You know it’s spring when thousands of kites take to the skies above Austin. The ABC Kite Fest is returning this year to Zilker Park. Now in its 93rd year, ABC is the longest-running festival of its kind. In addition to the traditional kite contest and showcase, where you can watch expert flyers performing with professional-grade kites, the festival offers a pet zone for dogs to play in, a children’s music concert, a food court and lots of other fun stuff. Anyone can join the contest, which is judged by KXAN weatherman Jim Spencer, and handmade or store-bought kites are welcome. Sunday, April 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

We were afraid this would happen, and now, it’s happening: Starting March 21, Barton Springs Pool will close two days a week – Mondays and Wednesdays – “due to a lack of available certified Open Water lifeguards,” according to a news release from the parks department. (The pool already closes every Thursday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. for cleaning.) This whole problem started during spring break of 2020, when the Aquatic Division halted its lifeguard training program because of Covid-19. Even though training started up again in spring 2021, the division has not been able to build its lifeguard stable back up to the numbers necessary to staff all of the city’s pools. Being no ordinary swimming pool, Barton Springs requires special lifeguards who have the additional Open Water Guard certification and training, and currently there are only 23 such certified guards. The new, attenuated schedule “will continue until a sufficient number of guards can be hired, trained and certified.” If you simply must swim on Mondays and Wednesdays, check out the city’s pool schedule for alternative options. (Barton Springs’ 5-8 a.m. “swim at your own risk” swim times will not be affected by the closure.)

District 1 leaders are inviting community members to participate in a survey about the future of East 11th and 12th streets. According to the survey, this is a “unique opportunity to shape the future of two important East Austin corridors when Austin City Council adopts changes to the rules that govern how these corridors can be developed on April 21.” The survey measures attitudes on topics such as housing types preferred, diversity in the community, proximity to public transit, and access to parks and green space. If you live or work near East 11th and 12th streets or have some connection to the area, you may want to be involved in this process. “Your responses will help the District 1 office determine what land use changes are needed to reflect the community’s vision for future development and respond to residents’ and business owners’ needs.” Take the survey.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is cautioning travelers that, due to the return of South by Southwest and regular old spring break travel, the next few weeks are going to be very busy at the airport. In fact, tourists and trekkers should “expect a bustling and busy terminal” with “several peak days of travel including several 26,000 to 30,000 passenger days.” As Jacqueline Yaft, the airport’s CEO, explained in a press release, “The return of Austin events, Austinites and Central Texas travelers flying out for spring break and new air service offerings launching this March means that AUS will be busier than usual these months. As our teams plan and prepare for more travelers, we ask that travelers work with us to plan ahead, arrive early, trust our tips and pack some patience.” Fortunately, AUS has prepared some diversions for stressed-out travelers, including new art installations, concession offerings and live musical performances. Ray Benson will be performing at the Asleep at the Wheel Stage at Gate 19 on March 16, 1-3 p.m., and local artists the Reverent Few, Red Young and Buenos Diaz won’t be far behind him. Check out AUS’ full musical lineup for spring break.

It’s been a while, but South by Southwest is back this year and Austinites might want to brush up on the basics of spring festival season after a two-year hiatus. Some roads and parking lots will be closed, for one. We’ve embedded a basic map, but the city has put together more detailed maps that include dates as well. Those attending events should also check out the SXSW Covid-19 plan, which mandates a negative test or proof of vaccination.

Community members interested in the Asian American Resource Center may take a survey or attend a community meeting to learn more about the next phase of the facility’s expansion. The Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments, in collaboration with Trahan Architects, are launching the process of building a performing arts center. You can share input through April 3 via a community survey or attend an in-person community meeting to “kick off the process of identifying building requirements for the improvements.” The meeting will be held at the Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Road, Tuesday, March 29, 6:30 p.m.

Two upcoming virtual workshops offered by Austin Water will plumb the depths of the Aquifer Storage and Recovery project, a “water supply strategy to store available water in an aquifer for later recovery and use,” says the city utility. Attendees can learn all about ASR systems, which are already in use in San Antonio, El Paso and Kerrville and are becoming a lot more common, not just in Texas but around the world. ASR is part of the city’s Water Forward plan, a “road map for Austin’s water future for the next 100 years.” The workshops will share information that staffers have collected about ASR, solicit input on equity and affordability considerations and answer any questions that might come up. Register here for the March 24 workshop; register here for the March 29 workshop. Both workshops are from 6-7:30 p.m.

Even though the omicron surge is fizzling and Covid hospitalizations are dwindling, we’re still not tired of talking about vaccination – for the simple fact that many, many people are still not vaccinated. Luckily, Travis County, Austin Public Health and their community partners continue to host a variety of free, convenient Covid-19 vaccine distribution events, some of them in your very own neighborhood! No appointments are needed. Simply visit the handy online calendar and map to find the date, time and location of a nearby vaccine event. Austin Public Health clinics offer the Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, including third doses for the immunocompromised and booster shots. Remember to bring your vaccination card to get it updated. If you’re not vaccinated, you’re not protected from infection. It’s as simple as that.

As most everyone knows by now, the Public Works, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation departments are partnering to design and build a new car-free crossing for the eastern side of Lady Bird Lake near the Longhorn Dam. An upcoming public meeting will give community members an opportunity to get a 30 percent design update and “defining goals for site-specific public artwork for the project,” according to the news release. Civically involved citizens won’t want to miss this chance to weigh in on what has become a very closely watched process to create a very interesting pedestrian bridge. The Zoom meeting is Wednesday, March 9, from 5:30-7 p.m. Register here for the meeting, and check out the Longhorn Dam Bridge virtual open house to brush up on the project’s background.

The Downtown Austin Alliance is launching a new mural tour with a bike ride and live music at Republic Square. The March 12 bike ride will take off at noon from East Sixth and San Marcos streets. From noon until 2 p.m., live music and art will take place at Republic Square alongside the SFC farmers market. The self-guided mural tour will remain available through the rest of the year, with plans to install more downtown murals throughout 2022.

In light of Austin’s rapidly declining Covid-19 risk level that is currently settled in Stage 2, the city’s Development Services Department is ready to restore in-person services. Operations at the Permitting and Development Center will resume Monday, March 21. The city also plans to continue offering virtual services. For the most part, appointments will be available virtually and in person, Monday through Friday. As part of an ongoing effort, Wednesdays will be focused on clearing up a backlog of applications and permit requests, so no Wednesday appointments will be available for commercial intake, residential intake, land use intake, site and subdivision inspection intake, or the service center.

Interested in learning more about the CROWN Act, which protects against discrimination based on natural Black hair? Want to know more about tenants’ rights, eviction protections or wage theft? Or maybe you’d like to talk about the recent rise in hate crimes against communities of color, or what the city is doing to prevent homelessness. If any of these topics sparks your interest, consider joining one of the upcoming community conversations organized by the city’s Office of Civil Rights. These free meetings are intended to “share and gather information to ensure everyone feels protected in their space and understands what city resources are available to them. Through these discussions, community leaders hope to gather input about necessary protections people need to feel comfortable and not discriminated against in their work, educational, housing, business environments and in every space where we exist.” Register on Eventbrite for any of the virtual meetings:

• March 17, 6-7:40 p.m.
• April 13, 2-3:40 p.m.
• May 12, 6-7:40 p.m.
• June 2, 6-7:40 p.m.