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The Paramount Theatre is about to go dark. The grand old dame on Congress (110 years old!) closes her doors after tonight for an 11-month, $66 million restoration, which will be the first major work on the building in almost five decades. The last time anyone touched it, disco was all the rage!
Tonight, it's throwing a "Last Call" open house and a happy hour with throwback prices tonight, June 15, from 4 to 8 pm; the kind of send-off where longtime devotees and people who've somehow never set foot inside will all show up to gawk at the same time. The theater is pulling out its best-kept secret: a hand-painted fire curtain from 1915, the year the place opened. It had been hanging in the rafters in total darkness since 1974, no light, no air, no nothing, for more than 50 years, which is exactly why it survived. Officials think it might be the oldest original fire curtain still standing in the entire country. Fifty years in the dark is the new anti-aging routine (taking notes over here)!
The original 1915 blueprints called for a ballroom. They laid the floor, put in three opera windows, even started the crown molding, and then just... never finished it. For a century the room sat there as a glorified closet. This restoration will finally be building it out. As the CEO put it, I guess it took them 110 years to draw up the plans 😂
The rest of the work is the unglamorous-but-necessary stuff: ripping out the famously punishing seats, scrubbing decades of grime off the 1930s-era ceiling art, and dragging the sound and lighting into this century. It's all part of the "Shine On" campaign, and they're about halfway to the $66 million. While the lights are off, the shows move next door to the State Theatre, plus UT's Hogg Memorial Auditorium, the AISD Performing Arts Center, and the Bullock IMAX.
Over at the Capitol, there’s a quieter shakeup. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced on Tuesday, June 2, that she's stepping down after three and a half years as the state's top elections officer. The job is the one that runs Texas elections, so the real story is who Greg Abbott taps to replace her; stay tuned.
On the food beat, it’s an emotional buffet this week. East Austin lost a institution: Hoover's Cooking, the homestyle Texas spot Hoover Alexander opened back in 1998, closed for good on May 31. The neighborhood is sending him into retirement the only proper way: with a party. Hoova' Palooza is today, June 15, food and music and all, and a GoFundMe for his next chapter has already cleared $16,500!
Meanwhile, Bar Peached caught major fire damage and is still shuttered, but its neighbor Dirdie Birdie is throwing a benefit tonight too, donating 25% of all sales to the recovery plus a 2-6 happy hour.
On the brighter end: chef Leo Spizzirri of Moderna Bar & Pizzeria (just crowned Best New Restaurant at the Tastemaker Awards) is dropping his debut cookbook Pizza Love on June 23, with a ticketed release bash at Moderna on the 18th. And for the sweet tooth, Salt Lick's legendary peach cobbler has been reincarnated as gelato through a Téo collab, available at Central Market through the end of June. It’s cobbler you can eat with a tiny spoon and zero shame!
It’s gonna be rainy again this week (YAY??) but don’t let it get you down… there’s plenty of incredible indoor events in the lineup. Wednesday and Thursday are particularly packed… make sure to click through to the web version to see ALL the events!
We’re talking Juneteenth cookouts, sapphic fae raves, and solstice rituals from maypoles to EDM sound baths. On Sunday as well, we’ve got you covered with all sorts of awesome options for Father’s Day.
Monday, Jun 15
Monday Night Skate
Meet 7:45 PM, roll 8 PM @ The Long Center, FREE!
A 10-15 mile group skate around Austin, weather permitting: bring lights, water, and basic safety gear. The Long Center Terrace crew makes this one of the city's most welcoming rolling traditions.
Last Call: Fire Curtain Viewing, Open House & Happy Hour
4 – 8 PM @ Paramount Theatre, FREE with RSVP (sold out, but check for waitlist)
The Paramount throws open its doors for one final farewell before an 11-month restoration, and the centerpiece is a rare public viewing of the 1915 hand-painted fire curtain; quite possibly the oldest surviving one in the country. Walk the historic space, grab a professional photo with the curtain, and toast 110 years of Congress Avenue with step-back-in-time happy hour pricing.
Damenchor Bowling Night!
7 PM @ Saengerrunde Bowling Club, FREE!
The Damenchor ladies open up a free night of bowling at one of Austin's oldest bowling alleys, with shoes, snacks, and beverages provided. It's women-focused but open to all; low-stakes, high-charm.
Temples of the Nile - 1: The Lower Nile: Earth, Fire & the Feminine Rising
6–9 PM @ AWKN Ranch, $52.83
Part one of a three-part journey through the sacred sites of Ancient Egypt, leaning hard into ritual, myth, and feminine power. If your Monday calls for channeling the energy of the Nile, this is your portal.
Book Launch: Hilal Isler presents HAR MAR
6:30–7:30 PM @ Alienated Majesty Books, FREE!
UT professor Hilal Isler reads from her debut story collection Har Mar, followed by Q&A, at a queer-friendly indie bookshop known for DIY punk shows and obscure literature picks. A quiet, literary counterpoint to the rest of the night's chaos.
More interesting events on Monday @ WhatsGoodATX!
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Tuesday, Jun 16
Greezy Wheels In-Store Performance & Record Signing
5:00 PM @ Waterloo Records, FREE!
Austin music history in real time: legendary cosmic-cowboy band Greezy Wheels has been signed by the newly-revived Armadillo Records (founded 1969) to release their final album, "We Come We Go," and they're celebrating with a free in-store set and signing. Swing by Waterloo to witness a genuine full-circle moment for the city's music legacy! no cover, no excuse.
Ego's Pride Prom
7:00 PM–2:00 AM @ Ego’s
Throw on your most rainbow-soaked outfit and head to Ego's for a prom celebrating love, friendship, and being exactly who you are, complete with karaoke, themed giveaways, and drinks. Details on Facebook: it's the kind of joyfully unserious night Austin does best.
BYO Vinyl Night
6:00 PM–10:00 PM @ The ABGB, FREE!
Dig through your crates and bring your weirdest, most beloved record to spin for the room — The ABGB will reward your effort with a free beer, no DJ resume required. It's a low-key, communal way to discover new music and flex your taste on a Tuesday night.
Wax and Whimsy
7:00 PM–9:00 PM @ 300 Allen Street - $39.19
Self-described as "a deeply unqualified candle-making experience," Wax and Whimsy is a playful, low-pressure evening for anyone who wants to make something with their hands without the pressure of doing it well. Expect laughs, mess, and a candle you'll either love or laugh about for years.
Muse Tribute Drag Show
9:00 PM–12:00 AM @ Firehouse Lounge, FREE! 21+
Billed as "A Tribute to Black Artistry," this free drag showcase at Firehouse Lounge promises a night of glamour, performance, and celebration. RSVP here; free entry on a Tuesday is the kind of deal that makes a spontaneous night out easy to justify.
More interesting events on Tuesday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Wednesday, Jun 17
Owl Lego Race
6:00PM @ Blue Owl Brewing, FREE!
Pair up and race the clock to build a Lego character faster than the team next to you, with Blue Owl prizes going to the speediest builders. Sign up in advance, grab a beer, and let your inner six-year-old loose.
Sunset Hobby Club
6:30PM – 8:30PM @ Zilker Park, FREE!
Bring whatever you're into: an instrument, a deck of tarot cards, a volleyball, board games, and hang with a crowd that would rather do something than scroll. It's free, blanket-friendly, and Nopalli is providing chips, so really the only thing you need to bring is yourself.
AUSTIN: Spore Stories - Myth, Art & Mushrooms
2:00PM–3:00PM @ Hampton Branch Library, FREE!
This adults-only library workshop dives into the surprisingly rich overlap of mushrooms, mythology, and art, with hands-on crafts, paper-folding, and storytelling exercises. Sign up here for an afternoon that's part craft circle, part fungal fan club.
Silly Billies: An Evening of Clown
8:00PM – 9:00PM @ Fallout Theater, $7.77
A night of devised clown work where the bits are built live and audience members can sign up to direct the action. At under eight bucks, it's one of the cheapest (and weirdest) ways to spend a Wednesday evening, and tickets are here.
Synth Soundbath: Collaborative Drone
Doors 7PM, Bath 8 – 11PM | The Tiny Minotaur Tavern | $5 (free for members), 21+
Bring your own synthesizer — or really anything that can hold a tone — and join the TM Bards Guild for a communal ambient drone session inside "The Rift." Fantasy costumes are encouraged but optional, percussion is banned, and the whole thing plays out like a meditation retreat for noise nerds.
More interesting events on Wednesday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Thursday, Jun 18
Tarot Speed Reading with Austin Community Tarot
6:30pm - 9:30pm @ Fortune Teller, FREE!
Bring your deck and jump into a "speed dating with the cards" session where you'll pair up and read for each other across three rounds of swapping partners. No experience needed! Just trust your intuition, play, and connect with Austin's tarot community. Come late, leave early, and grab food from Fortune Teller or the nearby trucks.
The Living Room Presents: Burlesque & Performative Art Show
9pm – 2am @ Firehouse Lounge, $5+
Firehouse Lounge hosts a late-night mashup of burlesque and experimental performance art courtesy of The Living Room, running 9pm to 2am for a cover of just $5–10. It's one of the cheapest ways to see genuinely boundary-pushing performance in Austin this week. Doors open at 9, but this crowd doesn't really get going until well after midnight.
Embodying Our Shadows
6pm – 7pm @ Creative Collective, $25
Not every Thursday night needs to be a party. Embodying Our Shadows is an hour-long, body-based workshop dedicated to sitting with the emotions most of us spend our lives avoiding (anger, jealousy, grief, resentment) instead of stuffing them down. For anyone craving something more introspective than another bar crawl.
Sipping Sapphic - Slutty Fae Edition
8pm – midnight @ The Butterfly Bar / the VORTEX, $19.32, 18+
Pride Month gets its slipperiest party yet at Sipping Sapphic: Slutty Fae Edition, where burlesque, drag, and a "secret sapphic contest" share the bill with arm-and-lube pit wrestling and on-the-spot poetry. Fairies, butches, femmes, and self-described "nature hoes" of every stripe are invited to trade tarot readings for phone numbers before rotating DJs take over at 10pm. 18+, and yes, the lube wrestling is exactly what it sounds like.
Shuffle It Up - A Queer-centered Mixer
7pm – 10pm @ Austin Motel, FREE! (RSVP required)
Every third Thursday, Austin Motel's Rocky's Bar turns into a card-game mixer where your hand decides who you talk to next. Shuffle It Up is free with RSVP and ends with a dip in the motel's famously photogenic pool — one of the better excuses to actually swim in that pool you've been eyeing on Instagram. Queer-centered, but open to anyone looking to expand their summer crew.
8th Annual Summer Solstice Party
6pm – 8:35pm @ Better Half, FREE!
Mark the longest day of the year with maypole dancing, flower crowns, and fairy-house building at TreeFolks' 8th Annual Summer Solstice Party. It's free and open to all, and every dollar spent at Better Half and Hold Out's special event menus goes straight to planting trees around Central Texas. Tarot readings require advance sign-up at the check-in tent, so grab a spot early if pagan fortune-telling is your idea of a good Thursday.
Turtle Racing: Season 4
8pm @ Little Woodrow's Southpark Meadows, FREE!
South Austin's most beloved slow-motion spectacle returns for Turtle Racing: Season 4, where you pick a turtle, place your bets, and settle in for races that move at exactly the pace you'd expect. It's free to watch, the beer is cold, and the patio chaos is part of the charm. Falls on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays, so catch it while the season's young.
Gay, Drag, Drunk History
7pm – 9pm @ Stargazer, $7.77
History class gets a glitter makeover at Gay, Drag, Drunk History, where the Joy Resistance Network's drag queens deliver tipsy, hilarious lessons on queer history you definitely didn't learn in school. Two hours of camp, chaos, and surprisingly real facts for under eight bucks. BYO flask energy encouraged.
Watercolor Workshop - Spirited Away Painting
7pm–9pm @ Hold Out Brewing, $32.78
Studio Ghibli Fest kicks off with a cozy paint night at Hold Out Brewing, where beginners can recreate Chihiro, No-Face, and Haku with provided templates and supplies. For under $33 you walk away with a finished, frame-ready 8x10 painting — plus whatever you order off Hold Out's menu, which the organizers (accurately) describe as oishii. No art experience needed, just a soft spot for bathhouse spirits.
Find more fun stuff on Thursday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Friday, Jun 19
Coffee & Art Dates
12pm – 2pm @ Simona’s Coffee & Cocktails, FREE!
Bring a sketchbook, a journal, or just your curiosity to this casual, no-skill-required art hang where creativity and conversation flow as easily as the coffee. Reserve a free spot here for an afternoon that's part creative studio, part social hour.
Drippin Pool Party: Juneteenth Cookout
12pm – 8pm @ Hotel Indigo Downtown, $25+ 🔥
Rooftop pool, hip hop, BBQ, drinks, and dancing all day long for Juneteenth! RSVP here and spend the longest day of the year exactly how Austin does best: outside, loud, and free.
Crochet Workshop - Make your own bottle holder
6pm – 9pm @ Kuya Wellness, $21.65
A beginner-friendly, fully guided session where every participant leaves with their own crocheted bottle holder, all materials included in the price. Sign up here for a low-key, hands-on craft night that's as social as it is productive.
Beyoncé on Strings
6:45pm & 8:30pm @ ConcertDome, $37.33+
A live string quartet reimagines two decades of Beyoncé — from Destiny's Child harmonies to "Texas Hold 'Em" — wrapped in 360-degree immersive visuals. Get tickets here for an unexpectedly intimate way to experience the Queen Bey catalog.
ASH LAURYN (Underground & Black | Detroit/Atlanta)
6pm @ 6910 Shirley Avenue, $16.60
Might Be Magic welcomes back Ash Lauryn for a Juneteenth night rooted in the Black origins of house and techno, courtesy of one of underground dance music's most respected curators. RSVP here for a night that's as much a history lesson as it is a dance floor.
Untitled Fest
10pm @ Kingdom Austin, $17.15+ | 18+
A fully immersive house music night where phones get put away at the door — no recording, no performing for the camera, just a room losing itself in the sound together. Tickets here for a night built around presence over performance.
Babestock Rave
10pm – 5am @ 4211 Todd Ln - $17.49, 21+
A secret-warehouse rave thrown by babes for babes, with a zero-tolerance policy for hate of any kind, a location revealed day-of, and a lineup TBA. Grab pre-sale tickets here before the price goes up and the location drops — pure all-night, all-genders, underground Austin energy to close out the night.
More amazingness on Friday @ WhatsGoodATX !
Saturday, Jun 20
Thrift & Sip
11am - 1pm @ Treasure City Thrift, $9
Grab your tote and join host Ikiah The Thrift Genie for a social secondhand shopping session at Treasure City Thrift's new East Austin location. Ticket includes a free pot of tea and a thrift guide: come for the racks, stay for the sip, leave full in every way.
Heavenly Beings Opening Exhibition
3pm @ African-American Cultural & Heritage Facility, FREE!
Multi-disciplinary local artists converge for an opening night centered on "the magic that lies in Black existence," with live performances, food trucks, and vendors filling the Dedrick-Hamilton House grounds. The exhibition itself runs through mid-August, but opening night is where the energy peaks. A genuinely community-rooted celebration of art with real cultural weight behind it.
PowerPints
8pm - 10pm @ The Highball, $6.40
Eight presenters, five minutes each, one PowerPoint on absolutely any topic — that's the entire premise of Austin's original drink-and-learn comedy show. Topics range from deeply researched to gloriously unhinged, and the $6.40 ticket might be the best entertainment deal of the night. Bring a drink, leave with random trivia you didn't know you needed.
Austin Witches Ball 2026: A Midsummer Night's Fantasy
9pm @ Elysium Austin - $10+
Don your fae finery for this Spirit Haven, Inc. fundraiser, featuring the long-awaited return of LUCID DEMENTIA's CD release party, fantasy burlesque from Belle Black Rose, Lilith Allure, and Ruby Lamb, and DJ SpiderGoddess spinning all night. Expect a costume contest, vendors, silent auction, a raffle for festival tickets, and specialty cocktails - or grab a $100 VIP table for two with prime seating, drink tickets, and swag bags.
Pirate Night at the Tiny Minotaur Tavern
7pm @ the Tiny Minotaur Tavern, $10 (Free for members)
"Beware ye of timid spirit and gentle character" — Pirate Night sails back into port with costumes encouraged and "no blaggards or bilge-rats allowed." Doors open at 7pm for an evening of adventure and sea crime, and tavern members get in free with their guests. Dress your finest scallywaggery for a proper Austin dive bar takeover.
MISTRESS MADNESS ft. Kylie Sonique Love & Akeria Davenport
Doors at 7pm @ Highland Lounge, $28.49
Two RuPaul's Drag Race powerhouses land in Austin for a night billed as pure foolishness, chaos, and BAWWDDYYY. All Stars 6 winner Kylie Sonique Love and All Stars 11's Akeria C. Davenport headline what Mistress Isabelle Brooks promises is the hottest crowd in town. Not for the faint of heart, perfect for everyone else.
3rd Annual Black Auteur Film Festival
2pm - 5pm @ AFS Cinema, $11+
A showcase of shorts directed by Black Texans, complete with a $1,000 giant check for Best of Fest and an audience raffle for free AFS memberships and movie tickets. Special guest Jason Perez, director of Monkeypaw's "High Horse: The Black Cowboy," joins for a Q&A, and the whole afternoon blends movies, networking, bites, and cocktails. A genuinely can't-miss showcase of homegrown filmmaking talent.
DILFest: Ron Titter Band, Lazer Fire, St.Inky, Grack Attack
3pm-7pm @ Knomad Bar, FREE!
Father's Day weekend gets the full dad-rock treatment with this free fest "honoring all daddies and those with daddy issues." Expect beer specials, a dad joke competition, a dad bod pageant, and what's billed as a "real sausage party." It's unapologetically silly, completely free, and exactly the kind of irreverent community gathering Austin does best.
Tropicalia Night
7pm - 11:55pm @ Ani's Day & Night
Brazilian heat takes over Ani's Day & Night with an immersive blend of music, local art, dance, and authentic food under the stars. Tropicália Nights is the kind of cultural deep-dive that turns a regular bar into a full sensory escape for the evening. Come for the rhythms, stay for the food and the atmosphere.
Asian Glow w/ Ivory Daze, Die Mart, Ritual, & gulfwargameboy
6pm @ 29th Street Ballroom, $19
Tiny Sounds brings Korean shoegaze act Asian Glow to Austin alongside Nebraska's Ivory Daze and a stacked local lineup spanning slowcore, math rock, and dream pop. This is the kind of bill that draws Austin's devoted underground music heads out on a Saturday night for sounds you won't find anywhere else in town. Wall-of-sound guitars and atmosphere guaranteed.
Other cool stuff happening on Saturday @ WhatsGoodATX !
Sunday, Jun 21
Father's Day Knife Engraving with Opinel
12 – 4PM @ Whole Earth Provision Co. (Westgate), Free engraving with purchase
Pick up a classic Opinel stainless steel knife and get it engraved on the spot! Or bring in an Opinel you already own for free engraving. A genuinely useful, no-fuss gift for any dad, any age.
The Vampire Lestat Watch Party w/ Kupid Kopperhead
Doors 8PM, show 9PM @ Cheer Up Charlies
Local drag legend Kupid Kopperhead hosts a season-long "FANG BANG": weekly watch parties for AMC's queer, blood-soaked Vampire Lestat series, complete with lip sync performances, costume contests, and audience rituals. A rotating coven of co-hosts keeps the whole gothic-camp affair feeling fresh week to week. Sunday nights just got bloodier.
Dad's Day Out with Diamond Days: A Tribute To Classic Van Halen
3 – 5PM @ Scholz Garten
Diamond Days returns to Austin's historic Scholz Garten for their annual Dad's Day Out tradition, channeling peak Van Halen for an afternoon of guitar-shredding nostalgia. Details and RSVP here — "DDays will bring the rock, you bring the roll."
City-Wide Vintage Sale
11AM – 5PM @ Palmer Events Center - $10
Forty-five thousand square feet — nearly a football field — of mid-century furniture, vintage clothing, and five decades of treasure-hunting history make this Austin's largest vintage market. Admission covers the whole weekend, so Sunday shoppers get first crack at whatever Saturday's crowd left behind.
Midsommar Solstice: A Breath & Sound Journey
6 – 8PM @ FlowYoga North Loop, $33.85
A Norse-inspired mashup of solstice yoga, breathwork set to EDM, and a closing sound bath designed to "bloom" you into summer. It's the kind of genre-collision wellness event that only really makes sense here — reserve a spot before it fills up.
National Vespa Parade Day
2:30PM @ Jo's Coffee - South Congress
Vespa Club Austin rolls out for a citywide scooter parade celebrating National Vespa Parade Day, with all makes, models, and mod aesthetics welcome. Join the ride for a small, buzzy slice of South Congress weirdness.
Father's Day: Yacht Rock Party
3 – 7PM @ St. Elmo Brewing - Springdale
Smooth sailing for Dad: a Yacht Rock DJ set, a special "Dad beer" re-release, frozen cocktail specials, and food trucks on deck. Full details here for an afternoon that's basically a Father's Day victory lap.
Cyanotype in the Garden
10 – 11:30AM @ Monica's Porch, $60
Learn the cyanotype printing process from local artist Carlos Moreno using pressed flowers, jewelry, and whatever odd objects you bring from home. All materials included, BYOB encouraged, and you'll walk away with original sun prints and a new backyard hobby.
More interesting events on Sunday @ WhatsGoodATX!
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