Week of April 14th

What's Weird ATX

Author

Michelle
April 14, 2026

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On April 1 (!), four astronauts flew nearly 253,000 miles from Earth on the Artemis II, did a lunar flyby that included photos of the far side of the Moon, and splashed down in the Pacific on April 10. Would you believe that seven UT Austin alumni played key roles in the mission? Getting the crew there and back: Emily Nelson, NASA's chief flight director who leads all human spaceflight missions from Johnson Space Center; Judd Frieling, who led the ascent control team that oversaw the crew's launch to space; Nathan Vassberg, acting chief of safety and mission assurance; and Lily Schueppert, a 2024 UT aerospace engineering grad who joined NASA right out of school and served as a flight dynamics officer.

Back on the ground, AISD dropped a pretty dismal budget update. Our projected deficit for the next school year has ballooned to $181 million, driven by declining property values, enrollment drops and a stalled land sale at the old Rosedale campus. Superintendent Segura said the district can no longer protect classrooms from cuts, and the proposals on the table include teacher layoffs, reducing nurses on campuses, converting librarians into support roles, cutting elementary art, music, and PE programs, and slashing 15% from campus budgets across the board. Ten schools are already closing this summer.

Cap10K took over downtown on Sunday for its 49th year, shutting down South Congress and a chunk of the city for Texas' largest 10K. Did you know that the race was also named the #4 most popular 10K in the U.S. by Runner's World in 2025? The course ran through Congress, looped past Treaty Oak and Austin High, and finished at Auditorium Shores with a full-on festival of live music, food, massages, and cocktails. Shuaib Aljabaly, a 26-year-old Yemen-born runner with the Hanson-Brooks Distance Project, won the men's race in 29:41 (just 17 seconds off the course record!) Three-time NCAA steeplechase champion (and running influencer) Allie Ostrander took the women's title by over a minute.

About that weather… it's been a soggy April so far, providing the area with much long awaited rain. Sunday even brought a Level 2 severe weather risk with storms dropping 2 to 4 inches in spots, flash flood watches across Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties, and parts of Central Texas seeing up to 3 feet of standing water. Storm chances continue through the workweek with yet another soggy weekend projected. Lots of indoor events this week, so don’t let that keep you inside!

😋 The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards went down on April 9 at Distribution Hall, and the winners were: Odd Duck for Restaurant of the Year, sisters Daniela and Rosa Landaverde of La Santa Barbacha for Chefs of the Year, Parley for Bar of the Year (shoutout to those Here Nor There alumni bringing Irish pub energy to the neighborhood bar scene). Moderna Bar & Pizzeria won for Best New Restaurant, Ale Kuri of Este for Rising Star Chef, Allday Pizza for Neighborhood Restaurant, Palomino Coffee for Coffee Shop of the Year, Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop for Dessert Program, and Mum Foods for Best Sandwich.

And, to top it off, Food & Wine magazine piled on with their 2026 Global Tastemaker Awards and named Austin the #1 coffee city in America (beating out Seattle, New York, and San Juan!) plus #7 best foodie city, #4 for pastries, and Canje even landed at #3 best restaurant in the entire country 🎉 .

In opening and closing news, Katz's Deli is officially coming back to 6th Street with a $2.5 million renovation starting in September, and the beloved Eldorado Cafe on Anderson Lane is expanding into its adjacent space, adding over 4,400 square feet. Modern Bar opened on Rainey Street on April 10 with cocktails like a Mushroom Manhattan and a Taqueria Margarita with mezcal, avocado, and queso fresco. And La La Land, the Dallas-based cafe that employs young adults aging out of foster care, is opening at The Domain.

I appreciate y’all bearing with me as I wrestle with Google’s algorithm and do my utmost to keep this email in your Primary inbox. You can help me out by dragging it there yourself so you never miss any future emails. But more importantly, make sure to go on through to the online version of the email, where you will find the full event list as well as all the event links!

Tuesday, Apr 14

Astronomy on Tap ATX #98

7PM @ Celis Brewery, FREE!

Ninety-eight shows in, Austin's beloved beer-and-cosmos series is still packing them in at Celis Brewery. Real astronomers give punchy, accessible talks about actual space stuff, there's merch, there's astronomy news, and there's cold Belgian-style beer — a combo that should be federally mandated. Details here.

Critical Hit: D&D-Inspired Comedy Show

8:30PM @ Fallout Theater - $9 online / $12 door

Roll for laughs at Critical Hit, Fallout Theater's wildly fun tabletop comedy show where three of Austin's boldest comedians improvise their way through an epic quest guided by host Evan Rabalais. Think Dungeons & Dragons meets stand-up; no two shows are the same, and survival is never guaranteed.

Fire & Flow: Your Burning Questions About Moxa Answered

7PM–9PM @ Stardust Wellness, FREE! (RSVP required)

Clinical herbalist Jonah Welch is hosting an intimate evening on moxibustion — the ancient Chinese medicine practice of burning mugwort near the body that practitioners have quietly sworn by for two thousand years. You'll get the full context: TCM and biomedical lenses, a live technique demo, and honest talk about using moxa at home for period pain, digestion, injuries, and arthritis. Space is limited.

Make Mother's Day/Mother Earth Gifts – Cyanotype Sun Prints With Plants

11AM – 12PM @ 1110 Guadalupe St, $25

Artist Allison Lash leads a relaxed botanical cyanotype workshop where you press real plants onto light-sensitive paper and let the sun do the rest, creating one-of-a-kind blue-toned prints. The timing — just before Earth Day and Mother's Day — makes every piece you make a gift. Ages 10 and up, no experience needed.

Multivalent Rhythmic Orientation: Performance, Discussion, and Rhythm Games

7PM – 8:30PM @ Butler School of Music, FREE!

Zimbabwean mbira music isn't just performed here — it's explained, dissected, and turned into audience participation through rhythm games. If you've ever heard mbira and felt something ancient and complex you couldn't name, this is your chance to figure out why. The combination of live performance, scholarly discussion, and interactive games is genuinely unusual.

Lez in the Capital presents Taco Tuesday

6PM–10PM @ Spinners Bar, FREE! (RSVP encouraged)

A culturally centered lesbian social that transforms Spinners into a hip-hop, R&B, twerk, and Latin-soundtracked evening with DJ Baby Got Drip and Jos the DJ behind the decks. No cover, $4 tacos or three for $10, $6 drink specials, patio hookah, crawfish, and the organizers are already saying this is the one to catch. RSVP via Posh and bring Jenga.

More interesting events on Tuesday @ WhatsGoodATX!

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Wednesday, Apr 15

Tiny Talent Show at the Tiny Minotaur Tavern

7:00PM (show at 8PM) @ the Tiny Minotaur Tavern, $5

The Rift is in peril and only the greatest talent show this pocket dimension has ever seen can save it. Austin's beloved fantasy tavern is throwing open the stage for tap routines, ventriloquist acts, original songs, or literally whatever you've got — bonus points if it's fantasy-adjacent. Fantasy costumes are strongly encouraged for performers and optional for spectators, which means the audience watching is probably just as entertaining as the stage.

Billie Holiday and the Art of Resilience

7:00PM (show 7:30PM) @ Cactus Cafe, FREE!

Rabbi Neil Blumofe leads this jazz-meets-intellectual-discourse series at the iconic Cactus Cafe, and tonight's theme — Billie Holiday and resilience — pairs perfectly with performances by Pamela Hart and Michael Malone. It's a genuinely unusual format: serious musical conversation with Austin's leading jazz musicians in the most intimate room in town, and it costs exactly nothing to attend.

Underground Texas Grotto Meeting – Dr. George Veni

7:30PM @ Brackenridge Field Laboratory, FREE!

The local caving society meets monthly, and this one features Dr. George Veni — a genuinely prominent karst hydrogeologist whose work has taken him to caves on six continents. If you've ever been curious about Austin's underground world (and you should be — this city sits on Swiss cheese limestone), this is a legitimately fascinating room to walk into. Brackenridge Field Lab is a UT research station along Waller Creek, which is its own kind of cool.

Monster Big Band

9:00PM @ The Elephant Room

Austin's favorite 18-piece big band takes over the Elephant Room once a month, covering everything from Sinatra to Ella to Black Sabbath to Buddy Rich. Fitting 18 people on that stage is a logistical miracle, and the result is enormous — the kind of room-filling sound that makes conversation impossible and dancing inevitable. One of the great recurring shows in this city.

More interesting events on Wednesday @ WhatsGoodATX!

Thursday, Apr 16

Fiesta de Cumpleaños de Selena

6PM – 2AM @ Hotel Vegas, FREE!

Tonight would've been Selena's 55th birthday, and Austin is throwing down the way she deserved — three stages, all night, all free. The Hotel Patio opens with a Tejano DJ set, Las Chicas en 512 brings the Selena tribute at 9pm, while across the hall Fuego Santo and Easy Compadre hold down the Grandstand, and Volstead runs Club Cumbia with a free dance class at 8pm before the floor opens. Come for one room, stay for all three.

Mountainfilm on Tour

5:30pm – 9:30pm @ The Austin Winery, $25.09

The second annual Mountainfilm on Tour Austin brings a curated selection of adventure and culture-driven documentary shorts from the acclaimed Telluride festival to South Austin. Doors open at 5:30pm for a happy hour with food, drinks, and raffle/auction previews before films kick off at 7pm — all benefiting Sea State Foundation's scholarships for underserved youth in field-based education abroad. Grab your raffle ticket at the door for a chance to win!

Hack the Planet: Live from Cyberdelia

7:30pm – 11pm @ Hyperreal Film Club, $22.47

Hyperreal Film Club's first-ever Fusebox Festival entry is a full Y2K fever dream: a themed screening of the 1995 cult classic Hackers, complete with immersive performance elements, interactive exploits, and a clubhouse transformed into a hacker's paradise. Doors open at 7pm; grab your rollerblades and your best cyber-fits. Hyperreal members score 20% off tickets (or a free ticket at higher tiers); become a member to unlock the discount.

Dirty Projectors: Song of the Earth with Austin Symphony Orchestra

7:30PM @ Long Center, $35+

Experimental art-pop band Dirty Projectors performing Song of the Earth alongside the full Austin Symphony Orchestra is not a combination anyone predicted but everyone should want. This is a genuinely rare thing: a living experimental band collaborating with a classical orchestra on a complete album performance. If you've ever wanted to see what happens when indie-orchestral ambition meets a real pit, tonight's the night.

Scent Social: Sip, Snif N' Scratch with S.S.K. (LABS)

6PM – 8PM @ 700 East 6th, FREE!

A sensory cocktail party built around scent: sip cocktails designed around aromatic profiles, smell S.S.K. Labs' oil kit, and scratch to win. It's the kind of experimental social concept that only works when the vibe is genuinely curious rather than performative — and the free price tag suggests this one isn't hedging. First-come situation, so don't overthink it.

Amore – Umlauf's Garden Party

5PM @ Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, $225+

The UMLAUF turns 35 tonight and is celebrating with bites from 30 Austin restaurants, wine, cocktails, and live music among the sculptures. The VIP tier comes loaded — first access to all restaurants with no wait, exclusive cocktails, complimentary valet, and an after-party until midnight. This annual garden party has been a fixture long enough to feel genuinely iconic rather than just expensive.

Stamptown

9PM doors @ Paramount/Stateside Theatres, $30

Late-night variety at its most feral. Hosted by Zach Zucker, the "bad boy of clown", Stamptown has sold out Edinburgh Fringe, Glastonbury, Lincoln Center, and SXSW, with past guests including Neil Patrick Harris, Richard Gadd, and Reggie Watts. The Guardian called it "winningly helter-skelter" while one Scottish critic urged people to run for their lives — make of that what you will.

PowerPints APRIL @ Radio South

7:30PM @ Radio Coffee & Beer, $5

The original comedy PowerPoint show — eight people, five minutes each, one drink in hand, unlimited absurdity — is debuting at Radio South tonight. Strangers present passion projects, niche obsessions, and chaotic research to a bar crowd that is there specifically to learn weird things.

Charm Bar Night

8PM–9:30PM @ Cozy Cannabis, $35

Pick your beads, pick your charms, make a phone charm or keychain, no experience required — all materials included. The fact that this is happening at a cannabis lounge is either context or commentary, depending on where you're starting the night. Low-key, tactile, and a decent alternative to bar-hopping if you want something to take home.

Find more fun stuff on Thursday @ WhatsGoodATX!

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Friday, Apr 17

Hecate's Torch: Fire Dancers & Drone Show

7:00PM @ Pioneer Farms - $35

Six witches invoke the goddess Hecate through synchronized drones and dramatic fire effects in a City of Austin-supported outdoor spectacle — and yes, dark goddess attire is encouraged. This theatrical incantation runs about 45 minutes under the stars; bring blankets or chairs for lawn seating. Night one of two, and the kind of thing you'll be describing to people for years. Get tickets here.

MIDNIGHT MUSE: A Hazelnut Exhibition

8:00PM @ Dub Academy Music School, $25+

A night of storytelling told through poem, song, and paint — Hazelnut Kickback has rounded up Austin creators for an evening of pure expression inside an intimate East Austin space. It's the kind of show where you discover three artists you immediately want to follow. $25 tickets on Eventbrite.

Katie Bender: Instructions for a Séance

9:00PM @ Bass Concert Hall, $42 🔥 

Writer/artist Katie Bender has been sneaking into TPA's rehearsal studio after her kids go to bed, stealing props, and attempting to contact Harry Houdini using artifacts from the Harry Ransom Center. She has failed. For one week in April, she's inviting you to try with her — a 70-minute immersive DIY séance that doubles as a meditation on motherhood, artistic ambition, and the urge to disappear.

More amazingness on Friday @ WhatsGoodATX!

Saturday, Apr 18

FREE Crawfish Boil ft. Swindlers, Ed West, & Line Dance Lessons

1:00PM – 6:00PM @ Hotel Vegas, FREE (21+)

Round 2 of what is apparently Austin's most charismatic crawfish situation: free mudbugs with purchase of a featured drink, a curated market from Decades in Retro and Serpent's Kiss, line dance lessons from Country Fried Dance (3-5pm), and a live set from Swindlers to close it out. The Eastside Boilers make the first drop at 2pm — come early, come hungry.

25 Years of Austin Samba: Honoring Jacaré's Legacy

6:00PM – 9:00PM @ Zilker Hillside Theater, FREE!

Austin Samba, founded by Tio Jacaré to plant Brazilian samba roots in Central Texas, celebrates 25 years with a free outdoor show featuring Grupo Ladeira, MeliSamba, Sambabom, Capoeira Bençao, and Inside Out Steel Band. Bring a picnic blanket for the grassy lawn, learn Brazilian dance moves, and let the percussion carry you somewhere warmer. A genuine community milestone.

RECORD STORE DAY 2026

8:00AM @ Waterloo Records, FREE!

The annual holy day for vinyl devotees, and Waterloo is Austin's cathedral. Doors open at 8am for the full lineup of limited-release records. Get there early, the good stuff goes fast. Check the full release list at recordstoreday.com and plan accordingly.

Texas Mushroom Conference Pre-Party

1:00PM – 9:00PM @ Jester King Brewery, $35

The night before the Texas Mushroom Conference kicks off, the mycology nerds descend on Jester King for a full day of fungi-focused fundraising inside the Green Acres Hopfest: hands-on mushroom classes, expert instruction, and an otherworldly night walk. Plus 50+ local vendors, live music, food trucks, and whatever Jester King is fermenting this season.

Cumbiadelica Festival

2:00PM @ 29th Street Ballroom, $24

A full-day celebration of cumbia's sprawling family tree — traditional Mexican cumbia, electronic club beats, street-style Sonideros, and the psychedelic swirl of Peruvian Chicha all sharing two stages. Beyond the dance floor there's a cumbia drumming workshop, community ofrendas, a vendor market, and a family-friendly crafts area. Austin Arts Council-supported and built for people who actually want to dance.

Rude Mechs: Not Every Mountain

7:00PM @ B. Iden Payne Theatre, $42 🔥 

Austin's legendary Rude Mechs return with this meditation on mountains, geologic time, and impermanence — constructed using string, cardboard, and magnets. Mountains rise and fall, clouds dance, birds alight and depart: centuries unfolding in minutes. Presented with Fusebox Festival, and worth every penny.

Flowers & Friends 2

6:00PM – 11:00PM @ In Residence Art Gallery (84 East Avenue), FREE!

BOLM Arts and Paseo present 16 Austin creatives — 2 florists, 5 painters, 3 ceramicists, 6 mixed media artists — celebrating spring through floral-inspired work. Follow flower decals from Paseo to the "In Residence" gallery, draw flowers at the interactive booth, and shop local art at every price point including affordable prints from Haus Obscura. Every purchase enters you in a raffle to win one of three vase + bouquet displays.

Game $how Decathlon – Season 8: Simple Rules for Dating a Game Show Host

8:00PM @ Scissor Sisters Stage (6535 N Lamar) - $21

Ten current and classic game shows performed live — the name of this season is already a work of art. This is the kind of absurd, deeply local event that Austin does better than anywhere else: participatory, weird, and built for people who like their entertainment genuinely unexpected. Season 8 tickets here.

Pop-Up Picnic 2026

5:00PM @ Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, FREE!

One of Austin's most beloved spring traditions returns: bring your own blanket and picnic, or pre-order a curated basket from one of Austin's best restaurants. The whole thing is a come-as-you-are community celebration in the heart of downtown, and your presence directly supports Waterloo Greenway. Perfect weather activity for Earth Week.

Other cool stuff happening on Saturday @ WhatsGoodATX !

Sunday, Apr 19

Sunday Bicycle Day Cruise — Art Stops

11:07AM @ Gati Cafe (1512 Holly St), FREE!

Yes, 11:07am exactly, because of course. This is a special Sunday Cruise honoring Bicycle Day (April 19, 1943 — you know why), rolling out to Art Stops around the city. No better way to greet the day.

4th Annual Texas Mushroom Conference

11:00AM – 6:00PM @ Etter-Harbin Alumni Center (UT Campus), $20+ 🔥 

Mycophiles and the merely curious, assemble: this conference covers foraging, cordyceps cultivation, mushroom cooking demos, mycomaterial workshops, and — yes — UT Dell Medical's Center for Psychedelic Research on psilocybin therapy. A mushroom conference on Bicycle Day weekend feels cosmically appropriate. Walk away with your own mycomaterial to take home.

TFM Chef Throwdown

10:00AM – 1:00PM @ Texas Farmers' Market at Mueller (Branch Park Pavilion)

Two local restaurant chefs face off in a friendly cooking battle while you browse the market and watch someone else sweat over a hot stove. Paired with the weekly Texas Farmers' Market, this is a proper Sunday morning with stakes.

TreeFolks Annual Friends & Family Picnic

11:00AM – 4:00PM @ Live Oak Brewing Company, FREE!

Austin's biggest celebration of native trees just got a dunk tank, live tattoos, a makers market, a nature-themed dog costume contest, DJs, tree-themed tarot, and bug safaris — plus Ask-an-Arborist if you've got plant questions. All free, with Texas Drip BBQ, Tamale Addiction, and specialty lemonades to fuel the afternoon. Genuinely weird, very Austin.

Metalachi

7:00PM @ Come and Take It Live, $24.80+

Heavy metal played by a mariachi band — horn section, charro suits, the whole thing — performing Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Ozzy through the lens of Mexican regional music. It's as gloriously unhinged as it sounds; get tickets for exactly the kind of crossover only Austin would embrace on Easter Sunday.

More interesting events on Sunday @ WhatsGoodATX!

A huge shoutout to our amazing WhatsWeirdATX supporters: Alesa, Gary, Lily, Olboi, Darien, Anonymouse, Alyssa, Christina J, Nick, Doug Neary, Walker, Lyndsay, Scott B, Jess Rose Clark, Kevin, Crescent Gray, JB, Anthony, Anthony Stokes, Rebekah, Laurie, agnikai, Nick W, Just Jason, Santos, Kat, Britt, Stephanie, LoganJ, Yvette, Connor, Leslie, Praveer, Christina, Emily, tags-09, and /u/runthistownatx!