What to know

• TSA | The Austin airport’s website recommends arriving:
  
  • Two-and-a-half hours early during peak hours (daily during 5-8 a.m., 11 a.m.–1 p.m., and 3:30-5:30 p.m.)
  • About 90 minutes before your flight during off-peak hours
  • Three hours before international flights
• Map it out | If you’re like us and need to completely visualize a place before you step foot inside, this map of the entire airport will be your saving grace.
• Food and drink | AUS really shines when it comes to its vast array of local food options. Case in point: Get some authentically Austin breakfast tacos from Tacodeli — but beware the perpetually long line — before washing it down with a cuppa joe from Jo’s Coffee.
• Flight status | While we recommend staying updated via your respective airline, you can also check the airport’s dashboard for your flight status in a pinch.

Current airport updates

• Season 25 | Now-Sunday, Dec. 3 | Times vary | The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $25 | Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company will perform works for the debut of the 25th season for the group.
• Lee Roy Parnell’s Texas “Flavored” Christmas | Friday, Dec. 1 | 8 p.m. | The State Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $40-$80 | Parnell, a Grammy-nominated Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame member, will perform hits and Texas-style holiday songs.

• Yule in the Garden | Saturday, Dec. 2 + Sunday, Dec. 3 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | Free with admission | Kick off the month with nature-based activities, holiday music from the Austin Camerata String Quartet, and hot drinks available for purchase.
• “A Charlie Brown Christmas” | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 12 p.m. | The State Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $27-$57 | Spend the afternoon with your favorite tunes from the beloved Christmas classic.

• Trini Party | Sunday, Dec. 3 | 5 p.m. | Canje, 1914 E. 6th St., Ste. C, Austin | Cost of purchase | New York-based Chef Picky will partner with Canje for a Trinidadian dance party complete with food, cocktails, and a live DJ.

• “Wheel Of Fortune” Live! | Sunday, Dec. 10 | 7 p.m. | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park | $33-$63 | Show up to the live performance of this classic game show for a chance to compete onstage.

• The “Austin-San Antonio Metroplex” is projected to be home to an additional three million people by 2050. That would bring the area to 8.3 million people along the I-35 corridor, which also includes San Marcos and New Braunfels. (KVUE)

• Counter Culture is going through changes. The vegan food truck closed its North Campus food truck last weekend, but plans to open a new brick-and-mortar restaurant again in 2024. The location has yet to be released but it will be in the 78723 zip code, around Mueller. (Eater Austin)

• Texas home insurance rates have increased by 22% in 2023 — more than double the national rate. According to experts, the biggest cause is natural disasters like flooding and hurricanes, which have both been exacerbated by climate change. (The Texas Tribune)

• Yelp’s 2023 Top Places to Drink in Austin list is here. The top pick — Cosmic Coffee & Beer Garden — may not surprise you, and other spots that made the list include Paperboy, Pinthouse Pizza, Lefty’s Brick Bar, and Ember Kitchen.

• Austin FC players treated H-E-B shoppers to free groceries earlier this week. Coach Josh Wolff and midfielder Diego Fagúndez stopped by the North Lamar at Rundberg Lane grocery store as part of Austin FC’s Season of Giving, paying for ~$15,000 worth of groceries. (KXAN)

• The USDA’s new Plant Hardiness Zone Maps just dropped and Austin moved from zone 8B to 9A. That means Austin’s average minimum low temperature is one to five degrees higher, due in part to climate change, but it won’t have a big impact on what crops can grow.