Texas Community Music Festival - Friday, October 18, from 5:30 – 9 p.m., Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday, October 20, from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. The Texas Community Music Festival’s 2013 Fall Showcase kicks off Friday when Them Blue Skies takes the stage at Central Market North for a little drive time blues. This is the first fall showcase of Texas Community musical ensembles and promises to be an excellent five day event. All performances are family friendly and FREE. Rain or shine. Central Market North, 4001 North Lamar, Austin.
Mueller Movies in Your Park: Peter Pan - Friday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m. Bring the kids and enjoy a FREE family-friendly movie at the Mueller Lake Park outdoor amphitheater! Make yourself comfortable by bringing snacks and blankets, but please no chairs or other equipment that could block the view of other attendees. Feel free to stop by one of the Mueller food eateries to purchase a quick bite to eat. Activities for the kids will start at 6:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at sunset. FREE street parking along Simond Avenue and Mueller Boulevard, Austin.
Alamo Kids Camp Movies - Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20. FREE Alamo Kids Camp movie screenings for children age 3 and up. Tickets for the FREE movies will be available at the box office on the day of the show and seating will be first come, first served. Times vary by location. Movies include Coraline (Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline), Paranorman 2D (Alamo Drafthouse Village), and Zathura (Slaughter Lane).
Austin Children’s Museum Garage Sale - Saturday, October 19, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. As the Children’s Museum transitions to the Thinkery, at its new location in Mueller, many items left behind at their old downtown location are up for grabs. The items available at the garage sale will include children’s and educational books, office supplies and furniture, housewares, exhibit pieces and equipment, shelving and more. The former Austin Children’s Museum Store will also be open during the garage sale. The prices for store items have been reduced and are non-negotiable. All sales are final. All proceeds from the garage sale will go toward the Thinkery’s exhibits and programs. Austin Children’s Museum’s former home at 201 Colorado Street, Austin.
Dogtoberfest Austin - Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Take your four-legged pal to enjoy fun and festivities at The Domain. There will be a Canine Costume Contest, weiner dog races, a photo booth, silent auction, demonstrations, and more. Admission is FREE. The Domain, Austin.
Wheatsville Food Co-op Grand Opening - Saturday, October 19, from 12 – 4 p.m. All are welcome to celebrate the opening of the second Wheatsville Food Co-op. There will be live music from Hot Texas Swing Band (1 – 4 p.m.) and Dead Music Capital Band (2:15 p.m.), a beginner dance lesson (2 p.m.), talks, a bounce house and crafts for kids, food and drink, t-shirt screenprints from Fine Southern Gentlemen, and a FREE DIY Tie-Dye Booth! 4101 South Lamar, Austin.
Viva la Vida Festival & Parade - Saturday, October 19, from 2 – 10 p.m. Mexic-Arte Museum and the City of Austin present the FREE annual street festival, which is Austin’s largest and longest-running Day of the Dead event featuring a Grand Procession, Latino artists and entertainment, an exhibition with community altars inside the museum, and educational programs. Attendees will also enjoy traditional foods from local food trucks, hands-on art activities, artist demos, and traditional and contemporary Latino art. Festival (2-10 p.m.): 5th St., between Congress & Brazos. Grand Procession (6-7 p.m.): Line-up on 6th Street (between Comal and Chicon) at 5 p.m.; runs down 6th St. to 5th & Congress, Austin.
Movie Music in the Park & The Princess Bride – Saturday, October 19 at 6:30 p.m. Presented by the McCallum Fine Arts Academy Orchestra, Movie Music in the Park is back for its 4th year! Bring blankets, friends and family for this enchanting event for all ages. The orchestra will perform music from the movies, accompanied by a backdrop montage prepared by the fantastic minds of the Media Technologies Department. Following the concert, watch the classic movie, The Princess Bride (PG). Food trailers including MMMpanadas and Papa Johns Pizza will be onsite, along with concessions from the Orchestra Booster Club. The event is FREE, but donations are encouraged and benefit the Orchestra Performance Fund. Mueller Lake Park Amphitheater, Aldrich & Simond Ave., Austin.
Hope Farmers’ Market 4th Birthday Party- Sunday, October 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please join us for our 4th Birthday Party complete with cake, face painting and petting zoo! We will also be celebrating Food Day with a Chef’s Demo from the folks of Odd Duck (opening later this year). Plus we’ll have live music and the best food around! FREE! Hope Farmers’ Market, Plaza Saltillo, East 5th and Comal.
Archaeology Day – Sunday, October 20, from 1 – 5 p.m. FREE activities for kids! Kids have a chance to participate in a mock archeological dig, learn to analyze objects, reconstruct pottery sherds, and create their own museum exhibit with unearthed artifacts. French Legation Museum lawn, 802 San Marcos Street, Austin.
Hyde Park Fire Festival - Sunday, October 20, from 3:30 – 6 p.m. Gather at Shipe Park (44th and Avenue F) at 3:30 p.m. for a festive neighborhood parade to the fire station. Halloween costumes and decorated wheels (strollers, scooters, trikes, bikes and skateboards) are encouraged! The FREE Festival formally begins when the Parade arrives at the Fire Station (43rd and Speedway) where you will find live music, family friendly entertainment, treats, tours of the fire truck, information booths, and prizes for child, adult, family and pet costumes. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs and a book to donate to Behive. Shipe Park, 44th and Avenue F.
Bonus fall festivals:
Fall Festival at Hancock Recreation Center - Friday, October 18, from 4:30 – 7 p.m. Carnival games, a cake walk, arts and crafts projects, and more… don’t forget to dress up! FREE! Hancock Rec Center, 811 East 41st St, Austin.
Fall Harvest Festival - Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Bring the family for raffles, trick or treating, Tiny Tails Petting Zoo, dogs in costume from Austin Pets Alive, face painting, inflatables, pumpkin decorating, treats from Thunderbird Energetica and fun for the whole family. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume! FREE! TownLake YMCA, 1100 W. Cesar Chavez, Austin.
Costume Ball and Ghoulish Party at McBeth Recreation Center - Saturday, October 19, from 6 – 9 p.m. Carnival games, dancing and party for a chance to flaunt your costume, win prizes and have a great time socializing. McBeth Recreation Center, 2401 Columbus Dr, Austin.
Bonus fun in the ‘burbs:
Kyle Fair & Music Festival (Kyle) - Friday, October 18, from 5 – 11 p.m., Saturday, October 19, from noon – 10 p.m., and Sunday, October 20, from 1 – 7 p.m. The 2013 Kyle Fair & Music Festival is a fun-filled family event held the 3rd weekend in October every year. This year’s event is expected to be bigger and better than ever! The live music starts on Friday at 6 p.m. and continues on Saturday at noon. Admission is FREE; parking is $3. If you would like to enjoy the carnival, you will need to purchase tickets or wristbands. Central Texas Speedway, 24801 IH 35, Exit 210, Kyle.
Founders Parade (Kyle) – Saturday, October 19 at 10 a.m. Parade participants will gather at Gregg-Clarke Park and will head east on Center Street. They will end at the Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park’s Gazebo. When the last parade entry is at the Gazebo, all gathered are invited to sing “Happy Birthday” to Kyle and have a piece of birthday cake. Best locations to watch the Kyle Founders’ Parade is on either side of Center Street between Gregg-Clarke Park and Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park. Gregg-Clarke Park, 1300 W. Center Street, Kyle.
Movies in Your Park: Hotel Transylvania (Leander) – Friday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m. Often described as a combination of state-of-the-art technology and the nostalgia of the 1950s drive-in, the Movies in the Park series provides families the opportunity to spend time together under the stars while enjoying first run movies…all for FREE! The movie will begin at dusk. Please bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and a picnic dinner. Concessions are also available. Glass containers are prohibited. Friendly pets on a leash are welcome. Robin Bledsoe Park, 601 S Bagdad Rd, Leander.
Chisholm Trail Days (Georgetown) - Saturday, October 19, from 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. Following a Cowboy Breakfast ($3 per person), the FREE family event kicks off at 9 a.m., featuring living history encampments, western demonstrators, pony and wagon rides, a children’s corral, authentic chuckwagons, live music at the gazebo and a cattle drive along the river at noon. There will be plenty of kids’ activities, some of which have a fee to participate. San Gabriel Park, 445 E. Morrow St., Georgetown.
Hutto Olde Tyme Days (Hutto) – Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Browse 100 booths, enjoy rides and attractions, a classic car show, pony rides, a petting zoo and more. Have your photo taken sitting on a live Texas Longhorn in front of The Texan Café and Pie Shop. Enjoy the live entertainment all day long on two stages. Admission to the festival is FREE; parking is $2 per car. Downtown Hutto.
Spookyfest Family Halloween Festival (Round Rock) – Saturday, October 19, from noon – 2 p.m. Head to Sendero Springs Park for this FREE “Spooktastic” Family Halloween Festival. While this festival is open for all ages, the activities are targeted at children 2 to 12 years old. There will be a costume contest at 1 p.m. Sendero Springs Park, 4203 Pasada Ln, Round Rock.
Pfall Chili Pfest (Pflugerville) – Saturday, October 19, from noon – 9 p.m. Pflugerville hosts the sixth annual Pflugerville Pfall Chili Pfest with live music, chillun’s pot children’s play area, washers tournament, hot rod car show and tons of chili tasting. At noon, shopping opens (arts and crafts vendors and more). Chili tasting also begins at noon and ends at approximately 3 p.m. (or when the chili runs out). While admission to Chili Pfest is FREE, you will want to bring $5 to receive 20 sample cups (1.5 oz). Parking is available at Pflugerville High School, 1301 W Pecan, with free shuttles dropping off at 4th and Main.
The Great Goblin Glow (Lakeway) - Saturday, October 19, from 7 – 9 p.m. Happy Halloween from the City of Lakeway! Come one, come all and celebrate the season as hot air balloons illuminate the night sky. Children are invited to wear their costumes and enjoy an evening featuring candy, glitter tattoo artists, a juggler, balloon twisters, SpinOut Swings ride and music from the popular Westlake band, The Loose Wheels. Onsite food trailers Man Bites Dog, WhaTaTaco, IceCream4U and Kona Ice Austin will provide food/drinks for purchase and KettleKing will cook up deliciously scented night air and caramel corn for your enjoyment! Don’t forget to see the live bats exhibit and venture into Lakeway’s own Dead End Cemetery! Please, no dogs at the park on this night. For more information call 512-314-7532. Lakeway City Park, 502 Hurst Creek Road, Lakeway.
Bonus events that cost:
Austin Symphony Orchestra’s “Superheroes”- Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m. The Austin Symphony Orchestra will open its Pops season with a night of iconic music from your favorite superhero film and television shows. Your spidey senses will be tingling and you will be at the edge of your seat when you hear music from some of your favorites, such as Batman, Superman, Captain America, The Incredibles, X-Men, and much more! In addition to the music there will be visuals on a big screen to enhance your experience. All concertgoers are invited to come dressed as their favorite superhero. There might just be a contest with a special prize for the winner! There just might be some “super” special guest. Tickets, from $19. Long Center for Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Drive.
Austin’s Spook-tacular Halloween- Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 from 7-10 p.m. (gates open at 6 p.m.) When the veil between the worlds grows thin at the time of harvest, the powers of Darkness try to rip open a gateway that would permit evil to gain foothold in the mortal world. Powerful guardians of The Ancient Brotherhood of the Golden Light are positioned at key points around the globe to protect our world. Sadly the Guardian Brother of Sprinkle Corner is ill and unable to protect our village. Forces of evil have gathered on the outskirts of town, preparing to overthrow our guardian and control our village. There is yet hope to save Pioneer Farms’ Sprinkle Corner Village. The Brotherhood wisely concealed magical symbols throughout the farmlands that when combined onto a single manuscript will create a Binding Link of Enchantment and Security Seal (BLESS). Your quest is to locate and combine each of these symbols onto a single manuscript page and save our village. Cost: $12. Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive.
Dia de los Muertos Festival- Saturday, October 19 from Noon- 11 p.m. The inaugural Dia de los Muertos Festival benefiting Easter Seals Central Texas is proud to host an exciting music line-up with a variety of Austin and Texas bands. Join the Dia de los Muertos Festival that day in celebrating the 73rd birthday of José María De León Hernández “Little Joe,” from the band Little Joe y la Familia. Event emcee will be José A. Velásquez from Hermanos de East Austin. Music will be on two different stages. Tickets: $25 at the gate. Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Jesse E. Segovia Street.
Crowe’s Nest Farm 30th Anniversary Fall Celebration- Saturday, October 19 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Enjoy hayrides, cow-milking demonstration, snake shows, and a Birds of Prey show by Last Chance Forever. Cost: $8 adults, $6 kids ages 3-12, $2 kids age 2, below 2 are free. Crowe’s Nest Farm, 10300 Taylor Lane, Manor.
Salt and Pepper at ZACH- Saturday, October 19 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday, October 20 at 4:30 p.m. This bilingual play celebrates the bonds of family and friendship. Salt is a boy whose family has a secret—his grandfather cannot read or write. When Salt befriends Pepper, her love of books sparks his interest in the world of words. Then, a mysterious box of postcards sheds light on Salt’s family! Recommended for ages 7 and up. Cost: $12 adults, $10 children. ZACH Theater, Whisenhunt stage, 202 S. Lamar Blvd.
Harvest the Fall Fun at Sweet Berry Farm – Saturday, October 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 20 from 1- 5 p.m.Enjoy fall activities including stuffing your own scarecrow, hayrides, corn mazes, the barrel train, pick your own flowers, homemade ice cream and visiting the goats, horses and chickens, horse rides, face painting and food from the Pumpkin Grill. You can also pick up pumpkins, gourds, squash and other decorative items while you are there. No entrance fee, and activities are individually priced. No pets. Sweet Berry Farms, Marble Falls.
Scottish Rite Theater Too Many Stories- Saturday, October 19 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Sunday, October 20 at 2:30p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Kallie catches Sam and Bogus with things they’ve stolen from a department store. Now she needs the audience to help her get the bad guys. Cost: $8.50 adults, $6.50 children 12 and younger. Scottish Rite Theater, 207 W. 18th St.
Barton Hills Farms Fall Festival and Corn Maze- Saturday, October 19 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday, October 20 from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. The activities include a Willie Nelson-themed corn maze, pumpkin patch (extra cost), pumpkin painting, barrel train (extra cost), farm animals, a jumping pillow, a huge sandbox, food and local vendors. Cost: $7 for ages three to 10 and $10 for ages 11 and up, and includes entry into the corn maze. Children two and under are free but must be accompanied by a paying adult. Purchase your tickets online and save $1 on admission. Barton Hill Farm, 1115 FM 969, Bastrop.
Pumpkin Festival- Saturday, October 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 20 from Noon- 5:30 p.m. Our Pumpkin Festival offers a ton of family fun for one low admission cost. Parents can enjoy the live music (and eating great food) while the kids stay busy decorating pumpkins, competing in the duck races and playing on the playground. Plan to spend the day, there’s so much to do. Admission: $6 Kids (2 – 12 years of age), $8 Adults and Older Kids (13 and Older). Elgin Christmas Tree Farm, 120 Nature’s Way, Elgin.
Peter and the Wolf- Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20 at 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Ballet Austin takes children of all ages through an interactive ballet version of this Russian fairy tale. Join us as the youngest member of our audience help Peter and his animal friends triumph over the danger in his own backyard. Tickets: $12. AustinVentures Studio Theater, 501 West 3rd Street.
The Boy Who Loved Monsters and the Girl Who Loved Peas- Saturday, October 19 at 11:00 a.m, 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, October 20 at 2:00 p.m.(followed by a pay what you like party with the cast). Evan, like many 7 year olds, does not like to clean his plate, especially when it is filled with peas. And to make matters worse, baby sister Sue loves them. When forced to remain at the table until his plate is clean, Evan makes a wish for a monster to come and eat his family. But watch out! Wishes can come true. Soon Evan and Sue find themselves trying to hide a six foot tall green monster named Pea from their parents. Among the laughs, Evan finds that although his parents discipline him, protecting those who he loves is his goal. Pea teaches Evan and the whole family many things including the importance of playing together, keeping imaginations alive, and that it is important to make room for surprises in every home. Perfect for audience members ages 5 and up. Tickets: $7.75- $11. The Long Center for Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Drive.
Groundwork Music Orchestra’s Family Fun Raiser- Sunday, October 20 from 4- 7 p.m. The Groundwork Music Orchestra! The Que Pastas! Bouncy castle, face painting, balloon animals, silent auction and more. Our biggest fundraiser of the year! And the most fall fun. Cost: $10 adults, $5 children under 12. Nutty Brown Cafe, 12225 U.S. 290.
Heidi Gollub loves exploring Austin and beyond with her 5 kids. For more local adventures for families, visit her site FreeFuninAustin.com.
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