Week of March 3rd

One Page Salon

7:30PM @ Radio Coffee & Beer, FREE!

Witness the raw creative process at what has been called the best literary event in town by the Austin American-Statesman. Five outstanding writers will read just one page from their works-in-progress, giving the audience an exclusive first listen to original new material. It is a unique opportunity to support the local literary scene in a relaxed, coffee-shop atmosphere.

ATXM Night Shift: Music Industry Mixer

7:00PM @ Brushy Street Commons, FREE!

Join Austin's largest music industry mixer to connect with local artists, venues, and promoters in a supportive "listening-room" environment. This event features a lottery-style open mic for musicians of all styles and provides an excellent networking opportunity for those looking to support the local ecosystem. Validated parking is available in the nearby Whole Foods/Target garages to make your visit easier.

Lucinda Williams In-Store & Signing

5:00PM @ Waterloo Records, FREE!

Catch a rare, intimate performance by living legend Lucinda Williams and her band as they celebrate the release of her latest album, World's Gone Wrong. This performance on the iconic Waterloo stage is free to the public and offers a chance to see a master songwriter up close. You can also order your copy of the record on-site to have it signed during the event.

THE PUPA: A Storytelling Show

7:00 PM @ East Austin Comedy, $13.54

This bi-weekly storytelling event features performers spinning yarns around a rotating theme, with 5-minute slots available for brave audience members. The venue is BYOB, so feel free to bring a six-pack to share while listening to weird or poignant tales. It's a great way to make new pals through shared vulnerability.

Survivor S50 Watch Party

7:00 PM @ Remedy, FREE!

Watch the action in Fiji on a massive projection wall with fellow superfans during this totally free weekly event. Arrive early to grab seating and order craft cocktails or mini corn-dogs. It’s an interactive way to experience reality TV with a dedicated local community.

Jimmy Eat Wednesday

10:00 PM @ Swan Dive, $6.50

Dive into nostalgia at this 21+ emo-themed dance party hosted by the Texas Emo Club. It’s the perfect late-night destination for those looking to scream along to their favorite alternative anthems. The Swan Dive provides an ideal atmospheric backdrop for this mid-week party.

Vitamin String Quartet

7:00 PM @ Paramount and Stateside Theatres, $25+

Watch this world-famous ensemble erase the boundaries between classical and pop with spellbinding renditions of Billie Eilish and BTS. Known for their work on Bridgerton, VSQ brings a modern, cinematic feel to the historic Paramount stage. It’s a sophisticated yet highly entertaining take on contemporary hits.

TX Vogue Nights

10:00PM @ Swan Dive - $5 entry

Immerse yourself in ballroom culture featuring categories like Sex Siren, OTA Realness, and Cunt vs Cunt. This Springtime Fashion-themed night is hosted by Icon Natalie Lepore with winners receiving free passes to future events. At just $5 for 21+, it is one of the most affordable and visually stunning underground experiences in the Red River Cultural District.

Sew Indigenous Fashion Show Fundraiser

5:30PM @ Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, $50+

A fundraising fashion show spotlighting Indigenous designs set against one of Austin's most beautiful natural backdrops. This is the kind of event that blends art, culture, activism, and fashion into something you absolutely won't find anywhere else on a Thursday night.

Knot Tying Workshop

7:00PM @ Buzz Mill, $33.85

Master the essential language of practical knots with Wilderness First Responder Chris Hyde in this foundational survival skills session. Every paid admission includes a Lumber Society Knot Tying badge and a free drink token to get you started. Arrive early to this quirky coffee-shop-meets-lumberjack-haven to secure your spot and start building muscle memory.

Austin Entertains: Desert Disco

7:30PM @ Junior League Community Impact Center, $115

Celebrate Austin's vibrant culinary scene at this 10th annual event spotlighting women chefs, brewers, and spirit purveyors. This Desert Disco-themed party raises vital funds to fight food insecurity for local children while offering incredible tastings. It is a premium experience that combines high-end food and drink with a meaningful community cause.

Turtle Racing: Season 49

8PM @ Little Woodrow’s Southpark Meadows

Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like — and it's in its 49th season. Turtle racing is a gloriously weird Austin tradition where you cheer on reptilian athletes in a bar setting. Free to attend, priceless in entertainment value. Peak Keep Austin Weird energy.

Cowboy Breakfast

6:00AM–8:00AM @ Long Center for the Performing Arts, FREE!

Wake up at an ungodly hour and you'll be rewarded with a totally FREE Texas-sized breakfast to kick off Rodeo Austin's 2026 season. Live music from Nathan Colt Young Band, a world-renowned trick roper, and western-themed entertainment while you stuff your face. Free parking in the garage too — because Texas.

Romantasy Paint Night

5:00PM–7:45PM @ The Art Garage (Brentwood or Oak Hill) – $15

Paint dreamy, fantasy-themed pottery, sip sparkly drinks, and participate in a cozy book exchange with fellow romantasy girlies. Pottery pieces are discounted for the event and get fired for pickup in a week. Two locations to choose from — Brentwood or Oak Hill. Arrive by 6pm for full paint time.

Mass Ambient

6:30PM–8:00PM @ Pease Park, FREE!

Lay in the grass at Pease Park while Thor Harris and Lucia Beyond fill the air with immersive ambient soundscapes and special guests. This communal outdoor listening experience is the ultimate Friday reset — no tickets, no hassle, just you and the vibrations under the trees. Curated by @hanlalalalalala.

Robin Frohardt: Shopping Center Parking Lot

7:30PM @ McCullough Theatre, $34.80+

The genius behind The Plastic Bag Store returns to Austin with a genre-defying live-cinema performance built from hand-made cardboard sets, live puppetry, and cinematic projection, all inspired by the Home Depot parking lot she's stared at for 15 years. It's speculative nonfiction that asks the big question: are parking lots a naturally occurring phenomenon? Grab tickets here for one of the most inventive shows in town this week.

Mind Warp

8:00PM @ Long Center for the Performing Arts - $30+

Cinematic drama and symphonic grandeur collide in a program featuring the suspenseful suite from "Psycho" and the iconic "Also sprach Zarathustra." Experience musical immortality as the Austin Symphony performs these awe-inspiring tone poems.

Superfonicos & Los Desechos

10:00PM @ The Continental Club - $17 advance / $20 door

Experience "Colombian Funk" and "Cumbias Levantamuertos" designed to raise the dead and keep the dance floor exploding. You can grab $17 advance tickets to catch these local favorites blending psychedelic, surf, and Afrobeat sounds.

Spicy Fest 2026

12:00PM @ Zilker Brewing Company

Prepare for a "clucking" good time featuring free tattoos, a chicken eating contest, and live wrestling by Uncanny Attractions. Check out the full event details for a day of heat, hops, and high-energy chaos.

Flame Funktion

5:00PM @ Live Oak Brewing - $23.18

Witness the mesmerizing intersection of fire spinning and immersive soundscapes at this high-energy outdoor gathering. Grab your tickets online to experience Austin’s vibrant flow arts community in a truly illuminated setting.

The Highball Retro Market

1:00PM @ The Highball, FREE!

Dive into a nostalgia-fueled treasure hunt with 20+ vendors selling vintage VHS, vinyl, and retro toys. Don't miss the 90s cosplay contest at 5pm where you can win Alamo Drafthouse passes just for dressing up.

Pink Floyd in the Dark

8:00PM @ Austin Event and Dance Center - $25.09

Experience Dark Side of the Moon like never before with award-winning strings and piano in total darkness. Secure your tickets for this sensory journey featuring the hauntingly beautiful violin work of Will Taylor.

Taylor Swift The Eras Tour (Drag Version)

6:00PM @ 702 Shady Lane - $58.60

Relive every era through high-energy lip-sync performances at this fabulous evening drag spectacular. This reimagined concert experience brings a fierce, uniquely Austin twist to the global phenomenon.

SporeCorps - Mushroom Cultivation 101

12PM @ East Side, Austin, $35+

Get your hands dirty with fungi at this in-person mushroom cultivation workshop on the East Side. Learn the basics of growing your own mushrooms from spore to harvest. Pair it with the mushroom art workshop at the Bullock Museum happening the same afternoon for a full fungi-forward Sunday.

Nature of Texas Workshop: Mushrooms

2:00PM - 3:30PM @ Bullock Texas State History Museum, $10

Get hands-on with the fungal world in this interactive workshop where you'll sniff, taste, and even make tea from mushrooms. Museum members can enjoy a discount with $8 tickets, while general admission is only $10. This session blends science and art, teaching 3D illustration techniques to capture the beauty of mycelium.

Kinda Tropical 8th Anniversary Party!

All Day starting 11AM @ Kinda Tropical, FREE!

Eight years and they've never thrown an anniversary party — so yeah, they're doing it big. This all-day blowout features a FREE crawfish boil at 2PM courtesy of Letz Geaux Boil, DJ Sue Purrr spinning groovy tunes, flash tattoos from No Good Tattoo artists, a vintage car show from the Tough Enuff crew, a La More pop-up, and KT brunch from 11AM–3PM. This is peak East Austin energy in one glorious day.

The Butterfly Bar's 16th Annual Garden Party

2PM @ Butterfly Bar / The Vortex, FREE!

Help replenish a nationally-certified butterfly sanctuary while celebrating community and renewal. This beloved annual tradition features live music from Necheru, a Tiny Tails petting zoo for kids, butterfly-inspired arts and crafts, and garden-inspired cocktails. Bring a native milkweed or passion vine to donate — over 40 butterfly species have been documented passing through this urban oasis on Manor Road.

New Jack Swing Birthday Edition

4:00PM @ Pershing Hall - 21+

Test your R&B knowledge with high-energy trivia and signature challenge rounds like Autotune Karaoke and Dance Battles. Celebrating one of the best eras of music, this event features drink specials and a full menu for your Sunday Funday. Form a team and compete for prizes provided by local businesses while jamming to classics.

Pride & Prejudice Sip & Paint Canvas Workshop

3:00PM - 5:00PM @ The Art Garage - $32

Combine your love for literature and art at this Jane Austen-inspired workshop where you’ll paint a serene lakeside scene. Your ticket includes a complementary drink to get the creativity flowing, and you are welcome to BYOB as well. It’s a charming, interactive afternoon perfect for fans of classical romance and creative expression.

TAB'S STILL OPEN

9:00PM - 12:00AM @ The Flower Shop, FREE!

Get a little loose before the SXSW chaos begins with beats by @suxxypuxxy and food from the hot dog king @wienersystem. Early birds can take advantage of a limited open drink tab generously donated by the Happy Hopper app. The party continues late into the night at the Lowdown Lounge for even more festivities.