Eeyore's Birthday Party
Encyclopedia
Eeyore's Birthday Party is a day-long festival
taking place annually in Austin, Texas
since 1963. It typically occurs on the last Saturday of April in Austin's Pease Park
. It includes live music, food and drink vending which benefit local non-profit organization
s, attendees in colorful costumes, and very large drum circle
s. The event is frequented by children and families, with specific events presented for them by the event organizers. The festival is named in honor of Eeyore
, a character in A. A. Milne's
Winnie-the-Pooh
stories.
by Professor Lloyd W. Birdwell, Jr. and other UT students. It was named for Eeyore
, a chronically depressed
donkey
in A. A. Milne's
Winnie-the-Pooh
stories who, in one story, believes his friends have forgotten his birthday
only to discover they have planned a surprise party for him. Despite its name, the event does not fall on the official birthday of the fictional character. The original event featured a trashcan full of lemonade, beer, honey sandwiches, a live, flower-draped donkey, and a may pole (in keeping with the event's proximity to May Day
). For many years the party was a UT tradition, but subsequently the annual Birthday Party became a tradition in Austin's hippie
subculture
.
When the festival moved from Eastwoods Park to Pease Park in 1974, Austin-area non-profit Friends of the Forest, an organization which distributes funds to other area charities
, began arranging for food and drink vendors at the festival. They continue this task today along with arranging public services (toilets, buses, security, medics) and scheduling live music and family-oriented games and contests. The event is still known to most as a festival oriented towards modern hippies. It now boasts an annual attendance in the thousands.
Drummers bring a wide variety of instruments from hand drums to kettledrums. What started as a small picnic for University of Texas at Austin students has today swelled to a major annual festival with live bands, charity vendors of food, drink and local beers, as well as family-oriented games and contests such as sack race
s, costume
contests, and an egg toss. Attendance at the Birthday Party is free. Weather-permitting, it occurs on the last Saturday in April in Pease Park
; a rain date is scheduled for the following weekend. Bright and diverse costumes are common. In keeping with the original traditions of the event, a live donkey and a may pole are always present. The event begins in the late morning and continues until dusk. Although technically no bottles, cans, or coolers are allowed from outside the park many attendees bring in their own food and drink anyway. Due to the lack of parking in the area and the high attendance, The Friends of the Forest Foundation procures shuttle buses between Austin's downtown area and Pease Park
.
Eeyore's Birthday Party is attended by people from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages, some of whom may have been attending for decades. Austin's hippie community still puts in a major appearance at the event, which they celebrate by forming large drum circles which can sometimes contain hundreds of drummers and dancers in the large areas of the park not occupied by other events.
As of 2008, the event has also spread to Seattle's Cal Anderson Park
as an annual celebration.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
taking place annually in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
since 1963. It typically occurs on the last Saturday of April in Austin's Pease Park
Pease Park
Pease Park is a public park in central Austin, Texas.Open from early morning until 10:00 PM, the park is frequented by University of Texas at Austin students and disc golf enthusiasts. Every spring, it plays host to the annual Eeyore's Birthday Party celebration, a favorite event for Austin's...
. It includes live music, food and drink vending which benefit local non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
s, attendees in colorful costumes, and very large drum circle
Drum circle
A drum circle is any group of people playing hand-drums and percussion in a circle. They are distinct from a drumming group or troupe in that the drum circle is an end in itself rather than preparation for a performance...
s. The event is frequented by children and families, with specific events presented for them by the event organizers. The festival is named in honor of Eeyore
Eeyore
Eeyore is a character in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. He is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, anhedonic, old grey stuffed donkey who is a friend of the title character, Winnie-the-Pooh....
, a character in A. A. Milne's
A. A. Milne
Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne was a noted writer, primarily as a playwright, before the huge success of Pooh overshadowed all his previous work.-Biography:A. A...
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
stories.
History
Eeyore's Birthday Party began in 1963 as a spring party and picnic for Department of English students at the University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
by Professor Lloyd W. Birdwell, Jr. and other UT students. It was named for Eeyore
Eeyore
Eeyore is a character in the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne. He is generally characterized as a pessimistic, gloomy, depressed, anhedonic, old grey stuffed donkey who is a friend of the title character, Winnie-the-Pooh....
, a chronically depressed
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
in A. A. Milne's
A. A. Milne
Alan Alexander Milne was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne was a noted writer, primarily as a playwright, before the huge success of Pooh overshadowed all his previous work.-Biography:A. A...
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
stories who, in one story, believes his friends have forgotten his birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
only to discover they have planned a surprise party for him. Despite its name, the event does not fall on the official birthday of the fictional character. The original event featured a trashcan full of lemonade, beer, honey sandwiches, a live, flower-draped donkey, and a may pole (in keeping with the event's proximity to May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
). For many years the party was a UT tradition, but subsequently the annual Birthday Party became a tradition in Austin's hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
.
When the festival moved from Eastwoods Park to Pease Park in 1974, Austin-area non-profit Friends of the Forest, an organization which distributes funds to other area charities
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, began arranging for food and drink vendors at the festival. They continue this task today along with arranging public services (toilets, buses, security, medics) and scheduling live music and family-oriented games and contests. The event is still known to most as a festival oriented towards modern hippies. It now boasts an annual attendance in the thousands.
Contemporary
Sack race
The sack race or gunny sack race is a competitive game in which participants place both of their legs inside a sack or pillow case that reaches their waist or neck and jump forward from a starting point toward a finish line. The first person to cross the finish line is the winner of the race.Sack...
s, costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
contests, and an egg toss. Attendance at the Birthday Party is free. Weather-permitting, it occurs on the last Saturday in April in Pease Park
Pease Park
Pease Park is a public park in central Austin, Texas.Open from early morning until 10:00 PM, the park is frequented by University of Texas at Austin students and disc golf enthusiasts. Every spring, it plays host to the annual Eeyore's Birthday Party celebration, a favorite event for Austin's...
; a rain date is scheduled for the following weekend. Bright and diverse costumes are common. In keeping with the original traditions of the event, a live donkey and a may pole are always present. The event begins in the late morning and continues until dusk. Although technically no bottles, cans, or coolers are allowed from outside the park many attendees bring in their own food and drink anyway. Due to the lack of parking in the area and the high attendance, The Friends of the Forest Foundation procures shuttle buses between Austin's downtown area and Pease Park
Pease Park
Pease Park is a public park in central Austin, Texas.Open from early morning until 10:00 PM, the park is frequented by University of Texas at Austin students and disc golf enthusiasts. Every spring, it plays host to the annual Eeyore's Birthday Party celebration, a favorite event for Austin's...
.
Eeyore's Birthday Party is attended by people from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages, some of whom may have been attending for decades. Austin's hippie community still puts in a major appearance at the event, which they celebrate by forming large drum circles which can sometimes contain hundreds of drummers and dancers in the large areas of the park not occupied by other events.
As of 2008, the event has also spread to Seattle's Cal Anderson Park
Cal Anderson Park
Cal Anderson Park is a public park on Seattle, Washington's Capitol Hill that includes Lincoln Reservoir and Bobby Morris Playfield.-Features:...
as an annual celebration.