- April 28, 2016

Weekend Top 10 FREE Events (April 29 – May 1, 2016)

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Weekend Top 10 Free Events - Free Fun in AustinFree fun in Austin this weekend:

  1. Stand Up for Children Saturday from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Spend a family-friendly day at Lady Bird Lake to Stand Up for Children. The main event will be held at the Rowing Dock with activities including games, team competitions, and a designated “Kidz Zone” sponsored by Trader Joe’s. Event is FREE but proceeds from pre-purchased watercraft rentals will benefit NCMECTX’s work to prevent child sexual exploitation and abduction in Texas. Check the Facebook event page for weather updates. Rowing Dock, 2418 Stratford Dr, Austin.
  2. World Tai Chi and Qigong Day – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Be part of this annual worldwide event to send a wave of peaceful, healing Qi around the world. Beginning in New Zealand at 10 a.m. in each time zone, ending in Hawaii. All levels and ages welcome. In case of rain, event will move indoors. FREE! Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd, Austin.
  3. Animal Facts Club – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Waller Creek Conservancy invites viewers of all ages to attend “The Biodiversity of Texas,” a production of Animal Facts Club. This one-hour, interactive, educational, art and science theatrical performance takes the audience on a journey through five Texas ecosystems and briefly goes back in time to see what Austin was like 100 million years ago. Plus, the performance will include a new look at Waller Creek showcasing bluegill fish, macro invertebrates, and more. There will also be activities and booths for the whole family to enjoy. The performance begins at 11:00 a.m. FREE! Palm Park, 711 East 3rd St, Austin.
  4. YMCA of Austin Family Play Day – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Enjoy a fun and active day in the park as a whole family while learning YMCA programs. Participate in activity booths like Craft Corner, Feather Friend Feeders, Water Safety Bash, and Minute to Win It, plus enjoy a 1K Family Fun Run around the lake. FREE! Mueller Lake Park, 4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin.
  5. Cinco de Mayo – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Celebrate with food, music, drinks, games, and more. Plus, celebrate El Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros with the Library’s fun literacy activities and crafts. Complete activities to earn a FREE book (while supplies last). FREE! Dove Springs Recreation Center, 5801 Ainez Dr, Austin.
  6. The Daytime Village at the iHeartCountry Festival – Saturday from 3-6:00 p.m. This FREE daytime event will feature live performances by Bobby Bones and The Raging Idiots, Granger Smith, LoCash, Chris Lane and Maren Morris.  The Daytime Village will also feature fan zones and interactive experiences by iHeartRadio’s brand partners. North Box Office Plaza of the Frank Erwin Center, 1701 Red River, Austin.
  7. Sensory Friendly Concert: Sonic Diversity to Celebrate Neurodiversity – Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The first Sensory Friendly Concert at UT will feature three groups that reflect the beautiful sonic diversity of the UT Butler School of Music, marking the end of Autism Acceptance Month with an opportunity to celebrate the joy in neurodiversity. All ages and neurologies are welcome at this FREE non-amplified concert – come and go as you wish, move and stim and vocalize, interact with the music in whatever way moves you. University of Texas Union, T-House Suite (3.312), 2247 Guadalupe St, Austin.
  8. Austin Dragon Boat Festival – Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Watch spectacular 40-foot long boats racing to recreate a two-thousand year old Chinese tradition on Austin’s beautiful Lady Bird Lake. FREE for spectators. Festival Beach, 2101 Jesse E Segovia St, Austin.
  9. H-E-B Free First Sunday: Journey Into Big Bend – Sunday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. At May’s Free First Sunday, you can explore Texas’s ancient past by getting hands-on with fossils; make sun print works of art with plants native to the Big Bend region; meet staff from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and discover how they have worked to help improve Big Bend landscapes; learn how to take a great nature photograph with Smudge Studios and then try out your skills with a challenge in the Museum’s exhibits; listen to a story about camping with good friends then start packing your bag to set out on the trail; visit the Whole Foods Market Tasting Kitchen in Our Global Kitchen and get tips for a healthy camping recipe from Common Threads. Enjoy FREE exhibition admission all day. Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N Congress Ave, Austin.
  10. Sunday Funday: Lightbulbs, Leyden Jars, and More – Sunday from 1-4:00 p.m. Conduct simple (and safe) experiments with static and dynamic electricity while imagining what life was like for Austinites before, during, and after electricity’s increasing availability in the beginning of the 20th century. With help from staff, kids can experiment with two early means of generating electricity: the Leyden Jar (static) and the Voltaic Pile (dynamic). They will also be able to build and test their own experimental light bulbs using batteries, graphite filaments, and mason jars. Rounding out the day’s displays, demonstrations of a Wimshurst machine and a simple electric motor/generator will let us look closer at both forms of electricity at work. FREE! Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel St, Austin.

Bonus nearly free fun:

  • What’s the Story, Steve?  Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Every Saturday, Move Your Tale and ColdTowne Theater collaborate to present What’s the Story, Steve?, a fully improvised, interactive journey through a story of the audience’s making, starring an improvising poodle named Steve Scott. This April, Steve presents April Flowers: Improvised Spring Stories. Silly, interactive and fun. Great for ages three and up. FREE with a suggested donation of $3-$5. ColdTowne Theater, 4803 Airport Blvd, Austin.

More fun beyond Austin:

  • Fairy Garden Fun Day (Round Rock) – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Join Kaleidoscope Toys for magical Fairyland Fun: dress up for the Fairy Costume Contest (winner will get a $25 gift certificate); make a flower crown; explore a fairies and flowers sensory tub; suggest a fairy name for the official naming of the new store fairy. FREE! Kaleidoscope Toys, 110 N IH 35, Ste 375, Round Rock.
  • Healthy Kids Day – Saturday, times vary by location. Greater Williamson County is encouraging all kids and parents to visit the Y and get ready for summer and beyond by committing to being active every day. The FREE event will take place at the Y locations in Cedar Park, Georgetown, Hutto, and Round Rock and feature activities such as health screenings, safety demonstrations, games, inflatables, summer program registrations, and much more. View times and locations here.
  • Lake Travis SpringFest (Bee Cave) – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. SpringFest is the biggest time in the smallest town. There will be kids performances on the main stage, live music beginning at 2:00 p.m., artisan shopping all day, and a Kidzone that will keep the kids busy for hours. Admission is FREE! Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd, Bee Cave.
  • All-Ages Edible Crafts (Cedar Park) – Saturday from 2-4:00 p.m. What is an edible book? Do you have to be an artist in the kitchen to make one? The truth is, edible books are easy to make. All materials and instructions will be provided, so all you have to do is get your hands dirty and have a blast. More advanced techniques will be demonstrated, but this event is for all ages. FREE! Cedar Park Library, 550 Discovery Blvd, Cedar Park.
  • Heritage House Ice Cream Social (Pflugerville) – Sunday from 1-4:00 p.m. Enjoy fresh homemade ice cream and a historic tour of the museum. FREE! Heritage House Museum, 901 Old Austin Hutto Rd, Pflugerville.
  • Cinco de Mayo Celebration (Pflugerville) – Sunday from 3-6 p.m. Enjoy games, activities, and music. FREE! See the flyer. Pflugerville Community Church, 1214 Pfennig Lane, Pflugerville.

For even more weekend fun, check out Free Date Nights in Austin, 60+ “Don’t Miss” May Events, and our Free Fun Calendar!