Actually Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend
You never know what surprises a weekend in Austin is set to bring—case in point, last Sunday’s out-of-the-ordinary, Texan snowstorm. Now that your car windshields have been completely cleared of ice and your two-inch snowmen have melted into puddles, it is time to add some surprise spice to your time off in the form of this list of weekend activities. Take in live music, eat your cares away at brunch, treat your pup, and more.
Treat your furry friends
Every Friday through Sunday
Paws on Chicon
In what is guaranteed to be the most adorable moment of your weekend (or life), treat your cat or dog to pet-friendly soft serve from East Austin pet store, Paws on Chicon. They only turn their soft-serve machine, which features flavors such as vanilla, pumpkin, or peanut butter, on from Friday to Sunday—because, hey, if you deserve a weekend cheat day, so does Fido. While there, you can also browse their great selection of pet products—but don’t forget to snap a photo of your fur baby snacking their way to frozen treat nirvana.
Cost: Soft serve starts at $3.75, and you can add toppings to the dog or cat froyo for an additional 35 cents.
Enjoy dinner and a show at Lamberts
Saturday, January 16
Lamberts
Downtown restaurant Lamberts is already known for their upscale BBQ—and, especially, their side of baked mac & cheese, which has caused more than one person to swear off the Kraft version forevermore. During January, Lamberts is giving you an extra incentive to stop by for some tasty dishes by pairing them alongside live music for their “Dinner & Show Series.” This Saturday, tunes will be provided by Sir Woman, the solo project of Kelsey Wilson, a member of one of Austin’s favorite home-grown bands, Wild Child.
Cost: Tickets start at $30, food and drink are sold separately.
Get inspired at the Mexic-Arte Museum
Every Sunday
Mexic-Arte Museum
One of the city’s cultural treasures, the Mexic-Arte Museum, is located Downtown and is filled with an amazing selection of traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latino, and Latin American art. They have made the chance to be awed and educated through their collections even easier by offering Free Family Sundays—where admission to the museum is free, and complimentary tours run at 2 pm and 3 pm. Their current exhibit, “Mexico, the Border and Beyond: Selections from the Juan Antonio Sandoval Jr. Collection,” promises beautiful pieces from the over 1,500 artworks collected by the reference librarian and subject specialist for art and Chicanx studies at The University of Texas at El Paso.
Cost: Free
Spend an evening with Romy, Michelle, and drag queens
Saturday, January 16
Blue Starlite Drive-In – Downtown
Pretend you are the inventor of Post-Its for a night while viewing the classic Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino comedy, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion, at the Downtown location of the Blue Starlite Drive-In. As if that meticulously choreographed dance to “Time After Time” isn’t enough to make this a no-brainer, local drag queens, including Pam Dulce and Marley Bell, will be performing a show before the movie—so you are guaranteed to get a double-dose of laughs and eye-catching metallic dresses.
Cost: One car slot/admission for two people starts at $35, and increases from there.
Grab vintage threads at a new location
Every day
Pavement – Guadalupe Location
Any Austin thrift aficionado will tell you that one of the best places to hit single-stitch fortune is Pavement. While their South Lamar location has already provided our city’s citizens with many Saturdays worth of digging through their bountiful racks of clothing, their new location on Guadalupe—which opened just last weekend—promises 13,000 square feet of recycled fashion for your hunting pleasure. Get ready for all your friends to compliment that pair of Levi’s you paid $15 for.
Cost: Free to browse, prices of clothing vary.
Commemorate Dr. King’s birthday with a double-feature
Friday, January 15
Virtual
This Friday marks the 92nd birthday of Civil Rights legend Martin Luther King Jr. Honor his legacy, his work, and acknowledge the work that still needs to be done, by joining Austin’s George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center for a virtual double-feature of films featuring Dr. King and his legacy, followed by a community chat and Q&A. The films being shown are “King in the Wilderness,” which follows the struggles Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement faced in the last years of his life, and “We Are the Dream,” about the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest, where children from pre-K through 12th grade perform speeches and poetry in a competition inspired by Dr. King’s legacy.
Cost: Free
Dig into dim sum brunch
Every day
1618 Asian Fusion
For those who have yet to discover the magic that is Dim Sum, a Cantonese traditional breakfast or lunch of small dishes, Riverside restaurant 1618 Asian Fusion is giving you the chance to live your best dumpling life. They just introduced their dim sum brunch and, although it is available everyday, on Saturday and Sundays exclusively, you can also grab $3 Mimosas from 8 am – 12 pm. That’s in addition to chowing down on scrumptious favorites like chicken sui mai, shrimp cakes, and egg custard tarts.
Cost: Price of brunch varies based on what is ordered.
Get funky at The Far Out
Friday, January 15
The Far Out Lounge & Stage
The weather might be getting colder, but the best way to stay warm is to get down to some good tunes at a live show. Grab your layers, bundle up, and head to The Far Out Lounge—which provides the chance to see music in a safe, socially distanced setting. Playing this Friday is local band, Viben & The Submersibles, whose brand of “scuba funk” jams are sure to bring the heat. Also providing the funk is the musical stylings of the David Thacker Band.
Cost: Tickets are $10 per person.
By Molly Moltzen for Thrillest.com
Updated on 1/13/2021 at 1:09 PM
