Spring has sprung in Austin and with it comes gorgeous weather, a day dedicated just to the Earth, and our annual citywide promise to Keep Austin Beautiful. April will be filled with lots of activities to get you out and about, with a few fun, indoor events in case of those ever prevalent April showers. Check out these 20 + Don’t Miss events so you can get the most out of spring… before that inevitable Austin heat wave settles in.
Research Pizza: Feed the World with Joy Youwakim
Thursday, April 5 | From 12 to 1 p.m. | Perry-Castañeda Library (PCL), 2150 Cypress Creek Rd, Cedar Park
Undergraduate Research Fellow Joy Youwakim (Economics) discusses her research on equations to improve agriculture and, maybe, end hunger. FREE!
Austin Parks Foundation Presents The Lion King for Movies in the Park
Thursday, April 5 | From 8:15 to 10:15 p.m. | Northwest District Park, 7000 Ardath St
Already planning things to do for the summer? Hakuna Matata, Austin Parks Foundation has got you covered with The Lion King in Northwest District Park. As a part of the Movies In The Park series the Alamo Drafthouse and Austin Parks Foundation have partnered up to bring FREE movies in parks all over Austin. So bring a blanket and get ready to enjoy the Disney classic under the stars.
Lake Travis Fiddlers
Friday, April 6 | From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. | Lake Travis Community Library, 1938 Lohmans Crossing Rd
Lake Travis Fiddlers will entertain with violinists, guitarists, mandolin and horn players, and more! FREE
Community Workout: Camp Gladiator
Saturday, April 7 | From 9 to 10 a.m. | Lake Travis Community Library, 1938 Lohmans Crossing Rd
Meet in the library parking lot to get fit at this free boot camp-style workout with Camp Gladiator trainer Cynthia Roten. This event is FREE and open to the public.
The Trail Foundation’s 15th Birthday Party
Saturday, April 7 | From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Festival Beach, 2101 Bergman St
Join The Trail Foundation as it celebrates its 15th anniversary with a fun, family-friendly Birthday Party featuring refreshments, live entertainment, a birthday cake, children’s activities and games, yoga session, swag giveaways, and more! Grab a picnic blanket and meet us out at Festival Beach along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail for this community-wide celebration. FREE!
Austin Canoe and Kayak Demo Days
Saturday, April 7-8 | From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Hyde Park Quarries, 11400 N Mo-pac Expy
Mark your calendars for the annual Spring Demo Days! Head to the Hyde Park Quarries Saturday April 8th from 10am to 4pm and Sunday 12pm to 4pm and get ready to get out on the water and demo over 90 kayaks and stand up paddleboards! There will be informational and fun clinics hosted by the best in the business throughout the day so be sure to pack a lunch and make a day of it! This event is FREE and open to the public, so bring the whole family and be prepared to hit the water!
Survivor Hearts and Community Celebration
Saturday, April 7 | From 12 to 4 p.m. | Space 24Twenty, 2420 Guadalupe St
Come celebrate survivors on Saturday, April 7 during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. This event celebrates and honors survivors and allies through an interactive community art piece that highlights the prevalence of sexual violence in Texas while offering words of hope and solidarity to survivors and their allies. The event features speakers, performers, and vendors who are committed to supporting survivors in the community and ending sexual violence. FREE!
2018 Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off and Heritage Festival
Saturday, April 7 | From 1 to 5 p.m. | Elizabeth Milburn Park, 1901 Sun Chase Blvd, Cedar Park
Bring your family, friends and appetite to the 2018 Cedar Fest BBQ Cook-Off presented by Smokey Mo’s Bar-B-Q. Be sure to stop by, walk around and sample great barbecue! Our cooks will be grilling up ribs, brisket, chicken and more. The Heritage Festival portion of the event will feature live music, pony rides, train rides, petting zoo, kids’ rodeo, carnival games and rides, washer tournament, photos with a longhorn, sack races and inflatables. Admission is FREE. You are welcome to bring your own ice chest, no glass containers please. Additional parking is available at CPHS, CPMS and ACC.
City Nature Challenge Training
Saturday, April 7 | From 1 to 4 p.m. | Austin Nature & Science Center, 2389 Stratford Dr
City Nature Challenge 2018 is coming up on April 27-30 and this training will assist you with learning how to use INaturalist and how to participate in this year’s challenge. This event will split the 4 hour training with 2 hours in the classroom and 2 hours in the field. Load the free iNaturlist app on your smart phone before the training for best results. FREE!
Jewels of India, Centuries of Opulence
Sunday, April 8 | From 1 to 5 p.m. | Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd
Travel through centuries of opulence and embark on a journey of the heart with timeless jewels of India. We will take you through this evolution via film, sparkling exhibits, and a designer-led workshop about the basics of the sari, from draping to jewelry pairing. FREE!
Edible Austin Children’s Picnic
Sunday, April 8 | From 1 to 5 p.m. | Rosewood Park, 2300 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702
Bring a blanket, sit in the sunshine, plant a square foot garden, meet farmers and enjoy bites from local food vendors. There will be live music, storytelling and endless activities! FREE!
Spring Pasta-Bilities
Tuesday, April 10 | From 6 to 8 p.m. | 3201 Bee Caves Rd #172A
The Pasta-bilities are endless with this pasta salad! Watch as we take you through the steps and skills needed to make this unique spring side dish that will soon become a family favorite! FREE!
Recollection Memories: Community Art Exhibit Opening Reception
Friday, April 13 | From 6 to 8 p.m. | Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd
Artist Caroline Ryan explores family dynamics using old candid family photographs as references for her paintings. The artist reveals the astounding differences between her parents and her family’s struggle to communicate with each other as a means of accepting and understanding the past and present. Join us for an opening reception featuring an artist talk at 7pm. Refreshments and light snacks provided. FREE and open to the public.
Keep Austin Beautiful Day
Saturday, April 14| From 9 to 11 a.m. | Austin and Travis County, 900 Chicon St.
Each April, Keep Austin Beautiful hosts Clean Sweep, a county-wide service day spanning 130 sites in 31 zip codes throughout Austin and Travis County. As Clean Sweep has grown over the years we have noted that is has become more than just a cleanup day. Volunteers are planting gardens, restoring riparian habitats, removing graffiti, and more. To recognize all the work volunteers are doing on this day we have decided to formally rename Clean Sweep to Keep Austin Beautiful Day. Keeping with tradition, the network of projects will followed by a not-to-be-missed volunteer party featuring free t-shirts, lunch, live music, children’s environmental activities, a unique object contest, door prizes, and more! FREE!
The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee (2017)
Monday, April 16| From 6 to 8 p.m. | Harry Ransom Center, 300 W 21st St
A screening of the documentary “The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee” (2017), followed by a conversation with Leonard Downie Jr., who served as managing editor of The Washington Post under Bradlee and later succeeded him as executive editor. The conversation will be moderated by R.B. Brenner, Director, School of Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin. Ben Bradlee’s archive resides at the Ransom Center. Film runtime: 90 minutes; discussion to follow. Co-sponsored by the School of Journalism. FREE and open to the public. Please be aware that the Ransom Center’s Charles Nelson Prothro Theater seats 125. Line forms upon arrival of the first patron, and doors open 30 minutes in advance.
Jazz and Art on Main
Friday, April 20 | From 6 to 9 p.m. | Cedar Park Recreation Center, 1435 Main St, Cedar Park
Jazz & Art on Main includes live jazz music, food vendors, art and craft booths featuring paintings, mixed media, sculptures, woodwork, glasswork, and handmade items. FREE!
Texas Military Department Open House
Saturday, April 21 | From 8 a. m. to 3 p.m. | Camp Mabry – Austin, 2200 W 35th Street
The Texas Military Department Open House is an annual event designed to welcome the community to Camp Mabry, in Austin, Texas and provide guests an up close look at its Texas National Guard. Through demonstrations, displays, and personal interaction the public is educated about the missions and capabilities it provides the citizens of Texas.
Held in conjunction with the American Heroes Air Show, an admission-free all-helicopter aviation event and career fair, the open house attracts approximately 20,000 guests each year. From helicopter demonstrations, emergency and first responder displays, World War II reenactments, children’s activities, and much more, this event contains something for everyone. FREE!
Rough Road to Texas Independence Walking Tour
Saturday, April 21 | From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Oakwood Cemetery, 1601 Navasota St
Learn all about the Texas 1835-1836 fight for independence from Mexico in less than an hour! Actors will portray stories of Oakwood Cemetery heroic “residents” who fought in the battles of the Revolution, survived the Alamo, escaped the Goliad massacre, and helped form the Texas Republic. 45 minute walking tours start every ~30 minutes 10am-2pm and are presented by Save Austin’s Cemeteries non-profit. We’ll also have a display of the flags of the battles and the Texas Republic plus paintings of the key events. Kids under adult supervision are welcome, but please leave your pets at home and wear closed-toed shoes. Free, but donations gladly accepted to help fund preservation projects. FREE!
Earth Day
Saturday, April 21 | All Day | Huston Tillotson University, 900 Chicon St
Come celebrate Earth Day at the largest sustainability event in Central Texas. FREE musical performances, interactive exhibits, and creative programming makes this event educational (and fun) for the whole family!
Southwestern University Wind Ensemble and Orchestra
Saturday, April 21 | 7:30 to 9 p.m. | Southwestern University’s Alma Thomas Theater, E. Rutersville Rd
The Sarofim School of Fine Arts’ Music Department is pleased to present the Southwestern University Wind Ensemble and Orchestra in concert under the direction of Dr. Lois Ferrari. FREE and Open to the Public. Mathers Box Office: 512-863-1378.
An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story (2017)
Tuesday, April 24 | From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Harry Ransom Center, 300 W 21st St
“An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story” explores the life and influence of Niebuhr (1892–1971), a theologian, writer, political activist, and one of the most influential public intellectuals of the twentieth century. Presidents from Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter have credited his impact on their thinking, as did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who cited Niebuhr in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” The screening will be followed by a discussion of Niebuhr’s ongoing relevance with filmmaker Martin Doblmeier. Co-presented by Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. FREE and open to the public. Please be aware that the Ransom Center’s Charles Nelson Prothro Theater seats 125. Line forms upon arrival of the first patron, and doors open 30 minutes in advance.
Calling All Poets! The Third Open Mic Poetry Night
Thursday, April 26 | From 7 to 8:30 p.m. | Round Top Family Library, 206 West Mill St
April is National Poetry Month, come read one of your poems aloud. Open to youth and adult poets, emerging and established writers. Community, please show your support by attending this FREE, fun event.
19th Annual Red Poppy Festival
April 27-29 | Opening Night: 6 to 7 p.m., 10:00 am. to 5:00 p.m. | 103 W. 7th St, Georgetown
Georgetown, Texas, the “Red Poppy Capital Of Texas,” will celebrate spring and its signature red poppies with the 19th Annual Red Poppy Festival April 27-29th, in and around The Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas. The festivities will begin with a kickoff concert on Friday night featuring Dysfunkshun Junkshun followed on Saturday night by this year’s headlining act, Joe Nichols, whose ninth studio album, Never Gets Old, was released on July 2017, and whose recent single, “Baby Got Back” features Sir Mix A Lot. FREE!
Fairytale Tea Party
Saturday, April 28 | From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Gus Garcia Recreation Center, 1201 E. Rundberg Ln
You are hereby summoned to a magical celebration complete with princesses and forest friends. Come dressed in your favorite Princess attire. Enjoy light refreshments and cupcakes. Play games, make crafts, and take pictures by the castle. FREE!
