Attendees arrive at the South By Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas, in this March 10, 2013, file photo. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It's the first day of South by Southwest, the annual tech/music/film festival in Austin, Texas, that for most Americans mean an influx of Twitter and Facebook posts hashtagged #SXSW.

Luckily, if you're interested in listening along to the guest speakers, tech industry leaders, actors and writers and bands that are all appearing at the festival, it's still possible to do so from 50 or 500 miles away. Here's how:

Watch Interactive Sessions Live

This year, South by Southwest has a streaming player that can allow viewers at home to watch certain panels. The interactive part of the conference kicks off today, March 7, and runs through March 11. You can catch sessions featuring astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, actress Tilda Swinton, and more. Check out the full schedule at SXSW.com/live.

Check Out the Bands

So you won't be out hitting up all the great Austin bars and concert spaces this year. That's okay, the acoustics are probably better at home, anyway (not really, but we're trying to make you feel better).

If you're interested in hearing big names or the up-and-coming bands playing SXSW Music this year, which runs from March 11 through March 16, check out NPR's SXSW Live Recordings page. Concerts from The Flaming Lips, Nic Cave, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more are all available.

Catch a Sneak Peak of SXSW Film Screenings

Big Hollywood names are flying into Austin to check out the films being screened during the film portion of the festival, starting today and running through March 15.

It'll be hard to watch the films online while they're still in screening mode, but you can check out a full list of the filmmakers who will be there. Check out ones that seem cool, and then look up other films they've made that have already landed on Netflix or Hulu and have your own film festival at home.

Eat Breakfast Tacos, Drink a Lot

Attendees at SXSW love to Tweet about the nightly parties and Austin's favorite food, breakfast tacos. But you can accomplish similar pleasures in the privacy of your own home.

Even though SXSW is devoting an entire panel to the breakfast taco this year, it's really a pretty straightforward dish to make: scramble some eggs, heat up tortillas, spread refried beans inside the tortilla, top with eggs, salsa, cheese. Presto - that's your basic breakfast taco. Jazz it up with leftover BBQ if you're feeling really Texan.

So, you didn't make it to Austin this year. No biggie. Have yourself a taco, and remember, there's always next year… and a way to mute SXSW Tweets from your social media stream.