Birds, and turtles, and fish, oh my. | Photo by ATXtoday
Austin residents know springtime in the Capital City is synonymous with days spent paddling Lady Bird Lake and long walks along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.
While the area looks stunning this time of year, it also sounds beautiful, thanks to the chirps, shuffles, and splashes from the abundant wildlife in and around the lake.
Next time you hit the trail or water, turn your venture into a scavenger hunt and use this guide to identify our beautiful fauna.
Meet the feathered, flippered, and furry locals who share Lady Bird Lake with us.
Photos by ATXtoday
Blue jay
City Editor Morgan here. This adorable blue jay is one of the first birds I saw on my most recent walk around Lady Bird Lake.
Yellow-crowned night heron
This bird frequents the lake during spring and summer. It likes to root in small groups in wet, wooded trees and swampy areas.
Domestic goose
Head to Shoal Beach if you want to see one of these geese — they’ll often hang out pretty close to picnickers.
Tiniest Dog Party in Texas | 5-8 p.m. | The Volstead Lounge | Cost of purchase | Expect a petite dog pageant, hot dog pop-up, pet portraits, and a puppy market at this event benefiting Lil Paws Maltese Rescue.
Rock the Park | 6:45-8:30 p.m. | Mueller Lake Park | Free | Listen to live performances from Akins High School Mariachi and LP Giobbi during this outdoor concert series.
Wild West Brew Fest | Friday, April 11-Saturday, April 12 | Times vary | Typhoon Texas, Pflugerville | $35+ | Plan for a pitcher perfect weekend with plenty of craft beer, food truck eats, and live music performances.
Friday Fireworks | 7:15-10:15 p.m. | Dell Diamond, Round Rock | $15+ | Come to watch Round Rock Express take on the Oklahoma City Comets, and stay for a dazzling fireworks display after the final inning.
Saturday, April 12
Texas Mushroom Conference | 1-7 p.m. | Etter-Harbin Alumni Center | $30+ | Partake in fungal fun through hands-on workshops, educational talks, gourmet food vendors, and a marketplace featuring local mushroom farms.
Squirrel Fest | 4-10 p.m. | Pease Park | Free | Head to Austin’s oldest park for a day of family-friendly activities, live music, and food and drink vendors.
Sunday, April 13
Thai New Year Celebration | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Thai Fresh | Cost of purchase | Taste Thai street foods and shop for origami, candles, and vintage items at an Austin Flea market pop-up.
A Good Old-Fashioned Crawfish Boil | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Maie Day | $35 | Sip a Vacancy Brewing beer or a glass of cold rosé on the patio while you try Chef Nico’s secret crawfish-and-fixins recipe.
Two new dining concepts from the team behind Red Ash Italia and ATX Cocina are in the works for Downtown Austin. Sugar Wolf Bakery inside The Republic and Restaurant Francois and Bar Rouge in the AMLI building will both open later this year. (Austin Business Journal)
Civic
Say hello to Austin’s new city clerk. Erika Brady was unanimously appointed by Austin City Council yesterday and will assume the position on Thursday, May 1. Brady will replace Myrna Rios, who is retiring after more than 20 years with the city of Austin. (Community Impact)
Open
Sushi|Bar is now dazzling diners in its new 2nd Street District location and with the restaurant’s opening comes a new cocktail lounge called Golden Ace. Christian “Suzu” Suzuki-Orellana, a mixologist and competitor on Netflix’s “Drink Master,” leads its beverage program.
Edu
UT Austin’s Moody College of Communication will begin offering courses through its new Karch Gaming Institute this fall. The initiative — made possible by a $5 million gift from Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch — aims to shape the next generation of gaming industry leaders.
Outdoors
Did you see the Capitol One blimps flying over Austin yesterday? A pair of blimps featuring the likes of NBA legends Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson were spotted over ATX on their way home to Tennessee from the NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio. (KVUE)
Try This
Jester King Brewery will launch a THC drink, Tripping Springs Hemp Sparkling Water, at its Green Acres Hop Fest & Springtime Art Market on Saturday, April 19. The new bev is available in three flavors and will also be sold at retailers around Central Texas. (Austin American-Statesman)
Asked
In its early days, the Driskill Hotel had an entrance that was exclusively for women. Do you know why? Wager a guess.
Sports
Can the Cowboys’ NFL Draft strategy reshape their season ahead? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Dallas Cowboys with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Coming Soon
This new social hub is coming soon to the St. Elmo District, featuring endless entertainment options (think: 20 duckpin bowling lanes, 25 pinball machines, and 29 classic arcade games), plus three bars serving craft cocktails, alcohol alternatives, and more. Think you know who we’re talking about? See if you’re right.*
Category
Entertainment
🎳 All fun and games
Hookie — a ring toss game — and patio pong were two of our favorite activities at Pins Mechanical Co. | Photo by ATXtoday
Pins Mechanical Co.'s new location in the St. Elmo District will debut on Thursday, April 17.
Ahead of its opening, your ATXtoday City Editors toured the 43,000-sqft entertainment venue to give you the inside scoop. Here’s what stood out to us.
It’s a bring-your-own food establishment, plus JewBoy Sliders will begin offering on-site eats in May.
Daily specials include free duckpin bowling after 8 p.m. on Mondays, half-off Tito’s Vodka drinks on Tuesdays, and more.
Its cocktail menu is colorful and set apart by quirky names and playful garnishes like lollipops and gummy candies.
In addition to plenty of pinball machines and arcade classics, we appreciated the plethora of yard games on the patios and a 1970s-inspired room with throwback video games.
It’s family-friendly + dog-friendly (indoor and outdoor) and becomes a 21+ venue after 9 p.m. — the best of both worlds.
A set of nice thank you cards. This budget-friendly 36-pack combines elegant minimalism with gold foil accents on high-quality paper. Keep it on hand for expressing gratitude at a moment’s notice.
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