IT'S RACE WEEK, Y'ALL

11 events and afterparties rev up for Formula 1 weekend in Austin

Road To the Race Festival, hosted by Circuit of the Americas

Road To the Race will showcase more than 100 exotic cars in downtown Austin.

Photo courtesy of Circuit of the Americas

Formula 1 fans can joyfully cheer that it’s finally race week following the three-week break since September's Singapore Grand Prix. And local fans in Austin are free to be a little smug that the next race is happening in our very own city.

Besides offering the thrill of racing, the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas is famous for bringing out celebrities, music icons, and much more. It’s a fun perk that the arrival of F1 also triggers fun brand activations, events, and afterparties throughout the week, even at the cost of the influx of tourists and worsening traffic congestion.

No matter if you’re local or coming in from out of town, CultureMap has rounded up several off-track events, specials, and parties happening around Austin leading up to the race on Sunday. We'll add more as we hear more, and keep an eye out for our post-race highlights after the weekend. See you out there.

Meanwhile Brewing Co’s new Ricciardo Lager
Exclusively available on draft at the brewery
Whether he’s behind the wheel or dazzling fans with his infectious smile, there’s no denying Daniel Ricciardo is one of the most charismatic F1 drivers. And Austin-fave Meanwhile Brewing Co. is honoring the driver’s legacy with its new limited edition Australian Lager. The 4.7 percent ABV beer is brewed with Australian hops and has tasting notes of guava and pomelo.

Williams Racing Fan Zone
October 14-20
Williams Racing is bringing back its popular Fan Zone experience all week long at 800 Congress Ave. in downtown Austin. As in years past, the Fan Zone will offer exclusive Q&A’s with Williams drivers Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, Indy NXT driver Jamie Chadwick, Team Principal James Vowles, 2009 World Champion Jenson Button, and more. Racing enthusiasts can try and set a best lap time on a racing simulator, explore the team’s history through a memorabilia display, and shop from Austin-exclusive team merchandise. Admission is free.

Road To The Race festival at Superstition
October 16 from 6-9 pm
Locals and visitors alike will have a chance to admire more than 100 hypercars, supercars, and more at Circuit of the America’s Road To The Race festival outside nightclub Superstition. The event will showcase these impressive exotic cars in an outdoor display area, and COTA will additionally reveal its Austin race week car livery. This event is free to the public. An invite-only VIP gala will also be held at Superstition. More information can be found on posh.vip.

Will Buxton book signing at Petrol Lounge
October 16 from 7-9 pm
British journalist, F1 commentator, and Drive to Survive star Will Buxton released his new book, "Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1,"in August, and will be signing copies at Petrol Lounge's pre-race event benefitting Make-A-Wish Central & South Texas. Attendees can bring their own copy of the book, or purchase one at the event. $10 donations are requested as admission, and all proceeds from the event, including raffle entries and silent auctions, will be donated to the foundation.

Levi’s x McLaren Racing capsule collection debut at Dark Horse
October 18-19 from 11 am to 7 pm
McLaren fans won’t want to miss this: The second-ever Levi’s x McLaren Racing fashion collection, “The Modern Era,” is launching right here in Austin at 1209 E. Cesar Chavez St. Fans will be able to shop from the exclusive collection and get their new items personalized by Los Angeles-based artist Jacob Rochester, who will be providing on-site customization on Friday, October 18. This two-day event is free to the public.

Levi's x McLaren Racing capsule collection, Lando Norris We can't all be F1 drivers like Lando Norris, but maybe we can look just as cool with his team's exclusive merch.Photo courtesy of Levi’s x McLaren

The I / AM Experience with Aston Martin Aramco
October 19
If you’ve ever wanted to spend a day with Aston Martin Aramco, this might be your chance. The F1 team is hosting a prize draw for its I / AM Experience that will include a watch party, driver meet-and-greets, an evening afterparty, and much more all day and night at Skybox on 6th. Competition winners are chosen at random, and guests (21 or older) will have to arrange their own travel to and from the experience. Fans can enter the ballot via astonmartinf1.com, and winners will be notified Wednesday, October 16.

Espresso & Exotics at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
October 19 from 9 am to 1 pm
Before heading to the track to catch the qualifying session and the sprint race, supercar lovers can visit Mozart’s in the morning to fuel up on caffeine and check out more than 30 exotic cars on display outside the coffee shop. This special Cars and Coffee event in collaboration with the Austin GT Club will also have live music, exclusive merch for sale, and family-friendly activities. This event is free to the public. RSVP via showclix.com.

Jack’s Garage: Austin at The Sunset Room
October 19 at 7 pm
The Sunset Room in downtown Austin will be transformed into Jack’s Garage for one night of “multi-sensory” experiences, live music, cocktails, barbecue bites, and more. This free event will feature performances by the Brothers Osborne and Shaboozey. Jack Daniels is also launching its new McL X JD 2024 Edition whiskey in partnership with McLaren Racing. RSVP for the event at jackdanielsgarage.com.

Sports Illustrated Circuit Series party at Superstition
October 19 at 9 pm
In partnership with Circuit of the Americas, Sports Illustrated is hosting an official Saturday night afterparty at Superstition featuring Canadian DJ duo Loud Luxury and DJ Vice. Admission starts at $35 per person, with limited VIP table reservations. Tickets can be purchased via dice.fm.

Vintage Culture at The Concourse Project
October 20 at 9 pm
For any F1 fans who aren’t completely exhausted after the race, Brazilian DJs Vintage Culture and Doozie will be closing out the weekend with the ultimate afterparty at The Concourse Project. General admission starts at $35 per person, and VIP admission with an exclusive backstage access is $75 per person. Tickets can be purchased via wl.seetickets.us.

Hotel ZaZa’s deluxe F1 weekend package
Hotel ZaZa Austin is offering the most luxurious package for racegoers who don't want to get stuck in traffic on the way to the track. The hotel's premium "F1 High Roller" package includes private helicopter transport to a downtown Austin heliport that will fly guests to the track, where COTA will provide seamless car service from the helipad "straight to the action." The package is $1,500 per person per day, and interested guests should email MediaInquiry@HotelZaZa.com to inquire while availability lasts.

f1 formula 1 austin cars and coffee circuit of the americas cota

Movie Review

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 really knows its audience: fans of the game

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) in Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The first Sonic the Hedgehog movie in 2020 was one of the few video game adaptations that managed to appeal to both fans of the Sega game and those who just want to watch a fun movie. As the series moved into a second and now third film, though, it’s become increasingly reliant on giving the video game fans what they want, with not as much attention paid toward simply telling a good story.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) continues to live with human friends Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), as well as Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), who stuck around after the events of the second film. Dispensing with any kind of narrative coherence, the trio is called away by an undefined military force to help with the escape of Shadow (Keanu Reeves), another alien hedgehog who has been locked away off the coast of Japan for many years.

Suffice it to say that the trio does not initially fare well against the powerful Shadow, forcing Sonic to do the unthinkable: Ask his nemesis, Dr. Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey), for help. What Sonic doesn’t anticipate is that Shadow has a history that left him with a grudge against most of human society, and he’s intent on using his powers — with a little help from his former mentor, Gerald Robotnik (also Carrey) — to exact his plans for revenge.

Made by the same team of director Jeff Fowler and writers Pat Casey, Josh Miller, and John Whittington from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the film is a combination of manic action, jokey sequences, and a dash of heart. The addition of Shadow ups the mayhem considerably, and the filmmakers rarely slow things down (although, oddly, the super-speed of Sonic and company feels lessened this time around).

The initial casting of Carrey gave the comic actor permission to indulge in whatever wackiness he could imagine, and giving him two roles in this film means double the nonsense. Ivo and Gerald (who’s Ivo’s grandfather, for the record) face off in a number of silly scenes, none more absurd than a dance sequence aboard a space station threatening to explode Earth (yeah, this movie is a lot).

Does the plot make a lick of sense? Absolutely not, but the filmmakers seem to acknowledge that fact, throwing anything and everything at the screen to try to entertain kids and/or fans of the video game series. It should come as no surprise that the end credits tease yet more characters from the video games joining the franchise, making it abundantly clear who is expected to get the most enjoyment out of the series going forward.

In addition to Carrey, the voice actors continue to make the characters fun. Schwartz and O’Shaughnessey provide the cartoon-style acting, while Elba and now Reeves give a nice counterbalance with their deep and serious voices. Marsden and Sumpter aren’t given much to do this time around, and Krysten Ritter shows up as Director Rockwell, a character who’s mostly there to move what little plot there is further along.

A four-quadrant movie is one that appeals to all ages and genders; Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a one or maybe two-quadrant movie at most. But it’s more fun than the other family-friendly offering this Christmas season, and fans of the video game will likely love the depiction of their favorite characters on screen, so it’s doing something right.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now playing in theaters.

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