Trans-Pecos Festival of Music + Love
El Cosmico
802 Highland Ave
September 22-25
It is almost that time of year when adventurers, hippies, fashionistas, families and music lovers from Central Texas make their annual westward pilgrimage to Marfa for the Trans-Pecos Festival. This will be the 11th year running for the now-iconic, three-day festival that started as a glimmer in Liz Lambert’s eye when she created glampsite El Cosmico in 2005.
This year festival organizers have packed more activities in than you can shake a stick at. Festival-goers have the option to take workshops that range from candle making to desert yoga to welding for beginners. Other perks include a vast array of clothing vendors, access to ready and waiting YETI coolers filled with beer, a community pig roast with Lou Lambert and a sandlot baseball game that has grown legendary. Hell, Trans-Pecos even organized RISE private jets to bring in some high rollers who prefer to skip the drive.
Lineup includes soulful R&B combo Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Adrian Quesada’s new psychedelic project, The Echocentrics, Grammy-winning country star Kacey Musgraves, raconteur Neko Case and festival mainstay Ben Kweller. Check the website for the dos and don’ts of desert living and remember to bring your freak flag, because at Trans-Pecos Fest free spirits soar.