Fortlandia Grand Opening Party

Fortlandia returns to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Thursday, October 1, with a preview party from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. It's a familiar Austin setup: eight large-scale forts, each built by a local architect, artist or maker, turn the Center's Luci and Ian Family Garden into a design playground. You can climb them, crawl through them and interact with them, so it's as much a nature adventure as it is an art installation.

The exhibition leans on kinetic elements and invites play, and it fits right into the Center's mission of connecting people with the natural environment. Every season brings a fresh mix of forts, so even if you've been before, you'll find new installations this time around. When the show closes, the pieces are donated or sold. The previous run drew around 125,000 visitors, and it's come to be known as a uniquely Austin blend of art, architecture, landscape and play.

The opening party adds a few more things to the mix. The Latin Dukes will be playing live, and there'll be face painting and food trucks on site. It's a good way to see the new forts before the crowds really settle in.

Entry is $15, and children ages 0-2 get in free. The party runs from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, TX 78739.