weekend roundup
Walkin' on sunshine: It's time to get out and meet your neighbors this weekend
I don't know if y'all have noticed, but the weather is pretty much perfect these days. Ever since those big storms blew through town last week (there was a tornado in Dallas, right?), I've been celebrating the outdoors.
It's finally time to start wearing shorts and flip-flops again, and that means it's also an ideal time to get out and start enjoying the amazing outdoor events Austin has to offer again. And you better do it now before it creeps up past 100 degrees and you never want to go outside for months at a time. (There is a thing as "too hot," and it exists in my car from June to September.)
Here are our suggestions to get out and show off your springtime attire to people who understand what makes people love this city so much.
First up, you can take a long drive with the windows down as you head out to see the Lonestar Rod & Kustom Roundup at the Travis Country Expo Center any day this weekend. For the past decade, the The Kontinentals Car Club have thrown an awesome party every year featuring live music, artists of all variety, food and drink, and of course, the kick-ass cars. This new annual Austin tradition is bigger and better than ever, with thousands of classic cars to check out and a killer line up of musicians like guitarist James Burton and legendary rockabilly songstress Wanda Jackson.
If you're up for the community and the art, but not so much the cars, then head on over to the Second Street District for this weekend's Art City Austin. Art Alliance Austin, the hardworking folks who also put together Art Night Austin and Art Week Austin are now transforming Cesar Chavez around City Hall into a community block party complete with live music, children's entertainment, art installations and plenty of neighbors to meet. This is a cool way to experience a portion of downtown you might not otherwise explore. Just make sure you're not trying to drive through this area during the weekend.
Meanwhile, just north of downtown, you have another opportunity to hear beautiful music in unexpected places. Austin's Cultural Campus Concert Crawl will feature acclaimed musicians from UT's Butler School of Music playing 20-minute chamber music mini-concerts in four of UT's museums. Bring the family on a museum-hopping adventure, including The Blanton Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Center, the Visual Arts Center and the Texas Memorial Museum. Come for the music, stay for the archives and artwork.
Less outdoors, but equally monumental, The New Movement comedy house is celebrating their exciting Grand Opening Weekend in their new downtown location on Lavaca Street. TNM has been educating and entertaining audiences for years at their East Austin location on Rosewood, and now, after months of renovations, they're ready to christen this new location with — what else? — comedy! Their first official show at the new location happens at 8pm on Friday night, and features the best of the best TNM has to offer. The company's owners, Chris Trew and Tami Nelson, will also be performing the next evening at their late show. Plenty of high fives and smiles to go around.
If you're into fresh, healthy food, you won't want to miss the 3rd Annual East Austin Urban Farm Tour on Sunday. With all the urban farms that keep popping up in town, there's no reason you can't find all the tips for growing and cooking and planting and harvesting that you need to make your own garden grow. Local chefs, farmers and mixologists will be on hand to show off their own green thumbs at each of the four farms: Boggy Creek Farm, Hausbar Farm, Rain Lily Farm and Springdale Farm. Best part: they're close enough to walk to each of them.
Speaking of good food choices, the Carver Museum & Cultural Center is hosting the All Chocolate Affair on Sunday afternoon, featuring fine foods prepared with the decadent ingredient. That's right, chocolate's not just for dessert anymore! Hyatt Executive Chef Paul French will be present doing demonstrations of some of his favorite recipes, and the Travis High School Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts will be showcasing some of their edible creations as well. Now that chocolate's considered to have healing properties, you've got no reason to resist the temptation.
Sounds like a pretty full weekend to satisfy all your cravings and your senses. Make sure to wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes. And remember your stretches. Your body isn't familiar with all this sun and fun. You gotta ease yourself back into it, y'all.
See ya soon!
Austin Farm Sanctuary co-owner Chris Fuller-Wigg with one of the farms' many rescued cows. Photo from austinfarmsanctuary.org.
The crew from Keep Austin Beautiful Day 2019. Photo from keepaustinbeautiful.org