Weekend Event Guide

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

It’s the most wonderful time to explore the city’s holiday-inspired entertainment. Catch the final evenings Austin's beloved Trail of Lights or experience winter magic through acrobatics at Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland. Check out the top five things to do in Austin this Christmas weekend. For a full listing of events, go to our calendar.

Thursday, December 22

LBJ Presidential Library presents Lady Bird's Birthday
Celebrate the life and enduring legacy of beloved Texan and former first lady Lady Bird Johnson at this family-friendly birthday bash. Party highlights include ornament-making, shopping, exhibits, and sweet treats featuring Johnson’s own family recipes. Tickets can be purchased here.

58th Annual Austin Trail of Lights
Don’t miss the final days of Austin’s premier holiday lights activation at Zilker Park. This year’s Austin Trail of Lights marks its triumphant return to the traditional walk-through format. Visitors can stroll through the numerous light displays and tunnels while eating cookies and listening to holiday music. Secure your tickets here. The Trail of Lights is open through December 23.

The Vortex and Circus Chickendog present The Mutt-Cracker
Furry friends star in this rendition of the popular Christmas production at The Vortex. Audiences can expect a stellar performance starring rescue dogs and a talking scarlet macaw. Acro artists will also be on stage for a truly entertaining evening. For tickets, visit The Vortex website. Performances are scheduled through January 1, 2023.

Penfold Theatre presents Your Old-Fashioned Die Hard Holiday Radiocast
Experience a radio broadcast of Die Hard reimagined in person at The Driskill Hotel. The audience can expect the iconic film retold from a nostalgic, 1940s-inspired perspective. For more information, click here.

Saturday, December 24

Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland
Spend Christmas Eve steeped in the spirit of the season when you take a musical journey to this entertaining winter wonderland. This production combines performances from acrobats and aerialists with a holiday-themed set that will spark holiday cheer in all guests. Each act will be accompanied by the tunes of select seasonal favorites to keep the energy holly and jolly. For seating availability, go to the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park ticketing website.

Photo courtesy of Cirque Musica

Classical music meets acrobatics at Cirque Musica.

things to do in austin entertainment event-planner

Concert News

Austin icon Gary Clark to play free show launching wife's maternity pop-up

Photo courtesy of Bumpsuit

Bumpsuit is now open at the Domain Northside.

Austin icon Gary Clark Jr. is playing a free hometown show on Friday, December 13, to celebrate the opening of his wife, Nicole Trunfio's trendy maternity store, Bumpsuit. It's open now, and will be in Austin for six months.

Clark will be playing with his band: King Zapata and Elijah Ford on guitar, JJ Johnson on drums, and Dayne Reliford on backup vocals and keyboard.

They're fresh off the announcement that Clark will receive a Texas Medal of Arts, one of the highest honors a Texas artist can receive. He's known for modernizing the blues — not overwriting past traditions, but bringing the established sound into popular music people love whether they're conscious of the genre or not.

The new store's neighbor Grimaldi's Pizzeria is bringing a pop-up bar to the event, and there will also be yard games, photo opportunities, and more, according to a release.

Bumpsuit is filling an auspicious space for minimalist fashion at Domain Northside. It'll spend its tenure at 11700 Domain Blvd. Suite 120, the former site of Austin's first Skims Workshop, which has since moved on to a permanent location in the same shopping center.

The two stores are very similar in aesthetic, with Trunfio's focusing on maternity and postpartum wear. Styles are generally made in neutrals or jewel tones, and cut in extremely simple shapes.

“After spending our summer on tour as a family with Gary and his band, we are excited to end the year at Domain Northside to coincide with the opening of our Bumpsuit store,” said Trunfio in the release.

"Doors" for the (presumably outdoor) concert next to Bumpsuit neighbor Vuori (11701 Domain Blvd. Suite 154) are at 7 pm; the show starts at 8:30 pm.

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