Red River Free Week helps bands and venues, raises awareness about overdose deaths

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Red River Cultural District's Free Week returned to downtown Austin this week. The festival offers free concerts from Thursday, Jan. 5 through Saturday, Jan 7.

The group behind Safer Together puts on a concert series each year to help raise awareness about overdose deaths in Travis County. The series also helps local bands and venues during a time that's not typically active and leads to a slump.

More than 100 bands are playing at these 12 music venues:

• Cheer Up Charlies
• Chess Club
• Elysium
• Empire Control Room & Garage
• Flamingo Cantina
• Mala Vida
• Mohawk
• Stubb’s Bar-B-Q
• Swan Dive
• The 13th Floor
• Valhalla
• Vaquero Taquero

Organizers say festival-goers will get discounts on food and drink from nearby places including:

• Hoboken Pie
• Stubbs Bar-B-Q
• Vaquero Taquero
• Shawarma Point
• Pelon's
• Central District Brewing

According to organizers, Free Week started in 2003 at the original Emo’s at Sixth and Red River streets.