- January 29, 2015

Weekend Top 10 FREE Events (Jan 31-Feb 1)

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  1. Free Day of Dance – Saturday, January 31. Chose from more than 150 FREE classes offered in ballroom, social dancing, and solo dance styles at locations all over town! Classes are offered for all levels and no partner is needed! Just pick a class and dress comfortably. See the 2015 Free Day of Dance schedule.
  2. MakerSpace Mania – Saturday, January 31, from 9 a.m. – noon. Families are invited to attend this fun reading event that will help inspire children to become lifelong readers. MakerSpace Mania will feature fair-style booths with a guide providing instructions on making take-away reading resources.  Attendees will learn how to make useful literacy tools from recycled and upcycled materials. Makers can learn to make bookmarks, books, and book art. MakerSpace Mania will let every child take home a FREE book. Special guest and local writer Niki Loftin will read from her book and share her reading and writing experiences. There will also be light snacks and raffles.  Lanier High School, 1201 Payton Gin Road, Austin.
  3. STREAM Fest (San Marcos) – Saturday, January 31, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. STREAM Fest will showcase the arts and creative pursuits that exist within Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. There will be fun activities, performances, and crafts for kids of all ages! Activities will take place at both the Activity Center (501 East Hopkins St) and San Marcos Public Library (625 E. Hopkins St). Ongoing at the Activity Center from 11-4: SCIENCE (Rock Salt Watercolor Painting, Color Mixing with Light and Transparencies, Abstract Drawings from Microscope Projections); TECHNOLOGY (Imagination Station’s Stop Motion Animation, 3D Printing demonstration); READING/WRITING (Calligraphy, Comics and Manga, Paper Engineering: Pop-up Card-making and Shadow Puppets); ENGINEERING (Freestyle Building Station, Make and Take Structure Building, Artistic Robots); ART (Freestyle Art Space, Collaborative Drawing, Printmaking, Reflective Drawings, Face Painting); MATHEMATICS (3D Modular Kirigami Paper Puzzles & Tangrams, Tessellations, Photo Symmetry, Inkblot Mandalas). Scheduled Events at the Library: Scott Wade with Dirty Car Art demo (11-3); Terri Hendrix kids concert (11); Anansi and the Talking Melon Puppet Show (12); Science Sensations Stations (1); Lego Mania (2-4).
  4. Alamo Kid’s Club: Ernest Goes to Jail  Saturday, January 31 at 11 a.m. Children age 3 and up and their adults are invited to attend a FREE Alamo Kid’s Club screening of Ernest Goes to Jail (PG). No children under the age of 3 will be allowed and families with loud children will be asked to leave. This screening is absolutely FREE, but tickets are distributed at the Box Office on a first come, first served basis. Arrive early to ensure you get seats. Showtimes are subject to change, so be sure to check the Alamo Drafthouse website to verify details before heading out. Alamo South Lamar1120 S Lamar Blvd., Austin.
  5. Excessive Noise Concert – Saturday, January 31 at 6 p.m. The first Excessive Noise concert of 2015 will feature chamber music for winds including “Jabberwock” by current Butler School of Music (BSOM) DMA student Chris Prosser; “Poco Adagio” by BSOM alumnus Russell Podgorsek; and performances by rising stars at the Butler School of Music including the Graduate Saxophone Quartet, the Aero Quintet, and current DMA students Charlotte Daniel (flute) and Chad Ibison (guitar).The event is FREE and open to the public, and $3 parking permits are available for attendees. Fine Arts Library, 2306 Trinity Street (map), Austin.
  6. Landmarks Public Art Tour – Sunday, February 1 at 11 a.m. Join Landmarks student docents from the University of Texas for a walking tour of the public art collection and get a sneak peek of the new Monochrome for Austin. Meet at Mark di Suvero’s Clock Knot near East Dean Keeton Street and Speedway to learn about the materiality of large-scale sculptures and the effect they have on surrounding space. FREEEast Dean Keeton Street and Speedway, Austin.
  7. Free First Sundays: WeatherFest at the Bullock Museum – Sunday, February 1, from 12-3 p.m. Keep weather on your radar at this event co-presented by the Bullock Museum and Time Warner Cable News. WeatherFest is part of the Bullock’s Free First Sundays, held the first Sunday of the month. Families can explore the Story of Texas through three floors of exhibitions that showcase artifacts from around the state. From noon until 3 p.m., the family can enjoy WeatherFest, featuring hands-on science experiments by Girlstart, weather-related films and panel discussions, and family-friendly activities. Free First Sundays take place from noon until 5 p.m. and WeatherFest takes place from noon until 3 p.m. FREE! Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave., Austin.
  8. Family Day at the Umlauf – Sunday, February 1, from 12-4 p.m. First Sundays offer a special, hands-on program designed for families with children, ages four to 15 years old. Families have the opportunity to explore the Umlauf collection and exhibitions in the garden and museum while engaging in creative activities. The theme of the February Family Day is “Let’s Celebrate Urban Birds!” For the schedule, click here. FREE! Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, 605 Robert E. Lee Road, Austin.
  9. Sunday-Fundays: Old-Fashioned Valentine – Sunday, February 1, from 1-4 p.m. Every first Sunday of the month the Neill-Cochran House Museum will be open to the public. Each Sunday will include an activity highlighting a theme that embodies both the history of Texas and the Neill-Cochran House Museum. Walk-through tours of the house will also be available. FREE!  Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel Street, Austin.
  10. The Passionate Piano – Sunday, February 1 at 2:30 p.m. You can be sure to enjoy Dr. Michael Schneider’s expressive performance through a passionate journey of solo piano music by Brahms, Liszt, Bolcom and Paderewski. Families with young children are always welcome! Admission is FREE but donations will be accepted at the door. First Baptist Church of Austin, 901 Trinity St., Austin.
Did you know January is Get Organized month?
  • Clear Your Clutter Day – Saturday, January 31, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The public is invited to drive by and drop off one carload per household of: Paper (up to five boxes) to be shredded on site; Home remodeling/repair items (working appliances, plumbing and lighting fixtures, bricks and clean lumber) for Habitat For Humanity Re-Store; Used and broken computer parts, components, and other electronics for Global Material Recycling; Flattened moving boxes for Square Cow Movers; Mobility assistance devices (wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, shower chairs, etc.) for AGE of Central Texas; Professional interview-ready suits, blouses, dresses, handbags and dress shoes for Dress For Success; Usable unwanted items (furniture, books, clothes, rugs, art, etc.) for Settlement Home; Non-usable unwanted items for Junk-Busters USA. Flammable, corrosive, toxic, poisonous, reactive, or explosive materials (including paint and batteries) cannot be accepted at this event. FREE! Bethany United Methodist Church, 10010 Anderson Mill Rd, Austin.
Plus, you can support the Muscular Dystrophy Association:
  • 2015 Austin MDA Musicfest – Saturday, January 31, from 1-7 p.m. Stop by this FREE event to promote awareness and fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Association… and support of Amadeo’s Army! Music includes Mr. Will (1:30), Josh Buckley (3), Harvest Thieves (4:30), and Graham Wilkinson Music & Shawn Nelson Music (6). Fun includes a cakewalk, a raffle, a Kids’ Corner with cool games and a Photo Booth. The ABGB, 1305 W Oltorf St, Austin.
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