The Drag Queen Game Show

8:00 PM @ The Highball, FREE!

Resident queens Mars and Celia Light host a retro TV game show with a draggy, sassy twist every Tuesday at the Alamo Drafthouse's swanky lounge. Volunteer to play onstage or heckle from your table through rotating rounds of originals like Florida or False, Boobie Bingo, and the Wheel of Extra. No cover, but reservations are recommended — show up early to snag a table and order dinner with your drink

BYO Vinyl Night

6:00 – 11:00 PM @ The ABGB, FREE! (+ a free beer)

Bring your favorite or weirdest record to The ABGB every Tuesday and they'll spin it on the house system — then hand you a free beer for your efforts. That's the whole pitch. Great pizza, great beer garden, and whatever vinyl chaos the crowd brings. Just ask the bartender.

Radio Talent Show

7:00 PM @ Radio Coffee & Beer, FREE!

Radio's monthly talent show is a true wildcard — whatever walks through the door gets a shot at the fifty-dollar cash prize. Sign up at [email protected] and bring whatever you've got, from stand-up to strange. The all-ages, anything-goes energy makes this one of the most genuinely unpredictable nights in town.

Late at the Lake

7:30 – 11:15 PM @ Mozart’s, FREE!

Poets, musicians, singers, and whoever else shows up converge lakeside for a one-of-a-kind open mic every Tuesday. The vibe is low-key and the setting is unbeatable — Austin creativity under the stars with the water right there. Bring something to share or just come to listen.

Learn to Read Tarot

5:15 – 6:15 PM @ 7th Street Candle Co, $25

A 75-minute intro to modern tarot technique that actually teaches you something: the visual language of tarot symbols, deck anatomy, and the five steps for interpreting any card with confidence. Walk out knowing how to pull cards for yourself — no prior mystical experience required.

Open for Contact

6:00 PM @ 1701 Toomey Road, $40

If your Wednesday night plans don't already include exploring extraterrestrial connection and the ascension of humanity, what are you even doing? This two-hour deep dive into cosmic contact is either going to change your worldview or make for the best dinner party story you've had in months. Either way, you win.

Monster Big Band

9:00 PM @ The Elephant Room

Austin's favorite 18-piece big band squeezes into the subterranean Elephant Room once a month and blows the walls down. The setlist swings from Sinatra to Ella to Black Sabbath to Buddy Rich, all played by a full horn section in a basement jazz club. Prepare to be physically overwhelmed by brass.

Austin Poetry Slam: $200 Big Money Slam ft. I.N.K

7:00–10:00 PM @ Barrel O’ Fun, $13.54

Drop bars, win cash, and watch Austin's spoken word community go full contact for a $200 prize pot. Featuring I.N.K and the kind of competitive energy that makes poetry feel like a blood sport. At under $14, this is one of the best dollar-per-goosebump ratios in town.

Buzzkill at The Buzz Mill

9:00–10:15 PM @ The Buzz Mill, FREE!

Running strong since 2013, Buzzkill is one of Austin's most consistently entertaining free comedy shows. The Buzz Mill's weird-café-meets-bar energy makes it the perfect room for stand-up that doesn't take itself too seriously. Show up, grab a drink, and let comedians handle your midweek existential dread.

Black-out Poetry

6–7 PM @ Hotel Ella, $23

Take a page from an old repurposed book, black out everything except the words that stop you cold, and walk away with a poem you didn't know you had in you. It's meditative, low-pressure, and genuinely strange in the best way.

Goblin Jam

7 PM doors, jam 8–11 PM @ Tiny Minotaur Tavern, FREE with an instrument

Come forth all ye unseelie spirits: this is an acoustic-only communal jam led by "Sir Blackthorn the Goblin Bard," and goblinoid costumes are encouraged but not required. Bring an instrument and get in free, or just show up to vibe in the goblin circle — anything electric stays home.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT TOUR

7–11 PM @ Regal Rooms, $28.49

Nascar Aloe headlines a bill of underground rap alongside a tattoo corner, vintage clothing vendors, and an actual skate jam happening simultaneously. This is less a concert than a full street-culture takeover.

Trainspotting 30th Anniversary

Doors 6:30 PM @ Paramount and Stateside Theatres, $15

Danny Boyle's breakthrough gets the big-screen treatment three decades later, techno-and-Britpop soundtrack fully intact. A rewatch of Renton's chaos hits different on 35mm than it does streaming at home.

DIY Sprinkle Embroidery Cakes

6:30 PM, $20

Those elaborate "embroidered" cakes flooding your feed, but sprinkle-based and entirely achievable: everyone gets two mini cakes, a rainbow of sprinkles, and enough inspo photos to fake expertise. One cake's for practice, the other's for the show-off shot.

Movies on the Lake: The Notebook

9–11 PM @ Mozart's Coffee Roasters, FREE with RSVP

Watch from the deck for free, or rent a paddleboard and float directly on Lake Austin for the screening — either way you get sunset views and themed drinks first. Book the paddleboard early; they sell out before the deck does.

Craft Cinema Presents The Parent Trap

6 PM @ Maybe Shop, $35

Felt camp banners, secret handshakes, a little poker, and an ill-advised amount of British accent practice — this one leans into the chaos of a good sleepover-themed hangout more than an actual screening. All snacks, drinks, and craft supplies are covered, so just show up.

I Scream Social

7–9 PM @ Alienated Majesty Books, FREE!

A monthly feminist reading series that doubles as an ice cream party, this month featuring Cristina Herrera Mezgravis and Francisco Aragón. Annar Veröld and Claire Bowman host what might be the only literary event in town with a sundae bar.

Night Plant Market

7–11 PM @ Ani's Day & Night, FREE!

Local plant vendors set up under the stars with houseplants, rare finds, hand-thrown ceramic pots, and garden starts, while Caros Amigos plays live Brazilian jazz in the background. It's too hot for a daytime market, so this one waits for the sun to go down — bring cash for the vendors.

Extreme Dwarfanator Wrestling

8 PM @ Come and Take It Live, $30+

Exactly what it sounds like: athletic showdowns, larger-than-life characters, and a wrestling card that leans hard into spectacle over subtlety. Grab tickets here if you want a Friday night that's genuinely hard to explain to coworkers on Monday.

Stop Light Lez Skate

8 PM–Midnight @ Playland, meetup is FREE (pay at the door)

The HOW SHE ROLLS TOUR rolls into Austin for a queer roller-skating meetup — single, taken, or navigating a situationship, everyone's invited to lace up and represent their status on the rink. Rock your colors and go.

BUTCH PROM 2026: The Butch Pageant

9pm–11:30pm @ Elysium, $13.54

Now in its second year, Butch Prom crowns its royalty through a full-blown pageant judged by names like Hurricane Short King and Damiana Divine, with buzzcuts, bootblacking, and a special performance by Tenderoni thrown in for good measure. Grab tickets here and come dressed to compete — or just to bask in a room full of unapologetic butch joy.

Fantasy Flirts

7:30pm doors @ Tiger Den, $30.87

Noxx's Nightshade Nerdlesque opens a fae portal over Austin for a blend of nerdlesque burlesque, trivia, and themed cocktails, promising "ethereal bliss" for anyone willing to step through. It's the kind of show that turns a normal Saturday into an entire fantasy world for one night only.

Tempests & Tribulations - Game 3 (Austin Vampire LARP)

5pm–11pm @ Scottish Rite Theater, $53.98

Austin's own vampire LARP chronicle returns for its third chapter, dropping players into the Austin Camarilla circa 1997 for a night of political intrigue among the undead. Newcomers and veterans alike can join the chronicle here: just don't expect anyone to break character.

Vampire Yard Sale

8pm – 12am @ Kick Butt Coffee Music & Booze, $5

Billed as "a flea market for creatures of the night," this after-dark market trades in oddities, vintage finds, and art, with live sets from Trench Sweeper and Buzz N Bangs keeping the energy up between browsing. No daytime market could compete; the whole appeal is that the weirdos only come out once the sun's fully down.

Moth & Moon Fae Market

9pm @ Little Drinks Lounge, FREE!

Hecates Bazaar sets up a fae-themed night market stocked with divination tools, jewels, gems, and bones, with costumes encouraged for anyone who wants to lean fully into the vibe. It's a small, strange little pocket of Austin nightlife that rewards showing up in character.

Sirens & Sailors Boat Party

11am–3pm @ Highland Lakes Marina, $50

Local Queer sets sail on Lake Travis for a pirate-and-mermaid-themed boat party complete with buried treasure games and a full crew of "kissable local queers." Costumes are encouraged and the boat leaves promptly at 11am, so get tickets and don't be late; they'll wave from the dock if you are.

The Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue: 20 Years of Tease

7pm doors @ Paramount and Stateside Theatres, $51+

The longest continuously-running burlesque revue in the country marks two decades with a full-cast anniversary gala mixing classic band burlesque with sharper neo-burlesque numbers. The first two rows get a signed poster, but honestly the show alone is worth the seat.

Dykes Wanted: An Auction

5pm–8pm @ Ani's Day & Night, $15 (5 tickets for $25)

Austin Dyke March's board members auction off their own skills — chess lessons, drag makeovers, custom ceramics, handyman work — to raise money for the only Dyke March in Texas. Bidding starts at $15 a ticket, with DJ lidiabeatz on the decks and, per the flyer, no shortage of people worth betting on.

CLUB SLAYYY: Slayyyter + Hyperpop Dance Party

9pm–1am @ 2906 Fruth Street, $27.67

A hyperpop dance floor built entirely on the sugar-rush chaos of Slayyyter, Charli XCX, Kim Petras, and SOPHIE, this is the rare free night out that still feels like an event. The DJ set doubles as a crash course in the genre for anyone who's only heard the term secondhand — details and RSVP here.

Sip & Sculpt Pottery Workshop

12–2pm @ Stargazer, $71.30

Wheel time, wine, and a finished piece of pottery to show for your afternoon — this is the low-stakes, high-reward version of a craft class, built for people who want a souvenir more than a new hobby.

All Abilities Rock Music Fest

1–3:30pm @ Central Machine Works, FREE!

Timed to National Disability Independence Day, this inaugural fest showcases performing artists with disabilities and neurodivergence, including the Eddie Ray Band and Yesterday & Today. It's free, dog-friendly, ASL-interpreted, and about as feel-good as live music gets! More at the event listing.

Kinky Curly Coily Fest

12–7pm @ Pershing Hall, $16.43

A day-long celebration of natural hair and Black culture with live music, vendors, and community programming, now in its seventh year. It's the kind of event that's become a genuine Austin institution without ever losing its neighborhood feel — full lineup and tickets at Prekindle.

Nautickle: Lesbian/Sapphic Boat Party

11am–3pm @ Beach Front Boat Rentals, $38

Part of a running Sapphic Summer Boat Party Series, this one puts you on Lake Travis with a crowd built specifically for it — no explaining yourself required. Tickets go through Faye Fearless, and they tend to move fast for a Sunday Funday this specific.

Probably Magic! Magic Variety Show

7:30–9pm @ Fallout Theater, $19.32

Multiple Austin magicians share one stage, and the pitch is refreshingly specific: no top hats, no cheesy tricks, just modern sleight-of-hand built to mess with your head. Expect minds read without Wi-Fi and objects vanishing faster than a downtown parking spot. Tickets and details are at Fallout Theater's listing.