We comb the depths of the Internet to find as-close-to-everything-as-possible happening in Austin, from gallery openings and festivals to concerts and theater and beyond, finding the best to recommend to you.
Give 5 to Mother Earth Day 2017. Participating businesses are donating 5 percent of sales to local environmental organizations on Friday, April 21.
March for Science at the Texas State Capitol. Activists will be marching in support of science across the world.
Earth Day ATX 2017. Huston-Tillotson University is hosting a gathering with programming, activities and exhibits to encourage sustainable decisions.
19th Annual Butterfly Festivalat EmilyAnn Theater in Wimberley. 3,500 butterflies will be released throughout the day (releases occur every 30 minutes).
Earth Day Garden[ing] Party and Cider Release. Texas Keeper Cider is throwing a gardening party benefiting Farmshare Austin. Take part in a tree grafting workshop and take home Southern heirloom apple trees, an heirloom plant talk, a seed-saving and plant propagation workshop, a seed swap and plant passalong and enjoy live music and a collaboration cider with Blue Owl Brewing.
Earth Day Jam at Dirty Dog. A free show (but donations benefit Texas Campaign for the Environment) featuring the world’s only Slayer/Pantera/Metallica cover band.
You Are Here: An Earth Day Art Show at Wild Basin Creative Research Center. Take part in a guided hike, artwork, family art activities, live music and more.
Earth Day Liveat the Historic Scoot Inn on Sunday, April 23. Celebrate Earth Day with Sun Radio and Hill Country Conservancy, featuring music from Jonathan Tyler, Guy Forsyth, Harvest Thieves and more.
Hoppy Easter! Check out this list of Easter events in Austin, including family-friendly Easter egg hunts, special Easter brunches and meals, drinking events, arts and crafts and even some fitness events.
Springtime in Texas means it’s crawfish season. Here are some of the restaurants, breweries, bars and other venues in Austin hosting crawfish boils this spring.
Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list with more events throughout crawfish season. Know of one we missed? Add it to our calendar here or email kpsencik@statesman.com.
St. Patrick’s Day may have its roots in Christianity, but modern society has turned it into a celebration of Irish roots, green beer, green clothes and well, green everything. Here’s where you can celebrate in Austin.
Scoot x St. Paddy’s. Check out live music at the Scoot Inn with Low Cut Connie, Night Drive, Manatee Commune, Sweet Crude, Black Eyed Vermillion and more. The party starts at noon, but arrive early (it is South by Southwest, after all).
Texas Independence Day is a big day in the Lone Star State. Every March 2, we Texans celebrate the day in 1836 when the Texas Declaration of Independence was officially adopted, making the state independent from Mexico after 15 years and officially creating the Republic of Texas. Wondering how to celebrate? As always, Austin has plenty of options.
Honor veterans of the Texas Revolution at the Texas State Cemetery on Thursday. Reenactors in period dress will fire off muskets, and members of Celebrate Texas will pause at the grave of their founder, Jay Johnson, before Texian Legacy Association members will lead a brief tour of other heroes buried in the cemetery.
Remember the Alamo. On Sunday afternoon, the names of the men who died defending the Alamo will be read aloud on the south steps of the Capitol, followed by a musket volley in their honor.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – MAY 18: A general view of atmosphere as HISTORY celebrates the epic new miniseries “Texas Rising” with “Texas Honors” event at the Alamo on May 18, 2015 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for HISTORY)
Run a 5K, then watch a parade. The run on Saturday will take place from the Congress Avenue Bridge through downtown and will be followed by a parade at the Congress Avenue Bridge.
Eat Texas-inspired dishes at one of Austin’s newest restaurants, Eberly, as a tribute to the restaurant’s namesake. Specials will be available all weekend, and $1 from each special item purchased will be donated to the Austin History Center.
Learn more about Texas history through Living History Days at the Bob Bullock Museum. Hear what life was like in historic Texas, and check out the museum full of Texas history.
Eat chicken fried steak, because that’s the most Texan thing in the world. Hyde Park Bar and Grill is taking $3 off all chicken fried steaks ordered all day Thursday.
Compete in a celebrity golf tournament in honor of Jay Johnson, the Texan who started the Celebrate Texas nonprofit, which is responsible for many Texas Independence Day celebrations every year.
The forecast for Friday and Saturday is looking mighty fine—this Texas winter is pretty killer, y’all. It even hit 90 degrees in Austin Thursday. Wondering how to spend your days of fantastic weather? We’ve got ideas.
Perla’s is one of the best options for outdoor dining in Austin. Ralph Barrera / American-Statesman
Dine on a patio. We’ve got a list of Statesman food critic Matthew Odam’s favorite outdoor dining in Austin, so you better call and make your reservations now.
Go swimming. Seriously, we can’t believe we’re even talking about this in February, but if you’re interested, Barton Springs Pool is set to reopen Friday after flooding earlier this week. Alternately, if you don’t feel like swimming but do feel like being charitable, two Austin lap swimmers are raising money to keep Northwest Pool a little chiller in the summer so that swimmers can enjoy it more.
Catch a movie at the drive-in. Blue Starlite Drive-In is hosting its 3rd Annual Harry Potter Drive-In Film Fest. On Feb. 24 you can see the very first and last movies in the series – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two – and on Feb. 25 the drive-in will show both Deathly Hallows installments.
Get on the lake. You can take a guided kayak tour starting at the Waller Creek Boathouse every Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. between now and November, but with this perfect February weather, who can resist a winter tour of the lake?
Check out some of Austin’s live music. If you’re not sure where to start, Austin Detours is offering the Austin Live Music Crawl, featuring multiple venues over a three-hour span. You can also learn about Austin’s live music history, and tickets and cover charges are included in the price.
Take a trip to Gruene and take in a show. Gruene is a great little town to stroll around in and check out the sights and sounds, plus one of Austin’s most renowned local bands is playing at Gruene Hall Friday night: Shinyribs. If you can’t make it Friday, Uncle Lucius is playing Gruene Hall Saturday.
Win a brand-new Jaguar. No, seriously—Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa is giving away a brand new Jaguar F-PACE to the first person to make a hole-in-one on its Fazio Canyons golf course. You have to be a hotel guest or a member of the Barton Creek Country Club to participate, but it’s worth a shot for that car, right? Even if you don’t win, you’ve got an excuse to hit the links on a beautiful day.
Tour some of Austin’s coolest modern homes. The 2017 Austin Modern Home Tour takes place Saturday, and you’re sure to see a variety of homes on the tour, from the sleek and beautiful to eco-friendly homes and even examples of indoor/outdoor living.
Celebrate Mardi Gras Austin-style. Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden is hosting a Cajun-themed Smoke Out Saturdaywith live music all day, and chefs will cook a whole hog and serve it over dirty rice. Or you can check out the Mardi Gras Dog Parade at the ABGB (yes, you read that right) where you can bring your dog to “bark for beads” and enjoy a special Cajun menu—with King Cake, of course.
There’s rain in the forecast for Sunday, but you might get lucky and celebrate outdoors for Parlor & Yard’s One Year Birthday Party featuring live music in the yard.
It’s February. Are you feeling the love? Whether you’re coupled up, flying solo or somewhere in between (let’s face it, love is complicated) there are countless Valentine’s Day events in Austin for you. Here are a few for you to enjoy with your significant other, your friends or by yourself.
Humphrey Bogart and Swedish-born actress Ingrid Bergman appear in a scene from the classic 1943 film ‘Casablanca.’ It is among soom 300,000 films stored by the Library of Congress in its archives. (AP photo/pa)
W Austin Presents The Friend Zone.Grab a pal and schmooze with potential dates. Perks: If women bring a male friend, or men bring a female friend, you get in for free with an RSVP. Feb. 9, 9 p.m.
Moulin Rouge Movie Party at Alamo Drafthouse.Sing along as Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman fall in love, and enjoy special props like glow sticks and flashing rings. Showtimes on Feb. 9 and Feb. 16 at the Ritz.
Alice’s Table – Galentine’s Day with Kitty at Kitty Cohen’s. Celebrate your girlfriends while making flower bouquets, and you’ll leave at the end of the night with your own beautiful flower arrangement and a vase to keep. Feb. 9, 6 p.m.
Ballet Austin’s “Belle Redux” Photo by Tony Spielberg
Belle REDUX at the Long Center. It’s a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast, inspired by film noir and haute couture. What more could you want in a ballet performance? Performances Feb. 10-12.
Dead Sweethearts Ball at The ABGB. Sing or cry along to songs about dead sweethearts all night long — lovers killing each other, themselves or anyone they can take down with them. Feb. 10, 8 p.m.
Scream Hollow Wicked Valentine’s Day. Make sure you bring somebody whose hand you can hold, because Scream Hollow just outside of Bastrop has three separate haunted houses. Enjoy a masquerade party with live music, lots of food and drinks, palm readers and fortune tellers. Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
Mix ‘n’ Mash: XOXO at Mexic-Arte Museum. For the art lovers out there, this party and art sale features the works of more than 200 artists, and each limited edition piece is specially made for the exhibition (including Valentine’s Day-inspired art). Feb. 10 and March 5.
2nd Annual Austin Lez Prom at Sterling Event Center. It may be called the Lez Prom, but all women are welcome at this formal dance featuring prom-themed cocktails, performances by drag kings and aeralists and even the crowning of a Lez Prom King and Queen. Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
Sweet Barks: A Benefit for APA! at the ABGB. If you prefer dogs to people, then you’re going to fall in love at this event. Check out doggie speed dating, a kissing booth, cookie decorating and live music. Feb. 11, 1 p.m.
Anime Brunch Club: Galentine’s Brunch. The lineup is secret, but Drafthouse promises you’ll be entertained by old favorites or discover a brand new show. Feb. 12, 1:15 p.m. at Ritz.
PBS KIDS at the Alamo: Valentine’s Mix. Take your little ones to enjoy special Valentine’s Day episodes of PBS KIDS shows like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Nature Cat. Feb. 12 at Lakeline and Slaughter Lane.
Whisler’s Valentine’s Day Celebration. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, the East Side bar will have champagne cocktail specials, chocolates, live music and burlesque performances. Feb. 14, 6 p.m.
Austin, TX – Bob Schneider & Tosca String Quartet performed at the Long Center for the Performing Arts on July 15, 2016. Suzanne Cordeiro for American-Statesman
Bob Schneider and the Moonlight Orchestra at ACL Live. One of Austin’s favorite Valentine’s Day traditions, Bob Schneider plays classic love songs and favorites from his songbook along with the Tosca String Quartet. Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m.
Titanic Feast at Alamo Drafthouse. Feel like the king of the world while you eat a meal inspired by the final dinner served on board the Titanic. Feb. 14 at Lakeline, Slaughter Lane and Village.
Anti-Valentine’s Day Party at Hotel Eleven. Beer and rosé specials and non-romantic revelry. If you’re single on Valentine’s Day, that’s music to your ears. Feb. 14, 7 p.m.
Dale Watson and His Lone Stars at Gruene Hall. If you’d like to get out of town for the holiday, head on down to Gruene to see one of Austin’s treasures at the oldest dance hall in Texas. Feb. 14, 8 p.m.
Wondering which bars in our fair city are showing the big game? Here are a few suggestions for where to watch (and other options to entertain you if you aren’t the biggest football fan).
HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 30: The Vince Lombardi Trophy is seen onstage during Super Bowl 51 Opening Night at Minute Maid Park on January 30, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Cheer on your team on a massive projection screen (sun-allowing) at the Whip In.
If you want to watch the game outdoors, but not really outdoors, the W Hotel Austin has a screened porch where you can sit and sip (with complimentary sub sandwiches and all-night happy hour).
Check out a massive buffet, free beverage samples and swag from some of your favorite boozy brands at Punch Bowl Social. Tickets are $35 per person ($15 for those 15 and under).
Enjoy drink and wing specials and buy your football squares at Black Sheep Lodge.
Join a raffle to win an authentic NFL football signed by Cowboys legend Emmett Smith at Toss Pizzeria.
Imbibe Whisler’s signature Bloody Mary, a keg of beer and complimentary Super Bowl food (or try the specials at Thai Kun).
Enjoy all day happy hour and Sangria jugs at Irene’s.
If Sixth Street’s your thing, try Super Bowl parties with drink specials at Thirsty Nickel or free food at The Four Horsemen.
Corner Bar is celebrating its five-year anniversary this week, so if you spend $10 at the bar, you get a free plate of barbecue. They’ll also give out Buffalo Wild Wings for free at halftime.
Have an all-American day and enjoy burgers, hot dogs, chips, shots and beer at The Rattle Inn‘s rooftop deck.
Watch the game (or, you know, do karaoke instead) at Ego’s.
Test out more than 200 international beers (but maybe don’t try them all on Sunday) at Flying Saucer.
The showdown on the field may be between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, but the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar is broadcasting another battle: Freddy vs. Jason.
Take in some comedy at Dirty Dog Bar with comedian Steve Hofstetter (and watch the game afterward, if you’re so inclined).
Grab a gift bag and partake in an all-you-can-eat buffet at Whitestone Brewery in Cedar Park.
Celebrate the SOUPer Bowl (get it) at Craftsman– it’s just like it sounds. Lots of soup. And stew. And gumbo. And chili. Hungry yet?
Have bowls of chili (and buckets of champagne, both of the mimosa variety and the Miller High Life variety) at The Brixton.
Whitney Rose CD Release Party at the Continental Club. Rose is kicking off a night of live tunes with the release of her sophomore effort, “South Texas Suite,” a love letter to the Lone Star State. The EP will feature more of her “vintage-pop-infused-neo-traditional-country” songs. Ramsay Midwood and the Lonesome Heroes will also play. 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26. 1315 S. Congress Ave. continentalclub.com/austin/.
“The Bowie Project 3: A Rock & Roll Soundpainting.” 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 5 p.m. Sunday. $10-$35. Ironwood Hall, 505 E. Seventh St. thebowieproject.bpt.me. Following two successful runs of “The Bowie Project” in 2014 and 2015, Ariel Dance Theatre is once again collaborating with local David Bowie tribute band Super Creeps and New York’s Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble for this one-of-a-kind production that ventures into a dance, theater and rock ‘n’ roll journey through superstar David Bowie’s life and music. The performance will use soundpainting — a live composing sign language used to lead improvised performances.
String Quartet Smackdown III. 7 p.m. Saturday. $10.83. Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-861-7040, drafthouse.com. It’s March Madness for the ears. A follow-up to the sold-out String Quartet Smackdown I and II from late 2012 and 2015, this competition works like a bracketed NCAA basketball tournament but features original string quartet compositions submitted by composers and musicians from around the world. The audience will help the jury of experts select the favorites, which will be performed live by the Mother Falcon String Quartet, of the former Mother Falcon band.
Joe King Carrasco at the ABGB. Known as the king of Tex-Mex rock and roll, Carrasco has created a stylistic borderland of pop rock and Latin rhythms — a cross-cultural stew that blends cumbias, vamp, salsa, surf, reggae, blues and Latin-tinged polkas. He’ll bring this unique brand of music to the ABGB, which means you’ll be moving your feet to the beat while trying not to spill your beer. 9 p.m. Saturday. Free. 1305 W. Oltorf St. theabgb.com.
“Unplug This” 20th Anniversary at Hole in the Wall. 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Free. 2538 Guadalupe St. holeinthewallaustin.com. The four-decades-plus history of Hole in the Wall has about a million little side-chapters. One of them was “Unplug This,” a Monday night series in the mid-late 1990s that spurred many of Austin’s rock acts at the time to go acoustic for an evening. An “Unplug This” compilation disc documented the sound and spirit of the series, and many of the participants are gathering to celebrate the record’s 20th anniversary: Mike Nicolai, Wheel, Rice Moorehead, Andrew Duplantis, Michael Fracasso, Beaver Nelson, Pam Peltz, Brit Jones, Kevin Carney and Matt Harmon. — Peter Blackstock
Austin Playhouse’s “Bloomsday.” The Texas premiere of this production by Austin Playhouse comes from one of Austin’s most acclaimed playwrights, Steven Dietz. In his literature-laden love story, an American man searches for the Irish woman who captured his heart 30 years earlier while leading a Bloomsday walking tour in Dublin. As they stroll backwards through time, the couple rediscovers their younger selves and reflects on what might have been, had they made very different life decisions. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 5. $14-$36. 6001 Airport Blvd.austinplayhouse.com.
The Amazing Acro-cats. They are a troupe of real house cats that will jump and pounce their way into your heart. Reaching out to shelters in need and accepting cats found homeless in the streets, Samantha Martin has not only rescued her own cats but has also found homes for more than 182 cats and kittens. After she’s given them a second chance with positive reinforcement-only clicker training, the cats take these amazing abilities on the road and tour the nation in the infamous Acro-cat Bus. Their act — including tightrope walks — is something you must see to believe. 7 p.m. Jan. 19-20, 21 and 23; 3 p.m. Jan. 21; 1 and 5 p.m. Jan. 22. $27. Stateside at the Paramount, 719 Congress Ave. 512-472-5470, austintheatre.org.
Guided Garden Tour.Tour the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s gardens and trails with a knowledgeable volunteer docent, learning about native plants and the history and architecture of the center. Each of the docents brings their own special knowledge and interests to the tour, and sites change throughout the seasons. 11 a.m. Saturday. $4-$10. 4801 La Crosse Ave. 512-232-0100, wildflower.org.
KUTX Winter Jam at ABGB. Public radio station KUTX 98.9 FM showcases a diverse cross-section of top-notch Austin sounds at this free, family-friendly event. Politically charged Austin/San Antonio hip-hop act Third Root takes the 5 p.m. headline spot, performing songs from their 2016 work of crucial rap scholarship, “Libertad.” Tele Novella plays tracks from their beautifully crafted psych pop platter “House of Souls” at 4, and country artist James Hand kicks things off at 3 p.m. Saturday. Free. 1305 W. Oltorf St. theabgb.com. — Deborah Sengupta Stith
Sarah Silverman at Bass Concert Hall. On stage, two-time Emmy Award winner Silverman continues to cement her status as a force in stand-up comedy. But she is also one of the most versatile talents in entertainment, with credits including that of actress, creator, writer, executive producer and author. Silverman will next be seen in both “The Book of Henry” and “Battle of the Sexes,” both of which are set for release this year. 8 p.m. Sunday. $39.75-69.75. Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Drive. texasperformingarts.org.
