Austin.com Weekend Top 10 FREE Events: September 9-11, 2016

This weekend in Austin, you can make music, enjoy dance, try arts and crafts, eat ethnic foods, and more… all for free!

Thank you to this week’s presenting sponsor, The Learning Experience®! The Learning Experience, one of the nation’s fastest growing Academies of Early Education for children six weeks to six years old, is pleased to announce it has opened in Brushy Creek. To celebrate the grand opening in Brushy Creek, The Learning Experience will host a free Back-to-School Bash open to all children and parents on Saturday, September 10, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 15542 Ranch Road 620 North. At this free event, attendees will have the opportunity to socialize with neighbors of Austin and surrounding communities and participate in various family-friendly activities such as face painting, balloon animals, mini manicures, bounce houses, arts and crafts, and free food and treats!

Weekend Top 10 Free Events in Austin:

Shakespeare at the Market: Twelfth Night (RSVP) – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Present Company, in partnership with Whole Foods Market, presents the third annual Shakespeare at the Market on the rooftop of the downtown Austin Whole Foods Market. Seating begins at 6:30 for a 7:00 p.m. performance. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or short chair, and grab picnic goodies before the show. Promoting the philosophy of “accessible & sustainable art,” Shakespeare at the Market is a FREE event, however a $20 donation is suggested for guests able to support. Reserve your tickets here. Bus Routes: 4, 21, 22, 338 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. Whole Foods, 525 N Lamar Blvd, Austin.
Movie Night at Community Cinema: Back to the Future (RSVP) – Friday at 7:00 p.m. Grab chairs and a blanket, bring family and friends, and enjoy a special screening of Back to the Future. Arrive early to explore Community First! Village, pick your spot, and enjoy a family favorite on the big screen. Candy, popcorn, water, and sodas will be available for purchase (cash only). Concession sales and tips help Community First! friends who will be serving you to earn a modest living income. Movie begins at sundown. Reserve your FREE tickets here. Community First! Village, 9301 Hog Eye Rd, Austin.
Front Door Concerts Launch Showcase – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Front Door Concerts wants to bring music, dance, language, and early childhood education right to your front door in a free-to-families monthly event. They are actively seeking sponsorships. This launch event concert will showcase some of their performers in 20-minute bites. Come see one, or come see them all. FREE! Bus Routes: 3, 19, 21, 22, 338, 803 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. Central Market, 4001 N Lamar 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.
Arts Kaleidoscope – Saturday from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Enjoy FREE dance performances, arts and crafts, food, fun, and familia. Bus Routes: 17 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. Southwest Key, 6002 Jain Ln, Austin.
Family Programs: Waterworks (RSVP) – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Make a splashy painting inspired by the waterside setting of the Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria. Then, learn from an expert how to make waves using wet materials and booming beats. FREE with RSVP. Laguna Gloria, 3809 W 35th St, Austin.
Return and Discover East 12th Street – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The East 12th Street Business Corridor is hosting a district festival featuring food, family and fun. Enjoy historic talks, music, arts and crafts, and more. FREE! Bus Routes: 6, 21, 22, 320 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. 12th St & Chicon St, Austin.
Tết Trung Thu * Mid-Autumn Festival – Saturday from 5-9:00 p.m. Learn about Vietnamese culture during this Mid-Autumn Festival also known as the Lantern Festival. There will be ethnic foods on site with plenty of activities for the children. FREE! Bus Routes: 7, 323, 325 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd, Austin.
Family Day at the UMLAUF – Sunday from Noon to 4:00 p.m. Explore the collection; create art; listen to stories; practice yoga; watch sculpture demos; and sing-a-long with Armstrong Community Music School. FREE! Bus Routes: 3, 30, 338, 803 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. Umlauf Sculpture Garden, 605 Robert E Lee Rd, Austin.
Planet Music: Ethnos Band – Sunday from 1:30-4:00 p.m. Audience members can expect an interactive, family-friendly, and engaging performance highlighting unique combinations of instruments, styles, and music concepts from South and East Asia, with special focus on music practices from India, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Tea and coffee provided. FREE! Bus Routes: 7, 323, 325 will get you there! Plan your trip online or on your smartphone. Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd, Austin.

Bonus Nearly Free Fun

Monarch Appreciation Day ($1-3) – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. We depend on pollinators to produce one out of three bites of the food we consume. Over the last few years, studies show a rapid and significant decline in the number of pollinators. Come learn what you can do to provide food and habitat for these important members of our food web and ecosystem. Family-friendly event. FREE with regular garden admission: $1 for children (ages 3-12); $2 for adults, Austin resident (13+); $3 for adults, non-resident (13+); $1 for seniors (age 62 & over). Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd, Austin.
PBS Kids at the Alamo: Peg + Cat Mystery Hour ($1-3) – Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Join PBS KIDS’ favorite problem-solving duo Peg and Cat for The Peg + Cat Mystery Hour. This special hour of math mysteries is an all-ages show with Baby Day rules – noisy young fans won’t be asked to leave the theater. Purchase tickets online for a $1-$3 donation. Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline, 14028 N US Hwy 183, Bldg F, Austin and Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter, 5701 W Slaughter Ln, Austin.

More Events Beyond Austin

Fairytale Threads (Cedar Park) – Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fairytale Threads is a resale shopper’s dream, with aisles and aisles of high quality children’s items at reasonable prices. Admission is FREE! 1420 Toro Grande, Cedar Park.
Music in the Park: Glen Collins & The Alibis (Pflugerville) – Friday at 7:30 p.m. Bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets, friends, and neighbors for a FREE evening of music, entertainment, and relaxation. Food will be available for purchase. Pfluger Park, 515 City Park Rd, Pflugerville.
Star Party (Cedar Park) – Friday at 9:00 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.
Sky’s the Limit Kite Day and Festival (Taylor) – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Kite Day is a family friendly event for all to enjoy. Bring out your kites and enjoy the beauty of Taylor Regional Park and compete for prizes in different age categories. There will be vendors, live music and lots of kites flying high in the sky. FREE! Taylor Regional Sports Complex, 210 Carlos Parker Blvd SE, Taylor.
Police Department Open House (Pflugerville) – Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Bring the family out to meet the officers, civilians, and volunteers who work 24-7 to keep Pflugerville a safe and pleasant place to live. Take a tour of the Justice Center including the CID (criminal investigation division), the Communications Division (Dispatch), the jail, Patrol Division, Volunteer Center, Code Enforcement, and Victim Services. FREE! Pflugerville Justice Center, 1611 E Pfennig Ln, Pflugerville.
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. Celebrate Fiber Arts Month by weaving your own basket. FREE! Williamson Museum, 716 S Austin Ave, Georgetown.
Holy Cross Festival (Buda) – Saturday from Noon to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 7:00 p.m. Family fun event with live music, rides, games, and food. Admission is FREE! Santa Cruz Catholic Church, 1100 Main St, Buda.
Creative Arts of Austin Grand Opening (Buda) – Sunday from 1-5:00 p.m. Calling all aspiring film actors and filmmakers! Creative Arts of Austin, the only mini soundstage film acting and filmmaking studio of its kind, is opening its doors and they are celebrating with a grand opening party. Check out the studio, meet the instructors, learn about classes, try out your acting skills, grab a bite to eat, and strike your best Hollywood star pose in a fun photo booth. FREE! Before you go, be sure to enter our giveaway here! Creative Arts of Austin, 203 Railroad St, Buda.

About The Learning Experience®

The Learning Experience® is one of the nation’s fastest growing academies of early education for children ages six weeks to six years old. With a greater national emphasis on educational development during the most crucial years of a child’s growth, The Learning Experience places a prominent focus on programs that advance scholastic preparation. The Learning Experience prepares children academically and socially via innovative scholastic and enrichment programs such as the L.E.A.P.® curriculum, a cutting-edge proprietary approach to learning which has more than 95 percent of its children graduating preschool reading at a Kindergarten level or higher. To complement the academic curriculum, The Learning Experience utilizes various enrichment programs crucial to advancing learning and overall balance, such as philanthropy, Yippee 4 Yoga™, Music 4 Me®, Movin’ N Groovin’®, manners and etiquette, and foreign language.

For more information about The Learning Experience in Brushy Creek, please visit https://thelearningexperience.com/our-centers/tx/austin/brushy-creek or call 512-218-6905.