Thousands enjoy free events, pop-ups in downtown Austin [Video]

AUSTIN, Texas – The South By Southwest festivities have begun.

“There’s a lot of energy in the streets so far,” said Claire Gallagher, with Redshift Collective.

Hundreds of thousands of people, from near and far, filled downtown Friday for the kickoff of SXSW.

“I’m from Austin, so I normally don’t really have much going on during spring break anyway,” said Ash Catalan, with E4 Youth.

“We’re going to be showcasing Vancouver companies, so really excited to showcase Vancouver to the world,” said Gallagher, who traveled from Canada to be at SXSW.

SXSW is certainly known for showcasing upcoming movies, TV shows, and music.

“I got a film badge, so I’m more excited for the film events here,” said Em Diaz, who’s here with E4 Youth.

“This year I’m super excited for the music events,” said Catalan. “I love to see what sort of people are emerging right now.”

There’s also plenty of unique and …