Weekend Events Roundup

Hot racing action, live music, E.A.S.T. and pizza top our weekend events

Austin Photo: Kevin_Formula 1 international_November 2012_grand prix start

Grand Prix weekend is back again.

Circuit of the Americas

If you thought last weekend was busy, just wait for what’s in store over the next three days. Look forward to a mishmash of racing, another music festival, an arts festival and so much more.

We’re talking about jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, but that’s a good thing: it means there's a wide variety of fun options for the next few days. Let us walk you through a couple of choice selections.

Thursday, November 14 – Sunday, November 17

Austin Fan Fest 2013

It’s not breaking news that the U.S. Grand Prix is taking place on Sunday, with a full weekend of events that mix fast cars and live music down at the Circuit of the Americas. But if you don’t feel like spending money or taking time to drive out to COTA this weekend, what's the best way to experience the spirit of Formula 1 without leaving downtown?

That’s where the beauty of Fan Fest comes in. Though this music festival will block off a bunch of streets downtown, it will still probably be easier to get to it than most. Transporting yourself to Zilker or Auditorium Shores is always super convoluted, but just take a quick bus trip or MetroRail to the heart of downtown, and you’re there. It’s completely free and open to everyone, so don’t worry about haggling with ticket scalpers. What more do you need in a music fest?

Friday, November 15 – Saturday, November 16

Motostalgia Showcase

Want to see firsthand some of the most impressive creations of human engineering? Head down to the Austin Convention Center on Friday and Saturday to journey through the history of racing at the Motostalgia Showcase.

More than 75 of the rarest cars will be on full display in a gallery of art of metal, rubber and powerful engines, along with an array of fashion and entertainment. It costs $25 for both days and might be the last time many of these vehicles are seen in public —they go to auction later in the weekend.

Saturday, November 16

Eighth Annual Carnival o’ Pizza

Few places in town do pizza better than Home Slice, and to celebrate the restaurant’s anniversary (and the glory of pizza in general), the pizzeria will show its thanks to the community with tons of game and pizza.

Spend the day playing carnival games, dancing to good music, taking crazy photos in the photo booth and taking part in various competitions. And yes, there will be a ton of pizza to satiate the appetite of even the hungriest Ninja Turtle. All proceeds from this event will benefit Austin Bat Cave, helping kids and teenagers develop their creative writing skills. That’s all the proof you need of how pizza can change the world.

Saturday, November 16 – Sunday, November 2013

E.A.S.T. – Weekend One of East Austin Studio Tour

If you can find the time in your busy schedule of celebrating racing and pizza, then take in some local art and visit with the talented artists behind those works. E.A.S.T. is back for more, featuring self-guided tours of local artists and their work spaces. If you can’t make it out this weekend — which is understandable — then just make time to try it again next weekend.

We’ve already featured a guide of studios from one local artist. Stay tuned for more helpful suggestions to navigating all of East Austin for the best picks of E.A.S.T.

Grand Prix weekend is back again.

Circuit of the Americas

Grand Prix weekend is back again.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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