The 3M Half Marathon is Austin's second longest distance road racing event and is One of the largest stand-alone half marathons in Texas. The 3M Half Marathon is just over 13 miles on a north-to-south course through an urban setting and is mostly downhill. The half marathon is geared to intermediate runners. Besides the half marathon, there is also the half marathon relay, which is the same distance split between two runners and runers who are fairly new to endurance running may prefer the half marathon relay. The 3M Half Marathon and Relay also features a Kids Fun Run, which is a 50-yard non-competitive run for children ages 10 and under.There is entertainment and medical support along the course and food is provided at the finish line. The goodie bag for the 3M Half Marathon comes loaded with popular 3M products like Scotch tape‚ Post-it pads‚ insect repellent‚ lint rollers and bandages and was named Named “Best Schwag” by Runner’s World Magazine. There is also return bus transport available from the finish to the start upon completion. The 2013 date for the 3M Half Marathon is Sunday, January 13, 2013.
What began with a handful of vendors in the Armadillo World Headquarters music venue on a rainy Saturday afternoon in 1976 has grown into a seasonal celebration of Austin’s unique arts and music community and become an annual holiday event for many Austinites. The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar features over 160 artists and artisans vending a wide variety and price range of gifts, live music and a full bar. This year's 37th Armadillo Christmas Bazaar will take place at Palmar Events Center, just across the street from it's original location at South First and Barton Springs at the now long-gone Armadillo World Headquarters. Open all the way up to 11 PM on Christmas Eve, the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is a favorite of last minute Austin shoppers. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free with parent. The dates for the 2012 Armadillo Christmas Bazaar are Wednesday, December 12 through Monday, December 24, 2012.
ArmadilloCon is a literary science fiction and fantasy convention held annually in Austin since 1978 drawing not only fans, but many established and well-known writers, artists and publishers. This sci-fi convention includes panels, readings, demonstrations, presentations, autograph sessions, art show, trade show and writers workshops. The ArmadilloCon convention has moved from a traditional late August date to July for 2012 and there will not be an ArmadilloCon in Austin in 2013 due to the 71st annual World Science Fiction Convention August 29 through September 2, 2013 in San Antonio, Texas. ArmadilloCon will return to Austin for 2014. The 2012 ArmadilloCon took place on Friday, July 27 through Sunday, July 29.
Art Outside is family friendly avant-garde art and music event featuring artwork, multimedia, large scale art installations, yoga, aerial acrobatics, fire spinning, music and workshops along the banks of the San Gabriel River northeast of Austin, Texas. Workshops and camping are included with the price of admission. Art Outside began in 2005 at at the Enchanted Forest, a 3.5 acre plot of land at the corner of South Lamar Boulevard and Oltorf Street in the heart of Austin. Logistical problems with the City of Austin led to the event being moved to Apache Pass in 2009. Though Apache Pass Festival Grounds in Rockdale, Texas is approximately a 90 minute drive from Austin, Art Outside remains a quintessential union of the Austin music scene and the Austin art scene. Apache Pass Festival Grounds consists of hundreds of acres of grassy camping areas shaded by large pecan trees and access to the San Gabriel River. There are facilities for showering, bathrooms, potable water, communal commons and access to charging stations for electronic devices. The dates for the 2012 Art Outside music and art festival are Friday, October 19 through Sunday, October 21, 2012.
For over 35 years, the Austin American Statesman Capitol 10,000 Run and Walk has attracted not only the silly in crazy costumes, but wheelchair athletes and serious runners. The Statesman Capitol 10,000 is the largest 10K in Texas and the fifth largest in the nation. This is a fun, festive athletic event suitable for the entire family and has become an annual rite of spring in Austin. The running event includes the Statesman Cap 10K (Timed); Statesman Cap 10K - Fun Run & Walk (Untimed); Statesman Cap 10K Youth For 8 Years Old And Under (Timed) and Statesman Cap 10K Youth For 8 Years Old And Under Fun Run And Walk (Untimed). Only timed runners are eligible for awards. Registration takes place online, by US mail, or in-person Cap 10K Health And Fitness Expo at the Austin Convention Center on the Friday and Saturday before the race. The date for the 2013 Statesman Capitol 10,000 is Sunday, April 7, 2013.
Since 1997, the Austin Celtic Festival has celebrated the Celtic culture and traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Nova Scotia and Wales with over 200 artists, musicians, actors and storytellers. Held over two days on a weekend in November at Fiesta Gardens Park in East Austin, the Austin Celtic Festival presents traditional Celtic music including internationally renown authentic Celtic folk musicians, dance performances, lectures and workshops, animal performers, food, crafts, archery, children's activities and competitive Highland Games. The dates for the 2012 Austin Celtic Festival are Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4, 2012.
The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival began in 1990 as a small contest with a few spectators and has grown over the years into the world's largest hot sauce festival and judging contest. The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival attracts as many as 15,000 spectators and more than 350 entries every year and is a major fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank based in Austin, Texas. The 2011 Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival raised over $17,000 and almost 19,000 lbs. of food. The 2012 Hot Sauce Festival took take place at Fiesta Gardens on the East side of Austin at 2100 Jesse E. Segovia Street instead of the usual location at Waterloo Park due to renovations being undertaken at Waterloo Park. Entry to the festival is free with a donation of three healthy, nonperishable food items or a cash donation to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. Besides free hot sauce samples and food vendors, the Festival also features music from local Austin musicians. The date for the 2013 Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival is to be announced.
Set in downtown Austin Zilker Park, the Austin City Limits Music Festival is annual three-day music and art festival that has become one of the United States premier rock festivals. Approximately 130 bands on eight stages attract crowds of around 65,000 fans to listen to music including rock, country, folk, indie, Americana, hip-hop, reggae and bluegrass. Named after the public television show Austin City Limits produced at the KLRU studios at the University of Texas since 1977, C3 Presents licenses the “Austin City Limits” name for the annual festival. There is usually a brief and competitive pre-sale of discount price three-day passes about six months before the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The regular sale starts a few months later with gradual price increases as Austin City Limits Music Festival gets closer. Single day tickets go on sale about a month before Austin City Limits Music Festival. The best way to get tickets is to sign up for the ACL Fest email list for notifications on ticket sale dates and discounts. The dates for the 2012 Austin City Limits Music Festival are Friday, October 12 through Sunday, October 14, 2012. The lineup for 2012 includes Jack White; Neil Young and Crazy Horse; The Shins; The Roots; The Avett Brothers, Iggy Pop and the Stooges; Willis Earl Beale; M83; M. Ward; The Afghan Whigs; Tegan and Sara; Metric; Andrew Bird; Delta Spirit; The War on Drugs; The Black Keys; Weezer; Thievery Corporation; Steve Earle; The Shins; and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. C3 Presents recently announced that the Austin City Limits Fest plans to expand to a two weekend format in 2013 with the 2013 Austin City Limits Festival taking place on October 4 through 6 and October 11 though 13, 2013.
The dates for the 2012 Austin Comic Con are Friday October 26, Saturday October 27 and Sunday October 28, 2012.Austin Comic Con is one of the annual three day pop culture conventions produced by online publication Wizard World Digital showcasing graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. Austin Comic Con features costume contest, celebrity appearances including actors, artists and writers, autograph booths, vendors and special exhibits. The 2012 Austin Comic Con features a 25th reunion appearance of cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation including Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard); LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge); Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi); Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data);Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher); Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker); and Michael Dorn (Lieutenant Worf). Other celebrity appearances at the 2012 Austin Comic Con include Dean Cain (Superman); Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk); CM Punk (WWE Superstar); Anthony Michael Hall (Batman); James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Torchwood); Paul McGillion (Stargate: Atlantis, Star Trek; The X-Files); Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints); David Della Rocco (The Boondock Saints); Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints); Kai Owen (Torchwood); Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood, Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who); Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel); Sofia Milos (CSI: Miami, The Sopranos); Eve Myles (Doctor Who, Torchwood); and Craig Parker (The Lord of the Rings).
Austin Fashion Week is a series of events in late August hosted primarily at retail and salon locations throughout Austin showcasing the work of fashion designers in clothing, accessories and jewelry from throughout Texas. Austin Fashion Week was founded in 2009 by Launch787, an event production company in Austin. Austin Fashion Week features both established designers, new designers and those launching their first lines as well as photographers, hair stylists, makeup artists and models working in creative teams. Over a hundred events take place during Austin Fashion week including runway shows, designer meet-and-greets, themed parties and benefits for Austin non-profits. Austin Fashion Week culminates with the Austin Fashion Awards recognizing the Austin fashion scene with both People’s Choice Awards voted online by the general public and Industry Choice Awards voted on by those working in the Austin fashion industry. The tentative dates for the 2013 Austin Fashion Week are Friday 9 August to Saturday 17 August, 2013.
The Austin Ice Cream Festival raises money for local charities such as the Austin Children's Shelter and the Young Womens Alliance. This dog friendly and kid friendly event features games, activities, contests and live entertainment and free ice cream samples. Prizes are awarded in the homemade ice cream making contest, ice cream eating contest and popsicle stick sculpture contest. The date for the 2012 Austin Ice Cream Festival was Saturday, August 4, 2012. The tentative date for the 2013 and seventh annual Austin Ice Cream Festival is Saturday, August 3, 2013.
The annual Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF) is the world's largest non-juried poetry festival. Events are free and open to the public. Festival events take place in multiple venuesin around Austin. This annual celebration of poets and poetry includes live local readings, poetry workshops, open mics, anthology competitions and readings, a poetry slam, movie presentation, poetry all-nighter and a poetry symposium. An average of 250 poets from all across Texas and from around the world register to perform in AIPF's four days of city-wide events. The Austin International Poetry Festival is usually held annually in April, which is national poetry month. However, the dates for the 2012 Austin International Poetry Festival and 20th Anniversary Celebration are Thursday September 27, Friday, September 28, Saturday September 29 and Sunday September 30, 2012.
The Austin Museum Partnership is an organization of Austin-area museums collaborating for the mutual benefit of the public and the museums. The Austin Museum Partnership has sponsored a free, city wide Annual Austin Museum Day every year in Austin since 1998. Participating sites include art and science museums, historic sites, history museums, nature preserves, natural habitats, botanical gardens, the University of Texas library and art repositories, the LBJ Presidential library, a children's museum, a museum about Texas music, the Texas State Capitol. The 2012 Annual Austin Museum Day is scheduled for Sunday, September 23, 2012.
Austin Pet Expo is a free one-day indoor family event event geared towards pet lovers. The Austin Pet Expo is organized by Amazing Pet Expos, which currently produces more than 27 free to the public pet expos around the country. The Austin Pet Expo showcases more than 125 local and national exhibitors and vendors including veterinarians, groomers, trainers, retailers and pet adoption and rescue organizations. Hundreds of pets will be available for adoption or application for adoption. Events include dog agility course demonstrations, pet talent contest, pet costume contest, and pet adoption from local Austin animal rescue services. Pets are welcome to also attend the Austin Pet Expo, but must on a fixed lead with proof of vaccinations or immunizations can be updated at the event. Low-cost vaccinations and microchipping will be available at the Austin Pet Expo. The 2013 Austin Pet Expo features a special appearance by Animal Planet's "Pit Boss," Shorty Rossi and his pitbull Hercules. The date for the 2013 Austin Pet Expo is Saturday, August 3, 2013.
Sponsored by the Austin Independent School District, the Annual Austin Powwow and American Indian Heritage Festival is the the nation's largest annual school event and largest American Indian annual gathering in Texas. Hundreds of Native American Indian dancers, singers and drummers gather each year in Austin on the first Saturday in November to celebrate American Indian culture. Dancers of all ages in full American Indian regalia compete for prize money and vendors sell traditional American Indian cuisine, including buffalo stew and roasted corn, and wares such as jewelry and pottery. The annual Austin Powwow and American Indian Heritage Festival always takes place on the first Saturday in November and admission is free. The date for the 2012 Austin Powwow and American Indian Heritage Festival is Saturday, November 3, 2012.
Austin Psych Fest is a annual music event in April featuring psychedelic, garage and experimental music. Psych Fest is produced by the members of Austin band the Black Angels and presents both contemporary and classic psychedelic rock. One past favorite at the Austin Psych Fest has been legendary sixties musician and Austin native Roky Erickson of the 13th Floor Elevators. The dates for the 2013 Austin Psych Fest are Friday April 26, Saturday April 27 and Sunday April 28, 2013. The first round of general admission tickets will go on sale in early December 2012.
Austin Reggae Festival began as the Bob Marley Fest in 1994 and is an annual Austin event benefiting the Capital Area Food Bank. In 2012, the Austin Reggae Festival raised over $200,000 to help feed hungry people and families in Central Texas. Austin Reggae Fest features live world music from internationally known bands with food, arts and crafts vendors and takes place at Auditorium Shores alongside Lady Bird (Town Lake) in downtown Austin. The dates for the three day 2013 Austin Reggae Festival are Friday April 19, Saturday April 20 and Sunday April 21, 2013.
The Austin Teen Book Festival is an annual free event sponsored by non-profit Austin Public Library Friends Foundation to promote reading and writing by young people by connecting them to local and award-winning authors. The Austin Teen Book Festival encourages interaction between aspiring writers and established authors by bringing young adult authors to Austin for book signings and appearances at the Palmer Events Center on Barton Springs Road. Parking at the Palmer Events Center is not free. The Austin Teen Book Festival is open to everyone, includes music from teen bands, food and other entertainment, and books by the authors appearing at the festival are available for sale. The Austin Teen Book festival features speakers, panels on different genres including romance, fantasy, supernatural and suspense. The date for the fourth annual Austin Teen Book Festival is Saturday, September 29, 2012. The keynote address will be by award winning novelist, screenwriter, and television writer Neal Shusterman, whose works include Everlost, Everfound, and Everwild in the Skinjacker Trilogy; the Star Shards Chronicles trilogy; The Schwa Was Here; Downsiders; and Full Tilt.
Searchable by date and type of event, the Events Calendar on the Austin Visitors Center website offers a comprehensive and extensive listing of events in Austin, including children and family events, culinary events, film festivals, holiday events, annual event, concerts and music events and theater and dance events.
A celebration of all styles of yoga, the Austin Yoga Festival features yoga classes, informational yogi health sessions, music, chanting, healthy food and beverages and vendors. The dates for the second annual Austin Yoga Festival are Saturday October 27 and Sunday October 28, 2012. The 2012 Austin Yoga Festival will take place at the Palmer Events Center. Many events will take place under the outdoor canopy overlooking downtown Austin and will be free to the public, including the vendor marketplace, children's yoga classes, yoga demonstrations, yoga for beginners, yoga information, wellness discussions, qi gong demonstrations, free health screenings, free acupuncture treatments, nutritional information, cooking demonstrations, alternative medicine experts, live music and other fun family activities. In-depth yoga workshops will also be offered in Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Dharma Yoga, Rasa Yoga and Gong Yoga. To participate in the yoga sessions, attendees need to bring a yoga mat or plan to purchase one from a vendor.
Taking place on the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, Batfest and Night of the Bat celebrates Austin's famous bat population. An estimated 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Featuring arts and crafts, music, food, bat watching, children's activities and education display. the Batfest is ponsored by the City of Austin and admission is free. The 2012 Batfest includes live music from ten bands on two stages, more than 75 arts and crafts vendors and a bat costume contest. The live bats generally emerge from under the bridge at around dusk between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM and the emerging flight can last for up to 30 minutes. The date for the 2012 Batfest and Night of the Bat was Saturday, August 25, 2012. The date for the 2013 Batfest and Night of the Bat is to be announced.
The Blue Genie Art Bazaar was started over ten years ago by Blue Genie Art Industries, a nationally recognized firm specializing in large-scale commercial fabrication of creative projects including museum exhibits, sculptures and specialty signs. The first Bazaar consisted mostly of items made by Blue Genie Art employee's, but the Bazaar has come to feature unique gifts and artwork from over 130 artists selected through a jury process from a large pool of applicants every year. Admission to the Blue Genie Art Bazaar is free. The items available range from fun and kitschy to serious art and include paintings, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, accessories, glassworks, ceramics, prints, photography and plenty of weird and quirky gifts you won't find anywhere else. The Blue Genie Art Bazaar is organized more like a gallery or retail store than a traditional holiday market in that each artists creates their own display, but there are central cashier stations manned by Blue Genie staff members and artists are not required to be present at the show. The dates for the 2012 Blue Genie Art Bazaar are Tuesday, November 27 through Monday, December 24, 2012.
Carnaval Brasileiro in Austin began in the late 1970's with Brazilian students attending the University of Texas and has grown to what is billed as the largest indoor Brazilian Carnaval party in the world, Every year more than 5000 costumed revelers converge on the Palmer Events Center for dancing, drumming and general revelry. Music alternates between two Samba bands: annual winner of the Brazilian Press Association's "Best Brazilian Band in the USA" award Beleza Brazil, formerly Grupo Saveiro, from New York City and Austin's own Acadêmicos da Ópera, or Austin Samba School, a group of over 100 drummers and dancers. Many attendees wear costumes, but not all, and face and body painters are available charging a modest fee for their services. This is an all ages event though it may be overwhelming for children younger than 12. No food is served. The focus of Carnaval Brasileiro in Austin is dancing and drinking. The date for the 2013 Carnaval Brasileiro is February 2, 2013.
Central Texas Paranormal Conference brings together speakers, researchers, panels and vendors related to ghosts and other paranormal phenomena with vendor booths, raffles, para-celebrity speakers, paranormal seminars and on site paranormal investigations. The dates for the 2012 Central Texas Paranormal Conference are Saturday, October 6 and Sunday, October 7, 2012. Guest speakers for 2012 include Britt Griffith, cast member of the SyFy show Ghost Hunters; Josh Gates, star of the SyFy show Destination Truth; and the Klinge Brothers, Brad and Barry, founders of Everyday Paranormal and stars of the upcoming show The Dead Truth.
Cherrywood Art Fair is a free Austin annual two day shopping event in December showcasing over 100 artists along with food, live music and fun stuff for kids to do in a family-friendly environment. All items sold at the Cherrywood Art Fair must be original artwork and artist vendors are selected through a juried process. The Cherrywood Art Fair takes place at Maplewood Elementary School in the Delwood neighborhood of Austin and there is always a silent auction to raise money for the school. One interesting aspect of the Cherrywood Art Fair is it's annual poster, which always features a retro design. The dates for the 2012 Cherrywood Art Fair are Saturday December 8 and Sunday December 9, 2012.
Chuy's Children Giving To Children Christmas Parade is an annual Austin holiday toy drive that takes place on the Saturday morning following Thanksgiving. The inspiration of Chuy's Mexican Food restaurant co-owner Mike Young, the first Chuy's Children Giving To Children Christmas Parade took place in 1989 with Chuy's friends and employees riding alongside Austin musician Marcia Ball on a flat bed trailer and has grown into an yearly Austin family tradition. The Chuy's Children Giving To Children Christmas Parade benefits Operation Blue Santa, a non-profit organized by the Austin Police Department with support from the Texas National Guard, the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and Austin Energy to provide needy Austin families with a full holiday meal and wrapped Christmas gifts for each child under age 14. The parade begins at 11 AM and lasts for approximately an hour and a half beginning at the south side of the State Captiol, proceeding south down Congress Avenue and ending at the Congress bridge. The parade features giant inflatable balloons, festive holiday floats, famous children's characters, live music and dancing, marching bands, classic cars and of course a real Santa Claus. At a designated time during the parade procession, all units stop to collect unwrapped toys brought to the parade by the parade spectators. The date for the 2012 Chuy's Children Giving To Children Christmas Parade is Saturday, December 1, 2012.
The East Austin Studio Tour is a self guided tour of working art studios located east of I-35, west of 183, south of 51st Street and north of Town Lake. Begun in 2003 as a one day event with only twenty-eight studios, the East Austin Studio Tour is now a two weekend event with over 100 artists and studios participating. The East Austin Studio Tour usually takes place in November. Look for the red numbered signs that mark all the studios. Maps are available from the studios and are also distributed around town in the weeks before the tour. Funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, the East Austin Studio Tour is a unique opportunity to see the working spaces of artists and visit with the artists themselves. The dates for the 2012 East Austin Studio Tour are Saturday November 10 and Sunday November 11 followed by Saturday November 17 and Sunday November 18, 2012.
In 1963, UT English professor Lloyd Birdwell Jr. started a Winnie the Pooh-inspired picnic dubbed Eeyore's Birthday as a springtime party for his students before final exams. Eeyore's Birthday Party has since become an Austin tradition and is held the last Saturday in April every year at Pease Park, with costume contests, relay races, face painting, and other events for adults and children, including drum circles that spontaneously form across Pease Park. Admission is free. Eeyore's Birthday Party is sponsored by a nonprofit officially called the Friends of Forest which raises money through beer sales, T-shirts and temporary tattoos. Food stands are operated by other local nonprofits and staffed by volunteer crews. The date for the 2013 Eeyore's Birthday Party is April 27, 2013 and will be the 50th annual free party in Pease Park.
Billed as "Explore UT: The Biggest Open House in Texas," Explore UT has been held as a free event in Austin at the University Of Texas Austin campus on the first Saturday of March since 2001. Explore UT is an opportunity for the Austin community, especially the young people of Austin, to see what the University of Texas is all about and to motivate schoolchildren from all over Texas to aspire to higher education. In 2011 more than 17,000 students between kindergarten and 12th grade from 302 schools in 106 Texas school districts attended Explore UT with their teachers. It is also used as a recruitment tool for the University of Texas and allows prospective students and their families to see the University’s literary and art collections, learn about its cutting-edge research, experience its history and traditions, and interact with faculty members, staffers and students. More than 400 demonstrations and activities are presented on the day of Explore UT including a campus scavenger hunt, campus walking tours, a children's international festival, marching with the Longhorn Band and special tours of the UT Tower. The date for the 2013 Explore UT is March 2, 2013.
Held each year at the Paramount Theater and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar, the Fantastic Fest is the largest single genre film festival in the United States. The Fantastic fest specializes in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and some of the strangest films from all over the world. Such films as “There Will Be Blood,” “Apocalypto,” and “Zombieland” have had their world premiers at the Fantastic Fest Film Festival in Austin. Celebrities making appearances in years past have included Mel Gibson, Bill Murray, Dolph Lundgren, Jemaine Clement, Paul Rudd, Bill Pullman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kevin Smith, Jon Favreau, George Romero, Darren Aronofsky and Mike Judge. Many new The world, national and regional premieres of many new fantasy genre films are presented each year at the Fantastic Fest, the majority at the Alamo Drafthouse, named by Entertainment Weekly one of the best cinemas in American. Food and beverages, including alcohol, are served during the movies at the Alamo Drafhouse without any intrusion into the movie experience. Named as one of the “25 coolest film festivals” and the “25 film festivals worth the entry fee” by Moviemaker Magazine, thedates for the 2012 Fantastic Film Festival are September 20 through September 27, 2012.
The date for the first Formula One Grand Prix in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas is Sunday, November 18, 2012. http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/
The Free Day of Yoga in Austin is every Labor Day and has been held every year in Austin Texas since 1999. There are over 100 free yoga classes on the first Monday in September held from dawn to dusk at locations all over the city of Austin. Yoga teachers and studios say thank you to the Austin yoga community with this fun free thing to do in Austin once a year. It is also a way to introduce new students to yoga and different styles of yoga to current students. There is a listing of participating yoga teachers and locations published in the Austin Chronicle the Thursday before Labor Day. The Free Day of Yoga in Austin kicks off with an opening festival on Sunday, September 2nd, 2012 at Whole Foods Market on 525 N. Lamar featuring gift bag,vendors, a giveaway drawing and free classes for the whole family. The date for the 2011 Free Day of Yoga in Austin is Labor Day, Monday, September 3, 2012.
The dates for the 2012 Fun Fun Fun Fest are Friday November 2, Saturday November 3 and Sunday November 4, 2012. Presented by Transmission Entertainment, Fun Fun Fun Fest is an independent genre based annual three day music festival in early November featuring many progressive and underground musicians with a focus on indie rock, punk rock, hardcore and hip hop and DJ music. The first Fun Fun Fun Fest was in 2006 at Waterloo Park in downtown Austin. Fun Fun Fun Fest is now taking place at Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake adjacent to the Palmer Events Center. The 2012 Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup includes Run DMC; A$AP Rocky; Girl Talk; De La Soul; Etienne De Crecy; Bun B; STRFKR; AraabMuzik; Dillon Francis; Rakim; Danny Brown; The Octopus Project; Trust; Tanlines; Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros; Public Image Ltd.; Explosions In The Sky; Santigold; The Head And The Heart; Superchunk; Real Estate; The Black Angels; Bob Mould (Performing Copper Blue); Refused; Turbonegro; X (Performing Los Angeles); Tomahawk; Against Me!; Fucked Up; Wavves; Seaweed; The Sword; Converge; Youth Of Today; Lagwagon; Between The Buried And Me; Napalm Death; David Cross; Hannibal Buress; Wyatt Cenac; Doug Benson; Eugene Mirman; Saul Williams; Jon Benjamin; Tig Notaro; W. Kamau Bell; and Duncan Carson with a wide mix of old and new acts presented on four stages
The Heart O’ Texas Orchid Society was founded in 1961 and meets monthly at Zilker Botanical Garden Center on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 PM. The Heart O' Texas Orchid Society is open to anyone interested in orchids. A non-profit, educational organization, the Heart O’ Texas Orchid Society promotes the propagation, conservation and exhibition of orchids. The last weekend in April, the Orchid Society presents an exhibition and judging by the American Orchid Society of orchids from Austin area growers along with information about growing orchids and products from numerous gardening related vendors. Admission to the Orchid Show and Sale is free. The 41st Annual Orchid Show and Sale at the Austin Area Garden Center located in the Zilker Botanical Gardens is scheduled for the weekend of April 28 and 29, 2012.
An outgrowth of the Honk Festival established in Somerville, Massachusetts in 2006, Honk!TX brings together a nationwide community of activist marching bands and community-rooted union of art, activism, and music for a three day event in several different venues located in East and Central Austin. Austin’s own Minor Mishap Marching Band organized the first HONK!TX along with other local arts and culture groups for it's debut in 2011 and continues to be the driving force behind this annual event. Community street bands range in size from 4 to 40 members usually performing in public spaces without amplification or stages wearing band colors and home made uniforms and playing original, traditional, and borrowed music on a wide variety of instruments while encouraging lively audience participation. The repertoire and inspiration for community marching band music comes from a diverse set of folk music traditions, including New Orleans second line brass bands, European klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, and Brazilian Afro Bloc and Frevo traditions, as well as the passion and spirit of Mardi Gras and Carnaval. The dates for the 2013 Honk! Texas festival are Friday, March 22 through Sunday, March 25, 2013.
For over ten years, this annual event has celebrated what makes Austin special. The Keep Austin Weird Festival and 5K includes music, costumes, vendors and what is unofficially known as “the slowest 5K you’ll ever run” as most participants run, skip or race three-legged through the streets of downtown Austin wearing wacky costumes. The music begins in the afternoon and the Keep Austin Weird race begins in the evening. The weirdest costume in the race wins a cash prize. Proceeds from the Keep Austin Weird Festival and 5K benefit the Austin Parks Foundation, a non profit working towards improving and maintaining the natural beauty of Austin including ecological restoration and the development of new walking trails. The date for the 2013 Keep Austin Weird Festival and 5K is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2013.
Each May and June, tens of thousands of Austinites and visitors from all over the world make the two hour drive from Austin to converge at Quiet Valley Ranch in Kerrville for eighteen consecutive days of traditional folk, bluegrass, acoustic rock, blues, country, jazz, and Americana music. Founded by Rod Kennedy, the Kerrville Folk Festival has run annually since 1972 and is the longest continuously running music festival of its kind in North America. Many visitors camp at the ranch during the festival and almost all the staff are volunteers. One of the most unique aspects of the festival happens after the official shows when fans, volunteers and performers play music by the campfires, sometimes till dawn. The 2011 Kerville Folk Festival is scheduled for May 26 through June 12.
Lonestar Rod and Kustom Roundup is an annual custom car and hot rod show that takes place primarily at the Travis County Expo Center with related events on South Congress Avenue at the Continental Club and other venues in the area. Registration for the car show is limited to 1963 automobiles and earlier traditionally-styled american hot rods, custom cars and traditionally-styled bikes. The Lonestar Rod and Kustom Roundup at the Expo Center has live music, vendors, carnival rides, food, an automobile related swap meet and custom cars and hot rods from all over the United States on display. Events on South Congress Avenue usually include music at The Continental and Trophy's night clubs and free music and movies at the outdoor stage at Jo's Coffee House. The dates for the 2013 Lonestar Rod and Kustom Roundup are Friday April 5 and Satuday April 6, 2013.
Taking place on a Saturday and Sunday in both the Spring (May) and the Fall (September) on East 6th Street in downtown Austin between Congress Avenue and IH-35, the Old Pecan Street Festival has been a family tradition event for more than thirty years featuring arts and crafts exhibitors, vendors, music and multicultural performers in the middle of Sixth Street in downtown Austin. Admission is free. Artisans from all over the United States display and sell homemade arts and crafts at this juried arts and crafts festival. Local musicians provide entertainment on five stages. Sponsored by the Pecan Street Merchants Association, the Old Pecan Street Festival selects several local non-profit organizations each year to benefit from proceeds. the Old Pecan Street Festival is the largest art festival in Central Texas attracting more than 300,000 per event. Pecan Street refers to original name of Sixth Street. When the street plan for downtown Austin was first laid out, north-south streets were given the names of Texas rivers in the order in which they appeared on the Texas map and the east-west streets were given the names of native trees. Years later, numbers replaced the tree-named streets and what was Pecan Street became today's 6th Street. The dates for the 2012 Fall Old Pecan Street Festival are Saturday September 29 and Sunday September 30, 2012. The dates for the 2013 Spring Old Pecan Street Festival are Saturday May 4 and and Saturday May 5, 2013.
SXSW Interactive is a five day conference featuring presentations on cutting-edge and emerging technologies, networking events hosted by industry leaders and showcases of new websites, video games and startup ideas. SXSW Interactive primarily takes place at the Austin Convention Center with related events all over the downtown Austin area. SXSW Interactive has a reputation as a launching pad for new ideas and creative technologies and is credited with being a part of the success of Twitter in 2007 and Four Square in 2009. Past speakers at SXSW Interactive include Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. The dates for South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival is scheduled for Friday, March 7 through Tuesday, March 11, 2014. Registration will open in early August of 2014.Hotels in the downtown Austin area that are designated as official SXSW hotels require all SXSW reservations to be booked through the SXSW Interactive Conference and Festival.
The St. Elias Mediterranean Festival at the St. Elias Church has been an annual event in downtown Austin for eighty years. Generations of Austin families cook classic Lebanese, Greek and Middle Eastern specialties from scratch every year including hand-rolling thousands of grape leaves, mixing dozens of fresh batches of tabouleh, and baking baklava. This two day event includes live music, dancing, wine, cocktails, children's games and a festival marketplace with a GreekOrthodox Bazaar. The dates for the 2012 St. Elias Mediterranean Festival at the St. Elias Church are Friday, September 28 and Saturday, September 29, 2012.
SXSW Eco is a three-day conference featuring sustainability experts from around the world to discuss the issues and challenges facing the environment, economy and society. The goal of the conference is to bring an international audience of executive level decision makers from the public and private sectors together with thought leaders from the academic world to bring discussion about sustainability and the environment beyond rhetoric and towards solutions. SXSW Eco will feature a variety of events, including keynote presentations and panels discussing topics including green energy, solar power, renewable energy, wind energy, sustainable living and other sustainability and environmental challenges facing business and society today. The registration fee for SXSW Eco includes three days of programming, an opening night reception, a conference banquet dinner and a closing party featuring live music. The inaugural SXSW Eco Conference is scheduled for October 4 through 6, 2011.
The dates for the 2012 Texas Book Festival at the Texas State Capital Building and Capital grounds are Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28, 2012. The Texas Book Festival was created in 1996 under the guidance of then Texas First Lady Laura Bush, a former librarian who has made it one of her life’s missions to promote literacy and the love of reading. The goal of the Texas Book Festival is to honor Texas authors and to benefit public libraries in the State of Texas. The Texas Book Festival hosts more than 200 Texas and nationally known authors every Fall and more than 40,000 visitors enjoy author readings and presentations, panel discussions, book signings, activities for children and musical entertainment at the State Capitol in Austin as well as in other venue locations around downtown Austin including the Paramount Theatre and United Methodist Church. The Texas Book Festival is free and open to the public.
Hundreds of kites fill the sky the first Sunday in March at the Zilker Park Kite Festival. This annual event is free to enter and categories include the smallest kite, the largest kite, the highest flying kite and the most creative kite with both adult and children's divisions. Only homebuilt kites are eligible for competition, however you don't have to enter the competition to fly a kite during the festival. Admission is free. Free parking and shuttle rides are available from the state parking garage at 17th and Colorado. Sponsored by the Exchange Club of Austin, concessions are available and proceeds are donated to local children's charities. The Zilker Park Kite Festival always takes place the first Sunday in March. The date for the 2013 Zilker Park Kite Festival is Sunday, March 3, 2013.
