New Treasure Trove

Iconic Austin crystal shop celebrates new location and 25-year milestone

Nature's Treasures is officially debuting its new location.

Photo courtesy of Nature's Treasures

Nature's Treasures, one of Austin's most famous, yet niche stores, is officially making its comeback after being relocated from its spot on I-35. It's one of more than 100 stores that were forced to close locations to make way for a massive highway expansion project, but it's ready to show off its new digs with a "Re-Grand Opening" on Saturday and Sunday, January 25-26.

With help from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the crystal shop was able to make a relatively smooth transition from its former location to 11055 N. IH35 Frontage Rd. It has maintained both locations at once for several weeks, but now it's time for the new space's official debut. So far, there is no specified end date for operations at the original location.

The new space is in an event center, meaning much more space for retail; the business graduated from 14,000 square feet (still nothing to scoff at) to 18,000 for retail and 5,200 for events.

Nature's Treasures event center interior A photo from early in the setup shows how much room there is to fill at the event center.Photo courtesy of Nature's Treasures

The grand opening will also celebrate Nature's Treasures' 25th year of being in business. It'll feature 30 vendors selling everything from jewelry to apothecary blends or offering services like reiki, tarot reading, energy work, and other eclectic spiritual and wellness modalities.

There will be presentation by "Austin's Crystal Whisperer," tours of the new space, and giveaways including a large heart-shaped amethyst geode valued at more than $900, per a press release. The food truck Juli's Tacos will also be at the event.

A walkthrough video on Instagram gives a preview of the space during a similar event.

See on Instagram

This is far from the only chance to attend a vendor event at Nature's Treasures. It hosts a monthly metaphysical and holistic fair, a biannual jewelry bazaar, and a variety of workshops and other smaller events.

The grand opening is scheduled for 11 am to 5 pm on January 25 and 26, according to Instagram posts. The event is free to attend, and the location has free parking.

nature openings jewelry home decor

From Music to Park Maintenance

New basketball court and more changes for Austin parks from ACL Fest funds

Photo courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation

Dottie Jordan Neighborhood Park also received a grant for youth tennis programming.

Yes, Austinites do need to give up their favorite park during the Austin City Limits Music Festival each year. But grants derived from festival revenue get spread around to improve Austin's parks throughout the year. Austin Parks Foundation (APF) has announced this year's grant recipients and what that will mean for those parks, including a new basketball court, dog park amenities, and more.

The ACL Music Festival Grants this year total more than $600,000. A press release specifies that the funds go toward '"improvements and amenities identified by community members and park adopters." Those upgrades are split into two categories; $500-$5,000 projects get Neighborhood Grants, while larger projects have no upper limit. However, the funds are reserved for "specific amenities or improvements" and not major redesigns.

"These grants are in addition to the millions of dollars APF invests in our parks each year, ensuring that our parks continue to serve individual neighborhoods," said APF CEO Colin Wallis in a press release. "Each project represents a partnership between APF and dedicated community members who intimately understand their neighborhoods' needs. The strength of these grants lies in their direct connection to community vision and their proven effectiveness in creating lasting positive change across Austin."

The timeline for the projects in this round of funding varies. Some are finished, some are in final stages, and some others are yet to come.

Two projects are already complete. The Onion Creek Dog Park now has new limestone block seating ($4,870) so that dog owners can rest while their pets roam off-leash. Georgian Acres Neighborhood Park completed a small task in commissioning a Little Free Library ($800) that was painted by a local tattoo artist.

Two more projects are seeing the horizon on their efforts. The Clarksville Community Garden is creating the Haskell House Heritage Garden, which is located near the preserved late-1800s home with ties to multiple generations of Black Austinites. It'll also include interpretive signage, invasive bamboo removal, and updates to the irrigation system ($26,900). The Elisabet Ney Museum, which is currently closed for major renovations, got support for its landscape overhaul and connection to the Shipe Park next door ($25,000).

Finally, three more are coming soon. Roy G. Guerrero Metropolitan Park received the largest grant by far, totaling $550,000. It'll get a new basketball court and a shade structure, which is a direct reaction to local needs since the Montopolis community recently lost three courts. The new one is in the works at the end of Grove Boulevard and should be ready by the end of 2025.

More sports are coming to Dottie Jordan Neighborhood Park in the form of youth tennis programming ($6,100), while a new mural commissioned by the East Austin Youth Foundation honors community leader L.D. Washington at Rosewood Neighborhood Park ($4,000).

These grants aren't the only way APF benefits from ACL sales, which also support capital projects and volunteer days for taking care of the parks through actions like picking up litter, including It's My Park Day. The grants are offered twice a year; the next deadline for proposed projects is April 1.

festivals parks grants