Your festival ticket is the ticket to our uniquely Austin music. Every seat in the Rose Garden is one of the best in the house and there is sure to be some unforgettable toe-tapping music to suit every taste. Check the schedule of performance times here as well as in the festival brochure handed out at the gate.

Nakia & His Southern Cousins - Music blending influences rooted in old-school soul, Allman-Skynyrd rock and Nakia’s Southern Baptist, Appalachian foothills upbringing. He pours his heart into each note, letting loose every gospel-loving minute of hellfire, damnation and salvation he's ever experienced. Nakia brings you a memorable performance with his 5 piece band and 2 back-up singers! (Nakia– vocals, Mac McNabb– guitar, Johnny V– bass, Ed Jarusinsky– drums, Derek Morris– keyboard, and The Fresh Up Girls- singing back-up) Their first show was 2/15/07... Since then they’ve played the Texas State Arts Festival, the Austin Bat Fest, South Padre International Music Festival, Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, Austin Music Hall’s reopening, KGSR music series at Mercury Hall, Continental Club, Threadgill’s, a Friday night residency at Ego’s, and more.

Zydeco Blanco,a terrific group of six very talented musicians who are blending the influence of Louisiana music with the sounds of the Texas Hill Country. Although Blanco is located in the Texas Hill Country, Zydeco Blanco is firmly rooted in the Creole and Cajun traditions of Southwest Louisiana. Zydeco Blanco plays an entertaining and danceable blend of traditional Zydeco and Cajun music, innovative covers, and original tunes, all played in with a Texas Twist. From swampy waltzes, to foot-stompin' zydeco, to accordion fueled ska and reggae stylings, Zydeco Blanco keeps the party going and the crowd dancing!

Austin Chamber Ensemble presenting their unforgettable concert of "Moonstruck - Music from the Movies". You’ll be moonstruck as the Austin Chamber Ensemble performs Dick Hyman's music from this blockbuster movie, including his arrangement of Moonglow. Additional selections featured from films will be jazz standards, opera arias and accordion music from Amelie by Yann Tiersen. A few surprises and something for everyone.

Waterloo Squares, Austin's premier square dancing team with their caller will perform a special exhibition dance for Zilker Garden Festival. Waterloo Squares has been dancing together for more than 30 years and dance weekly at the South Austin Activity Center on Manchaca Road.

The always inspirational, Grammy-winning Bells of Joy Gospel Singers are the real deal and have been making music together in Austin for more than 40 years. According to Willie Nelson, "I love the Bells of Joy. They are the best gospel group going. I hope they live forever." The Bells will be making a repeat performance in the Rose Garden and will present their signature black spiritual music supercharged with leg-shaking rhythms that are as pure as a small town revival on a spring Sunday.

Texana Dames The "Epitome of Texas music," eclectic and diverse, representing all the traditions that make up Texas music from Western swing, Mexican conjunto, and Cajun to blues and rock 'n' roll, Texana Dames bring it all to the stage, and their audiences love it. Since 1988, the Dames have been playing their special style of music and they have traveled to 15 countries and throughout the U.S. Originally from Lubbock and now based in Austin, the Dames entertain fans at local watering holes and festivals such as SXSW and Kerrville Folk Festival.

Kim Lehman and her award winning children's concert "Tunes and Tales to Tickle Your Funnybone" just for children and their families. By combining stories, music, and simple props, multi-talented Kim Lehman specializes in entertaining, educational programs for children and adults. A childhood in rural American and teaching experiences in the Appalachian Mountings have inspired a lifelong interest in the folk traditions, including storytelling, oral histories, music, dance and the folk arts. Kim resides in Austin with 150 instruments, 250 hats, two dogs, a big, a pig and 60,000 honey bees. Her award-winning presentation "Tales and Tunes to Tickle Your Funnybone" offers joy and music to the kid in all of us. Kim Lehman is an active member of the Austin Herb Society.

The Loose Cannons - one of Austin's best youth bands which is taking the music scene by storm. The Loose Cannons is a kid band started by Natural Ear Music which was established in1981 in Austin, Texas in order to teach kids how to play rock ‘n roll by ear. They play fast paced, rock, blues, funk, and surf. They mostly play cover songs, but they are starting to write their own. We take our music seriously in Austin and start them young. The Loose Cannons are on their way to becoming a player on the Austin Music Scene.

Allison Thrash, Austin’s premier blues “momma”, Allison Thrash is an Austin-based rootsy blues singer, looking forward to a spring 2008 release of her next album, "Fight Dirty". She regularly performs throughout the state, with occasional appearances nationwide and in Canada. She has recorded with Matt Hubbard (Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Fastball) and Ephraim Owens (Erykah Badu, Doyle Bramhall) and headlined a sold-out 2005 performance at Toronto's NXNE Festival. She performs weekly at Latitude 30 on 6th Street in downtown Austin.

Zeke Castro and Trio Los Castros Ezekiel (Zeke) is a native Austinite musician who began his classical music training at the age of nine as a member of the first class of the University of Texas Junior String Project under the direction of Albert Gillis, Professor of Music. He continued his studies on a weekly basis through grade 12. As a freshman at UTAustin, he was a member of the unique University of Texas Viola Ensemble which toured the East Coast, performing at Yale University and culminating the tour with a performance at Carniege Hall. He was the 1996 Teacher of the Year for the Austin ISD and again in 2001 was the Austin ISD Hispanic Teacher of the year. He has been awarded many, many, awards over the last 4 decades.

Keishia Gordon Keishia Gordon is a native Austinite who has been making beautiful music all her life. She is a graduate of LBJ High School and Austin Community College. She began singing and playing the piano at the age of four and has never stopped. She directs the youth and adult choirs at her church and does countless hours of volunteer work. She is employed as a Medical Records Specialist at the Austin State Hospital.

Central Texas Emergency Service Pipe Band The pipe and drum corps will join the honor guard at the opening ceremony on Saturday.