Don’t miss the C3 Management Official SXSW Showcase at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater. | Photo by Aaron Rogosin
SXSW 2025 is barreling around the bend — can you feel the excitement in the air? We sure can, and even if you don’t want to shell out for a badge, there’s plenty to do.
You can have fun at SXSW all week long without spending a dime (or at least for a fraction of the cost). Here are some free or low-cost events to get you started.
Culture
Whataburger Museum of Art | Saturday, March 8-Sunday, March 9 | Free
Peruse a gallery of 200+ themed installations, art pieces, and sculptures, and visit the Whataburger food truck before you head out.
Edu
NASA House: CreateSpace| Saturday, March 8-Sunday, March 9 | Free
The Central Library will transform into an interactive display of hands-on creation and space discovery across multiple floors.
Music
Community Concerts at Lady Bird Lake | Sunday, March 9 | Free
Come together with fellow Austinites and folks from afar at this concert celebrating local musicians Sir Woman, Geto Gala, Pedal Steel Noah, Lesly Reynaga, and more. Psst — bring a picnic or grab a bite from local food trucks.
Amplify Austin Day | Wednesday, March 5-Thursday, March 6 | Times vary | AmplifyATX.org | Donation-based | Uplift our community by finding a local cause you care about and donating to make an impact.
“All About Maples” | 6:30-9 p.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden | Free with admission | Hone your green thumb and discover the secrets behind keeping maple varieties alive in Central Texas.
Thursday, March 6
“Forgotten Texas” Art Opening | 6-9 p.m. | Zilker Brewing Co. | Cost of purchase | Be among the first to see a new exhibit by Two-Step Creative, then shop a vintage market, listen to live music, and take a line dance lesson from Country Fried Dance.
Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac | 6:30 p.m. | St. David’s Episcopal Church | $45 | Listen to the time-honored tunes of the band behind “Rumours” by candlelight.
Friday, March 7
SXSW 2025 | Friday, March 7-Saturday, March 15 | Times vary | Multiple locations | $895+ | Get ready for the city to come alive with celebrity sightings, live concerts, jaw-dropping tech displays, film screenings, and interactive exhibitions.
Saturday, March 8
International Women’s Day Market | 12 p.m. | Meanwhile Brewing Co. | Cost of purchase | Find your new favorite local maker at this market highlighting woman-owned shops.
Sunday, March 9
KOOP Radio Day Party | 12-6 p.m. | Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches | Free with RSVP | Tune into a mini music festival with two stages and lineups curated by composer Nathan Felix.
✈️ Here’s how to score a $196 flight deal to San Diego (or Key West, or Las Vegas)
Presented by Going
$196. That’s the average deal Going finds for its members to fly round-trip to San Diego. | Photo by Griffin Wooldridge via Pixabay
Psst — the secret to feeling amazing when you book this year’s vacation? Signing up for free flight tracking, so you’ll be notified when flights you have your eye on are seriously discounted.
Thousands of Austinites lost power yesterday as strong winds caused downed branches to hit power lines all over the city. Report and track outages using Austin Energy’s interactive map. (KUT)
Weather
Travis County Judge Andy Brown signed a temporary burn ban into effect yesterday, as wildfires broke out all over the Central Texas area and 80% of Travis County is under extreme drought status. Firefighters were deployed to fires in northeast Austin and Hays County. (Austin American-Statesman)
Tech
It’s official — you can now hail a driverless ride thanks to Uber and Waymo’s partnership. The service officially launched yesterday, offering rides across 37 square miles from St. Edward’s University to Hyde Park. Read our interview with Waymo products communications manager Chris Bonelli.
Biz
De-extinction company Colossal Biosciences — which has operations in ATX — has created a new creature: the woolly mouse. The cute, genetically tweaked critter shares features with woolly mammoths and represents a step toward resurrecting the giant animals.
Watch
Cedar Park-based aerospace company Firefly’s lunar lander touched base on the moon last weekend and they’ve got the video to prove it. Watch Blue Ghost One as it floated through space. (KXAN)
Theater
Get your calendar ready — the Texas Performing Arts 2025-2026 Broadway in Austin season is stacked. Expect performances of “The Sound of Music,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “SIX,” “Hadestown,” “Mamma Mia!” and more starting this fall.
Award
Austin’s own DJ Cassandra became the first woman to win Best DJ at the 43rd annual Austin Music Awards over the weekend. Other winners include Gary Clark Jr. for Musician of the Year, Being Dead for Band of the Year, and Die Spitz for Music Video of the Year. (The Austin Chronicle)
Sports
The Cowboys locked down Osa Odighizuwa on a four-year, $20 million annual contract. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Dallas Cowboys with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Travel
Trade your routine for a midweek escape to Lake Charles — where sunsets, seafood, and a little luck at the tables await. Explore the Boudin Trail, sip craft cocktails, and spot gators along the Creole Nature Trail. Plan your trip.*
Coming Soon
If you’ve found yourself stuck in the usual routine of hitting up the same spots each weekend, you’re not alone. This new social destination is bringing its unique blend of classic entertainment and craft cocktails to the St. Elmo District this spring — and we have a feeling it’ll be your new go-to spot.*
Category
Real Estate
🏡 ICON-ic new homes
Peek into the 3D-printed future of Mueller Greenway. | Rendering courtesy ICON
Austinites have a new opportunity to live in a 3D-printed home as ICON prepares to break ground this year on a dozen new dwellings in the Mueller neighborhood.
Designed by the award-winning, Austin-based architecture firm Michael Hsu, the homes will range from 650 to 2,400 sqft (across up to three bedrooms) and back up to the Southwest Greenway.
The new slate is already available for purchase, starting at $365,000, and some of the one-bedroom homes will be part of the Mueller Affordable Homes Program. Let’s take a closer look:
Bungalow | A cozy, one-bedroom and one-and-a-half bathroom home, the bungalow spans two floors with just the bedroom on top.
Two-bedroom | This home spans 1,607 sqft and features a two-car garage, walk-in closet, and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Three-bedroom | There’s 2,395 sqft to stretch out in this home, which features an upstairs den, detached garage, and first-floor primary suite.
The Buy
The Buy
A women’s tennis dress made from stretchy, soft fabric that’s perfect for workouts or casual wear on sunny days.
}})
