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Have you seen them? Otters have been gliding through Lady Bird Lake, beavers are turning up in creeks that never had them, and porcupines are appearing in numbers Austin Wildlife Rescue hasn't seen in a decade, sightings that circulated on Reddit and social media in recent weeks, and which AWR confirms are real. Executive director Jules Maron credits changing Central Texas weather patterns, specifically rain landing in a month that's historically bone dry. Beavers, which tolerate murkier water, have been the most visible beneficiaries, with calls and sightings to AWR rising over the past two years, while otters are a newer arrival and much pickier; they need cleaner water, which Maron frames as something of a compliment to the ecosystem.
Elsewhere in water… The city's waterways ban lifted Monday, July 27, after holding since July 17 through the Central Texas flooding, reopening Lady Bird Lake and the Colorado below Longhorn Dam to personal and commercial watercraft, with Austin Emergency Management cautioning that bacteria levels take at least three days to settle after stormflow, and advising against swimming in Lake Austin. Less fun: microplastics were detected in Barton Springs, Blue Hole, and Lady Bird Lake in Environment Texas's first statewide plastic pollution report, which found the pollutant at 76 of 77 sites analyzed statewide. Fibers were the most common finding overall, appearing in 52 of 54 samples, and often enter waterways when synthetic clothing sheds in the wash. The through-line is that this summer's unusual rain is simultaneously the reason the otters showed up and the reason everything got flushed into the lake.
A coalition of farmers and ranchers protested at the Texas State Capitol in late July, ahead of a scheduled Texas Senate Finance Committee meeting on data centers, and a project near Cedar Creek Lake was halted by its developer after bipartisan backlash. The Texas Tribune counts at least 248 data center projects planned statewide: 86 in North Texas, 56 in Central Texas, 45 in West Texas, with nearly half slated for unincorporated areas governed only by county commissioners, an easier path to build than going through a city. Demand is expected to double by 2028, with Texas positioned to become the world's largest market for these facilities by 2030. Lately, Governor Abbott has shifted from calling the state an "epicenter" of AI development to calling for a ban on data center development in rural neighborhoods and naming regulation a priority for the 2027 legislative session.
The Backpack Everyone Notices
Your backpack says a lot before you even say a word. Find the newest Sprayground collection and start the school year your way.
There was a lot of good food news this past week 😋 The biggest is Still Austin Whiskey Co.'s announcement of the Still Austin Quarter, coming September 2026. I’m really excited for this one. Four concepts in one space: an atrium, a vinyl lounge, a live music room, and a private event space. They are effectively creating a live music venue attached to a distillery! Elsewhere, A Little Shady opens in Kyle on August 4, reviving the menu and the Old Austin spirit of Shady Grove, the beloved Barton Springs Road institution.
Hopdoddy finally opens its Mueller location at 2005 Aldrich St. on August 5, and it will be one of only two locations serving a Boozy Breakfast menu from 9 to 11 am on Sundays. San Francisco's Che Fico, from chef David Nayfeld, has started a residency at Soho House on South Congress. Arizona-based wine bar Postino is adding a third Austin location at Village at Westlake in late summer, with Austin-themed wallpaper and a piggy bank mural nodding to local landmarks. And Vietnamese-Thai pop-up Mam Mam is graduating to Pflugerville, leaving behind its rental-kitchen setup at Springdale General. The new space will bring expanded menu and a full bar with an Asian-inspired cocktail program. Lastly, Tiny Grocer's South Congress closing has an upside in that the new MLK space in the former Longhorn Meat Market is visibly coming together and should be here real soon!
As usual, we have major 'do a weird little hobby' energy this week: mushroom growing, puppet making, cave zines, and clown-themed lesbian parties, all in the full issue. Also, it's basically Sapphic Summer™ already with Bolm Arts' opening reception and two separate queer dance nights!
Monday, Aug 3
Learn to Grow Mushrooms Indoors!
7–8 PM @ Stargazer Cocktails & Coffee, $50
Part houseplant hobby, part cult origin story: this hands-on session teaches the actual mechanics of home mushroom cultivation, not just Instagram aesthetics. Sign up here if you've ever wanted a windowsill that produces dinner.
Fuck This Week: A Comedic Exploration of Your Shit-Ass Week
8–9 PM @ Fallout Theater, $18
A BYOB comedy show built entirely around the premise that your Monday was garbage and someone should make fun of it. Grab a ticket and let strangers turn your bad week into a bit: cheaper than therapy, louder than a support group.
Melanie Martinez: HADES: THE SACRIFICE
7:00 PM @ Moody Center, $40+
The pastel-horror pop theatrics roll into Moody Center for a night that's equal parts concert and haunted dollhouse. Expect a full production spectacle from an artist who's built a career on turning discomfort into set design, with ticket info here for anyone who slept on the presale.
Queer Magic: The Gathering Draft!
5–10 PM @ Dragon’s Lair, FREE!
A beginner-friendly, mask-provided draft night that carves out queer space inside a hobby that badly needed some. No entry fee, no gatekeeping. Just pull up and build a deck with people who won't judge your mana curve.
Blue Monday Blues Jam
7–10 PM @ Kenny Dorham's Backyard, $5–10 suggested donation
Twenty-five-plus years running, hosted by Harold McMillan with house band Assorted Chocolates: this is East Austin cultural infrastructure disguised as a bar night. Bring an instrument or just a lawn chair; the venue's history runs as deep as the music, with food trucks and limited free beer while it lasts.
Free Acro Yoga Jam
8–11 PM @ Flow Yoga Westgate, FREE!
No partner, no experience, no cost. Just a weekly gathering of people stacking bodies into shapes gravity would normally object to. The jam runs late enough to feel like a nightlife option instead of a workout class.
More interesting events on Monday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Tuesday, Aug 4
UMLAUF After Dark
7pm–9pm @ UMLAUF Sculpture Garden,$14.64
Wander a sculpture garden after hours with a drink in hand while live music sets the mood among the bronze figures. Quietly one of the more romantic nights out in the city.
STEW'S BIG TEXAS SIZED PUNK SHOW ROUND II
Doors 6:30pm @ Kick Butt Coffee, $10
Six bands, loud guitars, and one of Austin's longest-running independent venues hosting it all. Free parking included. Rare for a punk show, rarer still at ten bucks a head.
Kinusaiga (Quilted Style Art)
6pm–8pm @ Captain Quack’s, $28.52 🔥
No needles, no thread: just fabric, folding, and patience. This Japanese patchwork technique turns scraps into intricate wall art, and the class walks total beginners through the whole process start to finish.
Muzingo (Music + Bingo)
7pm–9pm @ Nomadic Beerworks, FREE!
Music, bingo, and a dance party collide at this dog-friendly brewery night — cross songs off your card as they play, hit five in a row, win prizes. More on how the format works over at getit.games.
Late at the Lake
7:30pm @ Mozart’s, FREE!
Poets, musicians, and singers share Austin's beautiful outdoor deck for a lakeside open mic under the stars. It's community and creativity in equal measure, with zero pressure to perform if you'd rather just soak it in.
More interesting events on Tuesday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Wednesday, Aug 5
August Pierogi Class
6:00 PM @ Ovenbird, $20
Roll, stuff, boil, repeat: a hands-on pierogi workshop for anyone who's decided that dinner should also be a craft project. No experience required, just an appetite and a willingness to get flour everywhere.
Widow Jane Whiskey Spirit Society Guided Tasting
6:00 PM @ Seven Grand Austin, $12.50
Seven Grand hosts a guided pour-through of Widow Jane whiskey led by a brand rep who presumably has better whiskey opinions than you do. Cheap for a guided tasting, and the Seven Grand crowd tends to skew knowledgeable without being insufferable about it.
Lamb Jam Supper Club at Nixta Taqueria
6:00 PM @ Nixta Taqueria, $125 🔥
Austin crowned a Lamb Jam champion at some point and apparently the correct response was a multicourse dinner. This one pairs the winning dishes with drinks, a chef demo, and an actual American lamb producer on hand to answer the questions you didn't know you had. Splurge-priced, but Nixta doesn't do things halfway.
And All That Jazz
7:00 PM @ Fallout Theater, $11.24
Gillian Gurganus brings her solo show fresh off the Edinburgh Fringe circuit, chronicling a triple threat's climb to stardom one miserable job at a time. It's the kind of self-deprecating theater kid energy Austin can't get enough of — grab a ticket here before the run wraps.
The Spazmatics at Speakeasy
8:00 PM – 12:00 AM @ Speakeasy, $5
Four self-described nerds in suspenders and neck braces, backed by an emotional support chicken, playing '80s and '90s covers with cheerfully bad choreography: this is an Austin tradition going back to 2004, and the $5 door price hasn't caught up to inflation, which is fine by everyone.
More interesting events on Wednesday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Own The Hallway This Year
Forget basic. The latest Sprayground collection brings together premium craftsmanship, bold artwork, and statement-making style in backpacks built for every school day. Whether you're walking the halls or heading across campus, carry something that stands out from the crowd.
Thursday, Aug 6
Austin Carving Club Meetup
6:30pm @ Hancock Recreation Center, FREE!
Calling all carvers! The Austin Carving Club brings together wood sculptors, whittlers, chip carvers, and printmakers for an evening of shared techniques, tools, and inspiration. All skill levels welcome, even the curious and uninitiated. This month's meetup includes a show-and-tell, so bring a recent project if you've got one to share.
Puppet-Making Workshop
10:00 AM @ Pease Park, FREE!
Small Wonders Puppet Theater turns the climate-controlled Tudor Cottage into a hands-on workshop where anyone can build their own puppet from scratch, supplies included. Founder Joan Klasson has been teaching this exact brand of magic since 1978, which is longer than most Austin venues have existed. No ticket, no pressure, just felt and glue guns.
Thai Massage Jam®
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM @ Myo, $10 Suggested Donation
Deep tissue compression and stretching, administered fully clothed on a mat, in a room full of strangers doing the same — it's the closest thing to a spa day that still counts as a scene. Details and RSVP if the name alone hasn't already sold you.
Motogarden Weekly Motorcycle Meetup
6:00 PM @ Central Machine Works Brewery & Beer Hall, FREE!
Every stripe of two-wheeled machine — cruisers, cafe racers, ADVs, choppers — parks itself in one yard for an evening of bench-racing and beer. The house rules are refreshingly blunt: no revving, no burnouts, no wheelies, just show up and look at bikes.
First Thursdays on Rainey
6:00 PM – 2:00 AM @ Rainey St, FREE!
The monthly street-wide excuse to treat one of Austin's most condensed bar strips like an actual neighborhood, with live music and local art spilling out of every patio. Details are on the official site — arrive before 9 if you want to walk in a straight line between venues.
AFROMAN
8:00 PM @ Pershing Hall, $75
Yes, that Afroman, of "Because I Got High" fame, bringing a set that's part concert, part stand-up bit that never quite ends. Grab tickets and expect the whole room to sing along whether they mean to or not.
Lip Service: An Advice Show
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM @ East Austin Comedy Club, $13.54
Equal parts group therapy and stand-up, where the audience spills the tea and the hosts serve back the advice — with love, and just enough chaos to make it worthwhile. BYOB, so the show tends to get looser as the night goes on.
Find more fun stuff on Thursday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Friday, Aug 7
Wine Down Yin: Live Handpan Experience
6pm – 7pm @ Alchemy Restorative Yoga, $38.12 🔥
Yin yoga stretches set to a live handpan — that otherworldly UFO-shaped percussion instrument — with sparkling wine poured somewhere in the mix. It's a genuinely odd but effective combination, and tickets are limited given the intimate setup.
Punchlines & Backlines
7pm–9pm @ Kick Butt Coffee, $17.85
Comedians Don Jamieson and Courtney Cronin trade sets with musician Jason McMaster of Dangerous Toys, proving that stand-up and hard rock have more in common than you'd think — mainly the ability to bomb spectacularly in front of strangers. Comedy-and-music crossover shows are rare enough that this one's worth the detour.
First Feral Friday Craft Pop-Up
7pm–9pm @ Feral Housewife Wine, $10+
A drop-in micro-craft night where you pick a 10–30 minute project — a wine bottle planter, custom charms, whatever's on the rotating menu — instead of committing to one big thing. The link between wine and craft supplies is doing a lot of quiet, effective work here.
Cast Iron Cooking: Hatch Favorites
6pm–9pm @ Central Market North Lamar, $94.75
A hands-on class built entirely around Hatch chiles, which in Texas counts as a religious observance. It's pricier than most weeknight cooking classes, but you leave having actually made the food, not just watched someone else make it — reserve a spot if you want dinner and a skill upgrade in one sitting.
Sapphic Summer Opening Reception
7pm–11pm @ Bolm Arts Gallery, FREE!
Twenty-plus local sapphic artists, a Sapphic Songwriters Showcase starting at 8:30, and a gallery named after Sappho herself — this is Bolm Arts' Pride-season centerpiece, and opening night is the one to catch. The exhibition runs through September, but the reception is the real event — vendors, live music, and the kind of unapologetically queer energy that doesn't need translation, all at Bolm Arts.
Bike Story Night at Switchback Coffee & Beer
7:15pm–9:45pm @ Switchback Coffee and Beer, $9 Suggested Donation
A night of storytelling built entirely around bikes — adventures, mishaps, the whole two-wheeled emotional range — held outdoors under an oak tree behind the coffee shop. It's donation-based and refreshingly low-key, the kind of thing where showing up is basically the whole point.
Sipping Sapphic: Bimbos, Clowns & Butches Edition
8pm–2am @ King Bee, $19.32
A clown-themed lesbian party thrown by The Party Pixie, promising exactly the kind of circus-freak chaos the title suggests. If your idea of a good night out includes clowns, butches, and a total absence of subtlety, this is the one.
More amazingness on Friday @ WhatsGoodATX !
Saturday, Aug 8
POP Cats Austin 2026
11am–5pm (through Sun) @ Palmer Events Center, $10+
A cat convention with a cattoo parlor, vinyl-toy painting, and on-site adoptions — proceeds benefit local cat rescues. Full schedule and tickets for anyone whose personality has quietly become "cat person."
Home Team Doubleheader: Texas Rollergirls
4:30pm–9:30pm @ Travis County Expo Center, $24+
Flat-track roller derby with a championship preview built in — Hotrod Honeys vs. Hell Marys, then Honky Tonk Heartbreakers vs. Hustlers. Grab tickets and ask your favorite skater for a promo code; kids under 5 get in free.
Cave Trip: Field Notes From The Underground
10am–3pm @ Longhorn Cavern State Park, FREE (suggested donation)
Spend your Saturday morning crawling through an actual cave and then hand-making zines about the experience, all in support of an upcoming Austin art installation. Equal parts spelunking and craft hour, this is about as "only in Austin" as a free morning gets.
Austin Swappin Aug. Clothing Swap!
9am–12pm @ Wanderlust Wine, $12.51
Billed as the city's biggest clothing swap, this one turns your closet purge into someone else's new favorite fit. Bring what you don't wear, walk out with what you will, and skip the guilt of fast fashion for a weekend.
Hairpins: A Night for Lesbians & Queers
8pm @ The Violet Crown Wine and Coffee, $16.92+
A night of dancing and specialty drinks curated for lesbians and queers, with the Queer Vinyl Collective on the decks. Event info here for a low-key, community-first alternative to the usual bar scene.
$3 shows Benefiting Swan Songs ft Psychedelic Breakfast a tribute to Pink Floyd + MORE
3pm - 11:30pm @ dadaLab - $3
From 3 PM to midnight, enjoy live performances, interactive art installations, and a vibrant vendor market. This extraordinary concert features tribute performances to legendary acts like Pink Floyd and David Bowie, alongside talented local artists. With VIP options available, this event promises not just entertainment, but a chance to make a meaningful difference through the power of music.
Belly Flop Contest 2026
2pm @ Little Woodrow's Southpark Meadows, $10 donation
Cannonball culture, but competitive: a $10 donation to the local fire department buys you a shot at bragging rights and the ugliest splash in South Austin. Details and rules here — spectating is free and arguably more fun than competing.
Hotel Vegas Discotheque ft. ABBA Tribute by DiscoTex
8pm–2am @ Hotel Vegas & The Volstead Lounge, $5
Hotel Vegas goes full Studio 54 for one night, with Rococo Disco warming up before a DiscoTex ABBA tribute takes over. Five bucks gets you in the door for a night that's equal parts disco ball and East Side dive bar energy — pair it with Trejo's midnight set if you're not ready to go home.
Hot In Herre: 2000s Dance Party
10pm @ 29th Street Ballroom, $22+
Break out the Juicy Couture and low-rise jeans for Austin's biggest Y2K throwback party, spinning 2000s hits and guilty pleasures from Nelly, Beyoncé, Britney, Outkast, and more. DJs take song requests all night, so dust off that old iPod playlist. Grab early bird tickets before the discounted rate ends.
Barks & Laughs: A Dog-Friendly Comedy Show
8pm–10pm @ Lobo Austin, $25.09
BYOB stand-up where the front row might be wagging its tail. Bring your pup to a relaxed, dog-friendly room of local comedians — a genuinely odd but genuinely great date-night or solo hang.
Time Warp
8:30pm–11pm @ Rollins Theatre at The Long Center, $56+
soFly Social's aerial and pole performers turn the Rollins stage into a time machine, careening through eras with acrobatics instead of dialogue. Tickets here if you want your Saturday night to include actual flight.
Check out some more interesting events for Saturday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Sunday, Aug 9
Whose Slide is It Anyway: Improvised Lectures. Zero Prep.
6 PM–7 PM @ Fallout Theater, $15.85
Comedians build entire authoritative-sounding lectures on the spot, armed with zero research and total confidence — the closest thing Austin has to a TED Talk parody that's actually funny. Expect experts in nothing, supremely certain about everything, and slides built entirely on vibes.
Tarot 111: Intro to Tarot with Tiff
3 PM–4 PM @ Crystal Works, $27.06
An in-house tarot reader walks beginners through the basics — no prior mysticism required, no judgment if you've only ever seen the cards on TV. It's a low-stakes entry point into a practice Austin takes more seriously than most cities, taught by someone who actually does this for a living, not a party trick.
15th Annual Paddle for Puppies
6:45 AM–10 AM @ Rowing Dock, $45+
Kayak, canoe, or SUP down Lady Bird Lake to raise money for Austin Pets Alive!'s Parvo Puppy Program, with a free T-shirt, breakfast tacos, and adoptable puppies waiting at check-in. It's an early start, but dogs are welcome on the water — just check the algae advisory before you let them swim.
Check out some more interesting events for Sunday @ WhatsGoodATX!
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