Elon Musk and Michael Dell top list of richest billionaires in Austin, per Forbes

BILLIONAIRE ROLL CALL

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According to Forbes, half of all of the world’s billionaires are less wealthy than they were in 2022. That might be true for Austin's richest billionaire Elon Musk, but that’s not the case for most other Austin-area billionaires.

The 2023 edition of Forbes’ World’s Billionaires List declared Musk's net worth at $180 billion, which is $39 billion less than his 2022 net worth of $219 billion. The Tesla and SpaceX founder is the richest person in Texas and second richest person in the world, wedging his way between No. 1 Bernard Arnault of France (overseer of the LVMH empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including Louis Vuitton and Sephora), with a net worth of $211 billion; and No. 3 Jeff Bezos, the American Amazon founder, worth $114 billion.

As CultureMap reported, Musk relocated from California to Texas in 2020, but it’s not known whether he spends most of his time around Brownsville, near a major launch site developed by his SpaceX venture, or in Austin, where he continues to build his business empire with Tesla’s new headquarters just outside the city.

Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell is Austin's second-richest man, with his net worth at $50.1 billion. He ranked No. 23 on Forbes' list, which is a single-place increase from his No. 24 rank in 2022, despite his wealth decreasing year-over-year by $5 billion. Dell and his wife are doing considerably well for themselves after investing in the WNBA last year, among other business ventures.

Michael Dell headshot Michael Dell lands at No. 23. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Other Austin-area billionaires that made Forbes 2023 world’s richest list are:

Venture capitalist Robert F. Smith: tied for No. 261, $8 billion, up from $6.7 billion
Tech entrepreneur Thai Lee: tied for No. 567, $4.8 billion, up from $4.1 billion
Tito's Vodka baron Bert Beveridge: tied for No. 591, $4.6 billion, up from $4.5 billion
Software investor Joseph Liemandt: tied for No. 611, $4.5 billion, up from $3 billion
Patrón Spirits founder John Paul DeJoria: tied for No. 1027, $2.9 billion, up from $2.8 billion
Finance chief exec David Booth: tied for No. 1725, $1.7 billion, unchanged from last year

New to the 2023 report is Hayes Barnard, the co-founder and CEO of eco-friendly home solutions marketplace GoodLeap. Barnard's net worth is $3.7 billion and his Forbes rank is No. 766.

An honorable mention (and billionaire newbie) is Eleanor Butt Crook, the 90-year-old heiress to the fortune of Texas' favorite grocery chain H-E-B. Forbes lists her residence in San Marcos, just south of Austin. Her net worth is $2.8 billion, making her No. 1067 on the list. Fellow H-E-B heirs and family membersHoward Butt III and Stephen Butt also made the list, both tied for No. 1575 with the same net worth of $1.9 billion.

Elsewhere in Texas, oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand tops the wealth leaderboard in Houston as the city's richest person with a $10.2 billion net worth. His 2023 rank in Forbes' report is No. 171.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones'$13.3 billion net worth won him the title of Dallas' richest person, and the 12th richest sports owner on Forbes' "World's Richest Sports Owners 2023." His net worth is up from $10.6 billion last year.

The Fort Worth-based Walmart family heiress Alice Walton earned a spot on Forbes’ list as the third richest woman in the world. Her fortune is pegged at $56.7 billion, down slightly from $65.3 billion last year.

Photo by Max Miner on Unsplash

Austin visitors pay 33 percent on average in Airbnb surcharges, Forbes finds

FEES ARE MY ENEMIES

We’ve all been there: You find that perfect Airbnb with the right price for your travel dates, only to be deterred at the checkout page when you witness the total skyrocket to an incomprehensible amount after the cleaning and “service” fees. Oh, and you’ll still have a laminated list of chores to complete before you leave, otherwise the hosts will charge you extra after your stay.

The latest findings from Forbes Advisor discovered Austin travelers pay an average surcharge of 33 percent for an Airbnb in the city, which is only slightly lower than the nationwide average of 36 percent. Forbes’ expert analysts looked at 32,000 listings across 100 of the most popular markets on Airbnb to find common trends.

The average Airbnb stay in Austin is $244 a night with a 12 percent cleaning fee, a 15 percent service fee, and an average 7 percent tax rate. Though that seems high, Austin is only No. 71 on Forbes’ list.

Unfortunately for Houston visitors looking for a vacation, Airbnb’s fees are not financially friendly, either. Houston ranked as the Texas city with the highest fees, and No. 8 overall with their average surcharge at 45 percent. Though their nightly rate is lower than Austin’s at $193, they pay 15 percent in both cleaning and service fees, on top of another 15 percent in taxes. That’s a good dent in your wallet.

The Texas city with the lowest fees is Fort Worth, appearing lower than Austin at No. 77 on the list. The average Airbnb costs $225 a night, with 12 percent in cleaning fees, 15 percent in service fees, and 5 percent in taxes.

Here’s a look at every Texas city that appeared in the top 100:

No. 8 – Houston: 45 percent total fees
No. 33 – Galveston: 39 percent total fees
No. 47 – San Antonio: 37 percent total fees
No. 67 – Dallas: 34 percent total fees
No. 69 – South Padre Island: 34 percent total fees
No. 71 – Austin: 33 percent total fees
No. 77 – Fort Worth: 33 percent total fees

Atlanta is the U.S. city with the highest percentage in fees for the average Airbnb stay, totaling an unfathomable 48 percent. Surprisingly, an Airbnb stay in New York City will only come with 23 percent in total fees, making it the lowest percentage out of all the top 100 cities.

In the report, Publicist Tracy Lamourie criticized Airbnb hosts and property managers for charging excessive fees, calling it "disingenuous."

“I’m old enough to remember when Airbnb was a more wallet-friendly alternative to hotels. That’s only rarely true these days,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dustin Abney, the CEO of vacation-rental management company Portoro, defended Airbnb and praised the company's transparency around its listings with the fee breakdown. He explained "most guests" are charged fees without knowing where that money truly goes.

“Most guests also assume that property managers or hosts are trying to price-gouge them, when this usually is not the case,” Abney said. “In reality, there are many hidden costs that go into running a short-term rental, and these costs fall on property managers to pay.”

The full report and its methodology can be found on forbes.com.

Facebook/Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys score record-breaking value of $8 billion, says Forbes

How’ bout them dollars?

Billionaire Jerry Jones keeps scoring with his investment in the Dallas Cowboys.

For the 16th year in a row, the Dallas Cowboys top Forbes’annual ranking of NFL team valuations. Now, Forbes says, the Cowboys are worth $8 billion — the first pro sports franchise of any type to reach that mark. That figure is up from the $6.5 billion valuation reported last year.

“The sale of the Denver Broncos for a record $4.65 billion helped push up the value of all NFL teams,” says Mike Ozanian, assistant managing editor at Forbes.

As if their $8 billion valuation weren’t impressive enough, the Cowboys are the first NFL team to generate $1 billion in revenue, according to Forbes. That’s thanks in no small part to corporate sponsorships like the team’s 10-year, $200 million beer deal with Molson Coors.

The average NFL team is now worth $4.47 billion, up 28 percent from last year, Forbes says. The state’s only other pro football team, the Houston Texans, ranks 11th with a valuation of $4.7 billion, compared with $3.7 billion on last year’s list.

Forbes based its team valuations on revenue and operating income for the 2021 NFL season. Last year, the Cowboys generated nearly $1.1 billion in revenue and $466 million in operating income (a yardstick for how much revenue will eventually turn into profit).

Jones bought the Cowboys for around $140 million or $150 million in 1989, depending on which media account you trust. Jones insists he’ll never sell what now is a multibillion-dollar money machine. But he has tossed around a potential $10 billion sale price.

As of August 30, Forbes pegged Jones’ net worth at $12.3 billion.

Jones derives much of his wealth from his ownership of the Cowboys, where he is president and general manager. Some of his treasure chest — $200 million a year — goes toward renting the $1.5 billion AT&T Stadium, where the Cowboys play their home games.

Well before he occupied the White House, Donald Trump reportedly had a chance to snag the Cowboys for $40 million to $50 million. That was in 1983, several years before Jones purchased the team.

“I feel sorry for the poor guy who is going to buy the Cowboys. … He’ll be known to the world as a loser,” Trump famously proclaimed in a 1984 interview.

UT Austin/Facebook

4 Austin companies clock in among top employers in Texas, says Forbes

Climbing the corporate ladder

It doesn’t take too much number crunching to figure out that Austin is a hotbed for startups. And now, some of those local startup employers — as well as a few major players — are getting a pat on the back for a job well done.

According to Forbes magazine, which just released its lists of the country’s best large employers and best startup employers, Austin workers are hooked on four of the city’s biggest businesses.

New rankings from Forbes put Austin-based Keller Williams Realty at No. 140 on its list of the best large employers in the U.S. Additionally, Round Rock-based Dell Technologies scores the No. 143 spot, while the University of Texas at Austin comes in at No. 279, and Whole Foods Market lands at No. 324 in the best large employers category.

“The university offers more than 170 majors across 13 schools, but UT-Austin is best known academically for its business and engineering programs,” the publication notes, adding, “UT-Austin takes great pride in its athletics — the school has 58 national championships. ... More than 90 percent of students hail from Texas, but UT-Austin sends graduates worldwide. Thirty-one Rhodes scholars attended the school, as did Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell.”

Meanwhile, Austin boasts an impressive number of businesses on Forbes’ list of best startup employers, including Outdoor Voices, Outdoorsy, and The Zebra.

Other Texas employers ranked among the best large employers in the U.S. are:

No. 9 — University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
No. 10 — MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
No. 16 — Bestow, Dallas
No. 37 — Houston Methodist, Houston
No. 38 — H-E-B, San Antonio
No. 49 — RealPage, Richardson
No. 56 — Southwest Airlines, Dallas
No. 135 — USAA, San Antonio
No. 214 — Texas Tech University, Lubbock
No. 245 — Waste Management, Houston
No. 253 — Toyota North America, Plano
No. 314 — Sysco, Houston
No. 318 — Daikin Industries, Waller
No. 361 — Shell Oil, Houston
No. 370 — Cinemark, Plano
No. 375 — Jacobs, Dallas
No. 389 — Halliburton, Houston
No. 394 — Topgolf, Dallas
No. 399 — Primoris Services, Dallas
No. 403 — Schlumberger, Houston
No. 422 — Fluor, Irving
No. 423 — CBRE, Dallas
No. 429 — McKesson, Irving
No. 440 — ExxonMobil, Houston
No. 446 — American Airlines, Fort Worth
No. 483 — Keurig Dr Pepper, Plano
No. 487 — BP, Houston (North American headquarters)

What follows are the Texas employers ranked among the best startup employers in the country.

Austin

No. 104 — Apty
No. 121 — Homeward
No. 169 — SparkCognition
No. 186 — Outdoor Voices
No. 255 — Outdoorsy
No. 323 — ICON
No. 324 — The Zebra
No. 330 — TrustRadius
No. 335 — Innovetive Petcare (Cedar Park)
No. 387 — AlertMedia
No. 400 — Iris Telehealth
No. 410 — Wheel
No. 455 — Billd
No. 460 — Aceable
No. 470 — Shipwell

Dallas

No. 16 — Bestow
No. 290 — Slync.io

Houston

No. 120 — Imbuit
No. 310 — Code Ninjas (Pearland)
No. 353 — Axiom Space
No. 462 — Liongard

Forbes teamed up with data and research company Statista to develop the rankings of the best large employers and best startup employers.

Photo by Gino Barasa, Visit Austin/Facebook

Forbes features 23 inspiring Austin leaders on list of ‘entrepreneurial heroes’

They’re going places

A spotlight is shining on nearly two dozen future Elon Musks from the Austin area.

Forbes magazine recently unveiled its final installment of 250 entrepreneurs on the Forbes Next 1000, a list of inspiring entrepreneurs and small-business leaders “who are redefining what it means to build and run a business amid the new normal.” Among the 250 are 23 entrepreneurs from the Austin area.

“As we enter another pandemic year, entrepreneurs and small-business owners are finding new ways to thrive amidst ever-uncertain circumstances,” Maneet Ahuja, senior editor of Forbes, says in a news release. “The fourth and final class of Next 1000 entrepreneurial heroes is writing the playbook for not only achieving financial recovery but speeding past it. These sole proprietors, self-funded shops, and pre-revenue startups are proving that — through resolve, hard work, and solid planning — anything is possible.”

Here are the 23 Austin-area entrepreneurs who made the final installment of the Next 1000 list for 2021:

Nitin Agrawal, co-founder and CEO of Austin-based Interstride, an education technology company that supplies international student-support services to colleges and universities.
Antoinette Alexander Adefela, founder of Exp.Design, a Round Rock-based consulting firm.
Tim Angelillo, founder of Austin-based Crafted Sourced Cocktails, which delivers craft cocktails to customers’ homes.
Ruben Arias, co-founder of Austin-based Beereaders, a digital platform that helps K-12 Spanish-speaking students improve reading and writing skills in their native language.
Heather Emerson, founder of Austin-based Prep to Your Door, a delivery service for farm-to-table meals.
Mbiyimoh Ghogomu, co-founder of Austin-based Tradeblock, a social marketplace for “sneakerheads.”
Christopher Jane, co-founder of Proper Good, an Austin-based provider of healthy premade meals with “clean” ingredients.
Caren Kelleher, founder of Austin-based Gold Rush Vinyl, a producer of vinyl records.
Ariel Lee, co-founder of Remane, an Austin-based hair care company catering to Black consumers.
Charles Li, founder of Austin-based V2 Admissions, which helps students gain admission to top-ranking U.S. universities.
Daniel Marcos, founder of Austin-based Growth Institute, an online provider of executive coaching.
Julia Niiro, founder of Austin-based MilkRun, a marketplace that sells produce, dairy products, and meat from small and midsize farms.
Victoria O’Connell, co-founder of Austin-based Golightly, a members-only vacation rental and home-sharing platform for women.
Janice Omadeke, founder of Austin-based The Mentor Method, whose software matches mentors with mentees.
Jen Pinkston, founder of La Paloma, an Austin-based seller of children’s and women’s sleepwear made from 100 percent cotton.
Alexandria Porter, founder of Austin-based Mod Tech Labs, which relies on machine learning to speed up the monotonous process of detailing digital content.
Scotty Reiss, founder of A Girls Guide to Cars, an Austin-based digital platform for female car buyers.
Yash Sabharwal, co-founder of Austin-based CherryCircle Software, which is revamping the management of drug manufacturing.
Krista Sampson, founder of Austin-based Argument-Driven Inquiry, which provides instructional materials and classroom resources for teachers of science, engineering, and math in the third through 12th grades.
Benjamin Smith, founder of Disco, an Austin-based retailer of facial cleansers, eye creams, and facial masks for men.
Mark Stern, founder of Austin-based The Custom Box Agency, which offers more than 100 types of packaging to help businesses onboard employees, and build relationships with prospective and current clients.
John Paul Udenenwu, founder of the JP’s Pancake Co., an Austin food truck that serves deluxe pancakes.
Lauren Washington, co-founder of Austin-based Fundr, an online marketplace that automates seed investing by creating portfolios of AI-vetted startups for angel investors and venture capital firms.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

H-E-B bags a top spot on Forbes’ list of America’s largest private companies

No store grows more

H-E-B holds a special place in the hearts of Texas grocery shoppers. It also holds a special place among the country’s privately owned companies.

San Antonio-based H-E-B ranks fifth on Forbes’ new list of the country’s largest privately owned companies based on annual revenue. According to Forbes, the grocery chain’s annual revenue is $32.8 billion, making it the largest private company in Texas. On its website, H-E-B reports annual sales of $32 billion.

Meanwhile, trade publication Progressive Grocerlists H-E-B’s 2020 revenue at $36.8 billion, which puts it in 13th place among North America’s largest grocery retailers. And trade publication Supermarket Newspegs H-E-B’s 2020-21 revenue at nearly $31.8 billion, which gives it the No. 15 ranking among the biggest food and grocery retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

H-E-B’s financial success can be tied in large part to its popularity among Texas grocery shoppers.

This year, Amazon knocked H-E-B off its No. 1 perch as America’s best grocery retailer in a survey by market research company Dunnhumby. H-E-B fell to No. 2 this year. H-E-B had grabbed the top spot from Trader Joe’s in Dunnhumby’s 2020 survey.

Trade publication Grocery Divenoted that H-E-B’s No. 1 ranking in last year’s Dunnhumby survey reflected the chain’s “efforts to cultivate a strong customer base among Texans with customer service, local products, and unique experiences in each store.”

Though no Austin-based companies made the Forbes list, one featured biz, New Jersey-based IT company SHI International Corp., has a strong connection to the Capital City. Austin billionaire Thai Lee, with a net worth estimated at $4.1 billion, is co-founder, president, and CEO of SHI. The company ranks 28th on the Forbes list, with annual revenue of $11.1 billion.

In addition to H-E-B, the only other San Antonio company on the Forbes list is construction engineering company Zachry Group. It ranks 225th, with annual revenue of $2 billion.

Nearly all of the other Texas companies in the Forbes ranking are based in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas. Thirteen DFW companies and five Houston companies show up on the list.

Dallas-Fort Worth

Grand Prairie-based alcohol and wine distributor Republic National Distributing, No. 25, $11.9 billion in annual revenue.
Dallas-based conglomerate Sammons Enterprises, No. 70, $5.8 billion in annual revenue.
McKinney-based roofing distributor SRS Distribution, No. 80, $5.4 billion in annual revenue.
Irving-based arts-and-crafts retailer Michaels, No. 81, $5.3 billion in annual revenue.
Dallas-based luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, No. 101, $4.7 billion in annual revenue.
Irving-based electrical systems and equipment maker Consolidated Electrical Distributors, No. 103, $4.6 billion in annual revenue.
Fort Worth-based food and beverage distributor Ben E. Keith, No. 107, $4.2 billion in annual revenue.
Dallas-based oil and gas explorer Hunt Consolidated, No. 113, $4 billion in annual revenue.
Frisco-based transportation and logistics software provider Transplace, No. 127, $3.6 billion in annual revenue.
Addison-based cosmetics retailer Mary Kay, No. 164, $2.8 billion in annual revenue.
Plano-based senior healthcare provider Golden Living, No. 178, $2.6 billion in annual revenue.
Dallas-based general contractor Austin Industries, No. 217, $2.1 billion in annual revenue.
Dallas-based transportation and logistics company Mode Transportation, No. 220, $2.1 billion in annual revenue.

Houston

Car dealership group Gulf States Toyota, No. 45, $8.3 billion in annual revenue.
Energy company Calpine, No. 48, $8 billion in annual revenue.
Petroleum and petrochemical products marketer Tauber Oil, No. 61, $6.7 billion in annual revenue.
Casino, restaurant, and sports conglomerate Fertitta Entertainment, No. 166, $2.8 billion in annual revenue.
BMC Software, No. 219, $2.1 billion in annual revenue.

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Heartless Bastards to play two nights at Antone's, plus more Austin music picks for early June

Music Notes

School’s out for summer, so now you've got plenty of time to take in the many great local shows that are coming up. Recommendations for the first half of June can be found here.

Beat 4 Beat at the Belmont – Thursday, June 1
Beat 4 Beat, which provides free after-school music classes for Austin-area school districts and private schools, is holding a fundraising show this Thursday, June 1 at the Belmont. Latin funk vets Grupo Fantasma will headline, and Jaime Ospina (of Superfónicos) will open the show. There are two ticket options: $30 for GA, $60 for VIP.

Rickshaw Billie’s Big Dumb Fest at the Mohawk – Sunday, June 4
Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol have put together what they’re calling the Big Dumb Fest, and it's this Sunday, June 4 at the Mohawk. Aside from the buzzy rockers, the lineup includes Gus Baldwin & the Sketch, Tia Carrera, Eagle Claw, Billy Glitter, Buzz Electro, and Pinko, plus you can expect eats by Chilly’s Philly’s, Bad Larry Burger Club, Jim Jams Biscuits, and Chef’s Kiss. Tickets for the event are just $20.

Britt Daniel at C-Boys Heart & Soul – Wednesday, June 7
Spoon frontman Britt Daniel has a solo gig lined up for Wednesday, June 7 at C-Boys Heart & Soul. Jo Alice will join him for the set, and you can also expect performances from Alicia Gail and Shooks. Tickets for the show are $12.

Sir Woman at the Parish – Friday, June 9
Soul pop act Sir Woman (Kelsey Wilson of Wild Child) has a new song on the way and a show on the books for Friday, June 9 at the Parish. Cat Clemons, Motenko, and Sketch round out the rest of the bill. Tickets are $22 each.

Heartless Bastards at Antone’s – June 9 & 10
Heartless Bastards have two shows coming up at Antone’s – Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10. The rock act, which features the big-voiced Erika Wennerstrom, will be joined by Jon Muq on the first night and Tele Novella on the second. Tickets for each show are $30.

Being Dead at Hotel Vegas – Friday, June 16
Get yourself to Hotel Vegas on Friday, June 16. Not only will Being Dead be celebrating the release of a new single off their anticipated album, When Horses Would Run, but the rest of the bill also features some noteworthy up and comers, including Die Spitz, Font, and je'Texas. Tickets can be had for just $10.

8 enticing Austin exhibits to jump into this June

State of the Arts

The arts in Austin make a splash this month with a refreshing assortment of exhibits. There are community made fairy dwellings to admire, and hopefully a fairy or two to see at Zilker Botanical Garden; a group photography show at Cloud Tree Gallery that questions the role of photographer in a world where we are all photographers on our mobile devices; Patrick Puckett gives us bold, confident Southern tinged portraits at Wally Workman; and Austin artist Thomas Flynn II paints forests and nature meant to tickle your fancy at Vaughn Gallery. Soak up these energizing summer exhibits while the sun shines.

Zilker Botanical Garden

“The Woodland Faerie Trail” — Now through June 10
The fairies have arrived at Zilker Botanical Gardens to take up their summer residency in tiny, natural homes created by Austin families, school groups, and individuals on display off the Oak Grove, along the winding Woodland Faerie Trail. The Garden hosts special events like a chance to visit the fairies by moonlight on June 3, or a Fae Fest on June 10, where you can make your own fairy wings, be a part of a fairy fashion show, or explore examples of plants featured in botanical folklore.

Dougherty Arts Center

“Darcie Book: Second Sight: A Visual Opera" — Now through July 22
Interactive installations are always fascinating because, suddenly, we are told we can touch the art and enjoy a tactile experience beyond just gazing at it. “Second Sight: A Visual Opera” by multidisciplinary artist Darcie Book is a single piece — an abstract narrative — that unfolds as the viewer-participant moves through the space and is confronted by unexpected materials. "In the darkness, in the unknown," the description posits, "we are in a world between dimensions."

Austin Central Library

“Aubree Dale: Go-To’s” — June 2 through August 12
“'Go-To’s' is an exhibition of oil paintings big and small peppered with small supplementary sculptures," explains the artist's website. Dale’s sculptures are fashioned out of "rescued plastics and homemade bioplastics" that become "transparent artifacts and portals." The exhibit sprung out of the artist becoming a mother and her feelings of anxiety and abundance as well as “a scaling back of my eagerness to please others.”

Cloud Tree Studios and Gallery

“Generation Loss: Image Making in an Age of Over-Saturation" — June 3 through 24
In this group photography show, twelve artists examine what it means to be a photographer "in an age where everyone is a photographer." The gallery explains that "in analog media development, the term 'generation loss' refers to the modification of content and reduction of detail when duplicates or multiple generations of copies are created." Are we responsible for “reducing” the art of photography because of the abundance permeating our lives via social media?

Wally Workman Gallery

"Patrick Puckett: Mythos" — June 3 through July 2
If you enjoy "bold colors and languid figures," you may enjoy the work of Patrick Puckett whose paintings are "unapologetically sure of themselves." The works on paper aim for intimacy, with confident brush strokes and colors. The figures in Puckett's paintings are "visual inventions" from his experiences living in the South.

Vaughn Gallery

“Thomas Flynn II: To Catch the Sun Dreaming” — June 8 through July 22
Thomas Flynn II is an Austin artist bringing a fresh perspective on plein air painting (i.e. painting outdoors) creating environmental and thought provoking paintings on raw canvas. In Flynn’s work forests and nature "represent a place of eternal play and exploration" as well as the "cycles of growth and decay." After viewing his work you feel like you’ve had your daily dose of Mother Nature.

Art for the People

“Vibrance of Summer" — June 10 through August 11
With more 35 artists participating, “Vibrance of Summer” is all about immersing oneself in the vibrance of summertime and the energy of the season. Some featured pieces include a stained glass mountain landscape, a multimedia textured work displaying the art of tree bark, and a moody painting of blueberries that subverts the usual colors of summer. If you need a cheerful, sunny arts experience, then Art for the People is offering a dose of cheer.

West Chelsea Contemporary

Courtesy of West Chelsea Contemporary

Beauty and the Beast, 1959 by Slim Aarons, estate stamped print.

“EDITIONS” — June 16 through July 16
“Editions” features more than 100 artists over a span of six decades showcasing limited-edition prints, which as the gallery points out, "creates a sense of exclusivity and scarcity." It continues, "From modern masters and blue-chip artists to street art pioneers and ultra-contemporary innovators, the exhibit delivers a diverse range of artists who have each utilized printmaking as a way to experiment within and expand the reach of their artistic practice." From Chuck Close, Keith Haring and Damien Hirst all the way to Fab 5 Freddy, the exhibit packs a punch with the breadth and depth of artists.

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

Weekend Event Guide

Star-studded television moments, lots of live music, and free festivities are at the top of our agenda in the coming off-duty days. Stretch your savings a bit with a hefty number of happenings that cost you nothing but your well-spent time. Check out the top seven things to do in Austin this weekend. For a full list of events, visit our calendar.

Thursday, June 1

ATX Television Festival
The highly-anticipated ATX Television Festival returns for another year. Festival programming has been thoughtfully curated in cooperation with the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. Highlights of the four-day event include a screening from Season 3 of HBO's The Righteous Gemstones with cast members in attendance; a conversation with the cast and showrunner ofGrown-ish; a discussion about the ongoing writers strike; and more. For badges and scheduling information, go to atxfestival.com.

LBJ Presidential Library presents"Y'all Means All" — Night at the Museum
Round up family and friends for a day of inclusion and community at LBJ Presidential Library. Visitors can connect with participating organizations to gather knowledge, make new friends, and revel in the spirit of togetherness in a safe and educationally-appropriate space. Festivities include door prizes, interactive exercises, refreshments, and live music on the LBJ Library Plaza. Admission to this event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome to attend.

Friday, June 2

Moody Center presents Billy Strings in concert
The Moody Center welcomes Bluegrass artist Billy Strings to the stage for two back-to-back evenings of live music. The Grammy-winning guitarist has released three albums throughout his career, including 2021’s Renewal. He was also the top pick for many concert-goers at Austin City Limits Festival in 2022. Check out seating availability on Ticketmaster.

ATX Television Festival, ATX TV Festival

Austin Television Festival/Facebook

In light of the TV writers strike, an Austin TV festival has made major changes to its schedule.

Saturday, June 3

Travis County Parks Foundation presents For The Love of Parks
Bask in the wide open spaces of Richard Moya Park at the inaugural For The Love of Parks event, in honor of the new Travis County Parks Foundation, which aims to direct efforts from individuals and nonprofits to expand the accessibility of local parks. Highlights include kids' activities, food truck offerings, and live music by Del Castillo. Get a full schedule of programming at traviscountyparksfoundation.org. Admission is free and open to the public.

Sunday, June 4

Hill Country Galleria presents Bee Cave Farmers Market Opening Day
The first fresh and locally-grown produce of the season is on fully harvested display in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Experience the new Bee Cave Farmers Market on opening day. Guests can also peruse and purchase a variety of prepared foods and goods while enjoying live musical entertainment. Get more information at hillcountrygalleria.com.

The Gallery ATX presents Art in ATX: Pride Market
Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches hosts a free outdoor market just in time for Pride Month. Guests can shop wares, fare, and handcrafted goods from more than 20 featured queer artists based in the Austin community. Stick around all afternoon to enjoy live music by Javijuu, Female Gallery, and DJ Damino.

Moody Center presents Janet Jackson in concert
Legendary singer-songwriter Janet Jackson blazes the stage at Moody Center for one night only. The entertainer taps Austin as part of her concert tour, Together Again, which celebrates her 50th anniversary as a pillar in the entertainment industry. Fans can expect a packed setlist featuring her biggest chart-topping hits, new music, and tracks from two of her most popular albums, The Velvet Rope and janet, respectively. Get more information on Ticketmaster.

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