Best Weekend Ever

Champagne festival, roller derby and Air Sex top best weekend events

Take a break from the holiday stress and enjoy a night out that doesn't involve shopping, hosting or wearing an ugly Christmas sweater. From music to air sex and pizza to Champagne, there's something for everyone happening this weekend.

Drink some brews at the "Love Austin Beer" Pop-up Gallery Show
If you love Austin beer then you will love this print series from bitchbeer.org contributor Jessica Deahl. This free pop-up gallery show at Studium on Friday, December 12 has poster art showcasing 10 different local craft beers. Each print is signed by the artist and many of the brewers themselves will be in attendance, so you might be able to get them to add a signature, too. Austin Beerworks will be providing complimentary beverages while supplies last, so get there early.

Support salamanders at the Save Our Springs Alliance Holiday Party
Celebrate everyone's favorite swimming hole at Scholz Garten on Friday, December 12. This wonderful holiday event celebrating Barton Springs will be filled with tamales, dancing and music from El Tule and Outrageous Otter Space Band. Since it is also a fundraiser, there will be a silent auction with goods from local providers such as Whole Earth Provision Company, Alamo Drafthouse, Casino El Camino and more. There is a $10 suggested donation at the door, but the SOS Alliance won't turn you away if you can't spare the extra cash.

Get it on at the 6th Annual Air Sex National Championships
The 6th Annual Air Sex National Championship Finals is back and the organizers promise it is going to be the biggest Air Sex show of all time. This show will feature the best of the best champs from all over the U.S., including Austin regional winner Mighty Joe Hung and Fun Fun Fun Fest 2014 wild card Weenie Dodo. Come join the spectacle on Saturday, December 13 at The Mohawk for $10.

Become a carnie at the Carnival O' Pizza
Though the event was postponed from its original November date, the Carnival O' Pizza is back for its ninth year at Home Slice Pizza on Saturday, December 13. Part pizza love fest and part anniversary celebration, the event has food and activities for all ages. Eat pizza, throw dough, play carnival games or give the Hands on an Eggplant Sub contest a try.

Sip bubbly at the Oodles of Bubbles Fest
This unique holiday tradition doubles as one of the best bubbly tastings in town. Enjoy fresh Gulf oysters and sip on samples from more than 50 different bubblies at Vino Vino on Saturday, December 13. Admission is $25, and the wine bar reminds you to wear comfortable shoes since the festival is taking place in the parking lot.

See no mercy at the Texas Roller Derby's Season's Beatings
The Texas Roller Derby skaters are changing up teams up for a series of special bouts on Saturday, December 13 at the TXRD Thunderdome. We're talking Christmas versus Halloween in the most knock-down, drag-out competition for the holidays for only $7 at the door. Bring a toy with you to drop off in the Operation Blue Santa donation bins on site.

Join the TV audience at Kelly and Bruce's Holiday Shindig
Join Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison for their annual holiday show at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday, December 13. Each year, the singer-songwriter husband-and-wife duo performs songs from their Christmas album Happy Holidays, other holiday classics and more. Paramount favorites Joe Ely and Shawn Colvin will join them on stage this year. If you're fan of this country couple, we highly recommend going, because the show is being filmed for a future on-air release. Tickets start at $47.

Celebrate a birthday at the End Sounds 13th Year Anniversary Show
Austin record label End Sounds is having a 13th anniversary show at Red 7 featuring Riverboat Gamblers, Ume, Red Animal War and more — all for $10. Come out, rock out and support this homegrown record label as it enters its angsty teen years.

Revel in a wonderland during Luminations at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
See the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as you've never seen it before as thousands of luminaries light it up during "Luminations." In addition to the beautiful spectacle, there will be musical performances, children's activities, a visit from Frosty the Snowman, kettle corn, hot beverages and more on Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14. Admission is free with two canned food item donations for the Capital Area Food Bank.

Live it up during A Tammie Brown Christmas
Tammie Brown (you might know her from season one of RuPaul's Drag Race) is the star of this wonderful Charlie Brown Christmas parodycombined with her Holiday Sparkle routine. Celebrate the holidays with some flair on Sunday, December 14 at V Nightclub & Lounge and take part in a silent auction after her performance to benefit Austin International Drag Foundation Inc. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

Champagne reigns at Vino Vino this weekend.

Photo by Greg Blomberg

Champagne reigns at Vino Vino this weekend.

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Red Light

San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio has pulled off something that the rest of Texas has yet to do, but it didn't come without some contentious conversations. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

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