Hot Headlines

Austin restaurant down for the count, Willie's growing cannabis empire, and more top stories

Counter 3. Five. VII and The Infinite Monkey Theorem presents Wine Dinner

Counter 3. FIVE. VII. is closing shop.

Photo courtesy of Counter 3. Five. VII

Editor's note: Summer notoriously means a slower news cycle, but stories from Austin's food scene continue to speed in at a breakneck pace. This week, a ritzy Congress Avenue restaurant closed while an Oregon-based burger chain announced it was rolling out a new location inside the flagship Whole Foods Market. Read on for more of the week's top stories.

1. Upscale downtown Austin restaurant latest victim in recent wave of shutters. Number's up for this Congress Avenue spot. Counter 3. FIVE. VII. was a bit of an anomaly when it opened (prix fixe menu, chef counter seating) but was widely considered one of the most interesting restaurants in the city. That wasn't enough to keep it afloat, however, and the restaurant confirmed this week that it will close.

2. Whole Foods Austin food hall goes next level with new vegan burger joint. Vegans, rejoice! (Or just people that like a good burger.) For the first time ever, Whole Foods' Lamar flagship is expanding its food hall to include an outside vendor. The Oregon-based chain will fire up its 100-percent vegan fare beginning this fall.

3. Willie Nelson grows cannabis empire with new line of CBD oil products. Ah, Willie. Whether it's an outlaw tune or little something to help us relax, he always has the cure for what ails us. This week, the Red Headed Stranger announced he's expanding his line of marijuana products to include a new CBD oil appropriately named Willie's Remedy.

4. Austin coworking giant sticks a fork in company-bought meat. WeWork co-founder Miguel McKelvey made some folks smokin' mad this week when he announced that WeWork will begin banning meat at company functions and forbidding employees to pay for it on the company dime. How this shakes out in a barbecue city like Austin remains to be seen.

5. The splashy history of Austin's famous lakes and waterways. All anyone wants to do right now is jump into an ice-cold swimming hole, but did you know that Austin's lakes and waterways are more than just a refreshing spot for recreation? These lakes and waterways come with a rich history, and stories older than the city itself.

hot-headlines

A New Light

Wildflower Center's Luminations light show debuts new features in 2024

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Luminations

Photo by Theresa DiMenno

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is bringing back Luminations with some new elements.

A South Austin holiday tradition is sprouting a little differently this year at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Luminations, an immersive light installation, is bringing new art and adding access to a separate installation to keep things growing fresh year after year.

The 2024 show runs from November 22, 2024, to January 5, 2025. The family-friendly exhibition will show off work by local designers alongside food truck vendors and three full-service bars.

Austinites who haven't been to Luminations may still recognize it from social media photos. The glowing O-shaped swings are hands-down the most popular exhibit to photograph since they are interactive, but other popular ones include an array of color-changing discs to step on and a herd of rainbow, origami-like deer.

A few elements are new this year.

A new location
No sane event organizer would leave the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; actually, the installation is now even closer, taking place in the main gardens. According to a release, this was to make the path more walkable, which in turn allows guests to feel more immersed. It already was a walking exhibit last year, but it was spread out across nearly two miles. Neither the website nor the release offer an updated distance estimate, but the website does show a map.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Luminations map Here's where Luminations is held now.wildflower.org

New art
The release promises "interactive opportunities and never-before-seen light installations." Of course, it doesn't give it all away before people get to see it. But potential visitors can get an idea by of what's in store by checking out other work by the six designers who contributed this year: APM Designs, ASA Designs, Cicada Designs, Dada Labs, Holiday Lighting Designs and Ion Art Designs.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Luminations These swings are always a big hit, and they appear to be on the map again this year.Photo by Ann Alva Wieding

“We work closely with local Austin designers to make our light show special, and there’s something surprising and different every year,” said the Wildflower Center's director of hospitality, Erika Tucker, in the release.

A trip to Fortlandia
Another one of the Wildflower Center's interactive projects, Fortlandia, is now right next to Luminations. For Fortlandia, local designers — including one that crosses over with Luminations, Ion Art — designed children's playscapes that push traditional playground boundaries. These modern forts aren't just beautiful to look at, but extra fun to play in thanks to the novelty.

This fun fort is part of Fortlandia.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center/Instagram

Since it will be dark out during the light show, Fortlandia will also have its own lighting. Additionally, keeping kids entertained at Fortlandia might give parents a bit more time to appreciate the art in Luminations.

The goal is the same
Although some aspects of Luminations are new this year, it fills the darker days of winter, gets people to visit the Wildflower Center in the off-season, and it benefits the center's conservation work.

Throughout the year, the center conducts research on protecting native ecosystems, cultivates rare plants, maintains a seed bank, educates Texans on how to foster native plant life, and even helps plan eco-friendly projects for outside clients using its own findings.

Last month, the center announced planned updates to its 284 acres of gardens.

Tickets to Luminations ( $28 for adults, $18 for youth) are required for entry. Reserved parking is available at an additional cost. The entrance to the exhibit is located at 4801 LaCrosse Ave.

nature immersive visual art kids families