DKR Texas Memorial Stadium can hold 100,000+ people. | Photo by @courseoflifealex
Whether you’re a sports fanatic — or just look good in burnt orange — when it comes to sports, Austin has no shortage of teams to support. Our city is home to some of the most loyal fans in the country.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about some Austin teams, so whether you’re already a devoted fan or you’re new to the area, we hope it can serve as a valuable resource.
🏈 Texas Longhorns (NCAA) | Est. 1893
If you’ve been in Austin for any time at all, chances are you’ve seen some burnt orange. Although UT is just one of the city’s universities, Texas football is one of the oldest teams in the 512. With the closest NFL team ~3 hours away in Dallas, Central Texans turn out for college games in a big way.
Major accomplishments:
Since the team’s origin, more than 350 Longhorns have been selected in the NFL Draft — that includes big-name stars like Vince Young, Earl Campbell, and Colt McCoy.
Texas football is one of the most valuable — and sometimes themost valuable — college programs in the country, raking in $97 million during the 2019-2020 season alone.
The high-impact version of roller derby was founded in Austin.
One thing you need to know about Austin: Roller derby culture runs deep.
So deep, in fact, the high-impact (read: tougher) version of the sport was founded in the Capital City. There are several roller derby leagues in Austin — including the Texas Rollergirls and Austin Anarchy — but here’s a brief introduction to one of the city’s largest.
Major accomplishments:
Texas Roller Derby is one of the most successful sports leagues for female-identifying and non-binary athletes in Austin.
A recent Netflix docuseries “Home Game” featured the league’s playoff game between the Rhinestones and the Cherry Bombs.
Foxtrot Market Burnet Opening Day Party | Thursday, Feb. 23 | 4-7 p.m. | Foxtrot Market, 4800 Burnet Rd., Austin | Free | Celebrate the grand opening of Foxtrot Market’s first Austin location with live music, food, and wine.
Local Author Night | Thursday, Feb. 23 | 7 p.m. | BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin | Free | Spend an evening with local authors Todd Sanders, Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, Alexander Hiers, and Jonah Fujikawa.
Friday, Feb. 24
Dr Seuss’s “The Cat in The Hat” | Friday, Feb. 24-Sunday, April 23 | Times vary | ZACH Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $16-$38 | This kid-friendly musical retells Dr. Seuss’s classic story.
The Mother Hips | Friday, Feb. 24 | 8 p.m. | 3TEN at ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $20 | The California-based rock band’s newest album, “When We Disappear,” is out now.
Fiel a La Vega | Friday, Feb. 24 | 8 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $48-$68 | Jam out to the Puerto Rican rock group on their “Salimos de Aquí” tour.
Sunday, Feb. 26
The Vixens of Volstead Drag Brunch | Sunday, Feb. 26 | 1 p.m. | Hotel Vegas, 1502 E. 6th St., Austin | Free | See May Magdalene, Mars, and Veronica Valentine at this 21+ brunch.
Hideout Kids | Sunday, Feb. 26 | 4 p.m. | Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress Ave., Austin | $5 | This improv show is a family-friendly take on the theater’s long-running “Maestro” series.
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
A new fire station at 9400 Capitol View Dr. is expected to improve emergency response times in southeast Austin. Construction on the new facility — which will also house EMS services — began this week. 🚒 (KXAN)
Williamson County will celebrate its 175th anniversary in March, with festivities planned for Friday, March 10-Saturday, March 11. Expect a formal ceremony, live entertainment, and birthday cake, of course. 🎂(Austin American-Statesman)
Environment
Almostone-third of the city’s tree canopy was impacted by this month’s winter storm. The Texas A&M Forest Service estimates the damage spans 10.5 million trees in Austin. (KXAN)
Award
East Austin’s Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop won a James Beard Foundation America’s Classics award, the organization announced yesterday. The recognition honorshistorical, timeless, and beloved restaurants. 🍽 (Eater Austin)
Number
52 tons. That’s how much brisket was sold at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in 2022, not including the 791,184 breakfast tacos that were also sold at the airport’s various restaurants. Check out other fun stats from the airport last year. 🍗 (Austin American-Statesman)
Festival
Austin’s Aaron Franklin, Damien Brockway, and Kareem El-Ghayesh are among the well-known Texas chefs serving up eats at this year’s Live Fire! food fest. Get tickets for the event taking place on Thursday, April 6.
Luck Reunion’s headliners include Willie Nelson, Spoon, and Ethel Cain, the festival announced this week. The daylong event takes place Thursday, March 16 — get tickets here. 🎶 (Austin American-Statesman)
Edu
Round Rock teacher Tierra Pitchford was selected as one of 13 educatorsin the US to participate in the Scholastic Inaugural Teaching Fellow cohort. The program involves researching education solutions for grades K-12. 📚 (KXAN)
Community
The next outing is sure to be a tough axe to follow after this one. Enter: Celtic Axe Throwers, from date nights to coworker outings, make it a night of fun and competition. Bonus: Take 50% off your deposit with code axetoday at checkout.🪓 *
Listen
Calling all bibliophiles. Level up your reading routine with an Audible Membership. Why we love it: we can listen to our favorite books and discover new titles while doing everyday tasks like commuting, walking the dog, cooking, and cleaning. Sign up for your first 30 days free. 📚*
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CAUSE
How to Amplify Austin
How to maximize your impact on Amplify Austin Day
More than 700 local nonprofits take part in Amplify Austin Day. | Photo by Christine St. Laurent, courtesy I Live Here I Give Here
Amplify Austin Day — an annual citywide giving event put on by nonprofit I Live Here I Give Here — is just around the corner.
The 24-hour event begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, and benefits 700+ local nonprofits. Unsurprisingly, it’s considered the biggest giving event in Central Texas.
City Editors London and Figi tried La Condesa’s brunch. | Photo by ATXtoday
Today’s issue was written by London.
Editor’s pick: In case you missed it, we’re trying out all six of the Austin restaurants named James Beard semifinalists. Last month we tried KG BBQ, and this month we moseyed downtown for a brunch at La Condesa.
We tried the huarache de huitlacoche and pollo en mole (plus a horchata, of course), and all was delicious. Learn more about the restaurants chefs here.
Editorial:Laura Figi, London Gibson, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.
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