteers get a good quality commemorative t-shirt and free beer (all day!). We want to raise money for the non-profits, but we also need to have volunteers run the show. So you can pay $4/beer ... or 'work' a few hours and earn it. Along with the costume contests and egg toss (don't stand too close!), I also witnessed unicycle football this year. Yeah, that was different. There's one main drum circle and often another one or two that will set up in the park; the beat goes on all day long. Stand and watch, jump in and dance ... do whatever you feel like. No one's there to judge. Been wanting to let your inner freak out? Well, this is probably the place to do it. Why not!? Be aware about going up the hill and into the trees -- it's a general hangout but also where adult (herbal) activities are more likely to take place. For food, bring cash and sample juicy brats, awesome corn dogs, a huge bag of kettle corn (have or make some friends!), plus many other options. As for the beer, you won't find any mainstream, big corporate brands. All beers are from local Texas breweries. Please take note that these typically have a much higher alcohol content (6-7% versus your normal 4%). That means they'll hit you harder and faster ... especially in the heat. Seriously, go slow on these and keep hydrated with water, etc. It took me a couple of years to learn how that % can make a difference -- both that day/night and the next morning. :) Talk to folks! This is a great 'open' event where folks are just in an all-around good mood. If you like their costume -- tell them. If you want to pet their dog, then ask first and give the little ones some love. Do good, be nice, and have a great time. The following is copied/edited from an email that one of the volunteer board members sent out. ++++++++++++ It's that time of the year to get your weird on. Pull out your costumes and come be a part of Austin's funky version of a city-wide country picnic. Of, by, and for the community. Always a good time. The [currently] 2nd longest-running event in Austin, one of the few FREE events, and one of the few left in the US that isn't sponsored by some mega-beer-corp, AND all proceeds go back into the Austin community through donations to local non-profits that make a difference -- an eclectic day of affordable fun and zaniness that benefits Austin. Eeyore's Annual Birthday Party http://www.eeyores.org FREE ADMISSION *Children's Area (Games and Crafts) *Costume Contests (Kids/Adults) - PRIZES!! *Live Music *Face Painting, Henna, Temporary Tattoos *Drum Circle *Food and Beverages (Veggie, too) *Maypoles *Adult Games *Commemorative T-shirts Children's Area (11a - 4p) Games, Crafts, Eeyore. Everyone wins every time. Live Music (12 noon - 6p) *** Transportation, Parking & Shuttles *** Don't even think of trying to park at Pease Park. There is NO PARKING available at the park. Take the bus, ride a bike, walk, or take the FREE shuttle! FREE PARKING for the shuttle [see web site for current locations] ... where our shuttle buses will pick you up (and return you) - all day long!!! Handicapped parking also available at [*]; we have several special needs buses chartered for our shuttle service. Also Capital Metro bus #338 stops at Martin Luther King and Lamar and runs until 11:00pm. Miscellaneous *NO bottles, cans, coolers or tents will be allowed in the park *All dogs must be on leashes *IDs required to purchase or drink alcoholic beverages Eeyore's Birthday Party is an affordable fund-raiser of, by, and for the community that benefits numerous non-profit groups in Austin. Many will be selling hot and cold food (including vegetarian), soft drinks, juices, spring water, and Texas beer (and root and ginger beer). read more

I'm always amazed every year how many people I meet that have not been to Eeyore's Birthday Party. I've gone for well over 20 years now and have varying degrees of a great time each time. Depends on how much beer you drink and how hot it gets. Don't forget it does have a kid friendly nature to it early in the day. Costume contest, a donkey representing Eeyore, face painting, big puzzles, and enough beer to make a morning in the park appealing to an adult. Either take your kids home early or be prepared to explain some things if you stay after 1pm. My daughter has been desensitized from an early age. It's amazing how many women want to express themselves through public toplessness, and how many guys feel compelled to stop and stare. I enjoy passing by the drum circle a few times through the day as the sound changes and everyone is wandering around. Bands play at the south end of the park. Many area brewers come out to provide beer, much less the carnival food options. The Friends of the Forest Foundation give out grants to local teachers. It's a good cause that's worth supporting. read more

Drums. Beer. Painted nekkid ppl. Dogs and cats. Tie dye. Fairy wings. Hula hoops. Secondhand smoke. All that was promised, in a completely digestible, enjoyable context. read more

Eeyore's Birthday Party - Hipstamatic time-travel view, 2010 - Local Flavor Near Me - Austin, Texas

I 've been many times but had to laugh once more when the "peace keepers' came over and chewed me out for having a beer can while the guy next to me (10' away) with full sleeve tattoos was smoking a joint. Only in Austin.......... I also found the girls with hoola hoops around the drum circles almost as entertaining as girls on jumping trampolines. read more

This event reminds me of the How Weird Festival in San Francisco. Lots of naked people, costumes, consumption, and music. All good stuff. I have not attended since I was in college, but there is always next year. From what I understand, the rules are still as relaxed as they were X number of years ago. read more

This lived up to expectations! We've planned on going for many years but never got around to it until this year. We definitely plan to come back next year. The free parking and transportation were great and worked wonderfully. The garage had plenty of parking and the buses ran regularly. Our driver even blasted some classic rock to get us all in the mood for the event. All the stories you've heard about the event are most likely true, since I really think anything is possible at Eeyore's Birthday. The craft beer for $5 was great and the chicken fajitas were also great. The proceeds going to charity just sweetened the deal. If you want a more wild time, there are areas for that and if you want family friendly there are areas for that. It truly was something for everyone. Major props to the Peace Keepers on horseback for providing a reassuring presence, but not limiting the good times that were all in fun. read more

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I have attended this event once while living in Austin. I would have to say that it was an eye opening experience to those that are not familiar with this type atmosphere! The food was good, people are friendly! lots of fun! read more

we all get old. that is a poor excuse for growing up. what we love about eeyore's is the fact that young and old are free to be whatever they want. I think it's great that older women feel free to let the saggy boobs get some air, even tie balloons to their nipples etc. dress up in silly costumes, or maybe it's not so silly to them. somehow the potato sack race was missing from the 2012 event. but the drumm circles were there and there was plenty of craft beer. if you find the human body offensive, this may not be the party for you. if you dislike the smell of smoldering skunk, best stay home. if you can't understand the pleasure of bangin' a crescent wrench on a fryin' pan along with 200 other drummers while some guy in a wolf costume does a rain dance... you probably take yourself too seriously. and don't forget, this event supports several good causes. buy those $4 beers and be happy about doing good deeds. read more

Okay, wow, when did I go to Eeyore's birthday party? I believe it was 2002, maybe 2003. Went with my boyfriend-at-the-time (BATT) and another friend. We sat with a couple of my BATT's friends who brought super potent marijuana with them. Now, the cops don't care at all if you smoke grass at Eeyore's birthday party. I didn't see anyone get arrested, yet EVERYONE was toking. I only had two drags, but that stuff got me really high. Too high. That coupled with the terrible seasonal allergies I was experiencing made for a pretty lousy afternoon. It all came to a head when I WENT to the head... the port-a-john was marked "vacant", so I opened the door. There was a man standing there holding his... doing his business. I was so high I was like Towlie from "South Park": "I have no idea what's goin' on." I seriously stood there and just stared at it. He finally asked if I was getting a good enough look, and that's when I came back to reality. I slammed the door and trucked it to the other end of the port-a-john line to wait for my turn because I was incredibly embarrassed. Note to others: LOCK THE DAMN DOOR! I dug the girls wearing pasties and grass skirts. I swore if I ever went back to the event, that I, too, would don some pasties. And the guy completely outfitted in silver body paint was a trip. And I don't know how many strangely-dyed dogs I saw there. The drum circles actually got annoying after a while, as I was trying to listen to one of the actual bands. Decent local beers, but I think better local beers have popped up since my one trip to Eeyore's bash. The food was great, but everything was overpriced, I think. I was glad to know most of it went to charity. I seriously doubt I'll be back since all there really is to do at Eeyore's is get stoned, and I just don't do that anymore. A toke every once in a blue moon, but not stoned, thank you. read more

This is the only thing left of Austin worth caring about. Enjoy it while it lasts before that idiot mayor and his corporate lackeys on the city council kill the last remaining cool thing about Austin. read more

Fun Austin fest. Drum Circle is notorious. Great place to people watch. Everyone simply must do it at least a few times to get into the spirit of living in Austin. Total Rite of Spring type thing. Magic Cookies, near heat exhaustion. The impossible parking. Such a fun freaking time. read more

For those who have children. My family goes to Eeyore's every year. My kids love it. They play on the playground, play the kid's games, draw with chalk, make a craft, get their faces painted and dance around. We usually bring toys to share with the kids on the blankets near us. There are always acrobats or jugglers or puppeteers performing for their entertainment. My suggestions for attending with children is go early. This will let you stake out a spot in the shade. If you don't want to buy your lunch, bring a picnic. We tend to share with our neighbors. My son, who is four, likes to bring a drum (or a Pringles can) and is big into the drum circle. I find we need to go home about 3, when the toking gets too thick around us. Don't get me wrong, I'm 420 friendly but I don't want my kids getting a second hand high, you know? Yes, there are painted boobies, but if they don't notice much. If they do, they say she looks pretty. read more