Austin Oyster Festival celebrates 10 years of shucking good shellfish

Austin Oyster Cult

Photo by Diana Lott

The world is your oyster, or at least Republic Square is, at the 10th Annual Austin Oyster Festival coming February 25th. Although Austin may be a little far inland to make oysters a large part of its everyday diet, this festival will gather the best in grilled and fried oysters, seafood dishes, cocktail pairings, and more, all benefiting the Central Texas Food Bank and Hope Campaign, a nonprofit creative network.

The outdoor festival includes four bars for different experiences and levels of knowledge. Foodies and supportive friends who don’t think much about the provenance of oysters will enjoy the grill and fry bars, which will cook up dishes that highlight shellfish, with lots of additional flavors including gumbo with rock shrimp and andouille sausage at the former.

More shrimp is in store at the Grill Bar, with Creole barbecue butter and grilled garlic bread, served to complement the smoked bacon Oysters Rockefeller. The Fry Bar is more sandwich focussed with po’boys and banh mis, plus fries on the side and banana pudding for dessert, in collaboration with Amy’s Ice Creams.

All visitors will have to stop by the Bloody Mary Bar, which enables lovers and skeptics of the cocktail alike to create a custom cocktail with toppings and add-ins that work for them. Sponsored by Bloody Revolution, an Austin-based bottled mix, the bar also offers Tito’s Handmade Vodka, wine by Brÿt, beers by Fredericksburg’s Altstadt Brewery, plus a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic seltzers.

Finally, advanced oyster lovers should explore the Raw Bar, with fresh oysters from the East, West, and northern coasts. (If you didn’t know there’s a northern coast, same, and the festival will be a great time to brush up on your coastal geography.)
That bar’s not all for hardcore fans, who can also sign up to access a VIP lounge with private tastings, sponsored cocktails, and snacks by Austin’s own Chef Shane Stark of Mongers Market + Kitchen, with help from 1417 French Bistro, Keepers Coastal Kitchen, and more local eateries.

Two bands — Blue Mist and The Lost Pines, and Chansons Et Soulards — will keep the Southern party going while guests enjoy the four bars and a raffle for local goodies. Volunteers will also swim around picking up oyster shells to reintroduce to local ecosystems thanks to the Texas Surf Conservancy and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

The Austin Oyster Festival will take place at Republic Square on February 25 from noon to 6 pm. Tickets ($70 general admission, $125 VIP, free for kids under 8) include varying amounts of vouchers to use at the bars, and are available at austinoysterfestival.com. Tickets may also be sold at the event, but usually sell out in advance.

Courtesy of H-E-B

Peek inside Austin's first 2-story H-E-B, now open

H-E-B Forever

The long-awaited two-story H-E-B has finally opened its doors. Located on the site of a former Randall's, at the corner of Lake Austin Boulevard and Exposition Boulevard, the 97,000-square-foot store celebrated its official opening on February 15.

The first multi-level H-E-B in Austin, the new store also offers a True Texas BBQ restaurant, SouthFlo Pizza, Lake Austin’s Coffee Spot, underground parking, and a two-story porch.

“This is a special store that the community has waited for with great anticipation, and we are excited to provide the dynamic shopping experience our loyal and deserving customers will be proud of for decades to come,” said Jim Smith, Top Store Leader at the Lake Austin H-E-B, via release.

Both SouthFlo Pizza and Lake Austin's Coffee Spot are located on the store's ground floor, while True Texas BBQ is on the second. The latter is the third True Texas BBQ restaurant in Austin and features a full bar with both indoor and outdoor seating.

In celebration of this grand opening, H-E-B made donations totaling $35,000 to local nonprofit organizations and surrounding schools, including $5,000 each to the Central Texas Food Bank; Treefolks; Pop-up Birthday; and several nearby schools.

As part of its long-standing support for environmental sustainability, H-E-B announced late last year a $1 million gift to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation to support the 100th anniversary of Texas State Parks. The new Lake Austin H-E-B will temporarily display nearly a dozen art pieces selected from The Art of Texas Parks collection, commissioned by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and currently on display at the Bullock Museum in Austin.

As the largest privately held employer in Texas, the Lake Austin H-E-B store will employ more than 300 Partners, and the store is still hiring for positions in the store and accompanying restaurants. All job opportunities can be found at H-E-B Careers.

Courtesy of H-E-B

The new store opened its doors on February 15.

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Property Showcase

Austin earned top 10 rank for highest number of build-to-rent homes last year

THE RISE OF THE RENTAL

With the increasing demand for housing and rising popularity of constructing homes for rent, Austin has earned a top 10 position in a new analysis of American metro areas with the highest number of single-family rentals built for all of 2022.

A total of 324 build-to-rent homes were completed in Austin in 2022, which is a 10-year high, according to the study by RentCafe. The newest findings put the Texas Capital three places higher than in 2021, when the city ranked No. 13 in the nation.

"Austin was named the second fastest growing city in the U.S. by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise," the study's author wrote. "That came after the city recorded a 4.3 percent rise in its GDP in 2022 to $216 billion, following the Bay Area."

The study analyzed build-to-rent data from RentCafe's sister site, Yardi Matrix, for communities that had at least 50 single-family rental units.

Dallas nailed the rankings this year by earning the top spot with nearly 2,800 single-family rental units completed last year. Phoenix (which outpaced Dallas last year) ranked No. 2 with only 1,527 units completed. After Phoenix, single-family rentals in other American metro areas only went into the triple digits, with Atlanta, Georgia (No. 3) at 808, Greenville, South Carolina (No. 4) at 584, and Charlotte, North Carolina rounding out the top five with 475 units completed.

The metro areas that complete the top 10 for the most build-to-rent homes in 2022 include:

No. 6 – Detroit, Michigan
No. 7 – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
No. 8 – Panama City, Florida
No. 9 – Charleston, South Carolina
No. 10 – Austin, Texas

Austin had the seventh highest number of single-family rentals completed in the country within the last five years, totaling 1,096 units. The Texas cities that ranked higher were Dallas (No. 2) and Houston (No. 4). San Antonio ranked below Austin at No. 8. Phoenix took the No. 1 spot with over 6,000 build-to-rent homes completed in the same time period.

The study's findings support a growing demand for flexibility among renters who may not want the high cost and maintenance associated with home ownership, RentCafe says.

“More and more people are deciding they want the best of both worlds: the flexible lifestyle of the renter, with no maintenance commitments and costs, and the comfort and privacy offered by living in a house,” the study’s author wrote. “In this case, build-to-rent homes check all of the boxes, while high home prices and rising interest rates make them even more appealing.”

The number of single-family rentals is expected to continue rising dramatically in 2023. Currently, 945 units are under construction in Austin. Overall, there are 44,700 build-to-rent homes being built this year throughout the nation; three times more than the number of completed homes in all of 2022, the study says.

Shuttered Salvation Army shelter in downtown Austin will get new life

Salvation Army

When the Salvation Army shelter on East Eighth Street shut its doors back in April, Austin City Council member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri (District 9) said it was unfortunate to see as an Austin resident and leader.

"The Salvation Army kind of abruptly stated that they were pulling out without much of a notice to the residents of the shelter in the district – a shelter that largely houses or housed women and children," Qadri said. "So, you know, that was a huge disappointment for us."

Now the City of Austin has reached a compromise and solution that Qadri believes will help those experiencing homelessness. The Austin City Council on Thursday, June 8, approved a 12-month lease agreement for the former Salvation Army shelter that will cost more than $1 million.

The site will be operated by California-based nonprofit Urban Alchemy, which also provides services at the ARCH, or the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. The council also approved a contract for Urban Alchemy to add more funding, extend the ARCH program and run the former Salvation Army shelter, providing 150 beds.

Urban Alchemy will get more than $4 million.

Later this summer, City leaders will also consider a temporary emergency shelter that will provide around 300 more beds for people experiencing homelessness.

ECHO, or the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, estimates there are thousands of people experiencing homelessness in Austin. Since the city's camping ban was reinstated in May 2021, many of these individuals have spread out throughout the city or gone into hiding, making it harder to connect them with services.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

Tenacious D will play the best song in the world in Austin this fall

Spicy Meatball

America's favorite (only?) comedy rock duo is back on tour, and lucky for Austinites, they've announced the addition of three Texas dates this fall. Of course, we're talking about none other than Tenacious D, comprised of Jack Black and Kyle Glass.

The duo's Spicy Meatball Tour is currently underway this month in Europe, with newly extended dates including Houston (September 13), Grand Prairie (September 14), and Austin (September 15).

Supporting acts are yet to be announced, but tickets are on sale as of Friday, June 9, at 10 am. Fans can purchase tickets HERE.

According to a release, the tour dates come on the heels of the recently-released recorded version of Tenacious D’s viral, fan-favorite live cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” The single is accompanied by a video directed by longtime D collaborator Taylor Stephens, and features our dynamic duo in a glorious, romantic romp by the sea. Last month, they released their first new song in five years, “Video Games,” which has been streamed over 18 million times across all platforms in less than a month. The animated music video, created by Oney Plays, brings video game-ified versions of Black and Glass to life in classic and hilarious ways.

In addition to the single releases, Tenacious D will be the special guest at this year’s Video Game Awards, happening on June 25 at the Hollywood Bowl, where they will perform their new single.

But of course the burning question remains: Will Black perform his equally viral "Peaches" from the recent Super Mario Bros. movie? There's only one way to find out.

Full Tour Dates are below (new dates in bold font):
6/7/23 Berlin, Germany @ Zitadelle
6/8/23 Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Nova Rock Festival
6/10/23 Milan, Italy @ Carroponte
6/12/23 Zurich, Switzerland @ The Hall
6/13/23 Brussels, Belgium @ Forest National
6/14/23 Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Ahoy
6/16/23 London, England @ O2 Arena
6/18/23 Clisson, France @ Hellfest Open Air Festival
6/25/23 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl (Video Game Awards)
9/6/23 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
9/7/23 Franklin, TN @ Firstbank Amphitheater
9/9/23 Indianapolis, IN @ All IN Music Festival
9/11/23 Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
9/13/23 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
9/14/23 Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre
9/15/23 Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater

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