MAP: Downtown Austin closures planned this weekend for festivals, heart walk

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As we near the end of October, there are plenty of events happening in and around downtown Austin. Several road closures are planned in downtown this weekend ahead of the Austin Film Festival, Viva la Vida Festival & Parade as well as the Heart Walk Austin fundraising event.

The Austin Film Festival runs from this Thursday through Oct. 31 and will be held at a variety of venues, primarily in the downtown area. Closures are primarily limited to Congress Avenue between Seventh and Eighth Streets, but there is a closure planned on Seventh Street between Nueces and Rio Grande Streets in the early part of the day Sunday.

The city of Austin and the Mexic-Arte Museum sponsor the Viva la Vida Festival & Parade to commemorate the Day of the Dead. This year's event is slated for Saturday and will include art activities, food, local artists and vendors, a low-ride exhibition, live performances and a grand procession.

On Sunday, the American Heart Association will host its Heart Walk Austin fundraiser in Waterloo Park from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Officials suggested commuters use South First Street or Interstate 35 for north/south navigation and Cesar Chavez Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard or east-west traveling.

A complete breakdown of closures related to those events is mapped out below.

Elsewhere in local Austin events, Q2 Stadium will host a friendly soccer matchup Thursday between the United States Women's National Team and Iceland, with the game kicking off at 6:30 p.m. Information on how to commute to Q2 Stadium via bus and rail services, rideshares, cycling and walking is available online.