Special Olympics coming to Bee Cave this weekend; city launches free Geocache Bee Cave March 1

City staff told the Bee Cave City Council on Feb. 11 that the Special Olympics Winter Games will take place across Bee Cave and nearby Lakeway this weekend and that residents should expect additional traffic as buses move athletes between venues. Staff said more than 1,100 athletes and coaches and over 2,000 fans are expected and that more than 500 volunteers have already signed up; additional volunteer slots remain open.

The communications director asked residents to give athletes and families a warm welcome and noted the events will use several local venues, including Travis Middle School, BK Elementary School, Hill Country and Doerr (Door?) (as named in the slide), and that drivers should expect increased traffic.

The council also heard a presentation on a new community program, Geocache Bee Cave, which launches March 1 and runs through April 30. The events/staff presenter said the city will hide 22 caches across Sculpture Park, Central Park, Primitive Park and the city’s trail systems (including near Bee Cave Parkway and the haunted-trail/Bat Tunnel area). Registration is free for individuals or teams of up to four; at the time of the meeting six participants were registered. Caches will contain a laminated card with a QR code that links to a SurveyMonkey form to record finds. Staff said participants who find caches earn city-branded prizes at milestone levels (for example, a prize for every five caches found).

Staff also previewed the library’s Books & Bees festival scheduled for April 12 and said events staff will support that program. No council action was required on the event briefings.