Weekend Event Guide

Here are the top 5 things to do in Austin this weekend

Tune into a variety of holiday dance performances or stroll through spectacular light art installations at the first-ever Buzzfest. Virtual or in-person, these happenings are worth adding to your calendar. Check out the top five things to do in Austin this weekend.

Thursday, December 17

Bee Cave Arts Foundation presents Buzzfest
Tap into the holiday spirit at the first-ever Bee Cave winter light festival. Guests can experience a fusion of light, sound, design, and technology as they walk through the Hill Country Galleria and into a magical place of illuminated wonder. The festival will also include original music compositions and choreographed light art performances twice each evening. Following opening night, Buzzfest is open through December 19. Admission is free.

Robert Earl Keen’s Merry Christmas from the Fam-O-Lee Secret Santa Christmas
Texas country legend Robert Earl Keen returns with another year of his Merry Christmas from the Fam-O-Lee event at ACL Live. Although this year’s theme remains a surprise, guests can expect a set of favorite holiday tunes and Keen’s top hits. Food and beverage options are available for pre-purchase, face masks are required, and social distancing will be enforced.

Friday, December 18

Interference Fest: Women Making Noise
Visionary artists come together in a virtual space to celebrate empowerment, wellness, and artistic expression. The event will take place over the course of three days via livestream on Twitch TV, and guest performers include Angel Bat Dawid & Sistazz of Tha Nitty Gritty, Yuliya Lanina, and Amanda Gutierrez and N.W. Long. Visit the festival website for a full schedule of events. Admission to this virtual event is free. Donations are accepted.

Saturday, December 19

The Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue presents Winter Wonderland
Stream the sultry Winter Wonderland production from some of Austin's favorite burlesque dancers. The show will include dance highlights from over the years, a guided winter mediation, cocktail suggestions, a holiday bake off, and live music. Audience members should be 18 and up. Purchase general admission or VIP tickets on the event website.

Sunday, December 20

Tapestry Dance Company presents A Jazz Tap Holiday
Fancy footwork and holiday dazzle combine for this virtual dance event. This rendition of Tapestry’s traditional holiday classic, Of Mice and Music: A Jazz Tap Nutcracker, features the Tchaikovsky score and a number of jazz classics along with tap dancing mice, ugly Christmas sweaters, and more. To reserve your ticket, visit the Tapestry website. In lieu of admission, donations to Tapestry Dance Company are encouraged.

Sing along with Robert Earl Keen at ACL Live.

Robert Earl Keen/Facebook

Sing along with Robert Earl Keen at ACL Live.

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Meet at the Moontower

John Waters, Aziz Ansari among added headliners for 2025 Moontower fest

Photo by Greg Gorman

John Waters is one of the longest-reigning comedy greats attending the festival.

Austin's main annual dose of comedy has been prescribed: Moontower Comedy Festival is returning April 9-19, and just the first wave of talent includes more than 100 performers across 10 venues. Now a second wave of talent has been announced for the festival's 13th year.

Attendees will see shows and stand-up showcases, live podcasts, sketch comedy, musical comedy, and more. There are also parties and other special events tying everything together.

New headliners in the second wave include:

Aziz Ansari, creator of the series Master of None and actor behind the whimsical, sometimes whiny Parks and Recreation character Tom Haverford.
Pete Holmes, star of HBO's Crashing and host of the You Made It Weird podcast, who is specifically bringing his Feelin' It Tour to Moontower.
Hank Azaria, the voice behind Simpsons characters like Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmers, and who will be playing with his EZ Street Band.
John Waters, known lovingly as the "Pope of Trash," having directed movies like Pink Flamingos and Hairspray. He's bringing a new show for his Moontower debut.
Tiffany Haddish, author of The Last Black Unicorn, known for standup comedy, and a breakout role in Girls Trip.
Zarna Garg, known for addressing the Indian diaspora as a self-proclaimed "overbearing Indian auntie," who is bringing her Practical People Win tour.

A bit more insight on some of the headliners:

Adam Ray parodies (and dresses up as) the famous talk show host Dr. Phil on Dr. Phil Live. He also interviews celebrity guests and uses audience interaction to get the crowd going.
Handsome Pod Livefeatures Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin — all big-name comedians in their own rights — and answer questions from friends about really any topic imaginable.
Atsuko Okatsuka's HBO special The Intruder has been lauded by The New York Times as the Best Debut of 2022, the same year she was named one of Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch.
Joey “Coco” Diaz, bestselling author of Tremendous: The Life of a Comedy Savage, brings his storytelling skills to the stage.

Although there are tons of very famous performers on the lineup, there's also local talent: a press release lists Liza Splatt, Andrew Murphy, Ashley Sharma, Avery Moore, Brett VerVoort, Chris Tellez, Colton Dowling, Danny Goodwin, Doug Mellard, Dylan Carlino, Genivive Clinton, "and many more."

Badges (starting at $150) are available now at moontowercomedyfest.com. A promotion called the Bestie Badge offers $25 off of every badge to those who buy two or more. Badges can also be purchased at the Paramount Theatre box office or by calling (512) 474-1221. Like any festival lineup, this one is subject to change.