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

Roger Waters comes to Austin on October 6.

Photo courtesy of Roger Waters

The sounds of the city are on full blast in the days to come. Find out where the Live Music Capital of the World gets its name when you head to Austin City Limits Music Festival, or fight through the screams at the House of Torment. Check out the top five things to do in Austin this weekend. For a full listing of events, go to our calendar.

Thursday, October 6

Roger Waters in concert
Roger Waters, the legendary musician and co-founder Pink Floyd, performs live in concert at the Moody Center. He makes his stop in Austin as part of his This is Not a Drill global tour. Fans can expect a transformative rock and roll experience with a setlist of a dozen top songs from Pink Floyd’s impressive catalogue and several newer hits. For seating availability, visit the ticketing website.

House of Torment
Austin’s most famously frightening institution opens its decrepit doors for another year of thrills and chills. Visitors to this year’s house can test their mettle at three attractions: The Abominations, Tormented, and Return to Illusion Manor. Additional highlights include mini escape games, axe throwing, and access to the Torment Tavern for those aged 21 and over. Get more information and tickets here. House of Torment is open through November 5.

Friday, October 7

Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin's premier music festival returns to the storied grounds of Zilker Park this weekend. This year’s edition of ACL will feature can’t-miss headlining performances by Red Hot Chili Peppers, SZA, The Chicks, Kacey Musgraves, and P!nk, as well as other major artists like Diplo, Lil Nas X, Paramore, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and many more. Check out our list of 11 must-see artists at this year's fest.

Bat City Scaregrounds
Venture out to Buda to explore the sprawling, spooky campus known as Bat City Scaregrounds. This immersive, multi-acre entertainment complex features haunted house attractions, Vegas-style performances, live music, food vendors, and more. The grounds are open through October 31.

Saturday, October 8

Fareground Food & Wine Festival
Feast on the bounty Fareground has to offer at this special foodie event. Festival attendees will get the opportunity to sample and explore bites offered by the collective eatery. Featured wines and a speciality wine tasting will also be available for a well-rounded adventure through food. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

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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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