Austin’s Park Movie in the Park: Cheaper by the Dozen – Friday, August 16 at 8:30 p.m. FREE admission for the movie after 8 p.m. Extra fees for food and attractions apply. Austin’s Park, 16231 IH-35, Pflugerville.
Movies at the Pool: Surf’s Up - Friday, August 16 at dusk. Join in an evening of fun at El Salido Pool! Bring your whole family to swim in the pool under the night sky and watch Surf’s Up. This event is FREE and open to everyone. El Salido Pool, 11500 El Salido Pkwy, Austin.
(Kyle) Movies in the Park: Jumanji- Friday, August 16, 30 minutes after sunset. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and snacks. FREE!! Gregg-Clarke Park, 1100 West Center St., Kyle.
Top Notch Movie Night: Jurassic Park- Friday, August 16, 8:00pm. Running every Friday night at 8pm throughout the summer, Top Notch Burgers will be showing some classics such as The Sandlot, Uncle Buck, The Goonies and Beetlejuice. FREE!! Top Notch Burgers, 7525 Burnet Road.
Zilker Summer Musical: Little Shop of Horrors - Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17 at approximately 8:30 p.m. Bring a blanket, or low chairs, and a picnic to enjoy while watching Little Shop of Horrors onstage. The musical is FREE, but bring $5 for parking. Beverly S. Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater in Zilker Park, 2301 Barton Springs Road, Austin.
Alamo Kids Camp – Friday, August 16 – Sunday, August 18. FREE movies for children age three and up and their parents. Showtimes vary by location. This weekend you can see Muppets From Space (Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline, 14028 US 183, Austin), Monsters vs. Aliens (Alamo Drafthouse Village, 2700 W. Anderson Ln, Austin), and Madagascar (Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane, 5701 W. Slaughter Ln, Austin).
Into the Woods Jr.- Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17 at 2 and 7pm. Follow Jack, Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and others through the woods where they are on their journey to find their most special wish. Tickets: $12 adults, $10 kids. ZACH Theatre, 1510 Toomey Road.
The Inside Scoop Ice Cream Social - Saturday, August 17, from 1 – 3 p.m. Donate school supplies onsite for SafePlace’s back-to-school drive, benefiting Austin-area children, to ”earn your spoon” for cool summer treats. A FREE event for the whole family, guests can kick back on TRACE’s lush outdoor patio while enjoying live music from the Twilight Trio and sampling the unique and seasonal ice creams. Four-legged friends won’t be forgotten as Chef O’Leary is also making a special Peanut Yogurt Ice Cream and Homemade Dog Biscuits. Ice cream summer flavor tastings for the family will include “Rolos” Inspired Ice Cream, Lemon Meringue, Strawberries and Cream, and adult flavors such as Rum Mint Punch and Chocolate Baileys Swirl. TRACE, W Austin, 200 Lavaca Street, Austin.
KIDS CLUB: Bookmark - Saturday, August 17 from 10am- noon. Let your kids explore their creativity while you shop! FREE!! Sessions starting every half hour from 10am – 11:30am. See a store associate to join the fun! All participating Michael’s locations.
Jungle Jill and the Jaybirds- Saturday, August 17 from 11:00am- Noon. Environmentally social learning and sing along songs for kids! FREE. Food and Beverage additional. Strange Brew, 5326 Manchaca Road.
End of Summer Bash – Saturday, August 17, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Enjoy face painting and carnival games at this FREE end of summer party. Cinderella will make a guest appearance from noon – 2 p.m. Kaleidoscope Toys, 110 N. IH 35, Ste 375, Round Rock.
BookPeople’s Summer Reading Party- Saturday, August 17 at 1pm. If you participated in our Summer Reading Program this year, then today’s the day to celebrate your reading success here at BookPeople! Bring in your completed bookmark listing all six books you read this summer and claim your prize! You can also add your name to our wall of Summer Reading Stars, and hear about some great new books coming out this Fall. We’ll also have pizza! FREE!! BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin Children’s Academy Open House- Saturday, August 17 from 10am- 4pm. We will have fun for the entire family, including carnival games, live music, local performers, family entertainment, bounce houses, a “Back to School” fashion show, local food vendors, and other businesses serving families in the Greater Austin/Cedar Park Area. Proceeds from the event will benefit local 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations including the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society (LLS) and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). FREE!! Austin Children’s Academy, 12310 Ranch Road 620.
School of Rock august Camp Show - Saturday, August 17 from 2-3pm. See a FREE School of Rock show. Strange Brew, 5326 Manchaca Road, Austin.
Eat, Sleep, Play Workshop- Saturday, August 17 from 10-11:30am. Join Cheryl Carey of Taste and See Healthy Baby Food, Lori Strong of Strong Little Sleepers, and Liza Wilson of Toybrary as we talk about the importance of three basic needs for your infants and toddlers—healthy food, quality sleep, and purposeful play. We will chat about these important topics, share some snacks, and allow your kiddos to check out the fabulous new Toybrary. Limited to 20 parents. Light snacks will be provided. Our first event together is Free! Toybrary, 1717 Rockwood, Ste. 101.
Austin Craft Riot Summer Show - Saturday, August 17 and Sunday, August 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is FREE and the event is family friendly. This unique summer show offers vendors, music, a cash bar, a DIY area for kids of all ages, food trucks, a photobooth, and your favorite Austin Craft Riot merchandise. Each day, the first 25 customers through the door will get a swag bag. Austin Music Hall, 208 Nueces Street, Austin.
Back to School Parade - Sunday, August 18, from 1 – 7 p.m. The Back to School parade begins at 3 p.m. at Delco Center (4601 Pecan Brook Dr) and ends at Bartholomew Park (5201 Berkman Dr). The festival will provide a limited number of FREE backpacks filled with school supplies. In order to get a backpack, students and their parents must line up in Bartholomew Park from 1 – 2:30 p.m. for a wristband. Backpacks will be handed out to students with wristbands from 4 – 6 p.m. Any left over backpacks will be given out on a first come, first served basis. The festival and parade are open to students from all school districts. For more information visit the Back to School Parade website, check out the parade details, or read through the frequently asked questions.
Austin Symphony Hartman Foundation “Concerts in the Park” – Sunday, August 18 at 7:30 p.m. In its eleventh summer season, these FREE concerts take place in the Hartman Concert Park in front of the Long Center City Terrace. Each Sunday, a different ensemble of the Austin Symphony will be featured. This Sunday, it will be Woodwinds. FREE Parking is available at One Texas Center, located on Barton Springs Rd. at S. 1st Street. Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin.
Afternoon in the Garden: Nature Journaling- Sunday, August 18 from Noon- 4pm. Observing, drawing and writing is the easiest and most effective way to document the natural world. Create your very own nature journal out of recycled materials and learn some new ways to sketch your findings. Free with paid admission to ZBG ($1 for children ages 3-12, $2 for adults ages 13-61, $1 for seniors age 62 & over. ) Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road.
Recurring Events:
Friday Night Storytime- Enjoy a FREE storytime with the kids on Fridays at 7:30pm. Barnes and Noble, La Frontera Village, 2701 Parker Road Bldg A Suite 700, Round Rock.
Central Market North Lamar– Live music and dancing, oh my! This is a great spot for parents to enjoy music while letting their kids burn some energy on the playground. There are also ducks to feed in the nearby pond. Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30- 9:00pm. Central Market, North Lamar Blvd.
Craft Time for Kids- Bring the kids to get crafty. The crafts change weekly and usually are themed for particular holidays or seasons. FREE!! Saturday, 11:00am- 3:00pm. Lakeshore Learning Center, 9828 Great Hills Trail.
BookKids Storytime- Join the wonderful staff at BookPeople as they entertain your kiddos with stories, crafts, guest storytellers, and sometimes even puppets! Saturday mornings at 11:30am. FREE!! BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.
Cirque du Steve -Saturday at 10 a.m. What’s the Story Steve? transforms into an improvised circus! Follow the Bearded Lady, the Clown Crew and a host of other circus characters through adventures based on audience suggestions. Join the Move Your Tale troupe onstage to create original characters! Don’t just go see the circus, become the circus! Pay what you wish. FREE!! ColdTowne Theater, 4803 Airport Blvd., Austin.
Flying Theater Machine: Dinosaurs- Sunday, 2pm. Join the Award-Winning Flying Theater Machine every Sunday at 2pm in July and August as we explore what it was like to be a Dinosaur! Can T-Rex and Triceratops ever get along? Will the Dino families be able to accept a big purple dinosaur? What will Maiasaura do when the Ovarapter moves in next door!?! We don’t know until the show happens, and you can help us. Feel free to come along in Dinosaur costume we may need your help on stage. Join us for our journey back in time, for a limited time only! Get ‘em before they’re gone! (Pun intended!) Tickets: $8. The Hideout Theater, 617 Congress Ave.
Whole Foods Kids’ Club - Sunday, 1:00pm. Hey kids, stop by and check out what’s going on at Kid’s Club. Each week we have an exciting activity that will let you play with your food plus learn a couple things along the way. FREE!! Whole Foods Market, 525 N. Lamar.
Sunday Funday- Sunday, from 3-4pm. Every Sunday we open up our big back room and invite you to enjoy unplugged play time. Get out of the house and get your little ones socializing. We have kiddie bowling, musical instruments, blocks, a parachute and more. From 4:00- 4:45 pm, Bring the kids to BabyEarth Round Rock for some toe-tappin’ music and super-silly stories! Staci Gray is an Austin-based children’s performer who has mesmerized children all over Texas. FREE!! Baby Earth, 106 E. Old Settlers Blvd.