Plus, Swedish Hill will be demolished and reopen inside a new space.
 
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Today’s Forecast

56º | Morning showers | 36% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:08 a.m. | Sunset 5:30 p.m.
 

Sugar (Bowl), spice, and everything nice

Tale of the tape: why Austin is the sweetest city
AXTtoday - Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium via UT
The Texas Longhorns will compete for a spot at the National Championship for the first time since 2009. | Photo courtesy University of Texas
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, which football team is the sweetest of them all?

The Texas Longhorns will face off against the Washington Huskies at the 2024 Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The winning team will move to the College Football Playoff National Championship the following week.

This will be the first time the Longhorns compete for a chance at the national championship since 2009. Texas is favored to win by four points, and has a 3-2 all-time record against the Huskies, so we wanted put up a friendly wager with our friends at SEAtoday.

The City Editors of the losing team must send goodies from a local business to the editors of the winning team. Readers, this is where you come in: we need you to vote on what we should send if we lose (don’t worry, we won’t).

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How Austinites will be when they show up to the 2024 Sugar Bowl.

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Gif via Giphy

City Editor Figi here. Even though I didn’t go to UT, I’m manifesting a win, which goes to show how pervasive that burnt orange spirit is. The Longhorns were 12-1 in the regular season and QB Quinn Ewers is an early contender for the 2024 Heisman trophy, so I think the team is going into this game with confidence.

Here’s what SEAtoday City Editor Gabe has to say about the Huskies: “The Huskies are a team of destiny, y’all. (Did I do that y’all, right?) UW is undefeated, unlike UT, ahem, and are led by the feel-good story of Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr. Plus, did you remember the Alamo Bowl last year, or was that forgotten already?”

For all the super fans out there, tickets for the game start around $485, and are likely to sell out fast.
Asked

If Texas loses, what should the ATXtoday editors send to the SEAtoday editors?
A. Habanero hot sauce from Yellowbird
B. A “Keep Austin Weird” bumper sticker from BookPeople
C. A picture of Bevo rolled up in a jar
Pick our punishment
Kenagra Health
 
Events
Wednesday, Dec. 13
  • Trail of Lights | Now-Saturday, Dec. 23 | 6-10 p.m. | Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | Free-$8 | Catch the 59th annual Trail of Lights, one of Austin’s most beloved holiday traditions.
  • The Moth Mainstage | Wednesday, Dec. 13 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $35-$65 | Spend an evening immersed in storytelling.
Thursday, Dec. 14
  • POP! | Thursday, Dec. 14-Wednesday, Jan. 31 | Times vary | The Kleberg at ZACH Theatre, 1421 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $20-$86 | Turn up the festive vibes at this holiday sing-along party.
  • Jelly’s 11th Annual Christmas Jam | Thursday, Dec. 14 | 7 p.m. | 3TEN ACL Live, 310 Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $25-$30 | The Past Lives, Tomar & The FC’s, Jelly Ellington and others will perform at this event benefiting the Austin Firefighters Relief & Outreach Fund.
Friday, Dec. 15
  • Bolos & Bourbon | Friday, Dec. 15 | 5 p.m. | The Driskill, 604 Brazos St., Austin | $55 | Learn about the history of the bolo tie and American Bourbon as you design your own bolo tie and sample three pours.
Saturday, Dec. 16
  • Thomas Kinkade Winter Wonderland | Saturday, Dec. 16-Saturday, Jan. 6 | 12-6 p.m. | McLennon Pen Co. Gallery, 2502 E. 12th St., Austin | Free | See three rare, original paintings from the acclaimed artist inside a holiday-themed installation.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Seasonal

🎁 Add the 2023 Armadillo Christmas Bazaar to your holiday cal
a view of an aisle of booths at the armadillo Christmas bazaar
Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list? Head to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. | Photo provided by Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
Jingle all the way to the 2023 Armadillo Christmas Bazaar happening from Friday, Dec. 15 to Saturday, Dec. 23 at the Palmer Events Center.

This year marks the 48th installment of this annual holiday event, featuring fine art and live music from local makers and artists. In other words, it’s one of Austin’s top destinations for high-quality art and artisan gifts during the holiday season.

Happy holiday shopping, Austin.
Grab tickets to the bazaar
News Notes
Civic
  • A set of years-old Austin housing policies were struck down by a Travis County district judge last week. The three policies allowed developers to build more volume in exchange for creating some low-income housing, but the judge ruled that the city failed to correctly notify property owners. (KUT)
Development
  • Work on the second phase of a new MML Hospitality development along West 6th Street, Sixth&Blanco, will begin early next year. This phase will begin by demolishing bakery Swedish Hill, which will reopen in the new space, to make room for a five-story mixed-use building. (Austin American-Statesman)
Closing
  • Ghost kitchen company Kitchen United, 8023 Burnet Rd., and EastSide ATX (aka Eastside Tavern), 1510 E. Cesar Chavez St., both closed down this month. Kitchen United also closed all of its other US locations. (Eater Austin)
Ranked
  • The Austin metro area is still the fastest-growing in the country, according to city officials. City Demographer Lila Valencia said 53% of US cities have lost population since 2020, but not Austin, which has seen a 1.3% increase since 2020 and is still inching toward one million residents. (KXAN)
Cause
  • Austin resident and Miami Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe chose Austin Pets Alive! as his charity of choice for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign for the second year in a row. Last year, the campaign raised more than $40,000 for APA!
Opening
  • A Los Angeles-based clothing company called Rails will open at The Domain, 11621 Rock Rose Ave., this Saturday, Dec. 16. Expect a collection of neutral essentials, plus statement pieces for both men and women.
Travel
  • Saltwater fishing, birding, stargazing, and sailing? Sounds perfect for a couples retreat or family getaway. Less than three hours from Austin is Port Lavaca/Matagorda Bay KOA Holiday, a year-round glamping destination for nature lovers located on the “secret coast” of Texas. Escape the city.*
Job
  • We’re hiring a Branded Copywriter to support the strategy, creation, and placement of branded content campaigns for 6AM City’s clients. From creating dynamic content (including written articles and social) within the 6AM tone and style to closely following the process of how we fulfill advertiser contracts — see details and apply.
 
Holiday

Give the gift of ATX
A graphic with an orange, floral background, a picture of Editor Figi and the words "Figi's Picks."
A graphic with an orange, floral background, a picture of Editor Figi and the words “Figi’s Picks.” | Graphic by 6AM City
Happy December. We thought we’d ring in the most festive month of the year appropriately — with holiday gift guides featuring our editors’ top present picks.

Scroll to shop and maybe even snag a locally made gift or two, courtesy of your editors’ exquisite taste.

4 oz Candle Gift Set, $64 | “I have two cats, and as much as I love them, they don’t always make my house smell like roses. Major Darling knows that just as well as I do, so I know these candles would leave my space fresh.”

Texas Map Print, $20+ | “Perfect for any Austinite or general lover of Texas, this print gives me the warm fuzzies. I just love looking at all the little icons of the Lone Star State.”

Meowdy Mini Notebook, $8 | “Not only do I love the ‘Meowdy!’ motif, this little notebook is the perfect size to grab and go, so you never get caught without a piece of paper again.”
The Buy

The Buy 12.13.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
A heated vest, jacket, or socks from Ororo so you’re actually comfortable this winter. Bonus: They make great holiday gifts, too.
31 Days of Local Shopping

🛎 Room Service coming up
A corner of Room Service Vintage with scarves hanging, jewelry displayed, and a glass case.

This eclectic space is the ideal spot to find something one-of-a-kind to gift.

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Photo by ATXtoday

The perfect gift doesn’t have to be brand new — sometimes it’s vintage.

Room Service Vintage, 117 N. Loop Blvd. | Walk through aisles upon aisles of vintage furniture, knick-knacks, clothing, and more from days of yore. This “vintage wonderland” is nestled inside an old pharmacy and soda fountain, so the shopping experience is a vibe.
12 more local shops
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The Wrap
 
Laura Figi.jpg

Today’s edition by:
Figi
From the editor
Did you know when the Trail of Lights first started in 1965, it was originally called “Yule Fest”? Also known as “The Spirit of Christmas,” the Trail of Lights got its current name in 1992.
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