Spend some time on the historic strip with free activities and fun for the first-ever VIBE Downtown. | Photo by Likeness Studio
A handful of Austin-based artists + creatives will come together for the first-ever VIBE Downtown celebration this month.
Live pop-ups and hands-on activities will take over the 500 block of East 6th Street in a partnership between the Downtown Austin Alliance and Future Front Texas Friday, Sept. 19 + Saturday, Sept. 20.
There are five organizations signed on to celebrate local culture at the free, inaugural fest. Here’s what’s in store:
Slow Fashion Festival will host ATX Mending Lab where guests can visit mending stations and contribute fabric squares to a “Collective Community Quilt.”
Boddy Pudrido Productions will showcase a performance of “Con Mucho Amor” and hold a community piñata smash.
The Mosaic Workshop‘s Piecing Together Austin event will give away mosaic kits and have folks creating a large mural.
Shake it Africa has Afrobeats workshops, performances, guided choreography, and DJ sets in store.
Where Y’all at Though will present DJ sets, interviews with local influencers, chefs, and more through “WHEREABOUTS?!”
Clayton Farmers Market | 2-6 p.m. | Clayton Towers | Cost of purchase | Shop for locally grown produce, pasture-raised meats, farm-fresh eggs, baked goods, and more at this rain-or-shine market.
Thursday, Sept. 4
Butterfly Garden Workday | Times vary | Zilker Botanical Garden | Free | Volunteer to help maintain the Butterfly Garden — bring water + wear closed-toed shoes.
Friday, Sept. 5
NBA YoungBoy | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | The Moody Center | $87+ | The Louisiana-born rapper will share the stage with DeeBaby and k3 on the “MASA Tour.”
Saturday, Sept. 6
Essence & Espresso: Wellness Edition | 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Stargazer Cocktails & Coffee | Cost of purchase | Stop by for a morning of donation-based fitness classes, local vendors, community, and delicious coffee.
Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra | 8 p.m. | Bass Concert Hall | $40+ | The famous actor will perform classic jazz with the orchestra that has worked with artists like Gregory Porter, Kelly Clarkson, and Miley Cyrus.
The huge armadillo on the Waterloo stage immediately draws the eyes. | Photo by ATXtoday
Open
Beloved local shop Waterloo Records opened in its brand new space over the weekend — debuting new amenities like a cafe, podcasting studio, gold plating room, and stage — and even drew a visit from rock musician Yungblud.
Watch
Finneas, The Marías, and Charley Crockett. Those are just a few of the musicians on the roster for “Austin City Limits” season 51, which begins broadcasting on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Opening
You’ve gotta be in the flow to know. Black Swan Yoga will open a location in Cedar Park on Saturday, Sept. 13. The studio will host a free yoga class and an outdoor market, which starts at 9:30 a.m. on opening day. (Community Impact)
Eat
UT Austin’s P. Terry’s location on West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is now open 24 hours and accepts the school’s dining dollars. That makes three Austin locations that are open 24/7 — including the Barton Springs and Ben White stores — and one in San Marcos. (KVUE)
The Word
Texit. It’s a program to help people sell their homes and leave the Lone Star State, led by Austinite Lily Rockwell of Rockwell Residential Group. The service helps homeowners get their house ready to hit the market, access discounted listing fees, and get connected to real estate agents in their new city. (MySA)
Trivia
Do you know which cities lie along the same latitudinal and longitudinal lines as Austin? This LatLon Connect tool shows that ATX directly lines up with Lafayette, LA; Jacksonville, FL; and Ciudad Madero, Mexico.
Sports
The Longhorns choked in their season opener against Ohio State, defying odds calling for them to win. How can the team recover? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Texas Longhorns with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Biz
“Straightforward, transparent, and low stress.” That’s how one business described our self-service ad portal. No sales pressure. No hidden fees. Just you, your message, and the tools to get it out there — your way. Get started.
Job
Hey Austin — we’re hiring. Looking for a seasoned sales closer to join our squad. Perks? 401k match, uncapped commissions, amazing culture. Let’s make moves. Apply here for our Sales Executive position.
Category
Food
🥨 Cuckoo for Koko’s
Expect an enmeshed menu of Hill Country and Bavarian fare at the renewed space. | Photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley via Koko’s Bavarian
A new Koko’s Bavarian is set to open on South Lamar Boulevard in October.
The Austin-based beer hall — which is notably owned by real-life Bavarian prince Konstantin Prinz von Bayern — closed its east Austin location in 2023 but still operates its Moody Center stand that has been open since 2022. Since opening in ATX, the chain has gone nationwide.
Located near the Broken Spoke, the new brick-and-mortar will feature an expanded menu with Bavarian pretzels, sausages + hot dogs, Belgian fries, wings, and an extensive beer lineup. Plus, the 7,000-sqft space will have a 2,000-sqft outdoor patio with shady live oaks and plenty of TV screens.
In a nutshell, Prinz von Bayern said the spot’s “goal is to create a space that feels true to that heritage: long tables, high energy and crowds brought together over sausages, pretzels, and authentic Austin vibes.”
The Buy
Your go-to item for upping fall runs and workouts: a top-selling weighted strength training vest. Choose from six pounds up to 30 pounds and add the weighted vest to runs, classes, or gym sessions to enhance calorie burning, improve your core, and increase muscle gains.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
I didn’t end up going to Yungblud’s show over the weekend, but I got something arguably better: a photo with the man himself. The rock star stopped by the Waterloo Records grand opening over the weekend and met with tons of fans, including me.
