Weekend Event Guide

Here are the top 7 things to do in Austin this weekend

Comedy, concerts, the CMT Music Awards, and festival fun are approaching. Laugh along at stand-up material from George Wallace and Hasan Minhaj, or keep things boozy at the Bloody Mary Festival or Vacancy Brewing. Check out the top seven things to do in Austin this weekend. For a complete list of events, visit our calendar.

Friday, April 5

Bob Dylan in concert
Singer-songwriter superstar Bob Dylan is bringing his national tour to ACL Live at The Moody Theater for two consecutive night shows. The voice of timeless songs such as “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” performs in support of 2023 album, Shadow Kingdom. Tickets for both nights are available now.

Hasan Minhaj: Off With His Head
Comedian Hasan Minhaj brings his brand of satire and wit to the stage at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. He will perform two sets live back-to-back. Minhaj is best known for his popular comedy specials on Netflix, including Homecoming King and The King’s Jester. Select tickets for both showtimes are still available.

Cap City Comedy Club presents George Wallace
Actor and comedian George Wallace is the latest featured guest at Capitol City Comedy Club. The longtime comedy master is known in the industry for his signature “I Be Thinkin’” lines and “Yo Mama” jokes. He’ll be joined by special guest performer, Marsha Warfield. Wallace will perform a run of live shows through April 6.

Saturday, April 6

Golden Tomato Productions LLC presents The Bloody Mary Festival
Sip and celebrate one of brunch’s most iconic beverages, the Bloody Mary, at Fair Market. This year’s festival includes an option of two available sessions for the best — and booziest — experience. Guests will have full and unlimited access to a variety of Bloody Marys, crafted bites, photo opportunities, temporary tattoos, and more. Get tickets on Eventbrite.

Vacancy Brewing presents 3rd Anniversary Party
Toast to three years of business and cold pours at Vacancy Brewing. The free festival will feature three beer releases, live music, flash tattoos, smoked sausage dogs, exclusive merch, and more. Guests can get the anniversary vibes started early at Vacancy Brewing’s Get It Games trivia event on April 4 and at their performance and karaoke session with River City Pops on April 5, respectively.

Bee Cave presents Books & Bees Festival
Locals are invited to celebrate reading and bee science at Bee Cave Public Library. Highlights of this family-friendly festival include live readings, appearances by best-selling authors, entertainment, children’s activities, and panel discussions. Admission is free with registration on the festival website.

Sunday, April 7

CMT Music Awards
One of country music’s biggest nights takes the stage at Moody Center. This year’s CMT Music Awards is hosted by country pop artist, Kelsea Ballerini. Programming includes live performances by stars such as Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Megan Moroney, Sugarland, and Bailey Zimmerman. Get more event information on Ticketmaster.

Photo courtesy of Live Nation

Bob Dylan performs in Austin two nights in a row.

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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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