Each year at ACL, flags join the smoke and shoulder-sitting fans as they rise above the crowd. These visuals serve a variety of purposes, ranging from helping reunite separated groups to adding lighthearted humor to the festival horizon. As part of ACL 2018 recap, The Daily Texan is highlighting the most captivating flags, signs and banners of Weekend 2.
Mexico Rainbow LGBTQ Pride Flag
UT alumna Michelle Segroves walked away from the San Francisco Pride festival with more than a deeper connection to her identity. She also walked away with a flag.
The LGBTQ flag’s rainbow colors replace the Mexican flag’s customary green, white and red tricolor design, which Segroves said highlights both the hot-button issues of immigration and gay rights.
Segroves said the idea of bringing her flag to ACL first intimidated her, but positive comments from festival attendees have provided her with courage to proudly wave the flag across festival grounds.
“Hopefully, this flag will attract queer people towards us so that we can stand together,” Segroves said, as passerbys slowed down to take photos of the colorful banner. “I feel comfortable. I feel confident that I’m getting a lot of positive reactions.”
Chicken Moms
With hours of time spent on campus and multiple exams to study for, raising and caring for a beloved pet might seem like a hassle for any college student. That’s not the case for Karly Byrne and Olivia Clayton.
Instead of a dog or cat, the two University of Arkansas students raise other animals in their off-campus home: chickens. Sixteen chickens to be exact. Along with their friend Kennedi Austin, the group designed a flag to represent their current living situation as well as locate one another during the festival — a large, white banner reading “Chicken Moms.”
“Taking care of (a pet) feeds my soul in a way,” Clayton said. “These little animals depend on me, and I love that.”
Tacos
With a simple red, white and blue design and the word “tacos’ printed on its middle, this flag sported by festival attendees Danny McGregor, Charles Roy, Vick Dang and Chance Denowh speaks for itself.
According to MacGregor, this roughly $8 Amazon purchase has attracted attention from fellow taco aficionados across the festival.
“A couple of times everyday, someone comes up and says, ‘Oh, you like tacos, too?’” MacGregor said.
While expressing their preference for Houston’s tacos over those of Dallas and Austin, the quartet also joked about the flag’s popularity.
“There’s rumors around that we have the best flag at ACL,” Dang said.
Aquí Pendejo
Native Austinite Justin Brosig has been attending ACL for years. As a festival frequent, he knows how easy it is to lose someone in the crowd.
To keep his group together, Brosig made a bright yellow flag with the words “AQUÍ PENDEJO” in large, black letters, which means “Here, dumb***” in Spanish.
“(ACL) is a fantastic time, and there’s a big crowd here,” Brosig said. “‘Aquí, Pendejo’ is a shout-out to my little brother so he knows where I’m at.”
