Weekend Roundup

Here are the top 9 things to do in Austin this weekend

Hill Country Food Truck Festival tacos Luckenbach shirt 2014

Head to the Hill Country Food Truck Festival this Saturday in Luckenbach.

Luckenbach Texas/Facebook

Explore the city this weekend with tons of parties, plays and music. We've rounded up 9 of the best weekend happenings to attend. For a full guide, check out our events calendar.

Seventh Annual Summer Shindig
Hosted by six communications organizations, Summer Shindig is the best place in town to meet new connections while enjoying Cedar Door's famous mini-Mexican martinis and tasty Tex-Mex appetizers. Space is limited, so register now.
Thursday, July 30 at 5:30 pm

Carver Museum presents John Yancey: Can U See opening reception
Rally your artsy friends and head to the Carver Museum for the unveiling of Chicago artist John Yancey's exhibit, which runs through October 17. The reception will celebrate Yancey, known for his public art and commissioned work from the late Civil Rights era.
Thursday, July 30 at 6 pm

Mortified ATX presents “Angst Written”
Head to Spider House Ballroom for a night of comedy-meets-theater-meets-therapy. Get sucked into the embarrassing stories told by (brave) Austinites during the latest installation of Mortified.
Friday, July 31 at 7:30 pm

George Lopez at Bass Concert Hall
Comedian, actor and TV personality George Lopez will grace the stage of the Bass Concert Hall for a night of laughter and unfiltered stories. Tickets for the one-night affair start at $39.50.
Friday, July 31 at 8 pm

The City Theatre Company presents Love! Valour! Compassion!
Grab some friends and pop over to The City Theatre for opening weekend of this critically acclaimed production. Love! Valour! Compassion! tells the story of eight gay men who vacation together at an upstate New York home.
Friday, July 31 at 8 pm

Hill Country Food Truck Festival
The Hill Country Food Truck Festival returns to Luckenbach General Store for a full day of food, wine and live music. Festival-goers can enjoy delectable food truck offerings from creative chefs, sample wine by the glass, and be entertained with a lineup of great Americana music acts. Tickets start at $7.
Saturday, August 1 at 12 pm

2nd Street District White Linen Night
Break out your best white attire for the 2nd Street District's annual bash. The ticketed block party, benefiting local nonprofit Urban Roots, will feature bites from some of Austin's favorite restaurants as well as wine pairings.
Saturday, August 1 at 6 pm

TRACE Ice Cream Social
Bring the family out to TRACE at the W for a free afternoon of ice cream and good will. The fourth annual ice cream social benefits local nonprofit SafePlace's back-to-school drive. Guests are encouraged to earn their scoop by bringing school supplies to donate. Check out the supply list here.
Sunday, August 2 at 3 pm

Women in Jazz Association, Inc. presents “Keepin’ It Real Jazz Youth Concert”
Grab the gang and head to the George Washington Carver Boyd Vance Theatre for an evening of soulful sounds by some of the best young jazz artists in town. Tickets start at $10.
Sunday, August 2 at 5 pm

unspecified

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