As the sun set on the fifth day and we enjoyed our dinner of arancini, we checked out the DeLorean mysteriously parked at the SXSW Foodspotting Street Food Fest, and we began to plan our evening.
Our main stop was the SXSW Interactive opening night party, sponsored by Microsoft and Frog. Because we arrived early, we all got light sabers. Later arrivals were jealous. We should have sold them. (On the way home that night, an epic light saber battle ensued with a stranger in a crosswalk. My week was made.) We nerded out over all sorts of games and demonstrations (Butterfly trikes! Human Connect Four! Boxing Robots!) and partook of the free drinks. I got stared down by the bartender and carded, allowing me to further cling to the fact that I will always look 16.
All of these things were around the outer perimeter of a giant event center. What was going on inside? We went in to find a giant video game area, complete with a tricked out school bus for a game about a cheerleader with a chainsaw saving the world from zombies, or something like that. An interestingly costumed fan insisted that it was awesome. We were convinced that there was more to the opening party inside the building - it was pretty cold out! - so we kept wandering around until we found ourselves in an arena just in time for the third quarter of the first roller derby I had ever seen.
It. Was. Awesome. As a former rugby player and a five-foot-tall person with perhaps a slight Napoleon complex, I totally want to play. Too bad I'm terrible at skating...
Whenever there was a penalty, it was settled by the announcer spinning a wheel to choose an appropriate challenge, such as a pillow fight or an arm wrestling match. Is that standard to roller derbies or was this a special event? We were so confused. But we loved every minute of it.
Eventually we set out to return downtown and find some real dinner since our truck binge was hours earlier.
Other posts in the Fork it over, Austin! series:
Part 1: Whip In
Part 2: Foreign & Domestic
Part 3: Caffe Medici
Part 4: Walking Along SoCo and Lunching at Chi'Lantro
Part 5: The Capitol, UT Austin, and Lunching (Again) at Torchy's Tacos
Part 6: Museum of the Weird
Part 7: Uchi
Part 8: East Side King at The Grackle
Part 9: Franklin Barbecue
Part 10: Flagship Whole Foods and My First Green Smoothie
Part 11: Late Night Pizza at Via 313
Part 12: Kebabalicious
Part 13: My Robotic Kitchen Planned This Dinner Party
Part 14: Papi Tino's
Part 15: Annie's Cafe & Bar
Part 16: The Peached Tortilla
Part 17: Cupcake Quest: Hey Cupcake!
Part 18: Arancini
Part 20: Second Bar + Kitchen
Part 21: Tia Kelly's Navajo Tacos
Part 22: Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Part 23: Gourdough's
Part 24: The Ice Cream Social
Part 25: Walking to Barton Springs
Part 26: Izzos Tacos
I'm also posting daily recaps on the Tasted Menu blog, FOOD=LOVE:
Day 1: A First Taste of Austin
Day 2: Tons of Tacos, Sushi at Uchi, and a Late Night Trip to East Side King
Day 3: Early Morning Barbecue and Late Night Pizza
Day 4: Globetrotting: Kebabs, Enchiladas, Pommes Frites
Day 5-6: Meeting and Eating
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