Kick off your Spring Break adventures with a weekend full of live music, art, history, and kite flying!
A big thanks to our sponsor MossFest! The MossFest Children’s Concert honors the life of Moss Pieratt, who loved music and passed away suddenly at 15 months old. This year’s MossFest is happening Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. during the ABC Zilker Kite Festival. The line-up includes: Barton Hills Choir, Big Don, Hey Lolly! (with puppets) and Trout Fishing in America. There will be other kid friendly activities like kite building, cupcake decorating, balloon art, and face painting. Admission is FREE!
Weekend Top 10 Free Events in Austin:
- SXSW Create (RSVP) – Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The hardware hacking and maker arm of SXSW is at it again with more space, more fun, and even more hands-on excitement. Doing creative and revolutionary things with new technologies embodies the spirit of the SXSW Interactive Festival, and nowhere is this more evident than the diverse mix of activities at SX Create. From 3D printing to drones to biohacking and much more, this community event showcases the disruptive solutions that are shaping our future. FREE with Guest Pass. No badge required. Palmer Event Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin.
- KUTX Live at Mueller – Friday at 7:00 p.m. Pack the blankets and saddle the Rody Horse because KUTX is headed back to Mueller for another round of music and fun for the whole family. KUTX and Mueller will bring you a kid-friendly act – The Hey Lolly Band – followed by rock ‘n’ roll for the grown-ups by Calliope Musicals. The music begins at 7:00 p.m., but face painting for the kids and food for purchase will be available before the show starts. FREE! Mueller Lake Park, 4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin.
- SWXMM Star Wars x Mike Mitchell – Friday from 7-10:00 p.m. Mondo’s first show of 2017, “Mondo x ACME Archives Present: SWXMM,” features celebrated artist Mike Mitchell’s brand new character portraits of some of the most beloved heroes and villains in the Star Wars universe. Rebel scum, scruffy nerf herders, Sith Lords, golden rods, laser brains, and more will be on display with Mitchell’s dignified and iconic portrait treatment. In addition to new prints, all of Mitchell’s previously released STAR WARS character portraits will be on display with a very limited number of each available for purchase. Open to the public and FREE! Mondo Gallery, 4115 Guadalupe St, Austin.
- Austin By Austin Kickoff Party – All day Saturday. Austin By Austin is a chance for artists, makers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to show what they do best and give the local community and visitors a chance to support local businesses and find the best hidden treasures Austin has to offer. The party kicks off with artist displays and events across three major AIBA IBIZ Districts: Lo Burn, North Loop, and North Drag. FREE! View event details and locations here.
- Rodeo Austin Rodeo Rumble – Saturday at 9:00 a.m. The Rodeo Austin Rodeo Rumble Kid’s 1K Fun Run is a FREE event for children ages 12 and under. Held in Luedecke Arena, children get the chance to race on the dirt where the cowboys and cowgirls compete each night. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. and the first heat of runners begins at 9:30 a.m. Travis County Expo Center – Luedecke Arena, 7311 Decker Ln, Austin.
- Guns of 1863 – Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Texas Military Forces Museum will commemorate the anniversary of the end of the Civil War with this special program. Visitors will get a chance to get an up close and personal look at how soldiers on both sides lived during the war, as well as see firing demonstrations of some of the Civil War’s most famous weapons. In addition, the museum’s living history volunteers will explain the uniforms and equipment used by the troops, why they carried flags into battle, and the role of drums and bugles in the war. The intricate maneuvers of infantry formations on the battlefield will also be demonstrated. Showtime is at 1:00 p.m. but the camp areas will be open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. FREE! Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry, 2200 W 35th St, Bldg 6, Austin.
- Art Free-for-All – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Get to know all The Contemporary Austin has to offer during this family-friendly open house. Make story-themed art to take home, play with chalkboard castles and lawn games, and enjoy demos and hands-on art-making with Art School instructors. Plus, check out sculptures on the grounds, hear performances by School of Rock, and purchase a delicious bite from on-site food trucks. FREE! Contemporary Austin at Laguna Gloria, 3809 W 35th St, Austin.
- ABC Kite Festival – Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Kicking off Spring for the past 88 years, the ABC Kite Fest is one of Austin’s best-known and oldest annual events. This year’s schedule features a full day of family-friendly activities, including live music during the 2nd Annual MossFest, so pack a picnic and bring the kids (and dogs) to be a part of the spectacular sight of hundreds of kites amongst the Austin skyline. FREE! Zilker Park, 2033 Lou Neff Rd, Austin.
- Family Day – Sunday from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Family Day offers families the chance to explore and create together. Explore the collection, create art, listen to stories, practice yoga, watch sculpture demos, enjoy live music, and more. This month, celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. FREE! UMLAUF Sculpture Garden and Museum, 605 Robert E Lee Rd, Austin.
- Yiddish Cowboys Concert – Sunday from 1:30-3:30 p.m. The Yiddish Cowboys perform the ethnic music of Eastern European Jews – known as klezmer music and sometimes thought of as Yiddish Wedding Music. It is lively, energetic and a great deal of fun. FREE! HEB Kosher Store, 7025 Village Center Dr, Austin.
Bonus Nearly Free Fun:
- PBS Kids at the Alamo: Odd Squad – Saturday and Sunday at 12:15 p.m. Join PBS KIDS favorite Mrs. O and the other Odd Squad Agents as they use math and reasoning skills to get to the bottom of some very strange cases. This show will feature several episodes from the series. Reserve your seat with a donation of $1-3, with all ticket sales benefitting education programs at your local PBS station. This is an all-ages show with Baby Day rules – noisy young fans won’t be asked to leave the theater. Cellphones and other devices must stay dark. Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter, 5701 W Slaughter Ln, Austin.
More Events Beyond Austin:
- Aladdin, Jr (Georgetown) – Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Presented by WATCH Homeschool Theater. FREE! First Baptist Church, 1333 W University Ave, Georgetown.
- Fancy Feathers 4-H 9th Annual Chicken Show (Dripping Springs) – Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. This is the only chicken show in Texas run by kids. There will be 800+ birds on display, raffles, a cluck off contest, as well as a special class of judging just for backyard chickens. Admission for spectators is FREE! Dripping Springs Ranch Park, 1042 Event Center Dr, Dripping Springs.
- Wolf Ranch Town Center Game Fest (Georgetown) – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Gamers of all ages are invited to enjoy complimentary video game play, live entertainment, food trucks and more. Kids can play classic and newly released video games inside Game Trucks featuring 20 gaming stations each. The trucks will be divided by age groups, 12 and under and 13 to 17. Guests must reserve 15-minute time slots in advance. Tickets must be presented at the registration table before entering. Attendees will also enjoy live entertainment from local musicians, giant table games, street laser tag, and virtual reality demonstrations. FREE! Wolf Ranch Town Center, 1015 W University Ave, Georgetown.
- Hands on History (Georgetown) – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Children can get up close and personal with the history of the county, learn something new, and create their own artifact. Learn about Taylor’s history with Rattlesnake Roundups and make your own toy snake. FREE for children of all ages. Williamson Museum, 716 S Austin Ave, Georgetown.
- Hill Country Kitetail Fest (Dripping Springs) – Saturday from Noon to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 6:00 p.m. The brilliant blue Hill Country sky deserves to be decorated with hundreds of colorful kites dancing in the wind. Welcome spring at the second annual Kitetail Fest. Flying skills are appreciated, but not required. There will be live music, face painting, and a balloon artist. Family friendly and FREE! Treaty Oak Distilling, 16604 Fitzhugh Rd, Dripping Springs.
