Sixth Street makes official return with packed street first weekend after mask mandate lifted

A sight out of 2019, both tourists and locals were back out for a night on the town at Austin's iconic Sixth Street with packed bars and few masks.

From "dirty" to West, people lined up outside of the popular string of bars, some with masks—many without—this weekend. Video taken by Austonia shows what looks like Sixth in pre-pandemic times. Even police officers were without masks in the middle of the closed-out "dirty Sixth" with party goers all around.

This was the first weekend since Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the previous COVID restrictions such as masking and limited capacity in businesses. While the city of Austin is sticking to its ordinance, which enforces masking and social distancing, it doesn't seem as though all bars are heeding the mandate—at least on Sixth Street.