ACL Fest is here! We have answers to all your questions. Here's what you need to know.

The Austin City Limits Music Festival returns for its 21st year in Zilker Park in October, and we're here to help you get ready. Here's everything you need to know before heading to the festival, and what to expect and experience once inside.

When is ACL Fest?

ACL Fest runs Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 13-15 in Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road. Gates open at noon on Fridays and 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The music starts starts at 12:45 p.m. Fridays, 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, and noon Sundays each weekend.

Who's playing at the festival?

Rap luminary Kendrick Lamar leads the bill on Friday alongside the Lumineers. On Saturday rock titans Foo Fighters play the skyline stage while the queen of glitzy country pop, Shania Twain, plays the back stage. (The 1975 will take Shania's spot on Weekend Two.) British folk rockers Mumford & Sons will take the fest out on Sunday with Odesza throwing a back stage dance party for the less banjo-inclined fest-goers.

Other notable artists on the bill include Maggie Rogers, Alanis Morissette, Kali Uchis, Hozier, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lil Yachty, Niall Horan, Rina Sawayama, Tegan and Sara, and Tove Lo.

For the full lineup, go to statesman.com.

More: Foo Fighters will tape 'Austin City Limits' in October for Season 49

How do I get to the festival?

On a wing and a prayer, we'll tell you that much.

Many options exist for getting to the festival: rideshares, driving yourself, walking, biking, scooting, or taking a bus.

ACL Fest: Here's your ultimate ACL Fest 2023 guide to parking, road closures, free shuttles and more

Our favorite option is getting a nice friend to drop one off as close as possible to the entry gates. Here's a breakdown of the others:

Rideshares: Use "Austin City Limits Music Festival" or "Zilker Park" as your destination to be dropped off as close as possible to the park. When you leave Zilker, you must walk away from the park in order to request a ride. Once you've crossed the river, South Lamar Boulevard or MoPac Boulevard's frontage road, you'll be able to use your rideshare app like normal.

Update: In 2022, the pick-up and drop-off points for rideshares were at Wallingwood Drive, Veteran's Drive underneath MoPac, and Lee Barton Drive. This year, your app should update to the nearest drop-off point once you enter your destination, according to the fest.

Driving yourself: If you want to drive yourself to the fest, parking is very limited and likely to sell out. There is no parking for festgoers at Zilker Park or the surrounding neighborhoods. Businesses selling spots near the festival are your best bets. In years past, we've seen spots for sale at Barton Springs Car Wash (500 S. Lamar Blvd.), and near restaurants along Barton Springs Road, including Chuy's and the former Shady Grove.

Bikes and scooters: Biking or scooting are two of the top ways to get there. You can lock up your bike on Stratford Drive after crossing MoPac bridge, on Toomey Road at Sterzing Street, or on Azie Morton Road. You also can drop off a MetroBike at Barton Springs Road and Sterzing Street.

Bus: ACL Fest provides complimentary shuttles to and from Zilker Park. Shuttles will run from Republic Square at the corner of Fourth and San Antonio streets starting at noon on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday each weekend. The shuttle will drop you off outside the west entrance of the festival. You'll meet at the west entrance when you're done at the festival for a ride back to Republic Square.

Check the CapMetro schedule for routes that can get you close to the fest.

Walking: Get dropped off or park close to the Ann and Roy Butler Trail and walk to the park. Check out the interactive map of the trail to see possible routes at thetrailconservancy.org.

Where do I enter ACL Fest?

There are two entrances on Barton Springs Road: a west entrance close to Andrew Zilker Road and an east entrance close to Azie Morton Road. There’s also the Lady Bird entrance at Stratford Drive, near Loop 1 (MoPac Boulevard). The Azie Morton Road entrance is usually the busiest.

Pro-tip: Plan to see some early afternoon sets. Yes, it's hot (usually), but crowds will be heavier and your wait time will be significantly longer by late afternoon. Plus, ACL Fest has a good track record for plugging artists who are about to break into those early bird sets. Think Shakey Graves, Lizzo, Gary Clark Jr.

Can I leave and come back during the fest?

You can leave and re-enter on the same day two more times after your first entry. Make sure you scan your badge out if you exit. You will have to go through security again to come back.

What can I bring to ACL Fest?

Bags: There are some stipulations. Small purses and fanny packs that are 6-by-9 inches do not need to be clear, but they can't have more than one pocket. Bags larger than 6-by-9 inches must be clear and not bigger than 12-by-6-by-12 inches.

Other allowed items: Sunscreen is allowed (and encouraged) but must be in non-aerosol containers. Personal hand sanitizer, chairs, baby strollers, blankets, towels, and a factory-sealed Narcan kit are also OK. Personal-use cameras are allowed, but not professional equipment or any kind of selfie stick or GoPro mounts.

Some prohibited items: Coolers, hammocks, glass containers, outside food and drink, umbrellas, tents or other shade structures, fireworks and weapons of any kind are some of the things you cannot bring to the park.

See the full list of what's allowed and not allowed at ACL Fest: support.aclfestival.com.

Hydration packs, such as CamelBaks, are allowed but must be empty of all liquid before entering the park.

That brings us to water bottles

You absolutely must bring a reusable water bottle. October in Austin is still hot and sweaty and dusty, shade in the park is limited and you're going to be reaching for water to drink the whole time. Water stations are dispersed throughout festival grounds for you to refill. Make sure your water bottle is empty at entry.

What's it like in the park?

The fest has seven main music stages, with the headlining Honda and American Express stages on opposite ends of Zilker. That's where the big acts play at the end of each night, and their superfans start hanging out early in the day (you'll see them running to those stages as soon as the "Star Wars" theme starts when gates open). The IHG Hotels & Resorts Stage is the new name for the Barton Springs stage, which is across the road of the same name, and can be a more chill experience, away from the main hustle and bustle. Tito's Handmade Vodka is under a tent and the crowd can spill out the sides during packed sets. The eighth and ninth stages are the Kiddie Limits and the Bonus Tracks stages.

Along with the iconic photo frame, the park is full of photo and reel opportunities. Check the official map on the fest's website for special brand installations and experiences.

What else is there to do during the fest?

Stop by the blissfully shady Bonus Tracks stage for an adventurous slate of non-music programming. This year's schedule has not been released yet, but organizers promise it's "jam-packed." In past years, the stage has hosted guided meditations, yoga classes, drag shows, live podcasts and interviews, including a 2019 sit-down with Billie Eilish and a 2021 conversation between Brené Brown and Brett "Roy Kent" Goldstein.

From 2021: Hanging out with the Muppets, Brett 'Roy Effing Kent' Goldstein and Brené Brown at ACL

You can also grab your favorite artist tee shirt in the merch tent or head over to the air-conditioned ACL merch store for official festival gear. Pro tip: Buy your favorite band shirt early; sizes often sell out.

Looking for a more personal ACL Fest souvenir? The festival has doubled the size of its vendor's market to host 26 artisans and makers selling prints, vintage clothing, jewelry and much more. This year, you can browse the handmade goods under the shade of tented dome structures.

What about the children? Austin Kiddie Limits is back

Austin Kiddie Limits runs both weekends from noon to 6 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Children ages 8 and under can attend the fest for free when they're with a ticketed adult. Two children are allowed per adult.

Children will need to be registered in the festival's "Tag-A-Kid" program to receive a wristband so they can get into the festival (Tag-A-Kid is not new; required registration is new). Information about how to register your child will be available closer to the festival, according to the ACL Fest website.

Austin Kiddie Limits programming includes live performances, crafts, snacks, photo booths and more. Tim Kubart, Sonia De Los Santos, Ralph's World and Q Brothers are among the acts in the lineup for Austin Kiddie Limits.

You'll be able to visit a lounge inside Austin Kiddie Limits to chill out, color or read. Dance lessons, hair-dos and kids airbrush tattoos will all be available as well.

Let's talk food. All that festing makes you hungry, right?

The traditional ACL Eats set up, with rows of vendors stationed on both north and south sides of the fest grounds, will feature about 40 food vendors. ACL Fest first-timers Brotherton’s Barbecue, Cuantos Tacos, Hawk’s Hot Chicken, Huckleberry, RedFin Seafood Kitchen, Salt & Time, Shake Shack, Show Me Pizza, Steamies Dumplings and Underdog will join a group of regulars that includes Austin’s Pizza, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Burro Grilled Cheese and JuiceLand. We have the full list of food vendors at statesman.com.

What are this year's drink options?

In addition to beer on tap, cocktails will be found at bars around the park for GA ticketholders for the first time this year. The festival's wine lounge and beer hall (where you can also catch football on big screens) are back this year, too.

There also will be two alcohol-specific activations. Tropical cocktails will be served with poke bowls from local shop Poke-Poke at the new Barton Beach Club Tiki Bar, where guests will be able to take home a tiki mug as keepsake from the activation located near the IHG stage.

And Tex-Mex restaurant El Patio, owned by a family group that includes C3 Presents co-founder Chatles Attal, will be whisking people away to El Patioville. The activation will include a food truck on the east side of Rock Island serving nachos and chips and dips and a margarita bar pouring El Patio’s signature margaritas made with Aquasol Tequila.

Those not interested in alcohol will also find a new bar to wet their whistle, as Bar None, located inside the ACL Market, will serve an assortment of mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from a menu created by Austin beverage consultant/barman Robert Björn Taylor.

What about dessert? Big news about the sweets

Those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth will find all of the dessert options at the festival in one location: ACL Sweets. The newly branded set up will be near the T-Mobile Stage and Austin Kiddie Limits. Vendors include ACL Fest veterans Amy’s Ice Creams, GoodPop, Bananarchy, Sno-Beach, Tiff's Treats and Tiny Pies joined by newcomers Candy Cloud World, Holla Mode, JP’s Pancake Company, Mister Softee and Picole. See the full sweet lineup at statesman.com.

Will there be road closures?

Stratford Drive on the west end of the park will be closed daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 4, with more extensive closures beginning Oct. 5, the day before the festival.

Closures along Barton Springs Road, the main road into the park, begin Oct. 2 and run through the first weekend of the festival. Barton Springs Road reopens to traffic on Oct. 9. It will close again for the second weekend of the festival at 7 p.m. Oct. 12. Partial closures will continue until Oct. 20.

See the full details and list of closures on a traffic impact grid released by the city of Austin.

Can I hear some of the bands without going to Zilker Park?

If your ACL dreams don't involve standing in Zilker Park with the masses, you have options. Hulu will broadcast live sets from the festival. Current artists on the streaming roster include Maggie Rogers, Rina Sawayama, Poolside, Suki Waterhouse and Gus Dapperton with more names forthcoming.

You also might be able to catch your favorite artist at one of this year's after shows, Oct. 6-14.

El Paso dream pop outfit Cigarettes After Sex (Oct. 9) and folk rockers Mt. Joy (Oct. 10) are both booked for big concerts at Waterloo Park. Australian blues rocker Tash Sultana (Oct. 6), recently reunited indie rockers the Walkmen (Oct. 7), Japanese/British dance floor banger Rina Sawayama (Oct. 11) and '90s faves the Breeders (Oct. 13) are among the artists who will play Stubb's BBQ.

For a somewhat smaller show experience you can catch avant garde rockers Yves Tumor at Scoot Inn (Oct. 7). Also, don't sleep on French producer and multi-instrumentalist FKJ (Oct. 11) or Canadian folksters Tegan and Sara (Oct. 12) at Emo's. Groove with Belgian electro pop duo Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul at 3Ten (Oct. 7) or chill wave duo Poolside, who will log a DJ set at Superstition (Oct. 7).

If you're looking for a truly intimate experience with a big name ACL act, try to snag tickets for a solo set from Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflet at Antone's (Oct. 6).

Full list of shows at aclfestival.com/nights.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ACL Fest 2023: Everything you need to know about lineup and more