March 22, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

💡 Learn from the locals

A theater lit with blue and purple lights with a crowd of people looking toward a stage, which has the letters "TEDxUTAustin" on top.

Last year’s TEDxUTAustin theme was “How & Why,” centering around understanding the process of setting a goal. | Photo courtesy TEDxUTAustin

If you’re looking to get to know your community a little better, we’ve got the conference for you: TEDxUTAustin.

The seventh annual edition of the conference, which is student-organized, will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 at UT’s Hogg Memorial Auditorium, 2300 Whitis Ave. Community members can enjoy the conference for $40 and students can get tickets for $20.

This year’s theme is “mosaic,” centering around how folks of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life can create something new when they come together. Without further ado, let’s get to know the nine Central Texans who will take the stage.

Merlin Tuttle | An ecologist, National Geographic-featured wildlife photographer, and conservationist, Tuttle founded Bat Conservation International in 1982.

Melody Afkami | The Melody DanceFit CEO and founder built her fitness business around the healing power of dance, and has since been named ClassPass “Instructor Of The Year.”

Nahid Siamdoust | A Middle East studies assistant professor at UT Austin, Siamdoust has covered news in Iran with Time Magazine and Al Jazeera International.

Bavu Blakes | Blakes advocates for dynamic education through his educational agency, Hip Hop Grew Up, as a musician and “Scholar Emcee.”

Kareem El-Ghayesh standing in front of his black barbecue food truck, KGBBQ. — Kareem El-Ghayesh of KG BBQ came all the way from Cairo for his love of BBQ.
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Photo by ATXtoday

Kareem El-Ghayesh | With a passion for smoked meats, the KG BBQ chef and founder moved all the way from Cairo to make his dream a reality.

Kathy Terry | Since 2005, the P. Terry’s co-founder and her husband have opened 30+ health-conscious fast-food stands in Austin.

Caroline Rose | Rose, a 13-year cancer survivor, is now a public speaker and motivational storyteller.

Dr. Richard Reddick | An award-winning teacher, Dr. Reddick is the inaugural Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Undergraduate College at UT.

Dr. Heather Morgan | The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas Chief of Staff + Strategy was recently named one of the Top 50 Women in Global Cinema.

Read more about the speakers.

Events

Friday, March 22

NASCAR at COTA | Now-Sunday, March 24 | Times vary | Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd., Austin | $25-$220 | The action-packed weekend returns with live music, a barbecue showdown, carnival games, and several high-speed events.
“Stephen Mills’ POE / A Tale of Madness” | Now-Sunday, March 24 | Times vary | The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $15-$99 | The dark stories of Edgar Allen Poe are breathed into a new life onstage at this original, Austin-made ballet.
Andre Ricks | Now-Saturday, March 23 | Times vary | The Velveeta Room, 521 E. 6th St., Austin | $20 | The Austinite will take the stage for a unique-to-him comedy set.

Saturday, March 23

“A Year With Frog and Toad” | Saturday, March 23-Sunday, May 12 | 2-3 p.m. | ZACH Theatre, 202 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $22-$38 | Kiddos will love this performance based on the beloved Arnold Lobel book.
Film Screening: “The Stars at Night” | Saturday, March 23 | 7-9 p.m. | Vista Brewing, 13551 FM Rd. 150 W., Driftwood | Free | Learn about local Dark Sky Communities from this film and its director, Betty Buckley.
DRAMAFEST | Saturday, March 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Hole in the Wall, 2538 Guadalupe St., Austin | Free | Celebrate the life of Austin musician Nathan Olivarez as local groups pay homage to his work.

Sunday, March 24

Artisan Paper Flowers Workshop | Sunday, March 24 | 12-2 p.m. | Austin Creative Reuse Center, 2005 Wheless Lane, Austin | $20 | Celebrate the start of spring at this workshop centered on making beautiful paper flower arrangements.
Mini Maker Market | Sunday, March 24 | 2-5 p.m. | The Hive, 10542 Menchaca Rd., Austin | Free admission | Young ones age 6-17 can show and sell their wares at this market.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Development

Austin City Council approved a 107-acre, $87 million purchase of the east Austin Tokyo Electron campus at 2400 Grove Blvd. Mayor Kirk Watson said the goal is to build 1,100 residential units that will be right along the path of future Project Connect rails. (KVUE)

Travel

JetBlue Airways will end its nonstop route between Austin and Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, May 1. The decision is part of nationwide cuts and cost-saving measures, but Fort Lauderdale still has routes out of Austin through Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines. (KXAN)

Sports

Texas Longhorns football coach Steve Sarkisian will be Sunday’s honorary starter (aka the one who waves the green flag) at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix NASCAR Cup Series. The event will also be Sarkisian’s first-ever NASCAR race.

Outdoors

Dripping Springs City Council approved a disaster declaration ahead of the Monday, April 8 eclipse as a million visitors are expected to flock to the state. Travis County, along with several other Central Texas counties, have done the same. (KXAN)

Number

168. That’s how many new physicians will join the healthcare workforce and begin training with Dell Med and Ascension Seton in Austin. The recent “match day,” when medical students learn where they will begin their residency, marks one of the biggest classes to match with Dell Med.

Opening

Cream puffs, custard, and cakes, oh my. A Japanese dessert chain called Beard Papa’s is set to open its second Austin location at the end of the month at H Mart, 11301 Lakeline Blvd. Expect lava cakes, green tea cream puffs, and gifts for the first 100 customers. (Austin Community Impact)

Announced

What happens at Putt Vegas, stays at Putt Vegas. A Las Vegas-themed mini-golf course — with 12 holes to take you around a trip of the Vegas strip — will open at Austin’s, 16231 IH-35, in Pflugerville on Friday, April 5. Reserve a tee time.

Listen

What led to the Houston Rockets’ win against the Washington Wizards? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Houston Rockets with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Finance

If your last credit card bill sent a chill down your spine, it might be time for a balance transfer. For that, The Ascent recommends these four cards with 0% APR for up to 18 months. (You could have almost two years to avoid interest charges on qualifying balance transfers.)*

Entertainment

⛳️ Howdy Putt-ner

A graffiti-covered building as seen from above with a sign reading "Holey Moley" and a billboard reading "like golf but fun!"

Holey Moley’s Austin space features art pieces made by local creatives, and left a few exterior murals untouched. | Photo courtesy Holey Moley

Another mini-golf entertainment venue called Holey Moley opens today, and it promises to be par-ticularly good.

Built by Australia-based parent company Funlab, the mini-golf club is the first of its kind to open in Texas and second location in the US, following Denver. Holey Moley Austin is open at 807 E. 4th St., with another location on the way to Houston.

Inside, guests will find three courses with 27 holes with themes including outer space, the candy shop, the museum, grandma’s house, and a few Austin-specific creations.

The fun isn’t limited to golf at Holey Moley. Guests can also expect karaoke rooms, an outdoor stage for live music, two bars with wacky drinks, and a full food menu. Plus, Eastend Tattoo will be onsite offering free tattoos on opening day.

Ready to join the par-tee? Book a time online.

The Buy

Coffee and tea. Shop our beverage selection to help avoid your mid-day slump.

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The Wrap

City Editor Figi poses with an adorable goat.

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

I’m very excited to attend Moontower Comedy Festival next month, mostly for my love of Joe Pera, but I’m also really excited to see some locals. I’ve been known to frequent the Tiniest Bar in Texas’ open mic comedy showcase, which is hosted by the legendary Symply Courtney.

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