Weekend Event Guide

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

It’s spring, y’all! Enjoy the warmer weather and longer days at the coolest events in Austin this weekend. Catch Tony Award-winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder with friends or celebrate the season at Domain Northside's ABLOOM event. For a full list of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, March 22

Lewis Carnegie Gallery presents “Refugee is Not My Name”
Reframe how you view Austin's resident refugees through the work of photographer Ashley St. Clair, writer Jess Archer, and videographer Aaron Weiss. “Refugee is Not My Name” tells the stories of the local refugees who live and work among us. Proceeds from the exhibition will benefit iACT for refugee care.

Broadway in Austin presents A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
The hilarious story of a distant heir to a family fortune comes to life on the Bass Concert Hall Stage for one last weekend. This Tony Award-winning musical features hilarious melodies, spirited choreography, and a good old fashioned farce about family betrayal. Performances through March 25.

Friday, March 23

The VORTEX presents Performance Park
An amusement park, interactive game, performance art, and magic combine at the The Vortex's Performance Park. Participants in this one-of-a-kind evening are encouraged to dress up in whimsical costumes and wander the park grounds while they play games, unlock mysteries, enjoy a magic show, and much more. Attendees can enjoy the experience at their discretion, taking part in as many or as few activities as they like. Through May 12.

Saturday, March 24

Domain Northside presents ABLOOM
Celebrate the first weekend of spring at the Domain Northside with the entire family. Enjoy complimentary activities, exclusive sales, and more as you mill about the colorful, spring-inspired neighborhood. In addition to a refreshing spin on retail therapy, ABLOOM guests will be treated to live musical performances by the Austin Symphony Big Band Ensemble and Mariachi Nuevo Estilo. Admission is free.

Sunday, March 25

Tasty Creative & The American Lamb Board presents Lamb Jam Austin
Kickoff the Lamb Jam Tour 2018 with a festive feast at Hotel Van Zandt. Foodies can get an up-close look at a heated competition as 16 top chefs battle for the title of lamb champ. Local brewers, coffee roasters, and snack makers will be in attendance to serve up all the goodies while you hang. Admission is for ages 21 and up only. Select tickets still available.

Celebrate spring during ABLOOM.

Photo courtesy of Domain NORTHSIDE

Celebrate spring during ABLOOM.

event-planner

Reexamining Don Draper

Jon Hamm, Henry Winkler, and more headed to Austin for TV festival

Getty Images

Jon Hamm is coming to Austin to talk about Don Draper.

From May 29 to June 1, 2025, the ATX TV Festival will take over downtown Austin, and this year Jon Hamm will be joining the festival for the first time.

Hamm will be here for an event called A Mad Men Retrospective, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show's finale. In this panel (the moderator of which is not yet announced), Hamm will reflect on his Emmy-winning performance as Mad Men's Don Draper, the uniqueness of the character in the TV canon, and the show's influence 10 years after it ended.

Jon Hamm may be best known as Draper, but he's also given celebrated performances in several movies and other shows like Fargo, Black Mirror, and — fun fact! — Gilmore Girls.

Celebrating TV is what the ATX TV Festival is all about. This annual summer event is put on by ATX TV and consists of screenings, Q&As, and panel conversations; plus all sorts of parties, live music, happy hours, and other events. It's known for reunions of classic series and cult hits, and according to the website, it's like "TV camp for grownups."

Jon Hamm isn't the only heavy-hitter in this year's lineup.

Programming also includes an acting class and Q&A with Henry Winkler himself, a live script reading of classic episodes from The Golden Girls and Designing Women (guest actors to be announced), a reunion of the creatives and cast of the HBO hit series The Leftovers, a live recording of the podcast Sidebar: A Suits Watch Podcast with Suits stars and co-hosts Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J. Adams, and much more.

Additionally, the festival's annual Pitch Competition is still accepting open pitch submissions through January 17. This gives creatives in Austin a chance to pitch their show idea in front of some of the industry's biggest showrunners and executives. Those in the top 10 will receive a year of support to make the next steps in their TV careers.

Festival badges and passes ($150-535) are on sale now.

celebrities tv festivals