Weekend Event Guide

Here are the top 5 things to do in Austin this weekend

Tune into a variety of virtual happenings in the days ahead, from a fashionable fête to a living room dance party. Check out the top five — all-virtual — things to do in Austin this weekend.

Thursday, January 21

Project Transitions presents Snow Ball
This year’s fashionable Snow Ball fête hosted by Project Transitions goes virtual for locals to enjoy from the comfort of home. Highlights include local entertainment, live and silent auctions, and a showcase of pieces from talented Project Runway designers. Although guests can stream the show on Facebook Live and YouTube for free, registration is required on the Project Transitions website. Tickets for a VIP experience are also available.

The City Theatre Austin presents The Spoon River Project
A talented troupe of 30 local actors give life to the words of American poet Edgar Lee Masters in this unique virtual theater performance. A selection of Masters’ poems — focusing on an array of subject matter such as politics, love, death, betrayals, and passion — will be performed during the digital event. Following opening weekend, The Spoon River Project will stream through February 28.

aGLIFF presents Cicada
American drama Cicada follows the life of a young bisexual man of color named Ben as he navigates relationships, comes out to the world, and searches for love. Following the at-home screening, guests can participate in an intimate Q&A with director Matt Fifer. To view the screening schedule and to purchase tickets, go to the aGLIFF website. Screenings are scheduled through January 28.

Saturday, January 23

DJ Mel presents Living Room Dance Party
DJ Mel continues his virtual Living Room Dance Party with another installment of digital jams. Viewers can tune into a weekly live dance party streamed via Twitch, where DJ Mel will spin a variety of tunes certain to keep listeners moving. Living Room Dance Party is scheduled through March 27. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.

Evil Dead with Live Commentary by Bruce Campbell
Join actor Bruce Campbell for a virtual viewing of 1981 horror classic Evil Dead. Tune into the worldwide screening and get first-hand accounts and behind-the-scenes info from the star himself. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online.

Tune in for a virtual screening of Cicada and enjoy a Q&A with director Matt Fifer after the credits roll this weekend.

Photo courtesy of aGLIFF

Tune in for a virtual screening of Cicada and enjoy a Q&A with director Matt Fifer after the credits roll this weekend.

event-planner

Meet at the Moontower

John Waters, Aziz Ansari among added headliners for 2025 Moontower fest

Photo by Greg Gorman

John Waters is one of the longest-reigning comedy greats attending the festival.

Austin's main annual dose of comedy has been prescribed: Moontower Comedy Festival is returning April 9-19, and just the first wave of talent includes more than 100 performers across 10 venues. Now a second wave of talent has been announced for the festival's 13th year.

Attendees will see shows and stand-up showcases, live podcasts, sketch comedy, musical comedy, and more. There are also parties and other special events tying everything together.

New headliners in the second wave include:

Aziz Ansari, creator of the series Master of None and actor behind the whimsical, sometimes whiny Parks and Recreation character Tom Haverford.
Pete Holmes, star of HBO's Crashing and host of the You Made It Weird podcast, who is specifically bringing his Feelin' It Tour to Moontower.
Hank Azaria, the voice behind Simpsons characters like Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmers, and who will be playing with his EZ Street Band.
John Waters, known lovingly as the "Pope of Trash," having directed movies like Pink Flamingos and Hairspray. He's bringing a new show for his Moontower debut.
Tiffany Haddish, author of The Last Black Unicorn, known for standup comedy, and a breakout role in Girls Trip.
Zarna Garg, known for addressing the Indian diaspora as a self-proclaimed "overbearing Indian auntie," who is bringing her Practical People Win tour.

A bit more insight on some of the headliners:

Adam Ray parodies (and dresses up as) the famous talk show host Dr. Phil on Dr. Phil Live. He also interviews celebrity guests and uses audience interaction to get the crowd going.
Handsome Pod Livefeatures Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin — all big-name comedians in their own rights — and answer questions from friends about really any topic imaginable.
Atsuko Okatsuka's HBO special The Intruder has been lauded by The New York Times as the Best Debut of 2022, the same year she was named one of Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch.
Joey “Coco” Diaz, bestselling author of Tremendous: The Life of a Comedy Savage, brings his storytelling skills to the stage.

Although there are tons of very famous performers on the lineup, there's also local talent: a press release lists Liza Splatt, Andrew Murphy, Ashley Sharma, Avery Moore, Brett VerVoort, Chris Tellez, Colton Dowling, Danny Goodwin, Doug Mellard, Dylan Carlino, Genivive Clinton, "and many more."

Badges (starting at $150) are available now at moontowercomedyfest.com. A promotion called the Bestie Badge offers $25 off of every badge to those who buy two or more. Badges can also be purchased at the Paramount Theatre box office or by calling (512) 474-1221. Like any festival lineup, this one is subject to change.