Shrek: the Musical – Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:15 p.m. Zilker Theatre Production’s summer musical is a cherished Austin cultural event. Shrek The Musical brings the beloved characters from the popular animated films to life on stage. Irreverently fun for the whole family, Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre. There is no charge for parking on Thursdays and Fridays. On Saturdays and Sundays, you must pay $5 per car at the meter. FREE; donations greatly appreciated. Bus Routes: 3, 30, 338, 803 will get you there! Plan your trip onlineor on your smartphone. Zilker Hillside Theater, 2201 Barton Springs Rd, Austin.
AISD Back to School Bash – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Presentations on safety and educational best practices will help prepare students and parents for the first day of school and beyond. Nurses from Dell Children’s/AISD Health Services will provide FREE vaccinations (families must present student shot records), and Kids Vision for Life Central Texas may be providing free vision exams and eyeglasses. FREE backpacks filled with school supplies (while supplies last) will be given to Austin ISD students (must be present to receive). Plus, there will be door prizes and more. FREE! View information on free shuttle buses here. Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin.
Austin Summer Musical for Children: The Big Bad Musical – Saturday at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The notorious Big Bad Wolf is being slapped with a class-action lawsuit by storybooks of quirky characters who want to get even: Little Red Riding Hood, her Grandmother, the Three Little Pigs and the Shepherd in charge of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. With Sydney Grimm as the commentator on live Court TV, the two greatest legal minds in the Enchanted Forest — the Evil Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother — clash in a trial that will be remembered forever after. Tickets available ONLY at the door 30 minutes before show times. FREE! George Washington Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina St, Austin.
Austin Duck Derby – Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Bring your family and watch 15,000 yellow adopted rubber ducks drop into Lady Bird Lake. Root the duckies on as they race to the finish line, winning exciting prizes for their lucky winners. Festivities will include family fun, music, games from Games2U, food trucks, face painting, and more. FREE to watch; $5.00 to adopt a duck to enter the race. Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge.
Summer Free Family Film Series: A Cat in Paris – Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Rife with film references (from Reservoir Dogs to Goodfellas to The Night of the Hunter) A Cat in Paris is a warm and richly humorous love letter to classic noir and American gangster films, with jazz soundtrack featuring Billie Holiday. Rated PG. All seats are available on a first come first served basis. FREE! Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N Congress Ave, Austin.
Austin Bollywood Day – Saturday from 6-8:00 p.m. Bollywood Day is a FREE festival showcasing Indian culture, Indian food, clothing, music, vendors, and contests. The festival will culminate in a record-breaking Bollywood dance attempt, where dancers and non-dancers alike participate in one massive dance number. This year the goal is 3000 people of all age groups and ethnicities dancing together. Help make it happen! Practice sessions for the dance will be held every hour on the hour at the venue. Texas State Capitol, 1100 Congress Ave, Austin.
National Breastfeeding Month Proclamation & Concert – Saturday from 6:30-9:00 p.m. Have a rockin’ good time celebrating National Breastfeeding Month in Austin with a proclamation from the mayor’s office. This breastfeeding and milk banking awareness concert, hosted by the Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin and Central Texas Breastfeeding Coalition, will feature music by Sophia Johnson, fun, and prizes. This family-friendly concert is open to all in the community. FREE! Central Market, 4001 N Lamar Blvd, Austin.
H-E-B Free First Sunday: Summertime – Sunday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. Enjoy FREE exhibition admission all day and special family programs from 12-3:00 p.m. Capture your favorite summer memories with a handmade piece of art with Smudge Studios. Enjoy a summertime-themed storytime and take something home to remember your summer adventures. Strike a pose with summer themed props and snap a picture to capture the memory. Plan your very own National Park with help from the Junior Ranger from Waco Mammoth National Monument. Review your favorite summer book and leave it behind for others to get ideas for their next summer read. FREE! Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N Congress Ave, Austin.
6th Annual Austin Splash Mob – Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Start dry, get wet! Bring your squirt guns, all filled up. Bring water balloons, a water cannon, laser-seeking water grenades, a truck with a water tank and hose, or whatever you’ve got. It’s going to be a soakin’ good time. FREE! 6th and Trinity Streets, Downtown Austin.
Concerts in the Park: Strings – Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Austin Symphony Hartman Foundation “Concerts in the Park” will return to the Long Center for a 14th season of FREE ensemble concerts on summer Sunday evenings. Each week, a different ensemble will be featured, performing music from jazz and light classical to pops selections and film scores. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and blanket and make it a group outing. Bus Routes: 1, 5, 7, 10, 20, 30, 801 will get you there! Plan your trip onlineor on your smartphone. Long Center Terrace, 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin.
More Events Beyond Austin
Music On the Square (Georgetown) – Friday at 6:30 p.m. The “Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas” will be the stage for FREE weekly Friday night concerts featuring regional musicians from June through August. Bring chairs or a blanket and beverages to enjoy music from jazz saxophonist Mike Hamilton. Georgetown Square.
Music in the Park: John Gaar Band(Pflugerville) – Friday at 7:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets, friends, and neighbors for a FREE evening of music, entertainment, and relaxation. Food will be available for purchase. Pfluger Park, 515 City Park Rd, Pflugerville.
Star Party (Cedar Park) – Friday at 9:00 p.m. Star gaze on a state-of-the art computer guided telescope. View through the telescope, take telescope assisted photos with your smartphone, and learn major stars and constellation positions along with the planets and moons. Learn how to read a star map, and much more. Weather permitting. FREE! Texas Museum of Science & Technology, 1220, Toro Grande Dr, Cedar Park.
