Things to do in Austin this weekend.
A short, curated set for October 2 to 4: what is actually worth leaving the house for, picked and verified. Not a scraped calendar.
Curated by Carissa. How these are picked
Next weekend’s list lands Thursday morning, before you have to go looking. Free, from Carissa.
Friday · October 2
- 01
Experimental Seeing: Russell Lee’s Pedagogical Legacy
Visual Arts Center · 12:00 AM
This is the show I’d set aside an afternoon for, a survey of work by 25 MFA graduates that traces Russell Lee’s influence on UT’s photography program. The Visual Arts Center is free to visit, so I’d wander the galleries slowly and let the range of approaches do the talking.
Details & tickets → - 02
Revolutions and Constitutions: Nation-Building in the Americas after 1776
Benson Latin American Collection · 12:00 AM
This is the Benson exhibition I’d clear an afternoon for, pairing rare documents and maps with a digital companion on the Atlantic world’s revolutionary era. Since it was built alongside UT undergrads and faculty, I’d read the labels closely to catch how the ideals of 1776 rippled into new constitutions across Latin America.
Details & tickets → - 03
Fieldwork Projects: Ecco, eco
Visual Arts Center · 12:00 AM
This is the show I’d catch if I want something quieter than the usual gallery fare: student work from a summer in Tuscany, built around counter-mapping and deep listening rather than postcard views. I’d linger over the artist books and alternative sightseeing guides, which sound like the pieces that reward slowing down.
Details & tickets → - 04
How to Grow the Cowpea: Survival Strategies from the U.S. South
Visual Arts Center
The show I’d steer toward is “How to Grow the Cowpea: Survival Strategies from the U.S. South” at the Visual Arts Center, a group exhibition tying environmental stewardship to the climate crisis. It comes out of a collaboration with Planet Texas 2050, so expect research and art in conversation. The gallery is free and open from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and I’d give myself enough time to read the wall text closely.
Details & tickets → - 05
Worlds Collide: Music Inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe and the Palo Duro Canyon
The Cathedral ATX · 7:00 PM
The one I’d catch for something genuinely different is Worlds Collide at The Cathedral ATX, where One World One Music pairs live performance with storytelling about Georgia O’Keeffe’s years in Canyon, Texas. I like that it opens with scholar Amy Von Lintel setting the historical stage before the music, so I’d read up on O’Keeffe’s Palo Duro period beforehand.
Details & tickets → - 06
Bleachers (ACL FEST NIGHT) with This Is Lorelei
Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater · 7:00 PM
This is the late-night ACL Fest show I’d catch, with Bleachers headlining Stubb’s and This Is Lorelei opening the night. Doors are at 7 and the set starts at 8, so I’d get there early to claim a good spot on the lawn.
Details & tickets → - 07
Ella Reid Band Live at The Cactus Cafe!
Cactus Cafe · 7:30 PM
The Ella Reid Band at the Cactus Cafe is the one I’d catch, drawn to a songwriter who moves between Americana, soul, and country storytelling without worrying about genre lines. The room is intimate, so I’d get there early to claim a good seat.
Details & tickets →
Saturday · October 3
- 08
Kids on Bikes in Parks
Chicano Park · 8:00 AM
Kids on Bikes in Parks lands at Chicano Park on Saturday morning, an easy outing for families who want to get little ones comfortable on two wheels near the Butler Trail. It runs from 8 to 11 a.m., and helmets are required, so I’d pack those and water, and roll in a bit early so the kids can settle in.
Details & tickets → - 09
Start with Art Build-a-Birdhouse
Lake Austin H-E-B · 9:00 AM
This free build-a-birdhouse session at the Lake Austin H-E-B is the one I’d catch if you have kids who like making things. Kits are first come, first served while supplies last, so I’d get there early, and you can build in store or take yours home.
Details & tickets → - 10
Austoberfest
Scholz Garten · 12:00 PM
The sausage tasting from 1 to 4 p.m. is the part I’d build my afternoon around, since it wraps up whenever the sausage runs out. I’d get there before the top Central Texas makers sell through, then stick around for the live music and a turn on the historic bowling lanes at Scholz Garten.
Details & tickets → - 11
Paper Tapestries for Our Living Temples A workshop inspired by The Living Temple: The World of Moki Cherry
Jones Center · 12:00 PM
This paper tapestry workshop at the Jones Center draws on Moki Cherry’s appliqué backdrops and the joyful, art-and-music happenings she staged with Don Cherry. It’s the one I’d sign up for if you want a hands-on afternoon rooted in her ideas about ecology and spirituality, and I’d register ahead since workshop spots tend to be limited.
Details & tickets → - 12
Texas Heat - The Great Chili Throwdown
County Line on the Lake 5204 Ranch to Market Rd 2222 · 5:00 PM
The one I’d catch for competitive chili is Texas Heat: The Great Chili Throwdown, an inaugural cookoff at County Line on the Lake pitting restaurant teams against backyard cooks and family recipe keepers. With live music and this many contenders, I’d get there early to taste widely before the strongest pots run dry.
Details & tickets → - 13
Parcels (ACL FEST NIGHT) with Velvet Trip
Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater · 8:00 PM
The Parcels late show at Stubb’s is the ACL Fest Nights set I’d catch, with Velvet Trip warming up the outdoor stage. Doors are at 8 and the band goes on at 9, so I’d get there early to stake out room up front.
Details & tickets →
Sunday · October 4
- 14
University of Texas Soccer vs Oklahoma - presented by Huntington Bank
Austin · 2:00 PM
This Texas versus Oklahoma soccer match at Mike A. Myers Stadium is the one I’d catch, since a rivalry game in SEC play brings real intensity. I’d get there early to settle in before kickoff, and it airs on SEC Network if you can’t make it in person.
Details & tickets → - 15
Symphony Band
Bates Recital Hall · 4:00 PM
If you want a free Sunday night that trades noise for nuance, this is the one I’d catch at Bates Recital Hall, where Cliff Croomes leads the Symphony Band through Kevin Day’s “Blue Hour Skyline” and Paul Dooley’s “Fantasy of Colors.” The hall’s acoustics reward sitting close, so I’d get there early for a good seat.
Details & tickets → - 16
Canje Hosts Chef Andre Fowles for ‘My Jamaican Table’ Cookbook Celebration
Canje · 6:30 PM
The one I’d catch is Canje’s two-night collaboration with three-time “Chopped” champion Andre Fowles, celebrating his cookbook “My Jamaican Table.” The Sunday session runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m. with a book signing, cocktails, and passed bites alongside chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph, so I’d get there early for the drinks and plates.
Details & tickets →
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