Fun Things To Do In Austin
We should do more stuff!
Ken's stuff to do in and around Austin
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Free Stuff
- UT Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music
- Austin City Limits Tapings - signup for free tickets a week before
- Congress Ave Bats (April - May & July - August)
- Zilker Theatre Productions July 9 - August 14, 2021
- Blanton Museum
Third Thursdays are free admission - LBJ Presidential Library
Free admission days: Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Explore UT, Memorial Day, The Fourth of July, August 27 (LBJ's birthday), Veterans Day, Austin Museum Day - Music in the Parks
- Austin Shakespeare in the park Much Ado About Nothing - July 9 - 18, 2021
- Ballet Under The Stars
- Unplugged at the Grove
- Blues on the Green
- Austin Civic Orchestra
- Bob Bullock Museum
- Long Center Austin Symphony Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park - June 20 - August 8, 2021
- Long Center Sound & Cinema - June 19 - August 14, 2019
- Harry Ransom Center
- Farmer's Markets
- Gear Heads and Car Enthusiasts Unite
- Free Fun in Austin Calendar
- Check out the list of Festivals below
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Inexpensive Stuff
- UT Theatre Department Productions
- Mary Moody Northen Theatre (at St. Edwards University)
- UT College of Fine Arts Events
- Unplugged at the Grove
- Deep Eddy Splash Movie Nights
- Live Music at Wyldwood
- Rowing Dock or Texas Rowing Center or Zilker Park Boat Rentals - Kayak, Canoe, Paddle Board. Paddle Boat Rentals
- Austin Swing Syndicate - Swing dancing every Thursday at the Texas Fedaration of Women's Clubs Mansion (with intro classes)
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Pay Stuff
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Events and Festivals
- Frontera Fest - January 14 - February 15, 2020
- Martin Luther King March and Festival - January 20, 2020
- Austin Chinese Culture Festival - February 15, 2020
- Austin Marathon - February 20, 2022
- Texas Union Film Festival - February 20, 2020
- Carnaval Brasileiro - February 22, 2020
- Austin Oyster Festival February 26, 2022
- Cohen New Works Festival - March 2 - 11, 2022 (held every other year)
- Sherwood Forest Faire - Weekends March 5 - April 24, 2022
- Rock'N Rides Car Show (Cedar Park) - March 5, 2022
- SXSW Music, Film, Interactive - March 11 - 20, 2022
- St. Patricks Day in Austin - March 17, 2020
- Austin Urban Music Festival - March 27 - 28, 2020
- Zilker Park Kite Festival - March 29, 2020
- Austin Poetry Festival - April 3 - 5, 2020
- MotoGP - April 8 - 10, 2022
- Cap 10k Run - April 10, 2022
- San Marcos, Swing on the Square - April 11 - 14, 2019
- Fusebox Festival - April 13 - 17, 2022
- Old Settlers Music Festival - April 21 - 24, 2022
- Lone Star Rod & Kustom Round Up - April 22 - 23, 2022
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Spring Native Plant Sale April 17 (members only) & 18 (public), 2019
- Austin Earth Day Festival - April 23, 2022
- Art City Austin - April 17 - 19, 2020
- Austin Auto Show - April 22 - 24, 2022
- Reggae Festival (Marly Fest) - April 22 - 24, 2022
- Weird Homes Tour April 18, 2020
- Moontower Comedy & Oddity Fest - April 13 - 24, 2022
- Renegade Craft Fair - April 23 - 24, 2022
- Lago Fest (Lago Vista) - April 30, 2022
- Texas Burlesque Festival - June 3 - 4, 2022
- Balcones Songbird Festival - April 24 - 26, 2020
- Austin Food & Wine Festival - April 24 - 26, 2020
- Eeyore's Birthday Party - April 30, 2022
- Marble Falls, Soapbox Classic - April 26 - 28, 2019
- Wimberly Arts Fest - April 30 - May 1, 2022
- Sunset Valley ArtFest - April 30, 2022
- Buda Wiener Dog Races and Country Fair - April 23 - 24, 2022
- Pecan Street Festival - May 7 - 8, 2022
- Cinco De Mayo - May 5, 2022
- Marble Falls Mayfest - May 4 - 7, 2022
- Austin Pet Expo - May 9 - 10, 2020
- O. Henry Punn-Off - May 11, 2019 noon - 6 pm
- West Austin Studio Tour - May 11 - 12, 2019 and May 18 - 19, 2019
- Austin Sketch Fest - May 20 - 24, 2020
- Marble Falls, Lakefest Drag Boat Race - May 21 - 22, 2022
- Kerville Folk Festival - May 26 - June 12, 2022
- Anime CTX - May 24 - 26, 2019
- Fredericksburg Crawfish Festival - May 27 - 28, 2022
- Lone Star Jam - May 28 - 29, 2022
- Life Time Tri Captex - May 30, 2022
- ATX Television Festival - June 2 - 5, 2022
- Lockhart, Chisholm Trail Roundup - June 9 - 11, 2022
- Republic of Texas "Biker" Rally - June 9 - 12, 2022
- Blanco Lavender Festival - June 10 - 12, 2022
- Round Top Music Festival - June 5 - July 16, 2022
- Juneteenth Celebration - June 18, 2022
- Luling Watermelon Thump - June 23 - 26, 2022
- Belly Dance Convention - June 21 - 27, 2021
- Austin Symphony Concert and Fireworks - July 4, 2022
- Rooster Teeth Expo - July 1 - 3, 2022
- Austin Chamber Music Festival - May 27 - June 24, 2021
- Bastille Day - July 10, 2021
- McDade Watermelon Festival & Car Show - July 9, 2022
- Body Mind Spirit Expo - July 16 - 17, 2022
- Float Fest - Gonzales - July 23 - 24, 2022
- Classic Game Fest - July 23 - 24, 2022
- Bastrop Homecoming & Rodeo - August 3 - 7, 2022
- Batfest - August 27, 2022
- Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival - August 25, 2019
- Out of Bounds Comedy Festival - September 1 - 7, 2022
- Cactus & Succulent Society Fall Show & Sale - September 3, 2022
- Free Day of Yoga - September 6, 2022
- San Antonio Rodders Annual Car Show - Cibolo, TX - September 7, 2019
- Austin Museum Day - September 18, 2022 Free Admission @ 25+ Austin Museums
- Fantastic Fest Film Festival - September 22 - 29, 2022
- Texas Mamma Jamma Ride - September 17, 2022
- Pecan Street Festival - September 17 - 18, 2022
- Austin Mediterranean Festival - September 27 - 28, 2019
- Lone Star Gourd Festival - Fredericksburg - Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2022
- OktoberFest - Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2022 (Fredericksburg)
- Texas Craft Brewers Festival - October 1, 2022
- Austin City Limits - October 7 - 9 & October 14 - 16, 2022
- Pflugerville, Deutschen Pfest - October 14 - 16, 2022
- Buda Gearheads Car Club Annual Open Car Show October 15, 2022
- Formula 1 - October 21 - 23, 2022
- Gem Capers - Austin Gem & Mineral Society - October 21 - 23, 2022
- Austin Film Festival - Oct 27 - Nov 3, 2022
- Levitation - October 27 - 30, 2022
- Texas Book Festival - November 5 - 6, 2022
- Travis Heights Art Trail - November 5 - 6, 2022
- Austin Celtic Festival - November 5 - 6, 2022
- Austin Powwow - November 12, 2022
- A Christmas Affair - November 16 - 20, 2022
- Ballet Austin - The Nutcracker December 7 - 22, 2019
- Armadillo Christmas Bazaar - December 13 - 24, 2019
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Theater
- Paramount and State Theatres
- Zach Theatre
- UT - Texas Performing Arts
- The Long Center
- Mary Moody Northen Theatre at St Edward's University
- Austin Community College Department of Drama
- Vortex Repertory Company
- Salvage Vanguard Theater
- The Hideout Theatre
- Coldtowne Theater
- The Institution Theater
- The Baron's Men
- Austin Shakespeare
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Museums
- Blanton Museum of Art
- Bullock Texas State History Museum
- Contemporary Austin - Jones Center & Laguna Gloria
- Susanna Dickinson Museum
- French Legation Museum
- Harry Ransom Center
- LBJ Presidential Library
- Mexic-Arte Museum
- Elisabet Ney Museum
- Texas Memorial Museum
- Texas Military Forces Museum
- Thinkery (Austin Children's Museum
- Umlauf Sculpture Garden
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Outdoor Stuff
- Swimming Holes
- Hiking
- Parks
- Bastrop State Park - (512/321-2101) is located 30 miles east of Austin in the Lost Pines region, an area isolated from the main body of East Texas pine forests by nearly 100 miles. The park has 3,503 acres and offers an 8.5-mile hiking trail constructed through the efforts of the Texas Trails Association and the Sierra Club. It is especially nice in winter when the yaupon hollies are thick with berries, and in spring when the occasional dogwoods are in bloom. Campsites range from primitive camping to cabins, and activities include hiking, backpacking, and swimming. Showers and hookups are available. Take Texas Highway 71 east to Bastrop; turn left on Texas Highway 95 and right on Texas Highway 21 to Park Road 1.
- Buescher State Park (512/237-2241) shares many of the characteristics of Bastrop but is generally less crowded. It is farther east and much smaller, with 1,016 acres. A 7.7-mile hiking trail winds through the park. Camping, hiking, and swimming are common, and restrooms, showers, and hookups are available. Follow the directions to Bastrop State Park and continue along Park Road 1 for 13 miles to Buescher State Park. Or take Texas Highway 71 east to Smithville and turn left on FM 153 for half a mile.
- Colorado Bend State Park - (915/628-3240) has a 2-mile hiking trail along Gorman Creek. This is a primitive park with few conveniences. Take U.S. Highway 183 to Lampasas, turn left on FM 580, and continue to the town of Bend. Follow directional signs along 6 miles of unpaved roads to the park. Gorman Falls and Cave, one of the park's most alluring features, is open only to guided tours, as are several other caves.
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area - (915/247-3903), One of the more unique sites, with 1,643 acres. Located between Fredericksburg and Llano, it takes less than 3 hours to reach. The granite dome is one of the largest of its kind in the United States, second only to Stone Mountain in Georgia. A climb to the summit is an exhilarating experience that offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. A 4-mile loop trail encircles the massive rock formations. Other trails pass between and over the formations, and you can even crawl through a cave that passes through them.Besides hiking, Enchanted Rock affords excellent rock climbing and backpacking. There are walk-in campsites but no vehicular camping. Facilities include a playground, picnic areas, showers, and restrooms. Take U.S. Highway 290 west to Fredericksburg; turn right on RM 965 and continue 18 miles to the park.
- Guadalupe River State Park - (830/438-2656), as the name indicates, is located on the Guadalupe River. With 1,938 acres, this is a large park with good picnic facilities, campsites, a playground, a day-use group facility, swimming, restrooms, and showers. Go south on IH 35 to New Braunfels, then west on Texas Highway 46 for 29 miles.
- Honey Creek State Natural Area - 2,293 acres located in western Comal County, approximately 30 miles north of downtown San Antonio. The area, once a ranch, was acquired by deed from the Texas Nature Conservancy in 1985 and by deed from a private individual in 1988 and was opened for limited access in 1985.
- Inks Lake State Park - (512/793-2223), 1.5 hours northwest of Austin, is one of several state parks amid the Highland Lakes. Seven miles of hiking trails wind through the granite hillsides above Inks Lake. Swimming, canoeing, water skiing, and even pedal boat rentals are offered, while other activities include picnics, hiking trails, and backpacking. With 1,200 acres, Inks Lake is especially beautiful in the spring when the bluebonnets are in bloom. Campsites range from primitive camping to screened shelters and group facilities, and showers are available. Take U.S. Highway 183 north to Seward Junction, then go left on Texas Highway 29. Nine miles past Burnet, turn left on Park Road 4.
- Lyndon B. Johnson State Historical Park - (830/644-2252) is in Stonewall, 15 miles west of Johnson City on U.S. Highway 290. Amenities include a group facility, hiking and nature trails, playground, picnic areas, and a swimming pool. The park also features the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, which depicts turn of-the-century German-Texan Hill Country life. Admission is free. The state park visitor center is the departure point for National Park Service bus tours of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (LBJ Ranch Unit) across the Pedernales River.These tours are conducted daily, except Christmas Day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and include the former president's birthplace, the Johnson family cemetery, and an exterior view of the Texas White House on the LBJ Ranch.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park (830/868-7128) is in Johnson City, 1 block south of U.S. Highway 290 on 9th Street. Tours of the...LBJ Boyhood Home are conducted daily, except Christmas and New Year's Day, every half hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Self-guided tours are available at the nearby Johnson Settlement. - Kerrville-Schreiner Park - (830) 257-7300 has 7 miles of hiking trails through Hill Country terrain. It's a great place to camp during the grand Kerrville Folk Festival, held every year around Memorial Day and Labor Day. Take U.S. Highway 290 west to Fredericksburg, turn left on Texas Highway 16 to Kerrville, and 1 mile past town turn left on Texas Highway 173.
- Lockhart State Park - (512/398-3479) features a playground, picnic area, swimming pool, and group facilities over a relatively small area of 263 acres. Address: Route 3, Box 69, Lockhart, Texas, 78644.
- Longhorn Cavern State Park - (512/756-4680) gives daily tours of Longhorn Cavern and the museum there.
- Mother Neff State Park - (800/792-1112 or 817/853-2389) the oldest state park in Texas, is roughly 100 miles from Austin. Tall trees, shade, and relaxation await visitors to the 259 acres of this park. Picnic and camp in the beautiful Leon River bottom, also a great place for hiking. Campsites accommodate up to 8 persons. The nearest store is located 5 miles from the park. Bring your own firewood. Pets must be kept on a leash. Take IH 35 north to Temple. At Temple take Texas Highway 36 west, turn right at Texas Highway 236. After you cross Belton Lake the park will be on your left. The address is Route 1, Box 58, Moody, Texas, 76557.
- Palmetto State Park - (830/672-3266) is 55 miles south of Austin on U.S. Highway 183 past Luling; turn right on Park Road 11. Located along the San Marcos River in the post oak savannah vegetation region, the park is named for its abundant growth of dwarf palmetto plants. Three short nature trails and a primitive hiking trail provide a glimpse of wild irises, ferns, and other native species. The Ottine Swamp, within the park, has unusually luxuriant vegetation and sulphur springs. It has long drawn naturalists from all over the state. West of Austin, several state parks offer different terrain from those to the east.
- Blanco State Park - (830/833-4333) a dam forms a seminatural pool that is great for swimming, especially for children. Picnics, too, are popular, and a group facility, showers, and hookups are available.
- Pedernales Falls State Park - (830/868-7304) is nestled in the Texas Hill Country about an hour from Austin. The Pedernales River drops 50 feet over stair steps of layered limestone. The park features fern-lined creeks, small canyons, huge bald cypress trees bordering the clear river, wildlife, and numerous primitive areas. Activities include swimming, boating, camping, and hiking. The 7.5-mile Wolf Mountain trail climbs to a high spot in the park with views of the Hill Country below. A 5-mile trail crosses to the east side of the river (fording is required) and passes the site of a pioneer cemetery. A short but beautiful half-mile nature trail gives explanations of the park's plant species and ends at an overlook above Twin Falls. Pedernales Falls State Park may be reached by traveling 9 miles east of Johnson City on FM 2766, or by traveling west of Austin for 32 miles on U.S. 290, then north on FM 3232 for 6 miles.
- Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve - was founded in 1974 to protect 227 acres of pristine Texas Hill Country and to provide nature education programs. Visitors enjoy 2 1/2 miles of hiking trails that pass through woodland, grassland, and streamside habitats. These habitats are home to threatened and endangered species, and hundreds of native plants, animals and birds. Wild Basin's nature education programs are funded by special events, memberships, corporate donations and grants.
- Austin Parks & Recreation
- Zilker Botanical Garden
- Camping
- Other
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Calendar Sites