GradFest

Welcome! This is GRACS' support page for GradFest 2009. The links to the left contain some information you might find useful.

GradFest will take place the weekend starting Friday, March 27, 2009. For prospective students with GradFest questions, or for current students with any questions, write to gracs@cs.utexas.edu.

This page lists the schedule for events organized by GRACS. For department-organized events, see the department schedule.

Activities: Thursday March 26th

Activities: Friday March 27th

Prospective students can choose from the following activities:

1. Downtown on 6th Street

2. Alamo Drafthouse

3. Mini Golf

4. Billiards

Activities: Saturday March 28th

For activity 1 and activity 2, students can choose from the following list:

1. Pease Park: One of the best disc golf courses in town and fairly close to campus, Pease Park is a great place to spend an afternoon. We'll be playing soccer and disc golf and organizing walks around the park.

2. Barton Springs: Where Austinites go to escape the heat. Barton Springs is a three acre outdoor pool fed by underground springs which keep the water a cool 68 degrees year-round. Come for some sun and swimming. Town Lake. (map)

3. Explore some unique Austin stores: (map)

   1. Amy's Ice Cream: A local Austin establishment. Enjoy standards like Vanilla and Dark Chocolate or try something new like Pumpkin Cheesecake or Cantaloupe. During the summer, Amy's on Burnet shows movies outside.
   2. Waterloo Records:
   3. Whole Foods: Yes, it's a supermarket, and maybe you have a Whole Foods in your hometown, but this is the flagship Whole Foods. Gelato, barbecue and sushi. And check out the walk-in beer fridge.
   4. Book People: This is a wonderful independent bookstore. Great selection and friendly staff make this a fun little hangout for book fans.

4. Tour the Capitol Take a tour of the largest state capitol building in the country. Made from granite quarried in Texas, the Texas State Capitol building has a distinct pink color.

5. Scavenger Hunt: Tour town and campus searching for clues while learning history and enjoying our lovely weather. This is gonna be a blast!

In case of rain, we have an alternate list of activities:

1. Harry Ransom Center: A book lover's paradise. Check out a Gutenberg bible, the Jack Kerouac's original "scroll" of On the Road, and galley proofs of Ulysses.

2. Alamo Drafthouse: An Austin tradition. These movie theaters feature a full menu (and a full bar), so kick back and relax watching the latest flick while munching on some delicious fish tacos.

3. Billards: Austin's Sixth Street is home to Buffalo Billiards, open late and featuring dozens of tables.

GradFest Site

The department also maintains a website with relevant information about GradFest for prospective students. This site includes information such as schedule of events, sign-up forms to meet with faculty members, financial information, etc. Click here to access the GradFest site. Please write to gracs@cs.utexas.edu to request a password for this site in case you have not received it already.

Additionally you can visit a list of topics on which we can answer questions.

Department of Computer Sciences | 1 University Station C0500 | Austin, TX 78712-0233 | (512) 471.7316 | (512) 471.8885 (fax)