Fun on the Schedule

Your weekend guide to Buda's inaugural Railcar Revival music festival

The inaugural Railcar Revival music festival is coming up November 9 in Buda, at Buda City Park, bringing with it fantastic food and drinks, local vendors, and a stellar lineup.

But the fun doesn't have to stop there. This is the perfect opportunity for a weekend getaway in Buda, about 20 minutes south of downtown Austin.

Here's your insider's guide to having the best time at Railcar Revival, along with where to eat and hang out in the town that began as a bustling railroad depot and quickly became a beloved destination for travelers seeking delicious food and memorable experiences.

Festival highlights

Live music: Enjoy performances showcasing a diverse range of musical styles. On the bill are Treaty Oak Revival, Reckless Kelly, Ty Meyers, Cody Canada and the Departed, and Julianna Rankin, with DJ Jonathan Terrell spinning tunes throughout the event.

Food and drink: Savor mouthwatering barbecue and a variety of food options that pay homage to Buda’s culinary roots. The Smokeyard will gather some of the state's best, including Bar-A-BBQ, Rollin Smoke ATX BBQ, 1775 Texas Pit BBQ, Smokey Joe's BBQ, and Buda's own Louie's Craft BBQ.

Don’t miss The Depot Beer Garden, featuring cold beverages and college football broadcasts so you can cheer on your favorite teams.

Chillax Sno Cones.Courtesy photo

Vendors: Statewide vendors such as Whiskey Bent Hat Co., Tumbleweed TexStyles, and Ranch Bros. Outdoors will be making an appearance, alongside some of Buda’s favorite small businesses showcasing their wares, .

Buda vendors will even provide their shoppers with a limited-edition drawstring bag to easily store and transport their treasures during the festival. Vendors include:

Saint Montegren’s Florist, featuring festival-ready headbands and dried and fresh floral accessories to complete any outfit.
Salon Off Main will offer festival fun hair accessories such as clip-in color accents and more.
JNH Design specializes in custom embroidered goods.
Tasty Puffs Cotton Candy, a family-run business in Buda, that makes some seriously tasty gourmet flavored cotton candy.
Chillax Sno Cones is a family-owned local business serving New Orleans-style shaved ice.
Embrace the Grind specializes in handcrafted espresso drinks, nitro cold brew, and more.
Grace Monroe Boutique, an upscale local boutique offering unique high-quality products.
Fire & Ice Sweets & Treats lets you indulge in freeze-dried candies, fruits, and vegetables, along with homemade treats, desserts, and healthy options.
Teal House Coffee and Bakery, a local, family-owned and operated business known for the best cinnamon rolls in Austin, as well as delicious high quality kolaches and croissants.
Louie’s Craft BBQ is a Texas-style family barbecue restaurant that will be located at The Smokeyard on the festival grounds.
Inspired Minds Art Center will help you start your holiday shopping early by picking up handcrafted art at the festival.

Courtesy photo

Treaty Oak Revival is the headliner.

JNH Design.Courtesy photo

Railcar Revival's gates open at 3:30 pm, with live music beginning at 4 pm. But don't forget there is so much to do just steps away from the festival grounds — here are some ideas of where to spend your weekend in Buda:

Friday night

Grab dinner at Dos Olivos, whereOld World tradition meets Texas charm with fresh, from-scratch food plus flights of local wine, beer, and margaritas.

Dos Olivos.Facebook

Stop by for a nightcap at Nightcap, located within Taste on Main. The family-owned steak and seafood eatery also has great cocktails and beautiful patio seating — keep it in mind for weekend brunch, too.

Saturday morning

Start your day with handcrafted coffee at Meridian and pick up some pastries to help fuel you for the day. Abuelita's is also a great choice for breakfast tacos and Mexican-style pastries, and Nate’s is a coffee shop by day and local bar at night with a beautiful patio.

Join in a small-town parade through downtown Buda in honor of the upcoming Veterans Day on November 11.

Late riser? Stop in for brunch at Mudbugs, which serves elevated Cajun cuisine — and some of the best craft cocktails in town — plus delicious brunch options in a meticulously restored grain barn.

If tacos are more your thing, Chavelo’s Mexican Restaurant is a lively, casual spot with colorful decor offering Mexican and American eats from morning 'til night.

Saturday afternoon

Missed brunch? There are plenty of places where you can grab a delicious lunch. Proof Liquor and Deli offers delectable deli sandwiches plus an array of award-winning wines, craft beers, and speciality liquors.

Ma'Coco Ma'Coco.Courtesy photo

Ma’Coco is a Baja California kitchen dishing out everything from tacos to mole to fresh fruit frescas and cocktails. The family-owned Esther’s Tex Mex has a festive atmosphere, full bar, and patio seating.

Hit up Jake’s Pizza Pit Stop, a food truck offering next-level pizza, or Main Street Pizzeria & Beer Garden for pizza, sandwiches, and wings, plus a full bar and lots of TVs for watching sports.

Buda Soda Fountain is an old-fashioned soda fountain offering a variety of goods, including ice cream, candy, floats phosphates, shakes, malts, sundaes, and more.

Pregame before the festival at some of the coolest hot spots in town, including Willie’s Joint for burgers, sandwiches, wings, and more with a Jumbotron TV for sports, indoor-outdoor seats, a playground, and live music.

Budaful Tavern is serving up delicious small bites and innovative cocktails, along with patio seating and live music to get you in a concert mood.

Sunday, before you hit the road

Progress Coffee is the perfect place to stop on your way out of town, or before you hit up the Budaful Farmers Market at the City Park Pavilion, held every Sunday from 10 am-2 pm.

Brooklyn's Down South.Facebook

Grab brunch at Brooklyn’s Down South, located in the historic Buda grocery building on Main Street. Fill up on Southern-style food, burgers and Cajun cuisine plus cocktails and patio seating.

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Enjoy the blended sound of country, rock, Americana, and folk combined with some of Central Texas’s favorite bites, cold drinks, and more. Buy your tickets to Railcar Revival here to Railcar Revival here.

buda festival music music festivals promoted

High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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