We’ve gathered up a list of the best free events to fill your long holiday weekend with fun. Block parties, art tours, festivals, and fireworks — get ready for an action packed weekend in Austin!
Looking for the Best 4th Of July Festivals & Fireworks in Austin? We’ve got you covered here.
Weekend Top 10 Free Events:
- Free Admission at the Umlauf – Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Through the generous donations of our community during Amplify Austin, the museum and garden will waive admission fees all summer long. Read about the Umlauf scavenger hunt for kids here. (Please note that the garden is closed on Monday.) FREE! Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E Lee Rd, Austin.
- in.gredients July First Friday Independence Block Party – Friday from 5-8:00 p.m. Enjoy a family-friendly night benefitting a great organization. Proceeds from in.gredients’ sales on first Fridays are donated every month to their Community Partner, Workers Defense Project. In addition to a monster Slip n’ Slide, there will be live music by Dry Sky & Kyote and a tap-takeover by Real Ale Brewing Company. Bring the kiddos for the balloon twister making balloon animals and hats. Plus, games, chair massages, and more. Admission is FREE! in.gredients, 2610 Manor Rd, Austin.
- Summer Celebration – Friday at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to celebrate with games, music, and hot dogs. The Minions movie will start at 8:30 p.m. FREE! Metz Rec Center, 2407 Canterbury St, Austin.
- Staci Gray Kids Show – Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Bring the whole family to this awesome Austin venue for music and bubbles. FREE! Strange Brew, Lounge Side, 5326 Manchaca Rd, Austin.
- Time Capsule Day – Saturday from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Have you ever wanted to go back in time? Spend an afternoon assembling important moments from 2016 to be remembered in the future. Attendees will complete personal packets and go home with a time capsule of their own to be opened in 2020. All materials provided, but participants are welcome to bring photos, mementos, and small items from home to add to their time capsules; whatever fits in a 9×12 envelope is welcome. Light refreshments and interesting facts from the present will be served. All ages welcome. FREE! APL – University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln, Austin.
- Landmarks Public Art Tour: The Meaning of Color – Sunday at 10:00 a.m. It’s America’s birthday and time to celebrate Old Glory. Colors like the red, white, and blue of our nation’s flag have strong symbolic meaning and are carefully chosen by artists. Join Landmarks for a docent-led tour and explore how and why artists use color in monumental outdoor sculpture. Meet at at Peter Reginato’s Kingfish sculpture. FREE! Walter Cronkite Plaza, 2504 Whitis Ave, Austin.
- The Hey Lolly Band – Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Laura Freeman’s rainbowlicious, puddle-stomping, monster-marching kids music will get you dancing. FREE! Cherrywood Coffeehouse, 1400 E 38th 1/2 St, Austin.
- Chaand Raat Festival – Sunday from 7-11:00 p.m. This celebration of the last day of Ramadan will feature Eid shopping, henna, nail art, food, kids’ activities, games, and much more. Admission is FREE! Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd, Austin.
- Free Admission to The LBJ Presidential Library – Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To ensure President Johnson’s wish for the library to “be available to all,” entrance fees are waived on several days during the year, including 4th of July. FREE! LBJ Presidential Library, 2313 Red River St, Austin.
- Austin Symphony’s July 4th Concert and Fireworks – Monday at 8:30 p.m. Grab a picnic and a blanket and head to Vic Mathias Shores to declare your Independence! The ASO will perform at 8:30 p.m., followed by “mile-high” fireworks at approximately 9:30 p.m. FREE! Find parking information here. Vic Mathias Shores, 800 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 Square Tones Band. Georgetown Square.
- 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.
- Sing Along Saturday Movie Matinee: High School Musical (Pflugerville) – Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Spend a Saturday singing along to a favorite movie musical. FREE! Pflugerville Public Library, 1008 Pfluger St W, Pflugerville.
- Bollywood Dance Showcase (Cedar Park) – Saturday from 3-4:30 p.m. All ages are invited to experience the fun and excitement of Bollywood with this dance showcase from local dance studio Monsoon Dance. FREE! Cedar Park Library, 550 Discovery Blvd, Cedar Park.
- Chalk it Up! (Elgin) – Sunday from 6-7:30 p.m. Children are invited to decorate Veterans’ Memorial Park with drawings for the parade. Chalk will be provided and awards given for the best drawings. FREE! Veterans’ Memorial Park, 109 Depot St, Elgin.
