Does it ever seem like Austin is getting less and less weird? There’s a cure for that—Eeyore’s Birthday Party! This Austin original is taking place on Saturday, April 27 from 11am to dusk at Pease Park (1100 Kingsbury Street).
So how did this beloved annual tradition get its start?
The year was 1963, and Plan 2 students at the University of Texas at Austin were preparing for “dead week,” the week before finals were to begin. They, along with an English professor named Lloyd Birdwell, decided to host a spring party and picnic in Eastwoods Park. They named it for Eeyore, the chronically depressed donkey in A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh series, who in one story becomes convinced that his friends have forgotten his birthday. In fact, they’ve actually been planning a surprise party for him.
True to the story, the original event featured honey sandwiches, lemonade, a maypole, and even a live, flower-draped donkey. Probably not as true to the story, it also featured a trashcan full of beer.
While Eeyore’s birthday remained a UT tradition for many years, it eventually became a popular event among Austin’s hippie subculture. In 1974, the festival moved from Eastwoods Park to Pease District Park, and the Austin-area non-profit Friends of the Forest Foundation began arranging to bring food and drink vendors to the festival. This non-profit organization continues to spearhead the event, with funds raised going to benefit other non-profit groups in Austin. Learn more about all the great organizations they help support.
Today, Eeyore’s Birthday Party attracts 1,000s of attendees of all ages each year. Some of the day’s highlights include games, costume contests, face painting and henna, live music, and more. Impromptu musical performances and drum circles are also encouraged, so bring your favorite instrument. Don’t forget to take a turn around the maypole. And of course, be sure to wish Eeyore a happy birthday!