Week of December 15

Sticker Soiree

6:30pm - 8:30pm @ Make at Rosie - $20

Level up your sticker collection at this creative community gathering where you'll learn to make a reusable sticker book, swap and trade stickers with fellow enthusiasts, and fill a 9x7 folder with curated selections. BYOB welcome, all materials provided, and you'll leave with a fuller collection plus your handmade sticker book. 18+.

Ballet Afrique Presents Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite

6pm @ Paramount Theatre - $59+

Experience Austin's only Black-owned en pointe dance company reimagining the classic holiday tale through the vibrant lens of Harlem's jazz era. Set against the backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance, this production features a dynamic tap solo, a soulful singing number by Mother Ginger, and an interactive element where the audience participates in deciding the outcome of the thrilling rat battle—all set to Duke Ellington's iconic score.

Under the Hood with Diana Burgess

7:30pm @ Batch - Craft Beer and Kolaches, FREE!

Multi-instrumental string quartet Invoke explores the boundaries between genres, pairing classical strings with Austin's greatest musicians. This month features Diana Burgess, a cellist who's toured with Mother Falcon, performed NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, and collaborated with artists like Amanda Palmer and Kaki King. Experience lush, haunting songs featuring layered vocals, cellos, and tenor guitars in this genre-bending performance.

SPELLBOUND w/ Spelling Bee

7:40pm @ Hyperreal Film Club - $8

Watch the beloved documentary capturing the National Spelling Bee's intensity, then test your own spelling prowess in an audience showdown. Think you can compete with the nation's best spellers? Step up to the mic and find out if you've got what it takes to spell under pressure.

Conscious Intimacy Games

6pm @ 1909 Winter Park Rd

There's a level of intimacy that most people don't even know is possible—and it's not what you experience at typical connection events. This is the last Conscious Intimacy Games gathering of 2025, inviting curious adults to explore vulnerability, connection, and authentic relating through guided experiential exercises. Perfect for those seeking deeper human connection beyond surface-level social interactions.

Side Quest Movie Night: "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"

5:30pm - 8pm @ Austin Public Library Windsor Park Branch, FREE!

In celebration of Jane Austen's 250th birthday, it is a truth universally acknowledged that every great birthday deserves zombies! Join us for this cult-favorite adaptation with Austen-inspired snacks (think bonnets or blood splatters), a movie screening, and a post-film discussion exploring how this undead tale stays true to Austen's original work. Costumes welcome—your choice of Regency elegance or ghoulish gore.

A Live Conversation with Chevy Chase + National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Screening

7:30pm @ Bass Concert Hall, $94.20+

Join us for an unforgettable evening of holiday cheer and laughs as Chevy Chase and his wife Jayni share behind-the-scenes stories about the making of this beloved movie. Following the film screening, there's a live Q&A where you can ask about Chevy's storied career including SNL and Caddyshack—plus limited VIP tickets available for a personal post-show photo opportunity with the comedy legend himself.

Radio Talent Show

7pm @ Radio Coffee & Beer - Free

Join us for the Radio Talent show happening every third Tuesday of the month with a $50 cash prize up for grabs! All ages welcome. Sign up to showcase your talents: whether you sing, dance, do comedy, or have some other hidden skill you've been dying to share with a live Austin audience.

Toasty Badger's Build & Sip Gingerbread Workshop

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM @ Toasty Badger - $35 adults, $15 kids

Build your own gingerbread house or sleigh with help from professional chefs, complete with frosting, gumdrops, warm hot cocoa, and cider. Holiday cocktails are available for purchase at this festive hands-on workshop that's perfect for friends, families, or anyone who wants to get deliciously creative.

The Summer Sauron Turned Pretty

7:00 PM @ The Museum of Human Achievement, $33+

Hark! This absurdist holiday mashup transforms The Lord of the Rings into a middle school girl's LiveJournal fanfic fable, complete with Smell-O-Vision edition on Thursday at 9pm. Witness what happens when the One Ring falls into the wrong hands on Christmas Eve 2003 in this boundary-pushing theatrical spectacle that blends LOTR x Wicked in the most gloriously weird way possible.

FROSTBITE! The Witch Who Melted Winter

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM @ 979 Springdale Road - $23.18

Step into this immersive holiday tale where magic meets comedy in a story about a witch, love, curses, and winter wonderlands gone wrong. This theatrical experience promises audience participation and enchantment that transforms the typical holiday show into something delightfully strange and interactive.

Autistic Mystic Holiday Market

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM @ Ani's Day & Night, FREE!

Austin's first pop-up celebrating neuro-sparkly culture brings mini workshops, interactive art, divination, and whatever special interests speak to the neurodivergent soul. A sensory area provides refuge for the HSP community, and Kino Kino curates a performance showcase from 8-9pm. All ages welcome to connect, be yourself, and support local creators.

Cherry Tree Masquerade Party

8:00 PM - 11:00 PM @ 906 Congress Avenue - $13.54

Joy Melan & The Wyld premiere their "Cherry Tree" video at a full masquerade party complete with dancers, drama, and massive energy. This isn't a polite gallery opening—expect theatrical performances, costume creativity, and the kind of big energy that makes downtown Austin events legendary.

Boy Meets World

8:30 PM @ Swan Dive, $12.72

Austin's premier rap talents pop out for a cinematic live music adventure featuring The Boy, 1kSpin, Sage X Price, Ryan Dove, and more pursuing riches, fame, and dopeness. This isn't just a show—it's a full feature film experience with supporting roles, box office energy, and the kind of swagger that makes microphones bruise.

Hell's Hoes: A Burlesque Show to Metal Music

9:00 PM - 12:00 AM @ Valhalla - $15 adv / $20 door

Austin's best burlesque performers strip to metal, hardcore, and every brutal genre that spawned from it. This isn't your grandma's feather-boa tease—this is heavy riffs meeting sultry moves in the most badass mashup you'll see this week. Doors at 8pm, 21+ only, and advance tickets save you five bucks.

The Mutt-Cracker (SWEET!)

4:30 PM @ 2307 Manor Rd - Family-friendly

The Nutcracker gets a tail-wagging Austin twist at this delightfully weird holiday event tailored for dog lovers and their furry friends. Bring your pups for a performance that reimagines Tchaikovsky's classic through a canine lens—because in Austin, even classical ballet makes room for four-legged performers. Check it out for wholesome holiday hijinks.

America's Next Top Lesbian Pageant

8:00 PM @ The Vortex, $12

Austin's FIRST Lesbian Pageant brings fierce competition judged by TribRelations, Futch Fetish, and drag artists Karabiner and Beebee Blvnt. Watch lezz-testants including Whoopsie Daisy, Naz'Tasia Narcisse, and Venus Rising compete in Q&A, talent, and runway categories to claim the crown. Get your tickets and see who comes out on TOP at this groundbreaking event.

RAZA NOCTURNA: LATIN GOTH NIGHT

9:30 PM @ Swan Dive, $13

Texas Emo Club presents a darkly beautiful fusion of Latin culture and goth aesthetics with DJ ANGEL FATALE spinning the night. This isn't your typical club night—expect moody beats, dramatic fashion, and a crowd that understands that darkness and culture make perfect dance partners. Get access to this nocturnal celebration.

Spiritual Intuition 1: Activate Your Psychic Abilities

5 PM - 7 PM @ Yarrow & Sage - South - $55

Certified Modern Mystery School teacher Jessica Beaver guides you through practical exercises to sharpen your psychic senses and understand your latent abilities. This isn't passive meditation—it's hands-on training to define and develop your different types of psychic perception.

Thai Massage Jam®

5 PM @ Myo, $10

This isn't a spa day—it's a community gathering to practice and experience Thai Massage techniques with fellow enthusiasts. Trade bodywork, learn new moves, and connect with Austin's alternative wellness community in this collaborative healing session.

$25k Baccarat Tournament

9 PM @ 13376 Research Blvd - High Stakes

Put your poker face to the test at this serious high-stakes Baccarat tournament with a $25,000 prize pool. Austin's underground casino scene brings the glamour and tension for those ready to play for real.

Bad Santa Karaoke

8 PM @ St. Elmo Brewing Company, FREE!

Channel your inner Billy Bob Thornton at this irreverent karaoke night themed around the gloriously inappropriate holiday film. Sing your heart out while enjoying St. Elmo craft beer in what promises to be Austin's most delightfully vulgar Christmas celebration.

Depeche Mode VS The Cure

9 PM @ Elysium Austin

The ultimate 80s goth showdown hits Austin's premier industrial club. DJs battle it out with the best of both iconic bands while you decide which moody masterpiece reigns supreme on the dance floor. Eyeliner encouraged.

FROSTBITE! The Witch Who Melted Winter

3 PM - 5 PM @ 979 Springdale Road - $23.18

An immersive holiday tale blending magic, love, curses, and comedy into one theatrical experience. This isn't your typical Christmas show—it's Austin's answer to traditional holiday theater with a witchy, weird twist.

Flak Holiday Record Swap

3:00PM @ Hole in the Wall - 21+

The 18th Annual gathering brings vinyl enthusiasts together for swapping, selling, and buying records while The Coffee Sergeants, Larry Seaman, Rubilators, The Stayres, Eric Hisaw Band, and Utley3 provide live soundtrack. It's part music market, part concert—bring your crates and discover your next favorite album.

Master Pancake XMAS SHOW 2025

7pm @ Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline

The Master Pancake R-rated holiday extravaganza returns with Austin's beloved comedy troupe mocking a blizzard of clips from your favorite holiday movies plus weird finds you never imagined existed. This irreverent, adults-only holiday spectacular transforms beloved Christmas films into laugh-out-loud comedy gold through live riffing, bringing the perfect antidote to saccharine seasonal programming.