Free Fun in Austin This Weekend:
- Ballet Under the Stars – Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. The beautiful setting of Zilker Park will become the backdrop of Les Sylphides, a ballet blanc. Arrive early and share picnics with friends and family under the beautiful evening sky. The dancers will begin warming up an hour before the show and this provides a wonderful opportunity to see the preparations they make to create art with their bodies. Concessions will be available for purchase. FREE! Zilker Hillside Theater, 2201 Barton Springs Rd, Austin.
National Trails Day – All day Saturday. Join Austin Parks Foundation, Hill Country Conservancy, and Texas Conservation Corps for National Trails Day. Volunteer to complete trail work, join an educational guided hike, or help improve some of Austin’s trails and green spaces. Check out the full list of projects to find one that’s right for you. FREE! Locations all over Austin.Postponed until June 11, due to weather.Bubblepalooza! – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Activities include live music from the Kupira Marimba, The Biscuit Brothers, and Big Don; theatre for the very young (0-4 years) presented by Pollyanna Theatre Company; food trucks; arts and crafts; local vendors; a coloring corner; face painting; plus ticket giveaways and specials throughout the day. Admission is FREE! Long Center Terrace, 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin.Postponed until July 16, due to weather.- School’s Out for Summer – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Celebrate the end of a successful school year with FREE admission to the museum for everyone. Chat with a paleontologist and have your fossil finds identified (9:00 a.m. to noon and 1-4:00 p.m.) Young paleontologists can make their own discoveries in the fossil dig pit from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Texas Memorial Museum, 2400 Trinity St, Austin.
- Milwood Branch Reopening – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Bring the whole family for a puppet show, balloon art, and face painting to celebrate the reopening of the Milwood Branch after a complete renovation. FREE! APL – Milwood Branch, 12500 Amherst Dr, Austin.
- APL Bike Crawl – North Side – Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Bike crawl route will include stops at Old Quarry, Yarborough, Recycled Reads, and North Village. For a map of the APL branches, click here. Enjoy snacks and drinks, including breakfast tacos, at Old Quarry Branch, the starting location, and a small party beginning at 1:00 p.m. at North Village Branch, the end location, including tables with local bike organizations. FREE! APL – Old Quarry Branch, 7051 Village Center Dr, Austin.
- Austin Refugee Day Festival – Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The festival will include 5-on-5 soccer matches (register here); kids’ activities including a Velcro wall, bounce houses, multilingual cartoons, face painting, and outdoor games; and information and resource booths. Food will be available for purchase. Admission and activities are FREE! Givens Park, 3811 E 12th St, Austin.
- H-E-B Free First Sunday at The Bullock – Sunday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. Be part of the Bullock Museum’s 15th anniversary in this day-long celebration. Enjoy live music, games, and activities for the whole family plus special sweets and treats from H-E-B, from 12-3:00 p.m. Strut on the Future Texans Walk of Fame with props you create with Smudge Studios. Create a unique butterfly to contribute to the Museum’s Butterfly Project. Travel through Museum exhibitions to meet costumed interpreters, stop for a chat, and hear stories of what Texas was like in days past. FREE! Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N Congress Ave, Austin.
- Echo and the Bats – Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Dance along with Austin’s first all Youth Librarian Band. You’ve seen their storytimes, now hear some of your favorite kids’ books put to music. Familiar stories, familiar tunes, all new fun for the whole family. FREE! APL – Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St, 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. Long Center Terrace, 701 W Riverside Dr, Austin.
Bonus Nearly Free Fun:
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Woodland Faerie Trail – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. The award-winning, 4th annual Woodland Faerie Trail features faerie homes and gardens created by Austin area gardeners, architects, artisans, businesses, clubs, families, and school groups. FREE with Garden admission, which is $1-3 (for ages 3+). Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd, Austin.
- The Big Baby Bash & Family Jam – Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The Big Baby Bash & Family Jam is a family-friendly event for new and expectant parents from all over the Austin area. The event allows parents and parents-to-be to explore new products and services and listen to highly regarded speakers in the prenatal to preschool realm. Children are welcome and will enjoy activities like music classes, Spanish, and sports. Giveaways for the first 100 people! Tickets are $5 in advance; $10 at the door. Kids get in FREE! NW Rec Center, 2913 Northland Drive, Austin.
More Fun 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 the series kick-off with music from the Georgetown Pipes and Drums. Georgetown Square.
- Star Party (Cedar Park) – Friday at 8:00 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.
- Kidfish (Pflugerville) – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. KIDFISH works to teach children a deep appreciation for the sport of fishing, as well as awareness and respect for the conservation of the environment and its natural resources. Prizes are awarded to the 1st and 2nd place winners in each age group who catch the longest fish. Registration forms are available online; bring your completed forms to the lake on the morning of the event. A limited amount of free poles, bait, and tackle are available on a first-come, first-served basis. FREE! Lake Pflugerville – South Shore, 18216 Weiss Ln, Pflugerville.
- Maker Pfest (Pflugerville) – Saturday from 2-5:00 p.m. Explore the new Pfab Lab, enjoy demos, and experience hands-on activities at Maker Pfest. The library will have featured guests showcasing their skills and staff will be on hand to help attendees with craft projects. All ages are welcome. FREE! Pflugerville Public Library, 1008 W Pflugerville St, Pflugerville.
- Saturday Night Concert Series: Midnight River Choir (Bee Cave) – Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Bring your family, friends, and a blanket to lounge on the grassy lawn during the show. Browse the vendors, order to-go food and have it delivered to your spot on the lawn, and enjoy FREE kids’ activities like face painting or balloon twisters. Arrive early to ensure you get a FREE swag bag filled with fun items and discounts from the Hill Country Galleria merchants and sponsors. FREE! Check the Facebook page for weather updates. Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd, Bee Cave.
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