46th Annual Eeyore's Birthday Party
Pease Park
Austin, Texas


What began in 1963 as a small event organized by a University of Texas English Professor to simultaneously honor the onslaught of  spring and the A.A. Milne classic "Winnie the Pooh" has, over  46 years, transmographied into a colorful, chaotic, and  cacaphonous Austin rite of spring where the beer flows, the drums never stop beating, near  nudity is de rigeur,  and that smell is exactly what you think it is.

The odd thing is that this "Austin snob", as my friends in Houston call me, had never been to the event even though he'd inhabited the City of the Violet Crown for the greater  part of 25 years.

It was  time to change that.

So I wondered on foot from my shack in lower  east Austin to Pease Park, a  fun walk of  a little over 3 miles  each way with plenty of  photo opportunities along the Lady Bird Lake and Shoal Creek Trails. I hope to have some photos from the trek up in the near future.

But first, the destination-

As far as Eeyore's- It was more exhilarating than I could  have ever imagined.

Was it the hippie-fest everyone says it is? Yes. Even more so, it was  an exhibitionist-fest. Ergo, folks did not mind having their pictures taken by a stranger. In fact, people were  stopping me, begging me to take their picture. I hope their hooch and weed-addled brains can remember my email address.

It was also cool  to find out that the event made lots  of money for local non-profits from booze and food sales. As far  as  weed sales.....



No birthday bash is complete  without a sign honoring the honoree



That's right Birthday Boy- buy it inside the park from a non-profit needing your cash!



The Eeyore Statue of Liberty- give me your drummers, your exhibitionists, and
your hippies yearning to chemically alter themselves- for some good causes, of course.



Now if that is not a Rite of Spring... 



The huddled, drumming masses yearning to make some noise.



Res Ipsa Loquitor



Estimated crowd- uhh.. 10,000 or so. Estimated sacrificed brain cells - billions.



What-- a drum circle?



Yes. Drum Circle.





Indo Board..



Dude- you try it.

Also check out Rich Banks' photos of the event. He got some really good ones!!!