Not-so-lone Star

10 spectacular ways to celebrate the 4th of July in Austin, from fireworks to food

Snacks and celebrations across the Capital City are great incentives to celebrate with friends and family.

Photo courtesy of the Hill Country Galleria

Remember what the Fourth of July used to be like? It was a no-obligation holiday. It wasn’t like the school-year holidays that let you out of class for a rare three-day weekend; parents would snatch you up for a long drive to an extended family member’s house, or you'd be left behind while friends suffered that fate. It was a government-sanctioned excuse to absolutely go nuts with cookout foods and literally blow things up.

As adults, there may be a few more obligations — civic responsibility, grocery shopping, making sure only the right things are blowing up — but luckily there are people all over Austin taking care of those things for you. Whether it's sending home pre-made bites or bringing the community together on a big, beautiful lawn, here are 10 celebrations and specials to help you reconnect with your neighbors and that easy summer feeling.

Willie Nelson's Annual 4th of July Picnic and Fireworks
Perhaps needless to say, Willie Nelson's Annual 4th of July Picnic and Fireworks is the big event around here every Independence Day. The man is revolution personified. This year, Willie Nelson & Family are playing with country stars Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Texans Midland, Charley Crockett, and Asleep at the Wheel, and his son's band, Particle Kid, among others. Take Nelson’s outlaw history as inspiration, and find more information at q2stadium.com.

Fireworks and music by H-E-B and the Austin Symphony
Another classic here in Austin brings the symphony to new audiences every year, playing marches and other recognizable American classics. Most tickets are free, but VIP tickets ($100) give access to a section of the lawn closer to the action. This event gets packed and you may have to park far away, so bring your walking shoes, bug spray, something to sit on, and wallet for the onsite food, beverage, and fun-things vendors. More information, including a link to a Yeti cooler giveaway, is available at austinsymphony.org.

Garbo's July 3rd Lobster Boil
If there's any day to celebrate New England here in the South, it's probably this one. Garbo's Fresh Maine Lobster is serving up a huge Sunday feast ($120) in three courses: a salad, a whole live lobster (well, not anymore), shrimp and clams from the East coast, and a mini key lime pie. There's two time slots and music by the Bruce Smith Band, plus add-ons including oysters, caviar, and chips. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

Lakeway Parade, Movie, and Music
Among several other small cities organizing parades in the Austin area, our neighbor Lakeway is putting together an extravaganza complete with a hot dog reception by H-E-B and a military flyover. To cool off, there will be discounted passes at the Swim Center ($4) all day. There is also a weekend kickoff event on July 1, showing Captain America: The First Avenger at Lakeway City Park, along with tunes by The Lost Pines Band. More information on both events at lakeway-tx.gov.

Wunderkeks Apple Pie Cookies
These cookie-makers with a cause announced the return of a limited-edition apple pie cookie ($36 for 12) with apple chunks and caramel chips that will melt in the oven (which is the non-negotiable prep method for all Wunderkeks bakes). Owned by a gay couple from Guatemala, this company often raises money and awareness for LGBTQ+ causes, and really takes its citizenship seriously. It also ships everywhere in the US, so you can enjoy united bites with loved ones far and wide. Order on wunderkeks.com.

A weekend at the Commodore Perry Estate
Perhaps some luxury gets you back into your block walking shoes, and Commodore Perry can help. Guests and members can recharge with spa services by Milk and Honey, and tunes by Austin musician Mobley. Everyone is invited to a July 3 collaboration between Lutie’s Garden Restaurant and Leroy and Lewis ($100), with lawn games and a DJ set. Tickets are available now on Eventbrite.

Loro Rib Rack Meal Packs
Gathering folks at home is an unbeatable July 4 tradition, and a great opportunity to experience the holiday in a more personal way. To set it apart from the usual burger-and-hot-dogs affair, Loro is sending home meal packs ($55, feeds two) including a full rack of ribs and some combination of coconut scented rice, sweet corn, tomato cucumber salad, and more. Preorders are open now through July 4, with pickup that day from 12 pm. Scroll to see locations and order at loroeats.com.

Hill Country Galleria Independence Day Festival
An annual event at the Hill Country Galleria delivers those quintessential family-friendly Independence Day vibes while connecting Austinites with more than 60 art vendors. There will also be live music, water games, rides, free face painting, and of course, a firework show. For the adults, Vista Brewing is visiting with its mobile beer station and some themed specialty brews. Parking is free, pets are allowed, and overthinking is off the menu. More information at hillcountrygalleria.com.

Historical celebration at Pioneer Farms
A favorite location for field trips and quirky seasonal festivities, Pioneer Farms is a welcoming, earnest place to learn about Texas history. “A Frontier Fourth” will be held over the weekend on July 2 and 3, at the authentic pioneer village. The program includes a 19th century cannon show and magic show, Wild West reenactors, a hatchet-throwing demonstration and famous actors who have played cowboys. After the first day’s events comes a night of community swing dancing in the barn (starting at $15). Read more at pioneerfarms.org.

Half Step’s Annual 4th of July Party
One of Austin’s favorite bars for live music is hosting a more grassroots community event, a two-day party on July 3 and 4, with a refreshing, apparently total lack of thematic relevance. This will be a fun bookend to any other holiday events or efforts going on, with a waterslide, water guns, frozen drinks, and hot dogs. The main attraction is three hours of air-conditioned live music, featuring Outlaws of Punk and Heavy Mellow. More information on Facebook.

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Movie Review

Director Steven Soderbergh breaks the horror-film mold with Presence

Photo courtesy of Neon

Callina Liang in Presence.

There are few directors more adept at moving between genres than Steven Soderbergh. Throughout his career, he has made dramas and comedies, heist films and thrillers, films with serious topics like drug trafficking and films with frivolous subjects like male dancers. He’s also dipped his toe into horror on occasion, something he does again with Presence.

However, typical of the hard-to-pin-down filmmaker, this film is not your typical ghost story, as its plot is told from the perspective of the presence itself. With the camera as its “eyes,” the audience sees a family of four move into an older-but-updated home: Mother Rebekah (Lucy Liu), father Chris (Chris Sullivan), son Tyler (Eddy Maday), and daughter Chloe (Callina Liang). The family dynamics are established early, as Rebekah favors Tyler and pins her hopes and dreams on him, while Chris has a strained relationship with Rebekah and tries to protect Chloe from stress, who has recently gone through a trauma.

The family’s various issues keep the atmosphere tense, and for the most part the presence is merely an observer to their conversations and activities. But Chloe can sense it whenever it’s close to her, and this connection leads it to sometimes announce itself via physical interactions with objects in different rooms. As the other family members gradually become aware of it as well, the story’s supernatural aura starts to increase.

Working from a screenplay by David Koepp, Soderbergh does a kind of switcheroo on audience expectations. In your typical haunted house story, the mystery of the ghost(s) is what drives the plot and keeps things scary. But since the audience, in essence, is the ghost, we know everything it is doing at all times. Instead, the suspense comes from the family itself, who have backstories that make the whole clan dysfunctional, at best.

Story elements are brought in through different ways than your typical film, with little hints being dropped along the way about various things that have happened in the family’s recent past. Why Tyler seems to be angry with Chloe all the time, or why Rebekah and Chris never seem to be on the same page with anything the family is dealing with are equally as interesting as anything the presence is doing.

The first-person perspective (used in a much different way than in the recent — and now Oscar-nominated — Nickel Boys) gives an intimacy to the film that is sometimes invasive, sometimes disorienting, but always engrossing. Soderbergh, who acted as the cameraman himself, takes the camera to almost every nook and cranny of the house, often getting so close to the actors that it’s uncomfortable. The constant, silent movement of the presence/camera makes for great viewing, lending the audience a knowledge they rarely have.

Liu is given a meatier part than she’s had in recent years, and she plays the complicated role for all it’s worth. Sullivan, best known for his role on the NBC TV drama This is Us, is equally good, with a demeanor that’s slightly at odds with his stature, but in a good way. Both Liang and Maday have light resumes (this is Maday’s first credit of any kind), but their performances are what make the film as effective as it is. With the presence more interested in her character than anyone else, Liang is asked to do a lot, and she is especially memorable.

While more of a family drama than a true horror film, the paranormal aspect of Presence gives enough of a spooky vibe for it to qualify. The highly successful film demonstrates that, 36 years after his breakthrough, Soderbergh remains one of the more fascinating directors out there, willing to try different projects instead of doing the same thing over and over again.

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Presence opens in theaters on January 24.

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