The weekends are a lot like blockbuster Hollywood franchises: If you didn’t enjoy the previous installment in the series, just wait around for a reboot and hope that it’s more successful than the last.
But unlike Hollywood franchises, you don’t have to dump hundreds of millions of dollars to fund a successful weekend of fun and relaxation. Plenty of the top events this weekend will be much easier on your personal budget and you won’t have to deal with comic book fanboys!
One of the largest in the country and the largest in the state, the Republic of Texas Biker Rally will be the reason why downtown will be a little bit louder for the next few days. You might also see a spike in men sporting horseshoe mustaches.
Just don’t let the revving engines scare you. The rally is quite a site to see even if you don’t ride yourself. While many of the bikers will have their own fun out at the Travis County Expo Center with performances by hair metal gods Vince Neil and Twisted Sister, Sixth Street will be transformed into one of the biggest weekend-long parties of the year. And don’t worry, these bikers are much friendlier than what you might see on Sons of Anarchy.
Velveeta Room 25th Anniversary
If you’ve ever spent the evening and just one comedy show here in Austin, it’s more than likely that one of the stand-up comics you watched honed their craft right on Sixth Street. Austin’s comedy scene has seen a boom period with new shows and comedians calling the city home, but the Velveeta Room helped to plant those funny seeds.
To mark a quarter of a century of laughs and unpredictable open mics, the Velveeta Room will host its own comedy festival featuring many of the local comics that first found success within its walls. Hopefully the jokes won’t get drowned out by the sea of Harleys right outside of the club.
If you want to avoid some of the downtown chaos this weekend, then you might need a little staycation to take the edge off. A spa retreat would be relaxing, but do you know what would make it even more relaxing? Stuffing yourself with some of the best barbecue in all of Texas (really, the only state with worthwhile barbecue) until you pass out in a brisket and ribs coma.
Travaasa will host an evening celebration of Lone Star meat cooking, hosted by Chef Ben Baker and featuring samplings of barbecue from across the state, with the Salt Lick representing the Austin area. There will surely be some sides as well, but if you’ve ever gotten the “family style” plate at Salt Lick, you know to set aside the coleslaw to save room for the important stuff, which is the burnt ends.
If you need a taste of performance art this weekend, the ZACH will be the place for some good family fun with the final weekend performance of the classic play, Harvey.
The story of Harvey revolves around Elwood P. Dowd, an optimistic man who goes nowhere without his best friend Harvey, an invisible, six-foot tall rabbit. Naturally, the world doesn’t quite understand his unique friendship, causing everyone around him to question his sanity. It’s a heartwarming tale, and one of Austin’s best actors, Martin Burke, takes on the role mad memorable by Jimmy Stewart to teach us a lesson in friendship and imagination.
Republic of Texas Biker Rally
