So, you’ve just gotten to work. You’ve poured your coffee and you’re wondering why the drive to work was, on a Friday, slightly easier this morning. And, as you check into your social media feed, you might suddenly see people posting from places they normally aren’t, wearing clothes that wouldn’t be considered professional. Flip flops from Magnolia Café, Chuck Taylors from Barton Springs Road, and shorts and tank tops on South Congress. You might wonder if it’s actually a work day, or if you came into the office on a Saturday.

You didn’t. You’ve just missed one of Austin’s great traditions – Ditch Day. It’s the Friday of Austin City Limits Music Festival weekend, and before they begin playing the Star Wars theme and opening the gates, there’s still time for you to be a part of it. You can call in ‘sick’ or explain that you have an ‘auditory emergency’ (or even optical issues – “I just can’t SEE myself being here the whole day, boss.”) and grab your flip flops and shorts and dive into the best Friday of the year for Austin. It’s the one that has all the beauty of the city, all the frivolity of a music festival, only a fraction of the people, none of the office stress and more than a few ways to enjoy Austin’s most precious commodity – live music.

You can still buy a ticket right now at aclfestival.com for $100. If you need to delay until you’ve been in the office for a half day, so be it – you can be at the park by 1pm and miss the minimal amount of music. You can still catch the triumphant return of Jay-Z, see the phenomenon that James Vincent McMorrow is and watch as Lukas Nelson grows up and follows in his father’s footsteps to become a star, right before your eyes. It’s enough to inspire reviving that age-old tradition from high school. It’s time to take a Ditch Day and leave the work stress for another day.

All of this is to say nothing of the food, the beautiful weather (pack some sealed, non-aerosol sunscreen – ‘Ditching’ might be acting like children, but there’s no need to learn the lesson of sunscreen’s infinite value again) and the limitless energy that Austin City Limits Music Festival puts out into the city, the crowd and you, yourself, if you get out of that office right now. There’s still time to stay young, and isn’t that what music and Austin are all about?

[Editor’s note: If you can’t ditch today, fear not! Next week is “Return of Ditch Day” and you can get out to ACL Fest for Weekend Two’s Friday]

Buy your tickets now by visiting aclfestival.com.