Weekend Event Guide

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

Fall festival season is upon us, and weekend-long happenings are topping the best things to do in Austin. Celebrate the city's music culture during the Waterloo Music Festival or settle in for nonstop cinema at the 31st annual All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival. For a full list of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, September 6

All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival
The All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) returns for the 31st year. The four-day fest includes 32 feature-length films, and 47 short films and music videos shining a spotlight on stories often left untold by Hollywood. Filmmaker Jake Graf is set to accept the debut Breakthrough Award. For a full schedule of events, visit the film festival website.

Friday, September 7

Waterloo Music Festival
Celebrate Austin's music culture at Carson Creek Ranch. The Waterloo Music Festival features three days of packed rosters ranging from nationally renowned bands and local favorites. Headliners The String Cheese will rock the stage each night of the festival to ensure you get your fill of good vibes. Additional performer include The Motet, BoomBox, Tauk, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, and more.

Garrison Brothers present Bourbon and Boots
Garrison Brothers invites you to Lucchese Austin for a first sip of the new Boot Flask Bourbon. The award-winning small batch bourbon is designed to fit in a pair of boots, ensuring you’re never without a stiff drink. (Ah yes, the Texas way.) Guests can enjoy music, passed bites, and plenty of boozy samples. Western footwear is encouraged, but not required. Admission is free.

Saturday, September 8

Michael Nesmith & The First National Band in concert
The 1970s cult favorites The First National Band returns to the Paramount Theatre with Michael Nesmith at center stage. The former Monkees member will perform classic songs like “Listen to the Band,” “Different Drum,” and “Silver Moon” for an evening of nostalgia. Select tickets are available.

Sunday, September 9

The Long Center 10th Birthday Bash
The Long Center for the Performing Arts rings in its 10th birthday with a free day of music, activities, and more on the grounds. Guests to the bash can enjoy live music by local band Grupo Fantasma, and things get official when Council Member Leslie Pool dedicates the day with a municipal proclamation. Admission is free.

The Long Center is hosting an all-day bash in honor of its 10th anniversary.

The Long Center/Facebook

The Long Center is hosting an all-day bash in honor of its 10th anniversary.

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Reexamining Don Draper

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

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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.

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