The Texas Tribune Festival

The Texas Tribune Festival, or TribFest, returns to the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown this September, running from Thursday, September 24 through Saturday, September 26. It's a three-day stretch of workshops, panel discussions, and networking that brings together some of the state's most influential leaders, journalists, and policymakers for candid conversations on the issues shaping Texas. The festival focuses on education, economy, health, and technology, so the conversations tend to hit the things that actually affect how we live and work here.

Because it's a multi-day event, you can drop in for a single session or hang out for the whole thing. The workshops and panels are the core of the program, where the speakers talk through the issues rather than just giving a speech. Between those, there's plenty of networking, which is a good way to meet the people who'll be talking on stage. The whole weekend is designed as a way to stay plugged into the political landscape as the state heads toward its next legislative session, so if you've been wondering what's coming down the pipeline in Austin, this is where you'll find the people who are actually in the room.

It all takes place at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, 700 San Jacinto, Austin, TX 78701. The festival kicks off Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 AM CDT and runs through Saturday, September 26, wrapping up at 3:00 PM CDT. That's three full days of programming in the heart of downtown, so you can easily weave it into your work week or make a weekend of it.