This weekend, head to South Congress for the Carnival O Pizza, visit with artists participating in the East Austin Studio Tour, do a little holiday shopping, and enjoy fall family fun days at area museums!
The Weekend Top 10 is brought to you by Avery Ranch Holiday Bazaar, which is coming up on Saturday, November 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Looking for local, handmade holiday gifts? Saddle up for Avery Ranch’s 10th Annual Holiday Bazaar! Come out and find unique food trucks, jewelry, ceramics, woodworking, personalized items, wreaths, green gifts, bath and body, original paintings and much more! There will be a photographer taking family holiday pictures with a beautiful backdrop and no sitting fee, a photo booth, games, and entertainment. Shop local and support local crafters and businesses, on the Morningside Amenity Center lawn in Avery Ranch (14100 Morgan Creek Drive, Austin, 78717).
Weekend Top 10 Free Events in Austin:
- The Music Man – Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. By turns wicked, funny, warm, romantic, and touching, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best. Meredith Willson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957 and is a family-friendly story to be shared with every generation. FREE! Redeemer Lutheran School, 1500 W Anderson Ln, Austin.
- Close Assault 1944 – Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Remember the true meaning of Veterans Day with this stirring look back at World War II. Close Assault 1944 honors the service and sacrifice of America’s veterans by focusing on the history of the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard during World War II. Show times are at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. both days. The 45,000 square-foot Texas Military Forces Museum will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. during the weekend and on Memorial Day. Both the program and admission to the museum are FREE! Camp Mabry, 2200 W 35th St, Austin.
- EAST: East Austin Studio Tour – Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Big Medium’s East Austin Studio Tour is a FREE, annual, self-guided art event spanning across two weekends in November. EAST provides opportunities for the public to meet the local artists and artisans of Austin in their creative spaces. View EAST catalog and map here.
- 11th Annual Home Slice Carnival O Pizza – Saturday from Noon to 7:00 p.m. Come one, come all for an afternoon of pizza-themed fun. A celebration of Home Slice’s love for all things pizza, this FREE family-friendly event will have over-the-top pizza-themed activities, entertainment, live music, and exciting prizes, with all proceeds benefiting this year’s non-profit recipient: Austin Bat Cave. Home Slice Pizza, 1415 S Congress Ave, Austin.
- Fall Family Fun Day – Saturday from 1-4:00 p.m. Bring the kids to the Museum to welcome two new art pieces to the grounds of the Ney in Fall family style. There will be refreshments and sculpting activities, storytelling, face painting, and much more. FREE! Elisabet Ney Museum, 304 E 44th St, Austin.
- Free Admission to Texas State Parks – All day Sunday. In honor of both active and retired military, daily entrance fees at Texas State Parks will be waived for all visitors Sunday, November 13. Parks will be hosting guided hikes, bird walks and other programs throughout the day. For a full list of events, visit the Texas State Park calendar page. A map of all Texas State Parks is available here. FREE!
- UMLAUF Family Day – Sunday from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Explore the collection, create art, listen to stories, practice yoga, watch sculpture demos, enjoy live music, and more. FREE! Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E Lee Rd, Austin.
- Bliss Bash Community Celebration – Sunday from 1-5:00 p.m. Join Bliss Kid Yoga for a family friendly day of FREE fun. From yummy Tiff’s Treats to AcroYoga and live music to crafts, there is sure to be some fun for everyone. Moontower Saloon, 10212 Manchaca Rd, Austin.
- Community Art Sunday: Home – Sunday from 2-5:00 p.m. The activities and artwork by Creative Action students will be focused on the theme of “Home” and address relevant social issues like food insecurity, homelessness, and healthy relationships. The family-friendly day will include: a communal embroidery project, photography and film screenings, a poetic fabric installation, Matisse-inspired paper collages and paper-marbling workshops, a customized button-making station, one-of-a-kind live sketches, Google Fiber VR “field trips,” heritage photo displays and flower crown-making with Latinitas, plus free snacks, beverages, Oskar Blues beer, wine, and cheese. FREE! Center for Creative Action, 2921 E 17th St, Bldg B, Austin.
- Planet Music Presents Soul Sunday – Sunday at 6:00 p.m. If Sundays have you down in the dumps, shake it all out with two award winning blues/funk/soul/rock bands. The evening will kick off with May Sun & Mojo House and finish with Tomar & The FCs. Family friendly and FREE! Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd, Austin.
Bonus Shopportunities:
- Avery Ranch Holiday Bazaar
– Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Looking for local, handmade holiday gifts? Saddle up for Avery Ranch’s 10th Annual Holiday Bazaar! Come out and find unique food trucks, jewelry, ceramics, woodworking, personalized items, wreaths, green gifts, bath and body, original paintings and much more! There will also be a photographer taking family holiday pictures with a beautiful backdrop and no sitting fee, a photo booth, games, and entertainment. Shop local, support local crafters and businesses. Admission is FREE! MAC Lawn in Avery Ranch, 14100 Morgan Creek Drive, Austin. - Artreach Ethical Gift Fair – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Shop, learn, and connect at the 9th annual Artreach and discover handcrafted gifts that give back. Shop for globally sourced, fair trade accessories, home goods, clothes, and food; learn from inspiring speakers; and connect with like-minded people at our fair trade cafe. Admission is FREE! Westover Hills Church, 8332 Mesa Dr, Austin.
A Chance to Serve:
- Service-a-Thon – Saturday, November 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Children and their families will spearhead a community “Service-a-Thon” to benefit local charities and their school, Regina Mater. Instead of a walk-a-thon or bike-a-thon, these students will lead a variety of service projects that directly impact the needs of the participating charities, such as crafting handmade blankets and care packages for babies and hospitalized children. The public is invited participate in the service projects, learn about area charities, and bid in a silent auction. Charities include Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Meals on Wheels, Dell Children’s Hospital, Catholic Charities Project Gabriel, and St. Louise House. See a preview of the projects. Our Lady’s Maronite Catholic Church, 1320 E. 51 st . St., Austin.
More Events Beyond Austin:
- The Traveling Wall (Pflugerville) – Friday (24 hours), Saturday (24 hours), and Sunday until 3:00 p.m. The City of Pflugerville hosts The Traveling Wall exhibit from the American Veterans Traveling Tribute during the week of Veterans Day. It is an 80% scale version, at 360 feet wide, of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. and includes every name that is on the permanent wall. Open for public viewing 24 hours a day, visitors will be able to find names on the wall by means of computer software on site. Paper for name rubbings will be provided free. FREE! Pfennig Park, 1301 W Pfennig Lane, Pflugerville.
- 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.
- Hands on History (Georgetown) – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. On November 6, 1860, Lincoln won a close race for President. Visit the museum to learn about the impact of trains on elections. FREE! Williamson Museum, 716 S Austin Ave, Georgetown.
- Round Rock Diwali Festival – Saturday from 3-10:00 p.m. There will be music, Indian food, and dance, lots of dance. There will be instructors to teach you the Garba Dance and there will be 2 hours of group Garba dance. You will also get opportunity to shop colorful handmade crafts, clothing, and jewelry from India. Admission is FREE! Centennial Plaza, 301 W Bagdad, Round Rock.
