Event Host Resources

Event Host Toolkit

Welcome to the resources page for event hosts! Check back often as resources will be added as they become available.

Below, you’ll find:

    • Visit this link to learn all about hosting a Roots & Wings Festival event!

  • The deadline for submission of the 8th Annual Roots & Wings Festival Event Host application is 11:59pm, August 1, 2025.

    You can review the entire application before pursuing it, and once you begin it, each time you click save, it’s there for 30 days.

    Please reach out to rootsandwingsfest@austintexas.gov when any questions about this application.

    • Please review the Info Session, especially if you’re a first-timer!

    • Access these tips for those new to the Roots & Wings Festival planning experience!

    • Incorporate these principles into your overall Roots & Wings Festival event using these tips!

  • The Roots & Wings Festival planning committee has created a Festival-wide land acknowledgment in recognition that our work in nature-based programming sits in direct relationship to the genocide and forced removal of Indigenous Peoples from their land and humanity’s long history of inequality and injustice perpetuated by legacies of colonialism and slavery, centered on the exploitation of people, land, and nature.

  • Click here to learn the procedures for hosting a larger-scaled event at a PARD park.

    • Visit here to see the guidelines to successfully market your Festival Event!

  • This database is specifically for potential Event Hosts who want to collaborate with other Event Hosts in some, maybe undiscovered, way.  After submission of this Google Form, you’ll get a link to the view-only database within a business day, with the option to download it for your own use.

    You are able to edit your responses at any time thru the Google Form submission email you receive.

Below are event-driven documents, videos and other tools, updated throughout the Festival planning process!

Event Logistics

What activities will you host at your event? We’ve gathered some possibilities to get you started!

Event Activities

  • Play the City of Austin's Arborama! A Tree Game at your event to create a gaming experience highlighting Central Texas native and climate-resilient trees! Visit us to learn more about the game, determine organization eligibility, and request the game set!

  • The Austin Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center has free mulch available for pick-up. Visiting the Drop-off center is by appointment only. You must load the mulch yourself. Mulch is free for everyone.

  • Make your neighborhood Roots & Wings Festival event a Block Party! Block Parties are one-time closures of a single block to allow residents to hold small, locally-focused events. Visit the City of Austin Living Streets Program for more information or email Margaret.Rapuano@austintexas.gov.

  • Shoal Creek Conservancy’s Seed Ball Kit Program can provide native seeds, clay, and soil for seed ball making activities at events around Shoal Creek!

    To qualify, this activity must take place within the 13 square miles of the Shoal Creek watershed (boundary map). Groups must also complete the Shoal Creek Conservancy Seed Ball Kit Impact Survey upon completion of program.

  • The Seed Collection is a joint project of the Austin Public Library and the Central Texas Seed Savers to establish a seed exchange of landrace, heirloom, locally adapted and native varieties of fruits and vegetable and other useful plants in Central Texas region.

  • Request your own tree-centric education and outreach materials through the Urban Forest Materials Request Form.

  • Feature tree seedlings to plant and/or to give away at your event!

    Request seedlings on your Roots & Wings Festival application. Species to be announced in September!

    • Keep Austin Beautiful Generation Zero Waste: Activity Kits

      Learn more about these all-inclusive activities for up to 30 youth!

    • Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Loose Parts Lending Kits

      Learn about how to borrow these kits, including fort building materials, nature items, exploration materials and small world creation figures!

Event Materials

  • Ready to learn about bats? Invite Erin Cord of Bat Conservation International to join your community event.

    Contact Erin Cord for more information.

  • Through engaging lessons and hands-on activities, participants will delve into the intricate anatomy of trees, discovering the roles of roots, trunks, branches, leaves, and more! They'll uncover the fascinating processes of trees, gaining a deeper understanding of how trees contribute to the health of our city. This activity typically lasts 90 minutes.

    Click here to inquire about this City of Austin Urban Forest Program activity!

  • 2024 Net Zero Hero, Master Gardener and Culinary Facilitator, Ms. Harvé Franks teaches a variety of classes to the community. As a long-term garden and arts educator, Harvé can offer gardening demonstrations and lectures on health and wellness, farm to table and food sustainability, and the indigenous farming culture of Central Texas.

    Contact Harvé about speaking at your event or sharing her expertise through activity!

  • Super Sapling Superheroes agree to serve and protect our city’s living things by making choices that support healthy trees, rivers, creeks, and wildlife! This activity typically lasts 45-60 minutes and is appropriate for children K-5.

    Invite the Urban Forest Youth Program to your event to host a Super Sapling activity for the littles!

  • Vicki Blachman is an experienced and enthusiastic Texas Master Gardener and Master Naturalist. As co-chair of PollinATX and a member of Austin’s Bee City USA initiative, Vicki is eager to teach your community about insects, pollinators, and more!

    Contact Vicki to see about having her speak at your event.

  • Invite Central Texas Mycology to your event and encourage your community to learn about growing their own mushrooms!

  • Katherine Tombs is a Capital Area Master Naturalist at Keep Austin Beautiful. She looks forward to sharing information and resources about KAB’s Vermicomposting program: Composting with worms!

    Contact Katherine Tombs for more information.

  • The City of Austin’s Urban Youth Forest Council can come to your event to lead this educational activity! Attendees will use familiar cooking ingredients to create a colorful art project that details the lifecycle of a butterfly. This activity typically lasts 45-60 minutes and is appropriate for children K-5.

    Contact YFC for more information.

  • Ashleigh Alvarez, MHA has been working with families with special needs children for almost a decade. She is willing to be a guide for Event Hosts in creating sensory-inclusive events. If you'd like to chat with her, drop Ashleigh an email!

  • Learn year-round tree care techniques from the City of Austin's Education Forester through this workshop, designed for groups interested in tree health and increasing the resilience of our urban forest. Request this workshop for your event!

  • Passionate about taking photos outside? Fine tune your skills in digital nature photography by exploring and applying concepts like lighting, composition, and texture in the environment.

    This workshop, led by the City of Austin’s Urban Forest Program, is geared towards amateur photographers with an interest and passion for capturing images in the natural world— only a smartphone is necessary, however digital SLRs are welcome. Click here to inquire about this program for your event!

  • Interested in learning more about the trees in your neighborhood? The City of Austin's Urban Forest Program would love to take a Tree ID Walk with you and your neighbors!

    Request a Tree ID Tour to explore local flora, learn to recognize different tree species, and discover fascinating facts about our urban forest!


  • Interested in reducing wildfire risk associated with wildland and natural areas impacting City of Austin? Cody Chappel from AFD can help cultivate a lasting culture of collective effort and awareness for both residents and City departments to be ready for the inevitability of wildfire by providing technical assistance and context for all things related to the fire environment and fire ecology in wildland ecosystems. 

Community Experts

Collaborative Opportunities