Everyone is welcome to discover Downtown.
The Downtown Austin Alliance launched VIBE Downtown to amplify the art, culture and vibe of Downtown Austin, Texas. The inaugural two-day event was free and open to the public, featuring live and unique musical performances, art installations and all-ages creative experiences on Old Sixth Street. Designed to help everyone discover underutilized spaces, these activations occurred in collaboration with a number of community partners — all working together to bolster creative industries and enhance visitorship Downtown. VIBE Downtown happened on September 19 and 20, 2025.
About VIBE Downtown
VIBE Downtown was designed to fund $30,000 in commissions for local artists and creatives, emerging from a year-long public engagement process facilitated by 501c3 arts and culture organization, Future Front Texas. Reflecting feedback from cultural stakeholders, VIBE offers more than a weekend to remember. The experience builds a bridge toward gaps in economic prosperity and addresses urgent needs to cultivate art, culture and community downtown.
Photo credit: Likeness Studio
Meet the VIBE Downtown Artists
An open call was hosted in May 2025 to select artists or artist groups to create experiences for VIBE Downtown. Chosen from over 100 applicants, each recipient will receive $6,000 to create their experiences.
DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 19
5 PM • WHEREABOUTS?! • 508 E 6TH STREET
To kick off VIBE, head to 508 E 6th Street for an all-around community party curated by Where Y’all At Though?! Expect first-come, first-serve bites from the iconic Cranky Granny’s, a happy hour conversation with The ATX Plug, and celebrated sets and live performances from DJ Planet Dev, J Soulja & Vintage Jay.
Known as the city’s premier cultural guide, Where Y’all At Though?! is a dynamic community tech organization dedicated to fostering connection and belonging for Black and Brown individuals in Austin, Texas.
8:30 PM • CON MUCHO AMOR • 508 E 6TH STREET
At night, come through for “Con Mucho Amor,” a community variety show inspired by the joy of Texas Quinceañeras—complete with drag performances, cake under the disco ball and a DJ’d dance party—all curated by Bobby Pudrido.
A Drag King and local curator, Bobby Pudrido combines his LGBTQ+ and Latinx identities to create spaces for queer people who are robbed of access to cultural traditions.
DAY 2: SEPTEMBER 20
12 TO 5 PM • PIECING TOGETHER: MOSAIC WORKSHOP • 522 E 6TH STREET
On Day Two, the party begins with a collaborative mural by The Mosaic Workshop. Drop by their interactive workshop to contribute your creativity to a community-designed mural of DJ Diggy Dutch, reflecting the live music culture of Austin. (While the mural is built outside, you can also catch DJ Diggy Dutch spinning inside from 1 to 4 PM.)
Co-founded by artists J Muzacz and Carmen Rangel, The Mosaic Workshop is a creative hub in Austin, Texas that teaches the art of mosaic-making through hands-on classes, collaborative team-building activities and monumental public art installations.
12 TO 5 PM • ATX MENDING LAB WITH SLOW FASHION FESTIVAL • 508 E 6TH STREET
Slow Fashion Festival takes over 508 E 6th Street for Day Two with all-day mending labs, a large community clothing swap and live quilting demonstrations. Ready to dive in, alongside talented makers and slow fashion designers? Here’s what you can expect (and bring):
- Clothing Swap — Bring pieces to trade and give your garments a new life.
- Garment Stories — Share the story of a piece you love or are ready to pass on.
- DIY Upcycle + Community Quilt — Add patches, paint, or stitching to your clothes, or contribute a square to a collective quilt.
- Repair Lounge — Learn simple fixes with volunteer menders and see stitch demos in action.
- Austin Repair Wishes — Write down what you wish could be repaired in our city and add it to the community clothesline.
Slow Fashion Festival is a community-driven celebration of creativity, craftsmanship and conscious consumption. Homegrown in Austin, they champion a thoughtful approach to style that honors the stories behind our garments and minimizes environmental impact.
6:00 PM • SHAKE IT AFRICA • 508 E 6TH STREET
Afrobeats meets Austin, Texas. Closing out VIBE’s inaugural weekend, end your day with dynamic performances, dance workshops and DJ sets from Shake It Africa.
Collaboratively founded by musician Jon Muq, music leader Kevin Wommack and manager Alva Sim, Shake It Africa brings people together through sound, rhythm and community. This isn’t just a party. It’s a cultural vibe.
About The Location: Old 6th
As the heart of Austin for over a hundred years, Old 6th Street contains much more than just history. In its two-mile stretch of pavement, an open-minded traveler will find all the buzz, lights, music and memory-making fuel that has made Texas’ capital its undeniable cultural capital as well. The Street of Dreams, as it was once called, was always much more than just a line on a map. It was a place. A place in the memory of everyone who ever traveled that cobblestone lane, whether by horseback in 1899 or on Craig’s back that one night in 1999. It was a place that defied segregation and welcomed all to its shops. It was a place that gave artists like Stevie Ray Vaughn and The Grateful Dead their first taste of the limelight. And it was a place where new restaurants, theaters, hotels, and ideas all had a fair shot to earn their spot deep in the heart of Texans. Now, Stream Realty is managing the redevelopment of Old 6th with special care—to preserve 31 of its unique historic parcels (totaling 200,000 sq. ft.) and a core part of Austin’s history.
Photo credit: Likeness Studio