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A while back I came across this incredible bird photography on Reddit by one Jorge Buendia. The kind where you can tell the artist genuinely loves the little guys, where a painted bunting on a branch off a piece of the greenbelt looks like it sat for a portrait. So I bothered a stranger: I asked Jorge if he'd ever thought about teaching people how to bird!
He had not. But he said yes to my crazy idea anyway, which is how we ended up with a little crowd of Austinites wandering around with newly-bought binoculars this past Saturday morning!
It was lovely! We chatted, walked around in a gorgeous park for a couple of hours and learned the nuances of so many local bird calls. Afterwards, we sat at a Civil Goat picnic table like we'd known each other for years. What was so awesome is that I got to watch someone discover that the thing they love to do for fun is also a thing they can help other people find joy in.
And Jorge, it turns out, is a natural! He doesn't lecture. He's warm and funny and has this gift for making everything feel accessible without dumbing it down. One minute you're a person who has genuinely never noticed a bird in your life, and the next you're confidently listening to a titter and whispering, "that's a titmouse!” He met everyone exactly where they were, made it all feel easy, and somehow you still walked away having actually learned something. It’s hard to be good at something and also to teach it well, but he did it!
I’m so excited because Jorge has his own calendar of events now (Birding for Everyone) and his next one, a Birding 101 walk in South Austin on June 13th, is already sold out. From a guy who a few weeks ago hadn't considered teaching at all. I cannot tell you how much joy that gives me.
I had such a good time that I'm going to keep doing this; finding the people already making Austin weirder and better in their own little corner, linking up with them, and helping them spread their passion within the community.
So the reason I'm telling you all this: think about who you know. There's probably someone in your orbit right now quietly doing something wonderful: the friend whose sourdough is genuinely better than a bakery's, the neighbor who knows every plant on the trail, the coworker who can fix anything. They probably don't realize other people would line up to learn it! You could be the person who tells them. Go bother a stranger. Or bother a friend. See what happens! And if you need help, let me know. I’ll also (of course) be happy to spread the word :)
June is here and that means bodies and heat. Pride Month activates the full queer calendar and a whole lot of embodiment events (breathwork on rooftops, fire spinning, moonlit runs) that pull people out of their heads and into their own skin. My fave pick is on Thursday and not in the main email. Care to guess which?
Tuesday, Jun 2nd
June One Page Salon
7:30–9:30 PM @ Radio Coffee & Beer, FREE!
The Writers' League of Texas monthly reading series where five writers each read exactly one page from a work in progress: you're literally hearing material before anyone else does. This month promises giveaways and an "extra special edition" per the hosts, which at Radio Coffee means good beer and a warm room full of people who care about language.
HEAVY MEDDO In-Store Performance & Record Signing
5 PM @ Waterloo Records, FREE!
Austin's own Heavy Meddo (described as a collision between Stereolab and the Butthole Surfers) brings their analog tape manipulation and fuzzy psych-krautrock to the Waterloo floor for a free in-store performance and record signing. Surreal lyricism, Texan swagger, and a guitar-driven sound you won't hear anywhere else tonight.
UMLAUF After Dark: Pride!
6–9 PM @ UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum: $12 (members free 6–7 PM)
June kicks off Pride Month with an outdoor night at one of Austin's most beautiful spots: sculpture gardens lit up, LGBTQIA2S+ artists and vendors, specialty cocktails, and three live performances: Michael St. Michael, TRVR?, and McKenna Michels back-to-back. Grab tickets here and arrive at 6 for the member-priced hour before the crowds roll in.
Breath & Bass: Dance Out the Shame. Breathe in the Sovereignty.
6–9 PM @ 1701 Toomey Road, $44 Suggested Donation
A women-only activation combining breathwork and free-form dance, explicitly framed around releasing shame and reclaiming sovereignty: limited to 30 participants, which means it's intimate by design. Reserve your spot before it fills; this is a first-time event with the kind of specific intention that rarely shows up on a Tuesday night.
Marco Antonio Santos | IN/RAINBOWS
7:30 PM @ Monks Jazz Club: $28+ BYOB
Guitarist Marco Antonio Santos takes Radiohead's entire discography and reimagines it for a sextet of guitar, bass, drums, and a string trio: violins and cello: blending jazz, chamber music, and rock in a live-taping listening room setting. Tickets at Monks, and bring your own drinks; this is a whisper-policy show, which is exactly right for music this intricate.
Shrinking with Friends: Hot Takes & High Notes Karaoke (Pride Edition)
7–9 PM @ Fast Friends Beer Co, FREE!
A Pride Month karaoke night explicitly built for queer anthems, breakup ballads, and radical self-expression: the description promises "aggressively supportive energy" and big feelings. It's free, it's at Fast Friends, and the whole premise is that you don't need to be good, you just need to show up.
More interesting events on Tuesday @ WhatsGoodATX!
The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless—and you shouldn’t be alone in it.
Wednesday, Jun 3
Guided Rooftop HypnoBreathwork
7 PM @ Higher Ground Rooftop Yoga, $25
Outdoor rooftop breathwork combining hypnosis techniques with guided breathing practice: on a rooftop on East 5th. It's a genuinely strange and compelling combination, and $25 for an hour of intentional outdoor decompression on a June evening isn't bad at all.
Buzzkill at The Buzz Mill
9 PM @ The Buzz Mill, FREE!
A free weekly stand-up comedy show on the patio of Austin's premier lumberjack-themed bar, featuring both emerging local talent and established headliners. The combination of chainsaw décor, outdoor air, and someone bombing a joke about their ex is peak midweek Austin.
Showgirls 2: Penny's From Heaven | Weird Wednesday
9:30 PM @ Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar - Price TBD
The Alamo's Weird Wednesday series is an Austin institution, and they've outdone themselves this week with the direct-to-video sequel to Showgirls: widely considered one of the most entertainingly incoherent films ever made. If you know, you know. If you don't, prepare yourself.
Belles & Chimes Austin Night @ Bender Bar
7 PM @ Bender Bar & Grill - $3 entry (waived for first-timers)
Belles & Chimes is an IFPA-sanctioned pinball league for women and non-binary players of all skill levels: five rounds of group matchplay, first-timers get in free, and the whole thing runs on Venmo. Pinball at a bar: genuinely one of the better Wednesday night social formats going.
More interesting events on Wednesday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Austin Founders Feed’s Top Events For You
• Wednesday night: Austin Conscious Connection for founders, leaders, and creatives
6:30 PM–8:30 PM ·
This unique gathering brings together founders, leaders, and curious people in Austin for an evening of Conscious Connection.Free.
• Thursday night: Product Happy Hour: South
6:00 PM–8:00 PM · Opa Coffee & Wine Bar
Best operator/networking room for product-minded founders. Casual product management conversations over drinks in South Austin. Free.
• Friday morning: Austin Cup of Capital co-hosted with Antler
9:00 AM–10:30 AM · Capital Factory
Best for founders new to Austin or the startup scene. Capital Factory’s popular public coffee networking event with entrepreneurs and investors. Free.
Thursday, Jun 4
Carl (the Return)
8pm @ Carousel Lounge, FREE!
Carl is a postmodernist performance art piece disguised as a band. Ambient, improv, jazz, noise, classical, electronica, and yes, tin whistle; all the chaos of the cosmos.
Moonlight Margarita 5K Run
8 PM @ Vic Mathias Shores (Auditorium Shores) - $50
The 23rd annual run circles Lady Bird Lake by moonlight with the Austin skyline as your backdrop, then dumps you into an after-party with live DJ, complimentary margaritas, and Maudie's Tex-Mex snacks. Whether you're running for a PR or running for the marg, this one's been a summer rite of passage since 2003.
Gay, Drag, Drunk History
7–9 PM @ Stargazer, $7.77
The Joy Resistance Network brings you important queer history lessons delivered by drag queens who are, yes, drinking. Think schoolhouse rock but gayer, drunker, and considerably more accurate about erasure.
LEZFEST 2026
6 PM–1 AM @ Hotel Vegas & The Volstead Lounge, $10 donation
LEZFEST is a full compound takeover: three stages across Hotel Vegas and the Volstead Lounge running simultaneously until 1 AM. The lineup includes DJs, a "That's What She Said" live dating game show, burlesque performances, hip-hop, indie folk, karaoke hosted by Fener, and a patio packed with LGBTQIA vendors. It's Pride season done right: chaotic, queer, and cheap.
Planetarium Mobilis featuring Highway Lights
8 PM @ Factory on 5th, $20
The premiere of a brand-new immersive art experience: lounge on yoga mats and pillows inside a planetarium dome while ambient classical duo Highway Lights (Austin Symphony cellist Sara Nelson and composer Justin Sherburn) perform alongside NASA imagery reimagined by filmmaker Anlo Sepulveda. Herbal tea is served after to "ease re-entry." Influenced by Brian Eno and Arvo Pärt, this one's also for the cosmos-curious.
ThoroughFare Neighborhood Block Party
4–8 PM @ ThoroughFare, 1905 Aldrich St (Mueller), FREE!
The newly opened bakery/café/deli hybrid from the team behind nationally recognized ThoroughBread (Food & Wine's 100 Best Bakeries) throws a block party on the Aldrich St walkway. RSVP via Partiful for vinyl DJs from Dart Collective, complimentary face painting, bread and cookie tastings, $2 off wine and draft beer, Veracruz agua fresca samples, Lick Ice Cream, and a Franken-TOY pop-up where kids build and take home their own toy monsters.
Testify Presents: Short Stories: A Storytelling Show
7–9 PM @ Barrel O’ Fun - $13.54
True stories told by the people who lived them, at one of Austin's most intimate storytelling venues. Testify's monthly showcase is the low-key counterprogram to every open mic in town: no bits, no sets, just real stuff.
Tarot for the Wild Soul
7 PM @ 5501 N Lamar Blvd - Price TBD
Intuitive Tarot teacher Lindsay Mack celebrates the launch of her new book and deck alongside Angeliska Polacheck: Austin's reigning high priestess of the occult and beautiful strange. The evening includes a reading, conversation, audience Q&A, and signing. If you know who Angeliska is, you're already sold.
Pirates vs. Corndogs
6:30–9:30 PM @ Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center, FREE!
The Pearl Street Pirates take on the barnstorming Corndogs in an honest-to-goodness sandlot baseball showdown with live music and good vibes. This is exactly the kind of thing that doesn't exist anywhere but Austin and that you'll tell people about for years.
Find more fun stuff on Thursday @ WhatsGoodATX!
Friday, Jun 5
Banger's Hotoberfest 2026
3:30pm @ Banger's Sausage House, FREE!
Oktoberfest. In June. In Texas. Banger's is launching what they promise will be a new tradition: three days of cold beer, bratwurst, polka, and physical comedy games including a dunk tank, stein hoist, and something called Bobbing for Peppers. Tonight features The Oompahs (4–7pm) and The Hens (7:30–10:30pm). Family friendly, dogs welcome, all the details here.
Armadillo Live Day 1: Holy Wave + Annabelle Chairlegs (KUTX Benefit)
5pm–11pm @ Central Machine Works · Suggested $9.89 Donation · All Ages
Three days, three worlds: but tonight is the Hippie Cowboy Ball, and costumes are encouraged. Armadillo Live kicks off a weekend-long KUTX benefit blending old and new Austin, with a DJ happy hour from 5–7pm followed by Holy Wave's psych rock and Annabelle Chairlegs' riot grrrl energy. A suggested $9.89 donation (nod to 98.9 FM) is all it takes to support 100% community-funded Austin radio.
Big Freedia
Doors 7pm @ Mohawk · $25 · All Ages
The Queen of Bounce brings New Orleans to Mohawk for a show that is, by design, impossible to stand still through. Big Freedia helped invent bounce music, toured with Beyoncé, and delivers one of the most purely joyful live experiences in any genre: making this an especially perfect fit for Pride Month's first weekend.
It's About Time: Austin Civic Orchestra at Zilker Hillside Theater
8:30pm @ Zilker Hillside Theater · Free
The Austin Civic Orchestra returns to the outdoor hillside stage for their annual free pops concert, this year themed around time travel. The program includes music from Back to the Future, Doctor Who, Avengers: Endgame, Terminator 2, and more. Bring a blanket and your dogs; the concert closes with a lucky audience member conducting Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."
Body Rock ATX: A Tribute to Royalty (Prince & MJ)
9pm @ Sahara Lounge · $15
An annual tradition at one of Austin's most beloved dive stages: Body Rock ATX brings its dance-floor tribute to both Prince and Michael Jackson in the same night. Sahara Lounge is the right room for this: tight, sweaty, communal. Fifteen bucks at the door.
Soul Circuit: Juneteenth Rodeos in Texas (Opening Night)
Doors 5pm, Program 6pm @ McCrory Timmerman Gallery · Free
A photography exhibition capturing the legacy and culture of Black rodeos across Texas: the "Soul Circuit" where rodeo traditions and Juneteenth celebrations meet. Tonight is opening night with a guided program exploring the history behind the images. Partners include Humanities Texas and the Tejemos Foundation; this is the kind of community-rooted cultural storytelling that doesn't get enough spotlight.
A'lante Flamenco Presents "Candela"
8pm @ Flamencura Music and Dance Studio · $23.18
Three luminous evenings of dazzling flamenco dance and music, and tonight is the first. A'lante Flamenco features dance by Olivia Chacon, Sofia Hurtado, and special guest Andrea Gonzalez: intimate, technically extraordinary, and a world away from the tourist-trap tablao experience. Flamencura is a genuine studio space, which makes the atmosphere rare and real.
Music Under the Star: The 4411 w/ Elijah Delgado
7pm–9pm @ Bullock Texas State History Museum, FREE!
The Bullock's free outdoor summer concert series kicks off its June run tonight on the Capitol Mall Amphitheater lawn. Elijah Delgado opens with his cinematic "Indie Rock Lullabies," followed by The 4411's indie folk. Bring camp chairs, bring kids, bring dogs: food and drinks available on site, and parking is free for museum members.
More amazingness on Friday @ WhatsGoodATX !
Saturday, Jun 6
I Was a Museum (Clown Cabaret)
7:30 PM / 9 PM @ 5775 Airport Blvd, Suite 725 - $13.54
Clown Town returns in two flavors: the early show is a fully curated clown variety experience with burlesque, drag, circus acts, comedy, and live music focused on genuine human connection; the late show leans harder into the social experiment. Tickets for both at the same venue: weird, warm, and deliberately unclassifiable.
Paddle Palooza Secret Disco
1–5 PM @ Lou Neff Point Parking Lot, FREE!
Austin Paddle Co and Secret Disco Society take over Town Lake with floating DJ sets, paddleboards, boats, and bubbles for Paddle Palooza. Last summer's version was reportedly the biggest party the lake had ever seen; they're running it back. Bring a board, rent one, or just show up and watch from the shore.
Worm Suicide, Pocket Fisherman & The Butts: Sponsored by NOFX
9 PM – 1 AM @ Alamo South Lamar, 1120 S. Lamar Blvd - $17.47
This triple-header caps off a full day of punk programming tied to the screening of "40 Years Of F**kin Up: A Film By NOFX": tickets are $15 or just $5 if you bought a ticket to the NOFX documentary earlier that day. Band names alone justify attendance.
Texas Rollergirls Home Team Doubleheader
Doors 4:30 PM @ Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Ln - Kids $15 / Adults $20
Two full bouts: Hotrod Honeys vs Honky Tonk Heartbreakers, then Hell Marys vs Hustlers: in one evening of fast laps and hard hits from Austin's beloved flat-track derby league. If you've never been, this is the entry point. New fans can use promo code "NEW FAN" at checkout.
Flame Funktion 6/6
7–11 PM @ 1615 Crozier Lane - $28.52
Fire spinning meets live sound in an outdoor nighttime spectacle: performers working with flame while the music and the crowd vibe around them. Grab tickets here and bring your sense of wonder; this is the kind of Austin Saturday night that doesn't happen in most cities.
The Rocky Horror PRIDE Show with O'Brien's Orchestra
10:30 PM @ Southwest Theaters – Lake Creek - 18+
Austin's queer tradition returns for Pride Month: Rocky Horror with a live shadowcast and guided audience participation from the fishnet-clad cast of O'Brien's Orchestra. Prop bags and merch available for purchase, dressing up heavily encouraged, and the audience is actively part of the show.
Majestic Ball 2026: Rococo Rebellion
Doors 7 PM @ Paramount Theatre, $40+
Year five of the largest ball in Texas arrives draped in 18th-century decadence: wigs, corsets, silks, scandal at the Palace de Paramount. Compete onstage in OTA categories for a share of $5,000 in cash prizes, watch drag diva Diamond Dior Davenport and special guest Shea Couleé work the room, and party like it's 1775. Dressing in theme is "most graciously encouraged."
Other cool stuff happening on Saturday @ WhatsGoodATX !
Sunday, Jun 7
Jams for Pride
3:00 PM @ Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches, FREE! (Donations Encouraged)
On June 7th 3-6:30pm at Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches, Lauren Gould and ATX Artists for Social Impact will be hosting Jams for Pride: a community jazz jam for women and queer artists of any level. We will also be handing out free children’s books to attendees thanks to Texas Book Fest! Musicians are welcome to come sit in for the open jam. Dancers are welcome to groove as space allows.
Amy's Ice Creams: Scoopapalooza Fest '26
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM @ Bouldin Acres: Free
Formerly known as Trick Olympics, Amy's has leveled up its summer flagship: live trick competitions, live music from Grover Street Country Band, local vendors, kids' corner, ice cream, flash tattoo discounts from Slow Poke ATX, and "general weirdness." This is peak Keep Austin Weird energy in the park, on a Sunday, for free.
Dungeons & Drafthouse: Revenge of the Spider Queen
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM @ Barrel o' Fun, 1911 Aldrich St: $36.64
Professional Dungeon Masters run a brand-new one-shot adventure at the East Austin craft beer bar: perfect for first-timers and veterans alike, with pints flowing and dice flying. Each month is a completely new story, so there's no catching up required. Book your seat on Eventbrite and come ready to roll.
YEEHAWTIES: A Honky Tonk Pool Party
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Austin Motel, FREE with RSVP
Neon Rainbows throws the most Austin-ass event of the summer: a queer honky tonk pool party with good-time beats by Ed West, drag performances throughout the afternoon, and the triumphant return of Lady Bull Johnson. Boots, bathing suits, line dancing around the pool, and yes: you can RSVP to ride the bull. 21+.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) + Eraserhead: Bleak Week Double Feature
Doors 6:00 PM, Films 7:00 PM & 9:10 PM @ Paramount Theatre, $15
Bleak Week at the Paramount pairs two of cinema's most unsettling masterworks back to back: Philip Kaufman's paranoid pod-people remake with Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy, followed by David Lynch's debut nightmare that one critic called "the greatest debut by an American director after Citizen Kane." Tickets at the Paramount box office. Come for the Sutherland, stay for the fever dream.
Cyanotype in the Garden
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM @ Monica's Porch: $60, 18+
Local artist Carlos Moreno leads a hands-on workshop in the cyanotype photographic printing process: you'll create up to five unique prints using pressed flowers, plants, jewelry, and personal objects brought from home. No experience needed, all materials provided, BYOB welcome. Book through Monica's Porch.
Permanent Shadows w/ Tortures, Death Palmz & Body Tape
8:00 PM @ The 13th Floor, $10
Four-band EBM/industrial/dark wave bill at the 13th Floor with visuals by drip//cuts: the kind of Sunday night that makes the week ahead seem manageable by contrast. Ten bucks, all the fog machine you can handle.
More interesting events on Sunday @ WhatsGoodATX!
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