March 29, 2024

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☀️ Summer’s calling

To the left, a group of children stand on the Paramount's stage, in matching blue shirts and mid-dance. To the right, crowds of spectators watch them inside the historic theater.

Give your kiddos some time in the spotlight this summer. | Photo by Rachel Parker

We may be eight weeks out from the end of classes, but it’s never too early to get a head start on summer plans for the kiddos.

From art school to medieval studies, check out these 12 local summer camps for Austin kids.

Paramount Education | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave.
Young ones interested in acting, singing, dancing, and performance will find a home at this collection of camps, which all end with a performance on the historic stage itself. Choose from a range of two-week sessions from Camp Paramount ($900), Story Wranglers ($850), and Songwriting ($800) programs. Scholarships are available.

Camp Tech Revolution | University of Texas’ Topfer Center, 2105 San Antonio St.
Children as young as 6 can learn coding skills, game design, and robotics, while older kids can tackle sports analytics, artificial intelligence, and space programs. Camps last throughout June and July and start at $639 per week — all-girls courses are also available.

A young girl practicing a sewing project — Parents can purchase day passes for Steve & Kate’s Camp, where kids can practice art, coding, and theater.
|
Photo by Kate Susskind, Steve & Kate’s Camp

Steve & Kate’s Camp | Multiple locations
Customize your child’s camp schedule by buying $110 day passes for any days you’d like. Unused days will be refunded in September, and you can also upgrade to a full-summer pass for $2,970, which includes as much as 39 days. Campers choose from activities including stop-motion animation, sewing, baking, and water play.

Kidventure | Multiple locations
Little ones between 3 and 16 can participate in yoga, rock climbing, and scavenger hunts. Sessions last through June, July, and early August at locations around Austin, and begin at $380 per week.

Sherwood Forest Summer Camp | 1883 Old Hwy. 20, McDade
If your child couldn’t stop watching “Brave,” this camp — self-proclaimed as “the most unique in Texas” — may pique their interest. Kids age 8-16 can take courses on viking lore, fae studies, and illuminated manuscripts, and even practice blacksmithing + leatherworking. Registration is $1,099 per camper, but take note, they also offer a three-day grown-up summer camp.

7 more camps

Events

Friday, March 29

Arty Party: Rainbows! | Friday, March 29 | 10-11 a.m. | The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St., Austin | Free | Kids age 3 and under will be able to engage in hands-on art projects at this interactive story time.
Main Course: Stand Up Comedy | Friday, March 29 | 10-11:45 p.m. | Vulcan Gas Company, 418 E. 6th St., Austin | $25-$30 | Laugh along to a secret lineup of Netflix, HBO, Comedy Central, and Showtime-featured comedians.

Saturday, March 30

Easter Egg Roll | Saturday, March 30 | 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Southwest lawn of the Texas Capitol, 1100 Congress Ave., Austin | Free | The 9th annual family-friendly event also features ice cream, a petting zoo, face painting, and appearances by the Easter bunny.
Dallas FC vs. Austin FC | Saturday, March 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Q2 Stadium, 10414 McKalla Pl., Austin | $60-$143 | It’s a showdown of Texas teams at this hometown match for El Tree.

Sunday, March 31

Easter Brunch Buffet | Sunday, March 31 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Hotel Viata, 320 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin | $110 | Dig into breakfast dishes like bourbon-vanilla French Texas toast and biscuits and gravy at this Easter Sunday brunch, featuring a visit from the big bunny himself.
Trans Day of Visibility Community Picnic | Sunday, March 31 | 1-5 p.m. | Grassroots Leadership, 7910 Cameron Rd., Austin | Free | Shop a market featuring trans artists and follow up your shopping with lawn games and arts + crafts.

Monday, April 1

Eclipse Science Stations for kids | Monday, April 1 | 4:30-7:30 p.m. | Round Rock Public Library, 200 E. Liberty Ave., Round Rock | Free | Kids age 4 and under invited to explore stations centered on why eclipses happen + how to safely watch them, plus take home a pair of solar safety glasses.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Civic

Austin City Council is recommending T.C. Broadnax to be Austin’s next city manager. The soon-to-be former Dallas city manager’s hiring will be finalized on Thursday, April 4. It is still unclear when he will start, but Broadnax said his priority during the first 100 days will be to hire a new police chief. (KUT)

Edu

UT Austin is the second-most selective university in Texas, following Rice University according to an analysis from the Business Journals. UT’s admission rate is 31.4%, making it the No. 63 most selective in the US, and Rice’s was 8.7%, ranking No. 31 nationally.

Eat

Interstellar BBQ will launch its first-ever pop-up, called Parish Barbecue, at Batch this Saturday, March 30. The new menu will lean on flavors from Shreveport, Louisiana and include brisket, ribs and sausage. (Eater Austin)

Civic

The City of San Marcos announced employees will drive a fleet of all-electric vehicles, in an effort to meet city council-set environmental initiatives. To start, the Public Works fleet leased five new EVs: three Ford F-150 Lightning trucks and two Toyota bZ4Xs. (CBS Austin)

Try This

Kick off the Round Ross Express’ 2024 season at Dell Diamond tonight, where the team will take on the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Attendees can expect fireworks and a giveaway for the first 2,000 fans in attendance. Get tickets. (CBS Austin)

Ranked

The Hot Luck Live Food & Music Festival was ranked the No. 9 best food fest in the US by USA Today, in part for combining chef-prepared bites and live music showcases. This year’s fest takes place Thursday, May 23-Sunday, May 26 — get tickets.

Sports

Will the Cowboys add more pass rush help? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Dallas Cowboys with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Finance

Compare multiple lenders and get debt consolidation offers in two minutes. Calculate your monthly payments.*

Trending

Get the No. 1 best-selling smart display — the Echo Show 8 — while it’s 33% off through the weekend. We love: controlling smart home devices from one hub.*

Art

🧁 Bake it your own

A gif cycling through split-image photos of bake-off treats and the artworks they're recreating.

Competitors from last year’s Bake-Off adapted a range of artworks into treats. | Photos courtesy the Blanton Museum of Art

Ready, set, bake — the Blanton Bake-Off is back.

The Blanton Museum of Art’s annual competition encourages local bakers to recreate the museum’s artworks in treat form.

Since starting in 2020, the effort has received more than 70 submissions recreating masterful works and even the Blanton’s museum itself.

The best part? Anyone can participate. Competitor categories include Under-18, Adult (Amateur), and Adult (Professional).

To join the competition, submit photos to pr@blantonmuseum.org or post your creation to Instagram or Facebook, tagging @BlantonMuseum and using the hashtag #BlantonBakeOff, by Wednesday, May 15. Remember to name the category you’re entering.

The entries will be put to a public vote on the Blanton’s social media pages starting Friday, May 17. Prizewinners will receive gift cards to Quack’s Bakery and Easy Tiger, plus a sustaining membership to the Blanton.

Already brainstorming? Take a look at the museum’s collections to get the ideas rolling.

The Buy

The handy dandy jar opener you never knew you needed. Mount it under a kitchen cabinet and easily twist open jars and bottles with one hand. Bonus: The jar opener was designed to be easy to use for older adults and those with carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
London

From the editor

I’m headed to Las Vegas this afternoon to celebrate my future sister-in-law’s wedding this weekend. This will be my first visit to Sin City, so I’m looking for recommendations — is there anything I should make sure to see while I’m there?

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