About a mile east from Zilker Park [1] as the grackle flies is Town Lake Metropolitan Park spanning the shores of the downtown portion of the Colorado River formerly known as Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake in honor of LBJ’s wife Lady Bird Johnson).
The park contains an extremely popular 10-mile shoreline trail [2] and fields for baseball, football, soccer/rugby, and volleyball. The park stretches east of I-35, and is a favorite spot for gatherings and events at Fiesta Gardens and Festival Beach.
The parkland on the south side of Lady Bird Lake is known as Auditorium Shores, where numerous concerts are staged throughout the year (most are free public events). Standing in the shadows of the large stage erected for these shows is a statue of Austin’s [3] beloved guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who died in a tragic 1990 helicopter accident. Fans pay homage to the legendary bluesman by leaving flowers and memorabilia at the base of the statue.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/texas/austin-and-the-hill-country/austin/sports-and-recreation/city-parks/zilker-park
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/texas/austin-and-the-hill-country/austin/sports-and-recreation/hiking-and-biking
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/texas/austin-and-the-hill-country/austin