General FAQ's
There are several travel options. Driving may be the most convenient if you live in Texas (approx. 6 hours from Austin; 8 hours from D/FW and 9 hours from Houston). El Paso and Midland are the closest commercial airports (and both are approx. 3 hours away). Amtrak offers service to Alpine. Private planes can land at Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport. Commercial service to/from Viva Big Bend is available through El Paso International Airport.
Most of Viva Big Bend’s show take place inside regularly operating bars, restaurants and hotels. As a result, you don’t need to bring much! If you’d like, bring a chair to the Fort Davis Pavilion and BBT BBQ. The Fort Davis Pavilion is also BYOB.
There are a lot of housing options in the area. Here are links to recommended hotels:
Partner Hotels
Cibolo Creek Ranch
Gage Hotel (Marathon)
Hampton Inn (Alpine)
Holiday Inn Express (Alpine)
Holland Hotel (Alpine)
Maverick Inn (Alpine)
Other Lodging Options In The Area
Alpine Bed & Breakfast
Alpine Classic Inn (formerly Best Western) – 432-837-1530
Antelope Lodge (Alpine)
El Cosmico (Marfa)
Highland Inn (Alpine)
Hotel Limpia (Fort Davis)
Hotel Paisano (Marfa)
Hotel Saint George (Marfa)
Lajitas Golf Resort (Lajitas)
Lost Alaskan RV Park (Alpine)
Mountain Trails Lodge (Fort Davis)
Old Texas Inn (Fort Davis)
Quarter Circle 7 Hotel (Alpine)
Riata Inn (Presidio)
Riata Inn (Marfa)
Stone Village Tourist Camp (Fort Davis)
Sunday House Inn (Alpine)
Three Palms Inn (Presidio)
Thunderbird (Marfa)
Veranda (Fort Davis)
Additional hotel/camping options can be found at the tourism sites listed above.
VBB/MUSIC FAQ
Tickets available now. Click here to purchase.
Click here for this year's lineup.
Box office times/locations:
- Wednesday, July 22 at Holland Hotel (Alpine): 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
- Thursday, July 23 at Holland Hotel (Alpine): Noon - 10 p.m.
- Thursday, July 23 at Planet Marfa (Marfa): 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.
- Friday, July 24 at Holland Hotel (Alpine): Noon - 10 p.m.
- Friday, July 24 at Planet Marfa (Marfa): 6:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.
- Saturday, July 25 at Holland Hotel (Alpine): 2 p.m. - 5 p.m
Each person (regardless of age) needs a wristband for admittance to the venues. Venues are all ages, with the following exceptions:
- Planet Marfa — After 10pm, children must be accompanied by parent/guardian.
- Railroad Blues — 21+
For the concerts at VBB/music: Venues have varying capacity restrictions. If the capacity limit is reached, it’ll be one-in, one-out.
This is the first question many people ask, and believe it or not, the weather can be relatively “cool” in this area at this time of the year. The average high temperature in Alpine and Marfa at the end of July is in the upper 80s and the average low temperature is in the lower 60s. As everyone knows Texas has experienced above-average heat in recent summers. Still, the high temperatures for Alpine and Marfa are consistently lower than other parts of the state. Since Viva Big Bend began we’ve averaged a high of 89 and a low of 65 for the event!
Don’t drink and drive! A designated driver is highly recommended. If needed, a couple free shuttles (for Viva Big Bend attendees) will run between the cities of Alpine and Marfa at night when the shows are taking place.
Another option for transportation during Viva Big Bend is Tom's Tours and Taxi. Phone: 512-585-5002; Email: tom@tomstoursandtaxi.com
- Planet Marfa – They have a limited, but tasty selection.
- The Gage Hotel – The Gage is open for dinner.
- Fort Davis (Saturday show) – there are multiple dining options close to the stage where we’ll have music.
- Amigo – Open for lunch and dinner.
- Starlight Theatre – food is available
- The Ritchey – food is available
Absolutely! West Texas is a great place for a family vacation. We are planning events that will keep the youngsters entertained. This includes daytime activities hosted by Wendy Parnell at multiple locations (check the fold-out map/program for specifics).
We will update this list as we gather the information:
- Planet Marfa — dogs are allowed
- The Ritchey — dogs on a leash (and the leash in hand)
- Granada Theatre — no dogs
- Fort Davis Pavilion — dogs are allowed