A timeline of Zilker Hillside Theater’s history

• 1937: Austin Parks and Recreation Department Director Beverly S. Sheffield began a sing-song program at the outdoor venue.
• 1959: Funded by the Parks and Recreation Department, a cast of high school actors hit the stage in a production of “Seventeen,” the theater’s first musical. About 400 people were in the audience.
• 1987: Zilker Theatre Productions was established as a nonprofit organization when city budget cuts threatened the theater group’s survival.
• 1994: The Zilker Hillside Theater structure as we know it was built directly across from Barton Springs Pool.
• July 2024: Austin Parks Foundation invested $150,000 to revitalize the theater, removing the damaged wooden stage and replacing it with a new one in time for the opening night of “Legally Blonde the Musical.”

What to know before you go

• The shows begin at 8:15 p.m., but it’s best to arrive early to grab a spot
• Ridesharing is encouraged
• Attendees can bring a picnic or buy concessions
• American Sign Language interpreted performances are Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 26
• High-back chairs are only permitted in the ADA seating and at the top of the hillside

• Lil Sasquatch: Live in Austin | Now-Saturday, July 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Vulcan Gas Company, 418 E. 6th St., Austin | $20-$25 | See the Barstool Sports podcaster live at this stand-up comedy performance.

• Lakeside Maker’s Market | Saturday, July 13 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | The Loren Hotel, 1211 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | Cost of purchase | Shop handmade goods on the hotel’s patio while you sip on drinks and snack on sweets.
• Kitty Cohen’s Eighth Anniversary Party | Saturday, July 13 | 12 p.m.-2 a.m. | Kitty Cohen’s, 2211 Webberville Rd., Ste. #3548, Austin | Cost of purchase | Celebrate the pool bar’s birthday with an all-day extravaganza, featuring a Parish Barbecue pop-up, drink specials, and DJ sets.
• Women’s Premier Soccer League Regional Playoffs | Saturday, July 13-Sunday, July 14 | Times vary | House Park, 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd., Austin | $15-$28 | Austin Rise FC hosts the playoffs, which will crown the best amateur team in the south region.
• Seattle Sounders FC vs. Austin FC | Saturday, July 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Q2 Stadium, 10414 McKalla Pl., Austin | $61-$140 | Don your verde and black to cheer on our local football club.

• Free Day | Sunday, July 14 | 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | Free | Explore the gardens at no cost all day long.

• Festivals like Beer By The Bay featuring country music legend Clay Walker
• Off-roading on a luxury track at the Bronco Off Roadeo
• First floating pool + first Mourtaglou Tennis Academy in the US
• Wake surf camps on constant Level Lake LBJ
• Private jet center

• President Joe Biden’s visit to Austin on Monday, July 15 may cause minor flight delays at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Increased security at the airport will include a ground stop and ramp freeze in effect while the president is arriving and departing. (Community Impact)

• $457 million. That’s how much the U.S. National Science Foundation has invested to build a new Leadership Class Computing Facility at UT Austin. It’s slated to begin operations in 2026 and will primarily focus on artificial intelligence, housing an AI supercomputer named Horizon. (Austin Business Journal)

• Ever wish you could make De Nada Cantina margaritas at home? Well, we’re one step closer to the secret recipe. Bar owner Chris Bostick, the brain behind De Nada’s boozy blended drinks, shared his tips on at-home bartending the perfect frozen libation. (Austin Monthly)

• Atlas Sandwich Company has a new home: the food truck now resides at Cain & Abel’s, 907 W. 34th St. Owned by Joey Polychronis, whose family is from Sparta, the mobile eatery offers a variety of Greek and Mediterranean dishes as well as vegetarian options. (Eater Austin)

• Yet another Texas Monthly story will soon become a Texas-based television series. Based on the podcast “Boomtown,” Taylor Sheridan’s new show “Landman” premieres on Paramount+ on Sunday, November 17. Its star-studded cast includes Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm. (Culture Map Austin)

• Tiny chefs in Austin will have to hone their culinary crafts elsewhere — the only Texas location of Little Kitchen Academy, 10515 N. MoPac Expy., Ste. 135-A, shuttered last weekend after nearly seven months of business. (Community Impact)

• East Austin landed at No. 6 on a new Bad Credit list ranking the top 10 places to eat well without breaking the bank in the US. In case you missed it, here are spots where you can grab lunch in east Austin (and all over the city) for less than $10.

• “The Shining” actress Shelley Duvall died yesterday at the age of 75. Duvall was born in Fort Worth and passed in her home in Blanco. “Don’t let any setback defeat you. The world doesn’t end just because one thing goes wrong,” - Shelley Duvall. (The Hollywood Reporter)

• What do Astros fans need to know as the trade deadline approaches? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Houston Astros with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
  

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