Music news: Red River Cultural District needs our help. Here’s how you can defend your favorite music venues

Austin’s downtown Red River Cultural District (RRCD) is pushing for immediate aid to support growth and sustainability in its operations and events. RRCD is asking residents of Austin to assist in financial supplementation for the local entertainment district by contacting their city council representatives to support the initiative to provide funding relief for the organization.

RRCD has been home to a plethora of music venues and free festivals, Hot Summer Nights and Free Week taking place in the Summer and Winter, respectively are both cover free live music events to benefit venues and fans during typically slow periods during the year. There have been repeated instances of seeking out ways to keep the operations flowing in such a way to keep the music coming as much as possible, so much as to keep all the parties involved paid and loyal to the cause of Austin remaining a global music hub. On January 23, the non-profit org went public with a request for funding from the City of Austin’s Economic Development Office due to its status as a cultural and crucial entertainment district in the Austin area. Free Week 2024 showed the area massive success, as 15,000 fans attended and 300 local artists performed to several at-capacity venues that demonstrated record foot traffic for the annual event. You can check the district map to see which council member represents your district but it’s probably wise to contact as many members as possible.

The Red River Cultural District first approached the City of Austin  about financial aid at the January 8 Music Commission meeting. At that meeting, director Nicole Klepadlo told the commissioners that RRCD should receive funding equal that of other historical districts in Austin. The other districts include but are not limited to, Six Square, the Austin Black Cultural District in East Austin, and the Fifth Street Mexican-American Heritage Corridor. 

The city previously recommended $300,000 per fiscal year for Six Square, while another recommendation for the corridor outlined a $120,000 contract after coordination with the Mexic-Arte Museum, located on Congress Ave. near the Texas Capitol. The meeting on January 8 resulted in a recommendation by the commision for further RRCD funding, pending city council and representative review.

This request comes after the district was denied a $75k grant from the 2023 Elevate Grant program. Klepadlo also said that the district didn’t apply for the grant due to the later realization of the inequity of nonprofits being ineligible for the funds. The omission further proves that the organization needs better communication and city support to keep a steady stream of funds to keep activities running in their most functional state. 

When asked what the org would do with a new influx of funds, the RRCD plans to push for higher musician pay and aid for venues that struggle with issues like commercial affordability, eminent domain by highway expansion, and shortage of visitor parking for concert and event attendees. The organization currently pays bands a minimum of $350 per show, and the Live Music Grant recipients (venues) must pay each musician a rate of $200 per hour. These aren’t the only issues Red River is facing, but also venue staff-related roadblocks that make for a massive amount of jobs in the Downtown Austin area.

Fans can help remedy the ongoing campaign to secure funding by calling and emailing members of the Austin City Council and asking them to support the financing of the Red River Cultural District. Each representative can be contacted via the email addresses and phone numbers listed in the graphics below. Per the press release, the RRCD is also looking for funds to develop their bi-annual free festivals, Free Week & Hot Summer Nights, while maintaining a full-time staff to supplement the daily needed activities to keep the org afloat. Additional information about matters related to the Red River Cultural District and its related initiatives can be found at the Red River Rally page at the RRCD website.

Red River is also home to beloved music festivals Levitation, Oblivion Access, SXSW, Hot Luck, and Oktoberfest. With each being over extended weekends and sometimes an entire week, RR works to house most, if not all of the events curated by the festival. With a couple of the aforementioned events taking place in the Summer months in Texas, the heat has become a major concern when trying to run successful events during what can be a difficult three to four-month period. 

Financial relief will also help the venues and establishments supplement their needs for ideal, sustainable, year-round operation. According to the press release, council members can vote at the mid-year budget amendment meeting, which takes place in April. The option also exists to create a separate resolution outside of the regular city process. You can also help out by going to live shows, paying the cover, tipping the bartenders, and buying merch to support the artists.

Please follow and like us: