Weekend Event Guide

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

This weekend’s top things to do in Austin are all about immersive experiences, live entertainment, and foodie-friendly gatherings. Enter a whole new world during the Austin Asian American Film Festival or party with dad — and a heaping plate barbecue — at Desert Door Distillery. For a full list of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, June 13

Austin Asian American Film Festival
Asian filmmakers are spotlighted for four consecutive days at AFS Cinema. The festival will feature a slate of 11 feature films and 17 shorts from Asian and Asian American filmmakers, including Nadia Shibah’s Jaddoland and Deann Liem’s Geographies of Kinship. Attendees can also view the festival centerpiece presentation, Empty By Design, followed by a discussion with director Andrea A. Walter and several cast and crew members. For a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets, go to the festival website.

The Lonely Island in concert
Comedic musical trio The Lonely Island makes a stop in Austin on their first major tour. Since forming on Saturday Night Live, the group has racked up hits such as “I’m On A Boat,” “I Just Had Sex,” and The Lego Movie 2 theme song “Everything is Awesome.” Select tickets to the ACL Live show are still available.

Saturday, June 15

Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow presents Jaws on the Water
Iconic blockbuster hit film Jaws returns to the big screen at Volente Beach. Guests are invited to pop open a cold one and relax in an inner tube while enjoying the cult classic movie that made everyone afraid to go in the water. Your ticket includes access to rides, the waterpark, beachside bar and grill, and more.

Sunday, June 16

East Austin Hotel presents Summer Swell
Greet summer with a Palm Springs-inspired soireé complete with drink specials, seasonal eats, and cool pool vibes. The swanky East Austin Hotel series of parties include festive rotating themes, guest DJs, and a Gati Ice Cream truck pop-up to satisfy that sweet tooth. To purchase your Summer Swell pass, visit the hotel website.

Desert Door Distillery presents Fine Southern Father’s Day
Spirits, songs, and Southern flavors make Desert Door the perfect Father’s Day hang for the whole family. In addition to sipping some fine Texas sotol, Fine Southern Father’s Day activities will include local barbecue and live music performances by Jason Robert Blum. Guests can also enjoy complimentary custom hat shaping from homegrown artisans Zilker Belts and Maufrais while mingling with some of the most talented makers in Texas. Entry is free.

Comedic music trio The Lonely Island performs live at ACL Live this Thursday.

Photo courtesy of ACL Live & C3

Comedic music trio The Lonely Island performs live at ACL Live this Thursday.

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.