Austin.com Weekend Top 10 FREE Events (October 9-11, 2015)

The Corner Store Country Run is happening at Dell Diamond (3400 E Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock) this Sunday, October 11 at 8:30 a.m. The Country Run is a 5K fun run brought to you by Corner Store that will bring out your inner cowpoke or cowgirl. Participants are encouraged to wear over-the-top country attire and gallop, trot or do-si-do their way across that finish line. Along the way, runners will encounter farm-themed zones with hay bales, tractor tires and giant inflatable pigs and cows. Afterwards, everyone is invited to stick around for a free family-friendly country fair with free sponsor swag, free carnival games, live music, free food and a beer garden (also free, but bring photo ID). For those who are not running or walking, the country fair will be open from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Free Fun in Austin readers can register to run for FREE using the code MARKET2015. Online registration closes on Saturday!

Weekend Top 10 FREE Events

Movie in the Park: Annie – Friday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a FREE movie in the park! This week’s showing will be the most recent release of the beloved musical Annie, starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz. Popcorn will be served at 6:30 with the movie beginning at dusk. FREE Parking is available in the McBee Parking Garage along Simond Ave. Movie-goers are welcome to bring picnics and blankets, but please refrain from bringing lawn chairs. Mueller Lake Park Amphitheater, 4550 Mueller Blvd., Austin.
Movie in the Park: Paddington (Cedar Park) – Friday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs. Food concession will not be available, but you are welcome to bring a picnic. Please no glass containers. FREE! Elizabeth Milburn Park, 1901 Sun Chase Blvd., Cedar Park.
Groundwork Music at Strange Brew – Saturday, October 10 from 10–11:30 a.m. Enjoy a FREE kids’ music show. The mission of Groundwork Music is to provide free and low cost music lessons to young children with limited means. Through their programs, children learn to sing, dance, keep a beat, carry a tune, play an instrument, create arrangements, perform for an audience, and collaborate on a creative endeavor. Read about Catherine’s morning at Strange Brew here. Strange Brew, Lounge Side, 5326 Manchaca Rd, Austin.
Sugar Skull Making Workshop – Saturday, October 10 at 10:30 a.m. Space is limited! Call 512-974-3785 to register. FREE! Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River St., Austin.
Second Saturdays are for Families: Bubble Blowout – Saturday, October 10 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Every second Saturday of the month, The Contemporary Austin offers hands-on art-making workshops at Laguna Gloria, inspired by the exhibitions on view. See family-friendly performances, meet local artists, and make art to take home. Recommended for ages 2–11. Drop in and create. Learn how to sculpt a unique bubble wand, inspired by a foam-tastic new artwork, Roger Hiorns’ A retrospective view of the pathway, on the grounds of Laguna Gloria. Test your bubble-making skills, then catch a magical performance by a local bubble artist! FREE! Laguna Gloria, 3809 W 35th St., Austin.
Star Wars Reads Day – Saturday, October 10 at the Round Rock Public Library from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (216 E Main Street, Round Rock). Activities include Star Wars story time in Room C, featuring firefighters dressed as Yoda, Princess Leia, and other characters, as well as games, crafts, giveaways, quiz opportunities, and a photo booth. Fans are encouraged to wear costumes or Star Wars clothing. Also, at the Pflugerville Public Library from 2-4:30 p.m. (1008 W. Pfluger St., Pflugerville), there will be a celebration of Star Wars and reading with games, crafts, a photo booth and more, for Star Wars fans of all ages. Dressing in costume is highly encouraged. Both events are FREE! Check out our post for even more Star Wars Reads Day events in Austin!
Dig in! Archaeology Day – Saturday, October 10 from 1–5 p.m. In celebration of Texas Archaeology Month, head out to the museum to learn about archaeology through fun activities. Dig in and excavate artifacts in the mock dig. Display excavated artifacts in the mock museum. Learn about layering with the stratigraphy activity and more. FREE! French Legation Museum, 802 San Marcos St, Austin.
Saturday Night Concert Series: Whiskey Shivers (Bee Cave) – Saturday, October 10 from 7–9 p.m. Bring your family, friends, and a blanket to lounge on the grassy lawn of the Hill Country Galleria Amphitheater. 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! Sun Radio 100.1FM will be on-site to emcee the event and introduce you to the band. Whiskey Shivers is a Folk/Bluegrass/Old-Time band. Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd, Bee Cave.
Clothes Swap and Family Fun – Sunday, October 11 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Bring and take clothing (kids and adult sizes), shoes, books, and household items. Family-friendly music, dancing, and fun to be had by all. FREE! Austin Village Academy, 4105 Manchaca Rd, Austin.
Piñata-Making Workshop – Sunday, October 11 from 1-4 p.m. Mexic-Arte Museum is proud to host local piñata artisans Monica and Sergio Lejarazu for Sugar Skull Float Workshops for the general public. Using papier-mâché, Monica Lejarazu and Museum educators will guide the public in the creation of sugar skull piñatas, inspired by the tradition of Calaveras (“skulls”) in Dia de los Muertos, which have been used in Mexico since the 17th Century. During the workshops, Lejarazu will build a grand sugar skull float to be featured in the Viva la Vida parade. All artwork can be used alongside the sculpture in the Viva la Vida parade, as exhibited in the Piñata Graveyard on festival grounds. Participation is FREE and open to the public. Materials will be provided. Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress Ave, Austin.

More fun beyond Austin:

Texas Big Worm Pumpkin Patch (Bertram) – Open weekends from Thursday, October 8 – November 15, 2015. Hours: Thursday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m. Choose a pumpkin from the field. Fun activities for all ages, including a pumpkin sling, corn fishing, hay rides, pumpkin painting, and a petting zoo. Located 8 miles west of Liberty Hill, TX on Highway 29. If you are heading west on Highway 29 it is on your left hand side, about 3 miles before you get to the town of Bertram. Look for the Giant Chair and all the pumpkins! Admission is FREE! Texas Big Worm Pumpkin Patch, 4625 E. State Highway 29, Bertram.
Songs, Stories, and Pumpkin Painting (Pflugerville) – Saturday, October 10 at 9:30 a.m. Celebrate the season with songs and story-time in the pumpkin patch, followed by the opportunity to paint your pumpkin! Pumpkin sales benefit local youths. There will also be yummy treats available for purchase. First United Methodist Church of Pflugerville, 500 E. Pecan Street, Pflugerville.
Sacred Springs Pow Wow (San Marcos) – Saturday, October 10 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. A brand new “Native Culture Tent” with flute players, storytellers, and White Shaman Panel presentations will provide performances throughout the day. Amazing dancers will be highlighted at the 2015 Sacred Springs Powwow that celebrates the Native American culture that has been part of the San Marcos area for thousands of years. Admission is $3; children under 12 years FREE! Meadows Center (previously Aquarena Center), 201 San Marcos Springs Drive, San Marcos.