If you’re heading to SXSW 2011, you have most likely spent the last few weeks being bombarded with party info. Some events want you to RSVP, some don’t, some require badges, and some will take any schmo walking in off the street. How do you sort it all out? In our opinion, the best place to get started is by RSVPing for the open bar parties. It’s hard to go wrong with free booze.

To help you prepare, we’ve put together a list of the 27 best open bars at SXSW. All of these events are friendly to the badgeless/wristbandless, and all of them require you to get on the guestlist before the event. At the bottom of this post, we’ve also thrown in a few other cool events that require an RSVP but aren’t advertising open bars. We plan to post more useful info in the coming days — including the elusive FADER FORT invite, when it becomes available — so keep checking back.

Pro tip: RSVP for everything, even if you think you won’t go. It’s good to have flexibility.  

Multiple Days

Pure Volume House
March 11–20 • Various times
Open bar

MidCoast Takeover
Fri-Sat, March 18–19 • 2pm-2am • The Liberty
Free beer  

Sunday, March 13
Do512/LiveStrong Social Hour
6-10 pm • The Highball
Free food & drinks

Fast Society House Party
7-10 pm
Free drinks by Patron

Monday, March 14
Village Voice Interactive Party
10pm-2am • Paradise on 6th
Open bar, free to the public

Tuesday, March 15
Art Disaster #12
8pm–2am • Beauty Bar
Free drinks for the first hour

kNerd Launch Party
5pm-2am • Skinny’s Ballroom
Free drinks

Voltron Party
6-8pm (VIP); 8pm-2am • Kung Fu Saloon
Free drinks + swag

Conflict Of Interest — Hosted By Oxygen & The Syndicate
7pm-2am • Pure Volume House
Free booze… and books

Wednesday, March 16
San Diego Invades Austin
12-6pm • Lustre Pearl
Free tacos and beer

Eventbrite Party
1-7pm • Empire Auto
Free Dos Equis and Firefly Vodka

Ranch X Chicken Ranch
12-5:30pm • Elysium
Free BBQ

IAMSOUND Showcase
11am–6:30pm • Shangri-la
Free Sailor Jerry Rum

Thursday, March 17
BAMM.tv Presents: Hollerado’s Nacho House
12-6pm • Beauty Bar
Open bar + free nachos

Brooklyn BBQ Showcase
11am • Hotel Vegas
Free beer & BBQ

High Five! Party! Party!
11am-6pm • Elysium
Free drinks + food
Note: You have to “Like” their Facebook page to get on the list 

Friday, March 18
SpokesBuzz Fort Collins
10:30am-6pm • The 512 
Free New Belgium Beer, margaritas and food

AV Club Austin’s March Into Softness
RSVP EMAIL: avclubRSVP@theonion.com
Noon-6pm • Mohawk
Free beer + Starbucks

Standard Recording Co.’s Craftacular Music Carnivale
12-8pm • Gypsy Lounge
Free booze

MOKB Glitter Taco Smoosh Party
12-8pm • Peckerheads
Free drinks + tacos

BAMM.tv Presents: “No Badge, No Prob” App Launch Party
12-6pm • Palm Door
Open bar

Requiemme Mgmt and Devildoll Booking Day Party
12-7pm • Aquarium
Free beer

Vanguard and Sugar Hill Records SXSW Day Party
12-6pm • The Belmont
Free drinks, swag

Rhapsody Rocks Austin
12-6pm • Club De Ville
Free beer; RSVP includes a +1

Saturday, March 19
MPress Fest
12-5pm • SoHo Lounge
Free food, drinks and giveaways

The Axis of Audio and Knuckle Rumbler Present …
12-8pm • Peckerheads
Free drinks +tacos

BAMM.tv Presents: “No Badge, No Prob” Fan Appreciation Party
12-6pm • Palm Door
Open bar

Best of the Rest: No open bars, but pretty damn cool anyway
IFC Crossroads House
March 11–20 • Various times

British Music Embassy
Tue-Sat, March 14–19 • Various times • Latitude 30 
Free food
Note: The website says the event is badges-only, but they have not enforced that rule in years past.

Impose Presents: The Austin Imposition II
Wed-Sat, March 16–19 • Schedule and location TBA

Flavorpill + The MuseBox + I Rock I Roll + The Bell House NY are AUSTIN BFFs
Wed., 3/16 • 12-6pm • Lipstick 24

Gigacrate SXSW Day Party
Wed., 3/16 • 8:30pm-2am • Beso Cantina

Rappers I Know and GigaCrate present…
Thu, 3/17 • 8pm-2am • Beso Cantina

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