Frost it Forward

CultureMap hatches plan to surprise Austin farmers market shoppers

Early risers got an extra special treat at the SFC Farmers' Market Downtown on September 8. CultureMap and Frost Bank hatched a plan with Milagro Family Farm to surprise the dozens of Saturday morning shoppers lining up early for the farm's famed solar-powered eggs.

When the market opened at 9 am, customers ready to buy their weekly carton learned the first 50 dozen were on the house — and accompanied by a special surprise.

Along with a dozen of Milagro's best, customers were also given a $10 Frost cash card and asked to use the money to pay it forward and do something kind for someone else. The winners were also asked to share their good deeds on social media along with the hashtag #frostitforward to score a pair of tickets to Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Eggs safely tucked into their Frost canvas tote bags, market shoppers spent the rest of the morning strolling through Republic Square Park, sipping chai, eating Tacodeli breakfast tacos, and scoring fresh veggies from local vendors like Johnson's Backyard Garden.

The Saturday farmers market surprise is the latest pop-up in Frost Bank's Opt for Optimism campaign, a movement designed to spread optimism by surprising and delighting Austinites all over town. This event was the fourth in a series running all year long, so just because you didn't hit the farmers market this weekend doesn't mean you missed out on an opportunity to #frostitforward. Follow along on Instagram and Twitter to get clues about our next surprise visit.

To help our fellow Austinites continue to give back and get involved, CultureMap has also launched a curated Austin Charity Guide, a one-stop destination for learning about area nonprofits and charities. Follow along all year as we uncover the sweet and inspiring stories of fellow citizens giving back as part of our Charity Guide special editorial series.

Kris Olsen of Milagro Family Farm surprises Cathy Negrel with a dozen of the farm's cult solar-powered eggs.

Photo by Shelley Neuman

Kris Olsen of Milagro Family Farm surprises Cathy Negrel with a dozen of the farm's cult solar-powered eggs.

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MESSAGE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE

Austin theater auctions off chance to write message on iconic marquee

Paramount Theatre/Instagram

The Paramount Theatre is auctioning off the chance to share a holiday message on its marquee.

Austinites craving the limelight might get the chance to see their name in lights — or at least a personalized holiday message — illuminated on one of Austin’s most historic marquees.

As part of the Austin Theatre Alliance’s final 2020 auction to raise funds for the Paramount and Stateside theaters, the nonprofit is offering up an array of unusual and very “Austintatious” items for bid, including the chance to share a customized holiday message on the iconic Paramount Theatre marquee.

The auction item is one of several dozen currently up for bid through ATA’s online holiday auction, which runs through December 11.

With a starting bid of $1,500, the Paramount marquee message is one of the pricier items in the auction, but it may be well worth the glory, as the winning bidder can treat all of Austin to a two-line, 80-character custom holiday message that will be professionally photographed and live on the marquee for a minimum of four hours. (It should be noted that the chosen message is subject to review. After all, this is a nonprofit theater marquee, not the infamously sassy El Arroyo sign.)

Having to cancel or reschedule hundreds of planned shows because of COVID-19 concerns, the Paramount Theatre has had a particularly rough year but recently reopened at 25 percent capacity for limited engagements, like its Holiday Film Series, which is currently underway. Funds raised from the auction enable the ATA, which manages the Paramount and Stateside, to reach Central Texas students through virtual programs, employ venue staff, and help the historic theaters survive the pandemic.

In addition to the Paramount marquee message item, the auction also includes other perfectly weird items befitting a homegrown Austin event, like Matt Lankes photos of Willie Nelson playing chess and the late, great Billy Joe Shaver looking contemplative while perched on a bridge in Waco; and several autographed guitars, including one commemorative acoustic guitar signed by 10 of Austin’s most notable musicians, Ruthie Foster, Carrie Rodriguez, and Tameca Jones among them.

Of course, there is no lack of booze-forward packages, hotel stays, and artist-signed prints also up for grabs. But true lovers of the Paramount Theatre will find the item with the highest opening bid ($5,000) steals the show: a private catered dinner for four on the Paramount stage.

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