We Spent A Day In The "Animal Kingdom" At SXSW And It Was So SoCal

The Codys know how to party. Catch the Season 2 premiere of Animal Kingdom May 30, only on TNT.

Hi! It's us: Jason, Ashley (that's me!), and Ethan.

Our photo booth faces are 👌.

When we first walked into Animal Kingdom’s hot spot in Austin, Texas, we didn't know where to start.

A portion of 4th Street had transformed into Southern California, to make the Cody family feel more at home. So we asked ourselves one question: What would they do (without getting into too much trouble)?

After we took in the SoCal vibes, we did what any sensible person would do: hit up the food truck.

The Mighty Cone was serving up all sorts of flavor-packed fried goodness based on things that happened last season (like "The Smash & Grab"), and these babies did not disappoint.

I mean...look at that cone of deliciousness!

The shrimp and avocado special, aptly named "Smurf's Catch" after Mama Cody, spoiled my taste buds something fierce, and I'm terrified I'll never have anything quite as good ever again.

Obviously, we needed something refreshing to wash down our grub, and signature cocktails from the beer garden hit the spot.

A Ghost From The Past has never been more welcomed!

So did some local brews.

When in R̶o̶m̶e̶ S̶o̶C̶a̶l̶ Austin, right?

Next up, we decided to hang 10 in front of the Flowrider and watch some pros shred.

This looks like a piece of cake, but I can assure you, it was anything but.

Then the cast took a turn, and Ben Robson, who plays Craig Cody, showed us how it's done.

Nailed it.

He also showed us how to wipe out like a star.

Finn Cole was there to bear witness and probably agrees that the best medicine is salt water.

Jake Danklefs was hanging out, making 170 pairs of customized Animal Kingdom–themed shoes on the spot.

First he bleached the shoes to give 'em that sun-faded look. Then, using vinyl stickers as a template, Jake hand-painted every single sneaker.

Of course we had to play some games...

Good form, Jason.

...and we found out I'm not as good at cornhole as I thought I was

That doesn't mean I love it any less.

ELLE was also there, working on a giant mural throughout the day.

A rough sketch was made on her computer before starting, but everything was done freehand on site!

The *almost* finished product:

This is way more badass than planning a heist, right?

Finally, we wrapped things up in the photo booth and ~tried~ to be as cool as the Cody brothers.

We're almost there.

Make sure you check out all the action Animal Kingdom is bringing to the table starting May 30 on TNT.

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You're not going to want to miss it!

All photos by Aubree Lennon for BuzzFeed 2017©