March is one of the best times to live in Austin — spring break, SXSW, the end of winter and beginning of spring, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and so much more! Here are just a few ways that locals are celebrating this wonderful month for FREE!
Featured photo via It’s My Park Day
KUTX Rock the Park at Mueller Lake Park
Friday, March 1 | from 6 to 9 p.m. | Mueller Lake Park Amphitheater, 4550 Mueller Lake Blvd
Mueller and KUTX are excited to rock the amphitheater at Mueller Lake Park again this year with another round of free, family-friendly concerts curated by KUTX and our Sunday-evening kids’ show Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child. Come a little early to grab your spot on the lawn (blankets are cool, but chairs aren’t) and grab your dinner from a food truck. We’ll have rock-and-roll face-painting for the kids by Faces By Juliet (no charge, but tips for the painters are welcomed.) We’ll also have coloring for the kids at the Mueller tent (where you can enter our #colorKUTX Instagram giveaway), additional activities from our sponsors, and cold beverages for the grown-ups. We hope to see you at Rock the Park this year! *Rain date: March 22. 6:15 P.M. – Face painting opens – 6:45 P.M. – Dr. Joe.
Family Resource Fair
Saturday, March 2 | from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Barbara Jordan Elementary, 6711 Johnny Morris Rd
The City of Austin Economic Development Department and partners will be hosting a Family Resource Fair on Saturday, March 2 at Barbara Jordan Elementary. This event will feature exhibitors from a wide range of local organizations and workshops offering support in home repair, health care eligibility, job training, tax preparation and more. The festivities will also include free health screenings, child identification cards, animal services, and updates on City-wide mobility and health efforts. During the event families can enjoy free food, face painting, and a variety of educational activities for youths and teens. We will also be raffling prizes throughout the day that include bikes, scooters, and gift cards. We’ll see you there! For more details, please see our event flyer. To RSVP go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-resource-fair-tickets-56040227830
Scholz Garten’s Texas Independence Day Celebration
Saturday, March 2 | from 12 to 5 p.m. | Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd
Scholz Garten is thrilled to host a Texas Independence Day celebration. The event will include beer specials and feature live music in their spacious biergarten from local acts such as: 12:00 p.m. – Lonestar Lizzie & the Shotgun Wedding Band 1:00 p.m. – Wild Game 2:00 p.m. – JD Clark & the Stuck . in the Mud Band 3:00 p,m.- The Bluebonnets 4:00 p.m. – The Differentials. The event is free to attend and is dog and family friendly.
Elizabet Ney’s Nature Day
Saturday, March 2 | from 1 to 4 p.m. | Elisabet Ney Museum, 304 E 44th St.
Join the Elisabet Ney Museum for the free, new “Elisabet Ney’s Nature Day!” Celebrate Austin’s diverse flora and fauna with bird counts, hands-on projects, interactive demonstrations, and much more. You’ll also discover local environmental outreach programs, wildlife rescue, and science education opportunities. Elisabet Ney was considered a devout naturalist and often drew artistic inspiration from her central Texas environment. It’s changed some–it’s in a city now(!)–but there’s still a lot of inspiring going on! People are also invited to come early and participate in Its My Park Day. For more on that, visit: https://bit.ly/2TBYeG3
It’s My Park Day Spring 2019
Saturday, March 2 | from 8 a.m. to noon | Austin Parks Foundation, 1023 Springdale Rd.
Volunteer Registration is open for Austin Parks Foundation’s biggest city-wide volunteer event, It’s My Park Day, on Saturday, March 2, 2019. With over 100 projects to choose from – ranging from clean ups, trail repair, tree care and even a kids’ crew – there are opportunities for every Austinite to lend a hand in enhancing our green spaces for generations to come. Pick a park near you and register to become a volunteer here: https://austinparks.givepulse.com/group/9012-Its-My-Park-Day-Spring.
Scholz Garten’s Fat Tuesday Crawfish Boil
Tuesday, March 5 | from 5 to 10 p.m. | Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd
Scholz Garten will be hosting a Fat Tuesday Crawfish Boil celebration and will feature live music from Charles Thibodeaux and The Cajun Aces from 6 – 7:30pm. and DJ Island Time from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The evening will include $5 Abita Beer & $8 Hurricane Specials. The event is free to attend and is dog and family friendly.
LL Campbell Elementary 80th Birthday Celebration
Wednesday, March 6 | from 6 to 8 p.m. | Lee Lewis Campbell Elementary Media and Performing Arts Institute, 2613 Rogers Ave
80th Birthday Celebration! Join us as we celebrate 80 years of teaching and learning. This event aims to bring LL Campbell alum and current families together for a red carpet affair. This dressy event is FREE and open to the public. The event will take place on the campus located at 2613 Rogers Avenue 78722. For more information please call 512-414-2056.
Latin American Cultural Showcase 2019
Monday, March 11 | from 1 p.m. to 12 a.m. | Pangea Lounge at 6th, 1211 E 6th St
This is a SXSW free event that showcases Latin American Culture. A celebration of Music, Art, and Food. All ages, no cover, no badge needed.
SXSW Marketplace 2019
Friday, March 15 to Saturday, March 16 | from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Exhibit Hall S at the Austin Convention Center, 500 E Cesar Chavez
SXSW Marketplace, a two-day event, free to the public and conference badgeholders, returns to Austin for its third year at the Austin Convention Center. Located adjacent to Flatstock 69, presented by American Poster Institute, SXSW Marketplace is the spot to get the latest in clothing, accessories, art and more – a collection of pop-up shops at the center of SXSW. The event brings together hand-selected local, national and global brands for a curated, diverse shopping experience. SXSW Marketplace features numerous exhibitors including Aviator Nation, Mokuyobi, Sock Club, Ebbets Field Flannel, Goorin Bros, Penny Luck Shoes, Oxford Pennantand Anne Genung Fine Artto name a few. The event is free to badgeholders and general public with SXSW Guest Pass, your ticket to free events.
1-Day Children’s Meditation Course
Saturday, March 16 & Monday, March 18 | from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Austin Dhamma House 10105
The Central Texas Vipassana Association is happy to announce a 1-day meditation course for boys and girls aged 8–17 years. During the course, the children will learn how to practice Anapana meditation, which helps children better understand themselves and how their minds work. As children learn to calm and concentrate their minds, they gain mastery over their impulses and actions. Their ability to concentrate becomes enhanced, their memory gets sharper and they become calmer. In general, they feel that have a practical tool to use in the face of any type of challenge. Although it is not necessary that a parent or guardian accompany the child to the course, it is important that the child chooses to attend the course willingly.
The 1-day course includes:
- An introduction to Anapana meditation by focusing attention on the breath as it comes in and goes out naturally
- Stories and discussions
- Games
- Art activities
- Vegetarian lunch and snacks (provided)
For further introduction, the film “Seeds of Awareness” about the Anapana meditation program designed specifically for children from the ages of 8 through 17 can be watched here: http://video.server.dhamma.org/video/cc/Seeds_of_Awareness.mp4
FREE Spring Break Youth Basketball Camps!
March 18, 19 & 22 | various times | various locations
Choose from one of three convenient days/times:
South Austin
Monday, March 18, 12:30-2pm, Grades 5-10 only
Austin Oaks Church, 4220 Monterey Oaks Blvd, Austin, TX 78749
https://www.atxballers.com/register/freelessonsmarch18
North-Central Austin
Tuesday, March 19, 1:30-3pm, Grades 2-8 only
Northwest Austin Rec Center, 2913 Northland Dr, Austin, TX 78757
https://www.atxballers.com/register/freelessonsmarch19
South Austin
Friday, March 22, 12:30-2pm, Grades 2-8 only
Austin Oaks Church, 4220 Monterey Oaks Blvd, Austin, TX 78749
https://www.atxballers.com/register/freelessonsmarch22
Players must register at one of the above links in order to participate in our free clinic.
FREE LEGO Fun Day!!!!
Wednesday, March 20 | from 2 to 4 p.m. | Circle C Community Center, 7817 La Crosse Ave
FREE LEGO Fun Day! Join us for an afternoon of LEGO fun! We will build robots, make our own creations, use our spin art bot, battle our robots, practice our flying skills with a programmable drone, and so much more! All ages welcome, no experience necessary.
Hey Lolly Music
Thursday, March 21 | from 2 to 3 p.m. | Lake Travis Community Library, 1938 Lohmans Crossing
More fun than a barrel of monkeys! Hey Lolly will put on an energetic and educational musical performance that is fun for the whole family. Sing together while you learn about other languages, the colors of the rainbow, nature, and more. Hey Lolly will be sure to have your toes tapping on Thursday, March 21st at 2pm at the Lake Travis Community Library.
Girl Advocacy Day
Friday, March 22 | from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | 1100 Congress Ave
Girl Advocacy Day inspires youth in grades 6-12 to be civically engaged and helps them develop their unique voice to advocate for themselves and their community. This day-long event will include a training on the power of advocacy, a review of the legislative process, interactive programming exploring issues that impact girls in our state, and the opportunity to connect with relatable role models who serve as state legislators.
We invite youth of all genders to participate in this free and inspiring day of learning and leadership. You do not need to be a current GEN program participant to attend Girl Advocacy Day, you just need to be passionate about gender justice!
Register today: https://bit.ly/2E1uGw4
Date: Friday, March 22
Time: 9AM-4PM
Location: Texas State Capitol (1100 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701)
Note: breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Asian Eats Night Market
Friday, March 22 through Sunday, March 23 | from 6 to 10 p.m. | ACC Highland, 6101 ACC Highland Campus Dr
Inspired by evening street markets common in east and Southeast Asia, GAACC looks to introduce the variety of Asian cuisine while inspiring entrepreneurs to bring lesser known Asian dishes to the market.This event will be a compelling educational experience of the diversity of Asia for Central Texans of all ages while bringing the Asian community together.
The night market will be organized as a walk through Asia, starting with the Middle East, through South Asia and Southeast Asia and ending with East Asia. We are naming the night market Asian Eats to build on our AsianEatsATX website and although Asian food will be the highlight, we will also have vendors selling products and local creative performances. To become a vendor, sponsor, performer, or volunteer in the inaugural Asian Eats Night Market please go to http://www.asianeatsatx.com/asian-eats-night-market. FREE admission and parking!
Art of H2O, a World Water Day Art Event
Friday, March 22 | from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. | J-Squared Studios, 1023 Springdale Rd
This one-of-a-kind Village event will showcase a variety of works by Austin-area artists, each donating a percentage of proceeds to our clean water projects. You’ll get to see the unveiling of a brand new Well Aware impact story campaign, connect with our loyal, incredible community, and meet new people who love impact + art! Clear your schedules on Friday, March 22nd and mark your calendar from 6-8:30pm for this evening filled with inspiration, community, and clean water impact. Food, drinks. music and great vibes will be provided. All you need to bring is yourself- and some good friends.
Blair Woods Family Nature Day
Saturday, March 23 | from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Blair Woods Sanctuary, 5401 E MLK Jr Blvd
Join Travis Audubon for a morning of educational activities at Blair Woods Sanctuary, a natural oasis in east Austin! This Nature Day will be all about celebrating urban birds, so come prepared to learn about the birds you can see around Austin! Snacks and water will be provided, and every guest has a chance to win a Travis Audubon prize package! This event is free and open to the public. Direct any questions about this event to Caley Zuzula at [email protected]. This is a weather-dependent event, so if there is rain Saturday morning check out this page for the event status.
Parking for this event will be at Heritage Pointe Apartments (1950 Webberville Rd.). Once you enter the gate to the complex, continue driving left through the parking lot until you see a Travis Audubon sign, which is located next to a gate that leads to Blair Woods. You may use any visitor-assigned parking. We thank Heritage Pointe for kindly allowing us to use their parking for this event!
Austin Kid’s Directory 4th Annual Spring Fair
Saturday, March 23| from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Austin Sports Center, 1420 Toro Grande Blvd
Austin Kid’s Directory is hosting the 4th annual Spring Fair where guests can meet their advertisers who will be offering information about summer camps, schools, childcare, family activities, medical services and more. There will be prizes, giveaways, freebies, hands-on activities and entertainers. While there you can also find some great bargains at the Fairytale Threads Spring Consignment Sale.
Tech Familia
Saturday, March 23 | from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | APL – Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd
Tech Familia
AI | Artificial Intelligence
Recommended for ages 7-12
Latinitas and the Ruiz Branch of the Austin Public Library welcome the entire family to participate in eight weeks of FREE workshops to explore technology. Recommended for ages 7 and up. No registration is required.
Latinitas y la Biblioteca Ruiz de la Biblioteca Pública de Austin invitan a toda la famila a participar en ocho semanas de talleres GRATIS para explorar tecnología y descubrir algo nuevo. Recomendado para mayores de 7 años.
STEMboree
Saturday, March 30 | from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Frank Fickett Scout Service and Training Center, 12500 North IH 35
Join a FREE day of STEM-filled excitement for ALL AGES at the Frank Fickett Scout Training & Service Center (12500 North IH 35) with tons of hands-on activities, science demos, and more! Companies and organizations from across Austin and beyond will be hosting booths and showing off how they use STEM. 9 AM to 3 PM. STEM patches and t-shirts and food available for purchase.
Donk Contest
Saturday, March 30 | from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. | Capital Plaza, 5600 North IH 35
The annual Texas Relays Car Show and Donk Contest is a celebration of vehicles, family fun, and culture. The Donk Contest originally began at Highland Mall where cars would gather during the Texas Relays rally weekend. The car show started as an organic event with no event organizers. Everyone in Texas knew to be at Highland Mall on the Saturday of Relays weekend to see the coolest cars in Texas. This all changed in 2015 when the mall was closed down. Without a place to congregate, we realized the show may come to a premature end. That’s why the Donk Contest was created.
We aim to create a similar experience to the original Highland Mall shows that many of us looked forward to for years. Come see slabs, donks, foreigns, and more. Plenty of prizes and free admission. As always there will also be some surprise guests and judges. So don’t miss out!
Texas Night Sky Festival
Saturday, March 30 | from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. | Dripping Springs Ranch Park & Event Center, 1042 Event Center Dr
Celebrate the night with the return of Texas’ most loved star-studded celebration—The Texas Night Sky Festival®! This bi-annual event will be held Saturday, March 30, from noon to 11 p.m. at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park and Event Center. This FREE family friendly celebration of the Texas night sky offers something for everyone, from kids to nature lovers to astronomers. The festival will feature fun daytime and nighttime activities including solar observations, mobile planetariums, demonstrations of glare-reducing lighting, opportunities to meet astronomers, tales of the night sky from indigenous cultures, delicious food, live music, and a good, old-fashioned Star Party. Festival goers also won’t want to miss hearing from world-renowned speakers and music by headliner Terri Hendrix. On Sunday, March 31, 2019, night sky advocates are invited to participate in a workshop led by the International Dark-Sky Association at the festival location. For more information about the event, please visit www.TexasNightSkyFestival.org or like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TexasNightSkyFestival
Blanton Block Party 2019
Saturday, March 30 | from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Blanton Museum of Art, 200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Join us for a free day-to-night community festival to kick off Spring and celebrate the big changes on our block. Explore our epic exhibition Words/Matter: Latin American Art and Language at the Blanton and be inspired by the creative ways artists have merged visual art and language. The Blanton Block Party is the perfect fusion of live music and world-class art, providing outdoor family art activities, local food, and tours throughout the day.
LIVE MUSIC: Austin music favorites including *Black Fret grant recipients will perform throughout the day. ART ACTIVITIES: Get creative and participate in a variety of activities throughout the museum including Industry Print Shop bandana printing, The Dirty Easel painting, and outdoor family programs. We’ll also be applying *Words/Matter-themed temporary tattoos while supplies last! TOURS: Pick up a ticket for a guided tour of the exhibition *Words/Matter: Latin American Art and Language at the Blanton. FOOD / DRINK: Enjoy tasty bites for purchase from Pueblo Viejo and Hummus Among Us, or satisfy your sweet tooth with treats from Pinkberry. The Blanton Café will also provide a variety of choices, and drinks will be available for purchase via The North Door. Cash or credit is accepted.
Shenandoah Kite Festival
Sunday, March 31 | from 3 to 6 p.m. | Shenandoah Baptist Church, 3003 Blue Ridge Dr
You are invited to Shenandoah Kite Fest. Come spend the day as a family and fly a kite! We will have free food, music, and a bounce house. Bring your own kite or borrow one of ours! This is a free event.
Now get out there and enjoy all of these FREE March events in Austin. Need more fun? Be sure to check out the Free Fun in Austin calendar and the Austin.com calendar for a wide variety of March events (not all events are free).
