Baby, the rain must fall, and fall it did. It seems that, despite being in desperate need of rain, we’re always going to get rainfall in a massive downpour at one time instead of in a nicer more spread out fashion. C’est la vie, am I right?
There are some big messes to be cleaned up, but the weekend should provide some better weather for you to enjoy on your days off — either welcoming the Longhorns back to DKR after 40 days in the wilderness or starting to stress out about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are more big picks for having fun during the first days of November.
Friday, November 1 – Saturday, November 2
Scares are fun and all, but laughs can always improve them — it’s what made Evil Dead II better than The Evil Dead. If you’re still not ready to shake off the spirit of Halloween before focusing on Turkey Day, The New Movement Theater offers treats that are much better than all of that leftover candy corn.
TNM RIP is made up of two nights with the best improv troupes to come out of TNM, and each night features a different lineup of talent, allowing for a unique show each day. It will make you wonder if Lovecraft would have written about madness so much if he could just have seen a few comedy shows.
Friday, November 1 – Sunday, November 3
We’ve already broken down in great detail what to expect from Austin’s inaugural festival devoted to girlie pop culture. To catch you up to speed, Forever Fest is a weekend for celebrating some of the best girlie movies and rom-coms that many of you likely grew up with and watched while staying up late at slumber parties.
Featured movies include Sixteen Candles and Empire Records, but the weekend also includes special parties and unique events, such as The Wild Brunch, a celebration of Hollywood’s hottest leading men. Tickets are still available for individual shows, so hop on those real quick to help make Forever Fest a success and to help bring it back for next year, hopefully a You’ve Got Mail-themed book fair.
Saturday, November 2
Austin Powwow and American Indian Heritage Festival
For 22 years now, Austin has been the site of one of the largest, single-day powwows in the country, with thousands gathering to celebrate Native American culture. The Austin Powwow serves primarily as a way to bring American Indian families in Austin together to keep their culture alive and vibrant, but everyone from the local community is invited to attend and enjoy the fun.
The powwow will feature arts and crafts for sale, just in case you want to get a large head start on holiday shopping, and kids can also be entertained by outdoor storytelling. And it wouldn’t be a proper powwow unless there was a massive and colorful dance competition that is always a sight to behold.
Sunday, November 3
Food Festivals: Texas Monthly BBQ Festival and Austin Oyster Festival
This weekend offers a slight breather between some of the larger Austin festivals, but naturally there are still some smaller, niche festivals for good times, including two food-oriented ones.
Texas Monthly will bring back possibly the most delicious Lone Star food event with its BBQ Festival, featuring some of the meat purveyors who earned a spot on their Top 50 BBQ Joints list. Advance tickets are sold out, but get there early to grab some of the walk-up tickets available on Sunday.
If you can’t make it in, then consider sampling the tastiest mollusk from under the sea at the Second Annual Austin Oyster Festival. Whether you preferred them grilled, fried or raw right off the shell, you can down these bivalves, along with other seafood accompaniments and maybe a Topo Chico or a Bloody Mary. If you’re somehow able to make it to both this and the BBQ Festival, then you get to unlock the “Surf 'n’ Turf” achievement!
Sample some 'cue at the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival.
