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🎶 Turn up the jams
Not only does the Red River Cultural District provide free live music festivals twice per year, it also pays the artists. | Photo by Ismael Quintanilla III
$529 million. That’s how much money the Red River Cultural District generated in economic output in 2025, a figure equal to ~3,715 full-time jobs, according to its first Economic Impact Report.
The district — which is home to some of Austin’s most famous live music venues, including Stubb’s and Mohawk — has generated $2.3 billion over the last five years.
Red River Cultural District’s signature events — Free Week and Hot Summer Nights — created $4.7 million in economic impact in 2025, and provided 1,000+ paid gigs for local musicians.
Here are a few more figures from the report:
The district’s economic impact grew from $380 million in 2021, meaning there was a $149 million increase in four years.
Local workers took home $174 million in income from RRCD in 2025.
Operations in 2025 generated $23.1 million in direct tax revenue.
Stop and smell the wild flowers. A rare patch of albino bluebonnets has been spotted at Inks Lake Park in Burnet. It’s a throwback to Punnett squares for most, as the white blooms are a result of recessive genes carried by both plant parents. (KXAN)
Austinite
Longhorn basketball player Madison Booker was named the best small forward in the country — an honor bestowed by both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Cheryl Miller Awards. With 738 points scored this season, she’s also third on Texas’s all-time single-season scoring list. (KXAN)
Trending
Rip-and-dip bagel shop PopUp Bagels, which has made a splash on TikTok, is set to open 12 shops in Texas, with at least one in Austin. The Connecticut-based brand partnered with Lone Star Bagels and plans to open locations in Houston and Dallas in the spring, with Austin to follow. (CultureMap)
Closing
Deep Eddy Vodka will close its 30,000-sqft tasting room in Dripping Springs on Saturday, June 13. Austin-based vodka company Goodnight Loving will sublease the space, and Deep Eddy representatives said the closure will free up the brand to make bigger moves closer to Austin proper. (Austin Business Journal)
Outdoors
Residents of Tarrytown found peacocks + peahens perched on their porch late last week. While the fowl are a common sight at Mayfield Park, and the park’s volunteer organization plans to re-home the roamers, they’re on the loose in the meantime. Send us a photo if they drop by your doorstep. (KXAN)
Ranked
The Capital City ranked No. 209 out of 251 in the 2026 Happy City Index, which measures quality of life across the globe. That may sound low, but Austin took the sixth-highest spot in the US and the highest of three in Texas, with Houston and Dallas also making the list.
Event Spotlight
🎤 11 days of laughs
Comedian Leslie Jones will have the audience in stitches.
Photo by Roger Ho
Austin’s own Moontower Comedy Festival kicks off today, bringing dozens of comics from far and wide to bring laughs to the Capital City through Saturday, April 18.
There are two ways to get tickets: Fans can get single tickets to shows or add on a badge, which offers perks like skipping the line and special access to nightly parties. Don’t know where to start? Here are some of the comedians we recommend checking out:
The Texans | Wednesday, April 15 | City Editor Figi here — I’m convinced local comic Lukas McCrary is the next big comedian.
Leslie Jones | Thursday, April 16 | The decorated comedian is one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
A casual maxi skirt with a flattering high-rise design, ultra-soft material, and pockets. Slip it on for an afternoon running errands, dress it up for dinner with friends, and everything in between.
Local band MeNdAdam is coming home from their biggest tour yet and celebrating with a show at Brushy Street Commons this Friday, April 10. They’re a hoot and a holler to see live — I would know, I’ve seen them three times — so I highly recommend getting tickets.
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