This weekend in Austin, enjoy free concerts, a free movie in the park, a free play, star parties, a pumpkin hunt and more!
Weekend Top 10 Free Events in Austin:
- First Friday Block Party – Friday from 6-10:00 p.m. Join in.gredients for a FREE, family-friendly night of gathering the community around live music and a good cause. PDL Band (Worker’s Defense Project House Band), Amy Cook, and Brand New Key will be playing on the porch. Zilker Brewing Company will be there for a tap take-over. Get a chair massage from Devon of One Love Healing Center, check out the weird, wandering bookmobile from Fifth Dimension Books, and celebrate Fair Trade month with samples from Equal Exchange. A portion of the evening’s sales will be donated to Workers Defense Project. in.gredients, 2610 Manor Rd, Austin.
- Movies at Lake Park: Disney’s Mulan – Friday at 7:00 p.m. Screening of Disney’s Mulan will begin at dusk. Arrive early for a performance from The Love of China Dance School at 7:00 p.m. Complimentary kettle corn will also be served at this time. Grab your friends, family, blankets and enjoy a fun evening under the stars. FREE! Mueller Lake Park, 4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin.
- Sábados en Familia | Family Saturdays – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Enjoy a day filled with arts and wellness classes. Six classes will be offered; each geared toward either Pre-K, youth (4-12), and teens/adults so the whole family can spend the day in an enriching cultural experience. FREE lunch will be provided at noon. Ages 4+ welcome. FREE! Bus Routes: 17, 21, 22 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. ESB-MACC, 600 River St, Austin.
- Family Programs: Tall Tales (RSVP) – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Once upon a time, you came to this storytelling workshop at The Contemporary Austin, where you learned to write your own scintillating story with the help of Austin Bat Cave, a creative writing organization. You made a crafty comic book to take home and participated in a little improv theater before you headed on home to live happily ever after. FREE with RSVP. Laguna Gloria, 3809 W 35th St, Austin.
- Star Wars Reads Day – Saturday from 2-4:30 p.m. Join fellow force-wielders in lightsaber and nerf ‘blaster’ games, run sphero BB8 on a maze challenge and make a mini lightsaber. Wear your best Jedi or Sith robes to Padawan storytime, then stay for the costume contest and capture your moment of victory at the Galaxy photobooth. Fans of all ages can celebrate this widely loved Sci-Fi universe together. Make new friends and have fun with reading and activities while enjoying refreshments. FREE! APL – Windsor Park Branch, 5833 Westminster Dr, Austin.
- The Arkansaw Bear (RSVP) – Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Arkansaw Bear by Aurand Harris is a marvelous and daring play that tells the story of a little girl named Tish who meets the world’s greatest dancing bear. The Arkansaw Bear is targeted to grades 2-6, but is appropriate for the whole family. FREE with ticket reservation. Austin Playhouse at ACC’s Highland Campus, 6001 Airport Blvd, Austin.
- Classical Music for the World Fall Concert – Saturday at 4:00 p.m. All ages are invited to hear Strings Gifts, which presents works by Mozart, Ravel, and Halvorsen performed by CMFW Artistic Director Francesco Mastromatteo, Violincello, and his sister Maria Saveria Mastromatteo, Violin. Open to all ages and FREE! Oak Hill United Methodist Church, 7815 W Hwy 290 West, Austin.
- Southpark After Dark Fall Concert Series – Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The third show in the series features Vallejo, a Latin rock band. This is a family friendly event with live music, a play area, and restaurant patios with a view. FREE! The Grove at Southpark Meadows, 9600 S IH 35, Austin.
- Mother Goose on the Loose – Sunday at 2:00 p.m. So long ago that no one really remembers when or how, Mother Goose flew into our lives. She brought with her a world of imagination, songs, and stories so dear to our hearts that it seems they’ve always been with us. Enjoy the ride as Literature Live! lifts off into the wild blue yonder of words that rhyme and ring with tradition. Recommended for ages 3 and up. FREE! APL – Faulk Central Library, 800 Guadalupe St, Austin.
- Storybook Dance Making – Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Read Bob and Flo, learn to dance like a penguin, and play games with your family. Storybook Dance Making consists of a warmup, game, reading, dance making, and mini-performance with your family. Taught by a Dance Waterloo artist, this class is aligned with the National Core Arts Standards in Dance. RSVP is recommended but not required. FREE! Recycled Reads, 5335 Burnet Rd, Austin.
Bonus Shopportunity
- The Austin Flea Dogtoberfest – Saturday from 1-6:00 p.m. This Austin Flea will host dog businesses (training, grooming, boarding and more) as well as dog retail items (collars, leashes, treats, etc.). There will be a couple of rescue groups at the event and a percentage of tap room sales throughout the day will be going to those groups. This Flea is going to the dogs! There will still be a great group of vendors sharing their local handmade items and vintage wares for the humans. All ages welcome. Admission is FREE! Independence Brewing Co, 3913 Todd Ln, Austin.
More Events Beyond Austin
- Star Party (Cedar Park) – Friday at 8:00 p.m. (Please note new start time.) 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. Children can get up close and personal with the history of Williamson County, learn something new, and create their own artifacts in celebration of Día de los Muertos. FREE! Williamson Museum, 716 S Austin Ave, Georgetown.
- Pumpkin Hunt (Elgin) – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5:00 p.m. The Pumpkin Hunt includes a wagon ride into the Christmas tree fields where mini pumpkins are hidden in the trees. After the Hunt, enjoy pumpkin decorating on the pavilion (pumpkin purchase required) along with great concessions and other activities and games. Admission and parking are FREE! Some activities require ticket purchase. Evergreen Farms, 242 Monkey Rd, Elgin.
- Star Wars Reads Day (Pflugerville) – Saturday from 1:30-5:30 p.m. Enjoy crafts and games for all ages, including D.I.Y. light sabers, BB-8 magnets, video games, a sewing craft and more. Plus, take a photo with a Stormtrooper. All ages are welcome. FREE! Pflugerville Public Library, 1008 W Pfluger St, Pflugerville.
- Fountainwood Observatory Public Night + Yoga Under the Stars (Georgetown) – Saturday from 8-10:30 p.m. On hand to guide viewing will be S.U. Physics Department faculty and talented observers from the Williamson County Astronomy Club. For weather-related updates call the Fountainwood Observatory Hotline at 512-863-1242. FREE! Southwestern University, 1001 E University Ave, Georgetown.
