Weekend Roundup

Here are the top 16 things to do in Austin this weekend

See and be seen at the hottest events of the weekend. Plan a girls' night at the theater, indulge your inner foodie, or put on your dancing shoes and two-step into the weekend in true Texas style. Whatever you plan to do this weekend, make sure you don’t miss these fun happenings around Austin. For the complete list, check out our events calendar.

La Dolce Vita Food and Wine Festival
Mix and mingle with the city’s most fashionable foodies at La Dolce Vita Food and Wine Festival. The indulgent event brings the culinary world of Central Texas to The Contemporary Austin Laguna Gloria for one night only. Your $200 ticket includes an exclusive taste of Central Texas’ finest flavors and most delicious wines. Spring for a $250 ticket and get VIP access to the ultra luxe cocktail lounge.
Thursday, October 15 at 7 pm

Give Hope 2015 featuring The Band Perry
Put on your dancing shoes for the first-ever Give Hope benefit hosted by Dell Children’s Medical Center Foundation. The inaugural night of giving kicks off with a VIP cocktail reception at the W Austin Hotel and finishes with an epic performance by Grammy Award-winning group The Band Perry. Snag your tickets and party for a good cause. Tickets are $49 to $153.
Thursday, October 15 at 8 pm

Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden presents Oktoberfest
Spend your weekend at Banger’s Oktoberfest with buds and suds and all things German. The weekend-long event features brews from Live Oak Brewery, special food, live music, and more. Drink your fill of German beers, both locally and nationally brewed, and celebrate the harvest with Austin’s coolest brew-masters.
Thursday, October 15 – Sunday, October 18

Travis County Archives presents Travis County History Day
Grab the family and head to the Commissioners Courtroom for a fun social studies lesson. Get caught up in the Texas history in the transformed Hall of Government and view local art collections. This year’s free event features special speakers, historical displays, live music, demonstrations, and refreshments.
Friday, October 16 at 10 am

Hostelling International Austin presents Lakeside 2 Steppin’
Slip on your best boots and head to Peace Point park for a free night of two-stepping any Texan will love. Keep the groove going with live music on an outdoor dance floor under the Texas stars. Got two left feet? No problem. Guests can enjoy a free two-step dance lesson from esteemed instructor Campbell Miller.
Friday, October 16 at 6:30 pm

Louis Black’s 65th birthday celebration
Celebrate the 65th birthday of Austin legend and SXSW and The Austin Chronicle co-founder Louis Black. Black’s birthday bash at Palm Door is an Austin concert to end all others with performers including Moving Panoramas, Rosie Flores, and Bob Schneider. Stay until the last song and get a surprise special guest performance you won’t soon forget. Admission is free but a $10 donation is suggested.
Friday, October 16 at 7:30 pm

Texas Tribune Festival
The fifth annual Texas Tribune Festival returns to the University of Texas for a full political weekend. Your $350 ticket gets you access to discussions, parties, and tons of networking opportunities designed to help further your career.
Friday, October 16 – Sunday, October 18

TexArts presents Steel Magnolias
Round up the girls and settle into the TexArts Kam and James Morris Theatre for the opening weekend of Robert Harling’s comedy-drama Steel Magnolias. This classic story of six Southern women is the perfect way to start your weekend. Tickets are $40 to $60.
Friday, October 16 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, October 18 at 2 pm

Easter Seals Central Texas presents Dia de los Muertos Festival
Channel your inner skeleton bride or groom and head to Fiesta Gardens for the third annual Dia de los Muertos Festival. The ticketed event includes live music, cultural performances, food, and more. A kids’ zone full of fun cultural activities makes the festival a Saturday well spent. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $100 for VIP. Children 12 and under get in free.
Saturday, October 17 at noon

Independence Brewing’s 11th anniversary party
Cheers to 11 years of local brews at Independence. Your $15 to $30 ticket gets you access to a variety of limited release brews and a first taste of the brewery’s 11th anniversary beer. Partygoers can also enjoy live music and food trucks on location. Grab a ticket here.
Saturday, October 17 at 1 pm

Funny or Die presents Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival
End your Saturday with a side-splitting festival featuring some of comedy’s most hilarious stars. For one night only, the Austin360 Amphitheater will transform into a laugh factory and feature sets by Amy Schumer, Aziz Ansari, and more. A few tickets are still on sale, but they’re sure to sell out. Snag yours now for $35 to $100.
Saturday, October 17 at 5:15 pm

Lick Ice Cream workshop with Genius Gin
Satisfy your sweet tooth at an intimate ice-cream sauces workshop at Mockingbird Domestics. Led by Lick chef Anthony Sobotik, the workshop will teach ice-cream lovers how to make their own seasonal sauces, custom cocktails, and sweet treats. Austin brands Mockingbird Domestics and Genius Gin have teamed up with Lick to introduce special flavors and a co-branded housewares collection including ice-cream spoons and bowls made locally. Tickets are $90.
Saturday, October 17 at 2 pm

Texas Book Festival
Hang out with fellow Austin bookworms at the 20th annual Texas Book Festival. The free festival is perfect for any book lover and will feature more than 300 renowned authors, panels, book signings, live music, children’s activities, and more. Check out our complete guide for what to do at the fest.
Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 at 10 am

ASPCA Mega Match-a-thon
Find your new four-legged friend during the free ASPCA Mega Match-a-thon this Saturday and Sunday. The Austin Humane Society has committed to finding loving homes for more than 325 animals this year. Help out the cause and give a dog a furrever home.
Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18 at noon

Cochon 555’s Heritage BBQ
What better way to end the weekend than with some local barbecue? For one day only, The Driskill Hotel hosts a fierce cook off featuring five of Austin’s top chefs. Get an up-close look at the action as Austin culinary notables like Contigo’s Andrew Wiseheart and Thai-Kun’s Thai Changthong cook an entire pig for hungry judges. Snag a ticket and wear your stretchy pants.
Sunday, October 18 at 5 pm

Rude Mechs presents The Pearl Drive
Head to Mongers Market + Kitchen for the annual Rude Mechs fundraiser celebrating all things seafood. Fill your stomach with a medley of Gulf Coast-sourced seafood expertly prepared by Austin’s finest chefs. Tickets start at $100.
Sunday, October 18 at 7 pm

See The Band Perry in an exclusive concert at the Give Hope benefit this Thursday.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo RodeoHouston entertainers January 2015 The Band Perry

Courtesy of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

See The Band Perry in an exclusive concert at the Give Hope benefit this Thursday.

event-planner

Light it up, y'all!

Sensational Texas holiday display battles on TV's Christmas Light Fight

Mach Christmas Display, Ennis, Great Christmas Light Fight

Photo courtesy of Patrick Mach

The Austin section has guacamole and music tributes.

Patrick Mach harbored a Texas-sized dream to compete on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight. When he finally got the call, he built Texas.

The Mach Christmas Display — a massive walk-through attraction in the North Texas town of Ennis — will compete on the hit reality competition on Thursday, December 19. They’ll battle against three other families around the country for $50,000, a trophy, and serious bragging rights.

“It’s a bucket-list item to be on the show,” Mach says. “I’ve always wanted to be on since season one.” (The show is now in season 12.)

The Mach family — Patrick and wife Natasha and their four kids, Natalie (17), Ethan (16), Noelle (12), and Brandon (11) — all pitched in to create the display and will appear on the show.

The family lives on a “mini-ranch” in the Ennis-Alma area, about 40 minutes south of Dallas. (Ennis is famous for its Bluebonnet Trails each spring). Three-and-a-half acres of their 10-acre property are taken over by their Christmas lights extravaganza each holiday season. It even has its own electrical meter.

“Texas” uses half-a-million lights, 200 inflatables, and custom-built pieces to depict 40 cities and towns across the Lone Star State (though not actually in the shape of Texas). Each is marked with a green city-limits sign and has a vignette that represents the city.

“Live Music Capital” Austin has a guitar with strings that “play.” (A custom Texas Capitol building will be constructed for next year’s display.) San Antonio has a giant, 8-foot-tall Alamo outlined in lights and a River Walk bridge crossing a blue river. “Space City” Houston has rockets and Buzz Lightyear.

Mach Christmas Display, Great Christmas Light Fight, Dog Ridge The Dog Ridge, Texas section, of course, features dogs.Photo courtesy of ABC

Fort Worth gets longhorns and a Texas Motor Speedway-inspired racetrack, complete with “Lightning McQueen” and “Tow Mater” Disney/Pixar characters. Dallas features a custom wireframe outline of the skyline, plus Dallas Cowboys inflatables and a whole section devoted to the State Fair.

The smaller Texas town displays are just as creative: Glen Rose has dinosaurs, College Station has Texas A&M-inspired military drummers, New Braunfels has a polar bear floating the river, and Ennis, of course, has bluebonnets.

Mach Christmas Display, Ennis, Great Christmas Light Fight The Glen Rose section has dinosaurs.Photo courtesy of ABC

In a nod toThe Great Christmas Light Fight host Carter Oosterhouse, they added Carter, Texas — yes, an actual town in Parker County — just for the show. It included a mural of Oosterhouse riding a bull. The host, Mach says, was impressed.

Love of Christmas
The Machs’ drive to light up a Texas-sized spectacle comes from their deep love of Christmas. Patrick and Natasha met on a dating app when she “hearted” his Christmas-y photo. On one of their first dates, during the pandemic, they watched a Great Christmas Light Fight marathon. He proposed to her on his Christmas lights display at home. They married in a Christmas-themed wedding three years ago, and Santa even showed up.

Patrick Mach had grown up loving Christmas and putting up displays with his father, from whom he learned carpentry. His dad gifted him an old-fashioned blow-mold nativity scene in 2004; he then passed away on December 30, 2006.

“So since he passed so close to Christmas, every year I did a little more to keep mind off what happened … then it just became so big,” Mach says.

In fact, Mach had been nominated for the Light Fightevery year since 2019. He never thought he was ready.

“It took a few years to commit,” he says, “then 2023 came around and we said, ‘Let’s go.’”

The family found out they’d made the show in September 2023. Filming would take place around Thanksgiving. Each member of the family, plus an army of friends, worked from a “battle plan” to design and build the display, which would be greatly expanded for the show.

“From 2022 to 2023, we doubled the display,” he says. “It was all hands on deck. We were still working on it the day they showed up (to film).”

The shoot lasted a few days and was an “awesome experience,” Mach says. The crew became like family.

“Behind the scenes we were always cutting up, laughing, the kids made friends with the producers,” he says. “We still text message with the producers every so often, and one camera guy brought us a Christmas display item that he doesn’t use and wanted to go to a good family.”

Two things that surprised him behind the scenes: how strict they were about using copyrighted characters and images (no Grinches allowed) and how tiring the filming was.

“After we filmed, I slept the best I'd slept in months,” he jokes.

Mach Christmas Display, Ennis, Great Christmas Light Fight The Mach family with Great Christmas Light Fight host Carter Oosterhouse.Photo courtesy of Patrick Mach

He remains tight-lipped about the outcome of the show. But if the family does win, he’d like to put the $50,000 toward a well-deserved vacation. They're the fourth Texas contenders on this season of Light Fight; so far, none has been victorious.

Gift to the community
Win or lose, the Mach Christmas Display will remain on for the public to walk through and enjoy on select nights through the holidays. (Watch their Facebook page for the schedule.) There’s no charge to see it, but they do collect donations for local charities such as Toys for Tots, Helping Hands of Ennis, and the SPCA.

It can be a little tricky to find, and GPS doesn’t always route to the right place, so they advise visitors to use the pin they’ve dropped on Google Maps.

Although the Machs have attracted visitors from several hours away, they remain focused on sharing their love of Christmas with their community.

“Ennis is a smaller town, and this is our way of giving back to the community,” Mach says, “of giving families something to do around the holidays because there’s nothing around here like this.”

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The Machs’ episode of The Great Christmas Light Fight will air at 7 pm Thursday, December 19 on ABC and will be available to stream on Hulu the next day. The Mach Christmas Display is open on select nights through the holiday season; follow their Facebook page for the schedule and more information. The address is 171 FM1183, Ennis, 75119. Follow the directions at the pin on Google Maps. For lists of Fort Worth's best Christmas lights, go here and here.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Mach

The Austin section has guacamole and music tributes.

holiday light displays holidays christmas light fight media texas christmas lights neighborhoods