Brave Souls vs the Ice Storm
Data Day Texas 2026 — Final Edition
That so many of you couldn't make the final Data Day Texas - after sixteen years of making it - has stuck with us all year. You missed your farewell, and we missed giving it to you. So we're not going to let January be the last word.
Souvenirs from the brave souls who made it - through cancelled flights, iced-over roads, and a Texas hard freeze - to the final Data Day Texas.
Brian Bickell : "I expect this is what most folks headed to Data Day Texas are seeing. One more flight, DFW-AUS and I’ll see you brave souls who made it there. Good luck!"
Aadit Shah : "Data Day Texas (The Final Edition) at UT Austin was my first tech conference, and it set the bar pretty high. Getting there was an experience in itself. We drove out during what Texas delivered as “Snowmageddon 2026.” Icy roads, careful driving, and zero regrets."
Tony Baer : "Made it out of Newark just ahead of the storm, and looking forward to joining our many friends down at Data Day Texas. This is an amazing grassroots event where buttonholing and unexpected conversations are the highlight."
Mark Freeman II : "Listen here, data nerds. I really love you all so much, and spending a weekend with you all in Austin only reaffirmed this. Despite hell freezing over in Texas, of all places, the amazing data community came together to learn and share lessons about the future of our rapidly changing industry."
Photo: Karl-Ivo Sokolov
Here's Chris Tabb (London), Karl-Ivo Sokolov (Austria), Thais Cooke (Raleigh), and Lena Hall (Redmond) out for the evening. Fortunately, the weather alert came early enough that folks could bring appropriate apparel.
Photo: Peter Hanssens
Photo: Lena Hall
Photo: Karl-Ivo Sokolov
Photo: Karl-Ivo Sokolov
Andrew Madson : "Well…I woke up to my flight being cancelled. I won't be able to attend Data Day Texas but I KNOW everyone who makes it is going to have a blast!"
Alexander Dean : "Just landed in Austin from SF, into a total Victorian London pea-souper; it feels like I've brought the English weather with me."