Austin, TX

If your least favorite part of Thanksgiving is cooking the bird then why not buy it cooked this year? There are several stores and restaurants that will do all or part of your holiday cooking for you. It’s easy, convenient and a lot less messy!

To gobble, gobble, gobble and not cook, cook, cook this holiday season. Here are some places you can obtain pre-cooked turkeys and all the fixins.

• Louisiana Longhorn Cafe
  Order by Phone: 512-248-2900 or Online
  200B E. Main Street
  Round Rock, TX
  
  This little gem of a cafe is located in Round Rock. They offer smoked or Cajun fried and either way it’s going to be finger-lickin good. They’ll even be open on Thanksgiving day from 11am-3pm. Don’t forget to order your pies, too!
• Greenberg Turkey Inc.
  221 McMurrey Dr.,
  Tyler, TX 75702
  (903) 595-0725
  
  I have yet to try a Greenberg Turkey but people who have just rave about them. They are apparently fantastic. They have been taking orders since 1940 and they’re still going strong. Order early.
• Popeyes, I’ve had their cajun fried turkeys and they are very good!
• Threadgill’s
  For just $129.95 you can feed a family of 8 from one of Austin’s favorite restaurants. Your Holiday Feast includes roast turkey or spiral cut ham, cornbread dressing, mashed taters, candied yams, green bean casserole, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls and your choice of pumpkin or pecan pie. Can you say YUM?
• Luby’s, you can order an entire meal, complete with dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce and pies for a very reasonable price $58.99 to serve 4-6 or a feast to feed 10-12 for under $100. This would be a great choice for the budget conscious, you can barely buy all that food for that price, it even includes 2 pies.
• Barton Creek Spa & Resort
  8212 Barton Club Drive
  Austin, Texas
  1.866.572.7369
  
  Dinner for Six - $275+tax
  10-12 lb. traditional roast turkey
  cranberry relish w/ dried cherries
  cornbread sage dressing
  garlic whipped potatoes
  wild mushroom green bean casserole
  pecan candied yams
  house-made dinner rolls
  double apple Waldorf salad
  choice of one: Granny Smith apple, southern pecan or traditional pumpkin pie

  Feast for Ten also available for $395+tax

  
  
• HEB, turkeys or ham, just heat and serve. They have all the side dishes, too.
• Central Market, heck, you can order the whole meal! Not only that but you’re not limited to turkey. You can get duck, capon, turducken, yes…turducken, cornish game hen and even pheasant! Or, if you’d rather have seafood, you can get lobster, crab, shrimp and more. If you’re just looking for your basic, traditional Thanksgiving meal from the bird to the gravy, to the green beans to the cranberry sauce you can pick that up for right around $140 to feed 6-8 people. Not too bad really.
• Whole Foods, whether you want dinner for 2 or a dozen, Whole Foods can hook you up with the entire meal. They also have an option for Vegetarians! A complete traditional meal for 6-8 people will run you about $80, $120 to make your turkey organic.
• Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, ham or turkey with all the fixins and fresh baked pies, too.
  Small Party Pack - Complete Meal for 10
  (Broad-breasted turkey hen, hot and carved, 2 quarts cornbread dressing, 1 quart giblet gravy, 2 quarts green beans, 1 dozen dinner rolls, 1 9″ fresh baked pie, 1 gallon iced tea, plates, cups and set ups for 10)
  (Only $6.90 per person + tax) . . .$69.00
  
  Large Party Pack - Complete meal for 20
  (Broad-breasted turkey tom OR 1/2 Honey-glazed spiral cut ham, hot and carved, 4 quarts cornbread dressing, 2 quarts giblet gravy, 4 quarts green beans, 2 dozen dinner rolls, 2 9″ fresh baked pies, 2 gallons iced tea, plates, cups and set ups for 20)
  (Only $5.90 per person + tax) . . .$118.00
• Target Superstores
  All Locations?
  
  A full Turkey dinner (or choose Ham) with all the trimmings for $70. Includes your choice from 4 pie selections, Apple, Apple Berry Rhubarb, Bourbon Pecan or Pumpkin Pie. Feeds 8-10 people.
  
  Appetizers:
  
  * Stone Ground Wheat Crackers
  * Pumpkin Cheese Spread
  
  Main Course:
  
  * Fully Cooked Butter-Basted Turkey
  
  Side Dishes:
  
  * Homestyle Stuffing
  * Traditional Mashed Potatoes
  * Turkey Gravy
  * Americana Vegetable Blend
  * Green Bean Casserole
  * Cranberry Orange Walnut Relish
  * Ciabatta Rolls
  
  Bonus:
  
  * Signature Coffee
• More Great BBQ Places to get your bird:
  The Pit Barbeque
  Rudy’s BBQ, try their cream corn, it’s out of this world good.
  The Salt Lick, now with locations South and North. Seriously good BBQ!
• HoneyBaked Ham, they may be a chain but they make a mighty fine ham and I hear their turkey is also excellent.
• Hoover’s Cooking
  2002 Manor Rd # C
  Austin, TX 78722
  (512) 479-5006

  13376 Research Blvd #400 Austin, TX
  (@ Anderson Mill Rd)
  512 335 0300
  Hours: 11am - 7pm
  $$$: 15.49

  If you’ve never been to Hoover’s, you’re in for a treat. Hoover’s serves up your turkey, fried, roasted or smoked. 14-16lbs worth for $54.99. Take home just the turkey or order up some side dishes and pie or two to go along with it!

It’s that time of year when we pause to reflect on how lucky we are to have roofs over our heads and food in our stomachs. With that realization comes a desire to give to those less fortunate. Here are some ways you can give back to your community this holiday season:

The Empty Bowl Project
Sunday, November 23rd, 2008
Mexican American Culture Center
600 River Street, Austin, Tx
11:00 - 3:00pm

This is such a cool project. Potters from all over Texas donate hand made bowls of every size, shape and color. Restaurants and bakeries all over town donate soup and bread. Musicians donate their time and talent. Your part is to show up, pick yourself a gorgeous bowl for which you’ll pay a mere $15. Your bowl will then be filled with a delectable soup. You’ll grab yourself some bread to go with it and kick back and enjoy the entertainment. The Empty Bowl Project is part of a nation-wide effort to raise money, awareness and to end hunger. Proceeds for this project go to the Capital Area Food Bank’s Kids Cafe Program. The Austin Empty Bowl Project will be held at the Mexican American Culture Center
at 600 River Street in Austin, just off the hike and bike trail on Lake Ladybird, November 23, 2008. Get there early to pick out the coolest bowls!

Operation Turkey
Operation Turkey began in 2000 as an means to promote community outreach during the Thanksgiving holiday. Operation Turkey helps communities to organize and distribute food, clothing, blankets to the homeless and those less fortunate. Operation Turkey needs YOU to help prepare and distribute these items. If you love to cook, or are willing to package up or deliver food on Thanksgiving Day, or if you just want to donate, your help is always appreciated. Children are welcome and they have projects just for kids. Click here to register and sign up!

2008 ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving Day - November 27, 2008, 9:30 a.m.
Waterloo Park (12th & Trinity)

The Annual Turkey Trot is a great way to burn off some calories, get some exercise before the big meal and give back to your community. This event benefits Caritas of Austin, a non-profit organization that provides for those experiencing poverty that begins with a safety net and links them to resources to achieve self-sufficiency. Last year’s Turkey Trot raised $115,000 and over the last 17 years, the race has raised well over $600,000 for Caritas. Choose the 5k run or the 1 mile walk.

Chuy’s Children Giving to Children Parade 2008
Saturday, November 29th, 2008
Starts at the State Capital at 11am

Bring a toy for this hour long parade benefiting Operation Blue Santa. Your generous donations will be distributed to children in need just in time for the holidays. Operation Blue Santa is run by the Austin Police Department in partnership with the Austin Community, the Texas National Guard, the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Parks and Recreation and Austin Energy. Each year, Operation Blue Santa serves more than 3,800 families, with 14,000 children in those families receiving gifts.

Now that the election is over is time to get out and celebrate! Put on your liederhosen and head to New Braunfels to enjoy the last weekend of Wurstfest! You’ll find a variety of entertainment, food and fun on the Wurstfest Grounds in Landa Park.

48th annual “Salute to Sausage” - Wurstfest
When: Saturday, Nov. 8th, 2008
Where: Landa Park, New Braunfels, Tx
$$$: $8 or you can catch the bus from NOMAD for $30.

What better way to have fun than the FUN FUN FUN FEST? Now in it’s 3rd year, the premise of Fun Fun Fun Fest is to create a fall festival experience that supports emerging artists, the creative class, local business, and bands we just love to see play, regardless of genre or MTV airplay. It is a true urban festival in the middle of downtown, where fans can get a burger from Spider House, some Brisket from Lamberts, a beer from a Club de Ville bartender, a pair of vintage boots from Big Rig, and T-shirt from their favorite band. A fest WE in the scene would want to go to, without all of the ‘filler’ that tends to show up at the corporate music carnivals around the world these days. Also, the FFF team makes sure that many of these shows end up in the streets of Austin after the fest, spilling out into Red River, and playing at local clubs into the night. This is the final weekend!

Fun Fun Fun Fest
When: Saturday, November 8 2008, 12:00pm
Where: Waterlook Park, 403 E 15th Street, Austin
$$$: $25.99-59.99

The Palmer Event Center plays host this weekend to a great cause, The Settlement Homes for Children’s annual Garage Sale. This isn’t some slickster cover for dealers like the city garage sale, this is a true garage sale with 20 different departments filled with donated merchandise. 100% of the net proceeds from this spectacular event go to the annual operating budget for the Home. he Settlement Club is a volunteer group of over 450 dedicated women whose mission is to provide a quality home for neglected, abused and emotionally troubled children and has been in business since 1916.

Settlement Home for Children Annual Garage Sale
When: November 7-9, 2008
Where: Palmer Events Center, Barton Springs Rd, Austin
$$$: $0.00-5.00

The Austin Junior Forum presents Christmas at the Caswell House, Silver Anniversary this weekend. Christmas at the Caswell House is an annual event whereby Austin Junior Forum members decorate the Victorian home to the nines with holiday décor and sponsor a week long event of dinners, lunches and teas to raise money that is then granted out to the Austin community. 100% of the money raised during this event is given back. Local restaurants and vendors also donate their food and services to the cause so that it is truly a win/win for the community at large. This year’s event is the silver anniversary; we have been decking the halls of Austin for 25 years now. The house is open beginning at 10 a.m. each day and it is just $5 to stop by, tour the home and shop ’til your heart’s content. Parking for the event is location at the St. Martin’s Church, located at 15th and Rio Grande.

Christmas at the Caswell House
When: Nov. 7-13, 2008
Where: Caswell House, 1404 West Ave
$$$: $5-50

Join TreeFolks and the Austin Parks and Recreation Department for the second annual Veterans Day tree planting ceremony. The morning will begin with a ceremony recognizing the great service and sacrifice of our military veterans, then 170 trees will be planted in Rosewood Park, located at 2300 Rosewood Avenue (map). Join YNPN in giving back to the Austin community and recognizing the important work of our country’s veterans. RSVP to nicole.borgstadt@livestrong.org.

Veteran’s Day Tree Planting
When: Saturday, November 8th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Where: Rosewood Park (2300 rosewood avenue, 78702) - Rosewood & Chestnut in East Austin
$$$: Free

Whether you’re for it or against it, this year’s Shriner’s Circus is this weekend at the Travis County Expo Center. The Austin Circus Spectacular includes a Human Cannonball, Big Cats, Aerialists, Clowns and other circus favorites. Proceeds support charities such as the Shriners Hospital for children. $10-$20.

Austin Circus Spectacular
When: November 7-9, 2008
Where: Travis County Exposition Center, 7311 Decker Lane, Austin
$$$: $10-20

Companies from the Architecture, Engineering, Design, and Construction fields will be forming teams and competing on November 8th, to design the best CANstruction structure, coordinated by the Society of Design Administration and American Institute of Architecture, to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. After the competition, there will be an official awards ceremony. Visitors to Barton Creek Square Mall may vote for their favorite structure on November 8th with a financial donation to the Capital Area Food Bank. “Viewers’ Choice” awards will be posted on Monday, November 10th.

Canstruction Competition
When: Saturday, Nov. 8th, 2008
Where: Barton Creek Mall, 2901 S Capital Of Texas Hwy, Austin
$$$: Free

Break out those big iron pots and your secret family recipe! Pflugerville is having a Chili Pfest. Headlined with chili cooked by world renowned CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) award winning cooks vying for the top CASI chili in Pflugerville…and more importantly of course….there is the contest for who will win the ‘braggin rights’ for Pflugerville’s Best Community Chili! Visitors can even sample all the chili and vote for their favorite! But that’s not all! There will be a ‘Chillun’s Pot’ with games and entertainment for all the ‘chilluns’ as well as gourmet and home grown food items for the shopper in all of us. After the judging, the street rolls up and it’s a street dance for all ages!

Pflugerville Chili Pfest
When: Saturday, Nov. 8th, 2008
Where: Main Street, Downtown Pflugerville, 100 E. Main, Ste. 300
$$$: Free

We have a cockroach on our State Board of Education. That cockroach has a name, Cynthia Nolan Dunbar.

In an article she wrote for the Christian Worldview Network website, Dunbar wrote that a terrorist attack on America during the first six months of an Obama administration “will be a planned effort by those with whom Obama truly sympathizes to take down the America that is threat to tyranny.” “I sincerely believe that an Obama Administration would ultimately mean one thing - the end of America as we know her,” said Dunbar, one of board’s seven social conservatives.

“However, unlike Joe, I do not believe this attack will be a test of Obama’s mettle. Rather, I perceive it will be a planned effort by those with whom Obama truly sympathizes to take down the America that is threat to tyranny,” Dunbar wrote. “What nobody seems to be discussing is the fact that if such an attack takes place, what about Martial Law? What happens to expand executive power when a state of civil disorder is declared?”

She expressed fear for the potential demise of this country should voters elect Obama. Dunbar even repeated the already discredited idea that Obama was not born in the US which has been proven untrue.

“I shall take no joy in saying ‘I told you so’ if Obama gets elected. But just for the record, remember, ‘I told you so,’” she wrote.

While I absolutely believe in Freedom of Speech I find this kind of talk coming from someone on our State Board of Education to be intolerable. As Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network said:

“No matter who you support for president, we should all be able to agree that Ms. Dunbar’s disgusting attack is a shocking example of the extremism that has infected the state board,” Miller said. “It’s stunning that a board member who helps decide what Texas children learn in their public schools would say something so disgusting and reprehensible. She should be taking refresher courses in civics and good citizenship, not deciding what Texas kids learn.”

In fact, the Texas Freedom Network, a watchdog group that monitors the board, released a public statement on Monday asking Dunbar to retract the statement. Did she? Of course not! “I don’t have anything in there that would be retractable,” said Dunbar, R-Richmond. “Those are my personal opinions and I don’t think the language is questionable.”

Dunbar also alleges that Obama “most likely” is not a citizen, repeating Internet rumors that have been refuted by Hawaii officials.

This woman is an elected official and while the Texas Freedom Network is calling for a retraction, I’ll go one step further and call for her dismissal. A retraction will only cause the cockroach to crawl back under the cabinet and play safe.

I got up early this morning to Barack the Vote! I hope each and every one of you votes today. I think this is probably the most important election of my lifetime. Either way it will be historic. We either get a black man as President or a woman as Vice President.

Click here to find your polling location.

If you’re looking for a party or at least somewhere to go to watch tonight’s elections, here is a rundown of election night parties:

The Texas Democrats Election Night Victory Party will be held at:

The Driskill
604 Brazos St
Austin, TX
(512) 474-5911
7pm. - 1am.
Free

Texans for Obama will be holding court at:

Scholz Garten
1607 San Jancinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
Click to register.

The Travis Libertarian Election Night Party will be partying it up at:

Paradise Cafe
401 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-5667
7pm.

Everyone is welcome to share good food and the election results at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. “Watch the the map of the country turn red and blue with us on election night, and watch the faces of your fellow audience members turn red and blue along with it. We won’t be responsible for the outcome, but whatever it is, we’ll either be celebrating in high fashion or raging as a big Alamo family, and we can’t do it without you, so BE THERE!”

Alamo South Lamar
1120 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 476-1320
6:20 p.m.

Celebrate democracy and merrily watch the states change color! Enjoy the free Pool, Darts and Big screen televisions. Food, free wi-fi, plenty of parking and an outdoor patio. “We encourage you to revel in any victories for your candidate, however, any disparaging, insulting or slanderous comments about the other will not be tolerated.”

Drungo Ice House
2828 Rio Grande St
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 478-6666
6 p.m.

Happy Hour prices all night long as you enjoy full election coverage. Barack the vote at:

Mohawk
912 Red River St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 482-8404
5 p.m.

Drink Liberally at:

Dog and Duck!
406 W 17th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 479-0598

Get to Third Base this election night with 40 screens. The delicious food, pool tables, darts, patio plasmas and free WiFi are just a few features that set this sports bar apart from the rest!

Third Base Election Party
1717 West 6th Street
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 476-2273

Enjoy $2 pints and finger lickin BBQ, head on over to:

Uncle Billy’s
1530 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 476-0100

Looking for a kid friendly party? Door Prizes, Music, Entertainment for the Kids, Half Price Drinks, Great Food. Watch as the ballots and votes are counted. Celebrating HOPE & CHANGE.

Jovita’s Mexican Restaurant
1617 S 1st St
Austin, TX 78704

Urban Life & Style presents the official urban Election Results Viewing Mixer. Come out and watch the final results of the 2008 Presidential election on multiple TVs throughout the venue as well as on big screen. There will be a free buffet. This event starts at 6pm.

The Studio
5804 I-H 35 South
Austin, Tx

I am knee deep in cake making with a big wedding cake due tomorrow. As usual I am all kinds of nervous. I’ve been so busy that Halloween has sneaked up on me.

Today is your last day to vote early. Get out there, rock the vote! For more information on Early Voting, click here. For a great Voters Guide, check out the Texas League of Women Voters. They offer great, unbiased information.

What happens when you mix Torchys Tacos, Shuggie’s, and Halloween all together? You get the 1st Annual Halloween Party at the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery. They will be having costume contests for kids, pets and adults w/trophies, fantasies fortune tellers, video projection halloween shots, s’mores, candy, and prizes to be won. Come dressed up and feel free to bring your carved pumpkins.

1st Annual Halloween Party @ South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery
When: October 31 2008, 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Where: South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery, 1311 S 1st St
$$$: Free

This weekend is the last weekend to catch the Austin State Fair.

Austin State Fair
When: Oct. 24-Nov. 2
Where: Travis County Expo Center, 9100 Decker Lake Rd.
$$$: $8 ($5, under 12)

The Austin Celtic Festival kicks off this weekend at Austin’s newest pub. Two-time All-Ireland Storytelling Champion Mairtin De Cogain will be keeping the crowd in line between sets from jig rockers the Prodigals and guitar maestro Gerry O’Beirn. This event will continue on through the weekend with workshops, music and dance performances, storytelling, and highland games at Fiesta Gardens.

Celtic Festival Kickoff
When: Friday, October 31
Where: Fiddler’s Hearth, 301 Barton Springs Rd.
$$$: $10 ($7, advance).

Celtic Festival
When: Sat.-Sun., Nov. 1-2, 11am-8pm.
Where: Fiesta Gardens, 2101 Bergman
$$$: $12, day pass ($10, advance)

Also up this weekend is the annual Book Festival. This is kind of a cool festival that runs all over downtown, mostly around the Capitol but also around the The Alamo Ritz and other venues. Here is the schedule for both Saturday and Sunday. There are a ton of authors scheduled. Get out, stretch your mind!

Texas Book Festival
When: Saturday & Sunday, November 1-2
Where: State Capitol Building
$$$: Sessions are FREE and open to public

Kick off Native American Heritage Month with traditionally clad dancers competing in numerous categories along with popular Native American drummers and singers. An educational grand entrance occurs periodically throughout the day, while storytellers and craft tables await visitors outside.

Austin PowWow
When: 10am-10pm., Saturday, Nov. 1st
Where: Toney Burger Activity Center, 3200 Jones
$$$: Free

Big Star Burlesque is putting on a 50th birthday bash for Prince and Micheal Jackson. The Jigglewatts will shake their assets and make everyone feel like it was the first time they heard “Billie Jean” and “Little Red Corvette.” The dance party that follows will be inevitable.

Big Star Burlesque Birthday Bash
When: Saturday, Nov. 1st, 9:30pm-1am.
Where: Scoot Inn, 1308 E. Fourth.
$$$: $10 ($6 if in costume)

This weekend also heralds the Divali Festival of Lights. Sometimes called Deepavali or Diwali, the festival of lights is a celebration of joy, luck and prosperity. To celebrate the occasion, people light oil lamps in and around their house and set off firecrackers. People paint and clean their homes, buy new clothes and distribute sweets to their relatives and friends.

Divali Festival of Lights
When: Saturday, Nov. 1st, 5pm - Midnight
Where: Barsana Dahm, 400 Barsana Road
$$$:

or celebrate at The Clay Pit with a dinner buffet and music from Oliver Rajamani with the proceeds going to a South Asian nonprofit.

The Clay Pit Festival of Lights Dinner
When: Saturday, Nov. 1st, 7pm
Where: The Clay Pit, 1601 Guadalupe
$$$: $25

Join Mexic-Arte Museum in its most spectacular Día de los Muertos Procession yet! We’ll go back in time to the Pre-Columbian era, travel through the Colonial and Modern eras, and conclude with a unique, contemporary Austin twist featuring the Guanajuato Mummies and the 25th Anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Thriller with dancing zombies. The Procession gathers at Plaza Saltillo in East Austin and will include the return of the Frida Kahlo look-alikes, costumed Chihuahuas, Posada Catrinas, portable altars, mariachis, marching bands, folklorico and Aztec dancers, paper maché props, and colorfully decorated cars. Procession Participants receive FREE admission to the Celebration.

25th Annual Día de los Muertos Procession
When: November 1, 2008
Where: Mexic-Arte Museum on 5th and Congress
$$$: $5 Adults / $2 Children (12 and under)
FREE for Procession Participants, Volunteers, and Mexic-Arte Museum Members

Near and dear to my heart this weekend is the Annual Komen Austin. Walk, run or even sleep in for the cure. It’s a beautiful walk for a great cause. I encourage you to participate. You can also feel free to sponsor my team, The Pirateers, we will be there plundering for the cure! Argh!

Komen Austin Race for the Cure
When: Sunday, November 2, 2008
Where: Auditorium Shores
$$$: $20-50

I have been crazy busy this past month. I flew in Scottish sugar artist, Lorraine McKay, to teach her fabulous figure modeling techniques here in Austin. People flew in from all ove r the US to learn from her and we all had a great time. I probably put on 10lbs from eating our famous Round Rock donuts every morning. We’ve already decided to have her back again next year. Here is one of the figures I produced during Lorraine’s workshops:

That’s enough about me, on to the weekend. What better at this time of year than a Haunted House Pub Crawl?

* Rockin’ Rides Party Bus with karaoke!
* FREE drinks on the bus
* Admission to Mansion of Terror haunted house
* Party bus will stop at bars along 6th street after the haunted house
* Food and drink specials on 6th Street

Haunted House Pub Crawl
When: October 25 2008, 9:00pm - 1am
Where: Mansion of Terror, 2000 South IH 35, Round Rock, TX
$$$: $50

I don’t know where I’ve been hiding but I did not know that Austin has a state fair. No, really. Well, we do. All the usual state fair stuff and a few exotic animals. Stuff yourself with corndogs and funnel cakes and ride the rides.

Austin State Fair
When: Oct. 24-Nov. 2
Where: Travis County Expo Center, 9100 Decker Lake Rd.
$$$: $8 ($5, under 12)

If you’re a dog lover looking for a charity event this weekend then you might enjoy the new Dogtoberferst where you’ll find a silent auction, a doggy costume contest and lots of other fun stuff.

Dogtoberfest
When: Saturday, October 25th, 2008 from 11 til 5
Where: The Domain, 11410 Century Oaks Terrace
$$$:

Here is one for my wine buddies. Auctions, art, and entertainment are there merely as a distraction from all the great wine and food. So much wine and food, in fact, that there will be classes to show you how to pair them up responsibly:

Fredericksburg Food and Wine Fest
When: Saturday, October 25th, 2008
Where: Downtown Marktplatz, 100 W. Main St, Fredericksburg
$$$: $20 Adults • $5 (under 21), Under 12 free

Now here is a real Texas sounding event taking place in our sausage capital, Elgin, Tx. Have fun with music, arts & crafts, cow-patty bingo, a barbecue cook-off, a Hogeye Hoedown Talent Show, a Pig’s Eye Dart Contest, and the crowning of King Hog or Queen Sowpreme.

Hogeye Festival
When: Saturday, October 25th, 2008, 10am-6pm.
Where: Elgin Main Street
$$$: Free

Those are my weekend picks, go out and have some fun!

It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful weekend to be out and about in our wonderful city. I don’t know about you but I just love this time of year. The weather has cooled down and yet it’s still sunny. I throw open the windows and enjoy the breeze.

What better to do at this time of year than to attend a pumpkin festival? Is there any other thing that symbolizes fall than the pumpkin? Lucky for you it’s once again time for Elgin Christmas Tree Farm’s annual Pumpkin Festival. There will be face painting, hay rides, kids activities, blue grass music, pumpkin painting, animals to pet and more.

The Elgin Pumpkin Festival
When: October 11 & 12 and October 18 & 19
Where: Elgin Christmas Tree Farm, 120 Nature’s Way, off Roy Davis Rd. Elgin, TX
$$$: Adults $6, Children $5 (3-12 years)

Tomorrow is also family day at the Austin Museum of Art (AMOA). This is a great way to introduce art and culture to the kidlets. Kids can even make their own modern-day mobile!

Family Day at the AMOA
When: Saturday, October 11, 2008, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Where: Austin Museum of Art Downtown, 823 Congress
$$$: $7 per family; $5 Member families

The coolest event of the weekend may well be Aeromodelers Big Bird Fly-in. Radio-controlled planes fly overhead while the people that fly them show you how to do barrel rolls or build your very own miniature flyer.

Aeromodelers Big Bird Fly-in
When: Saturday and Sunday October 11th and 12th, 9:30am-4pm
Where: Mary Moore Searight Municipal Park (off Slaughter Lane between South First and Manchaca)
$$$: Free

If you’re looking for a bit more adult oriented entertainment then you might be interested Apocalypse Wow. Kitty Kitty Bang Bang burlesque and the No Salvation Army Band join forces to turn it up and turn you on. Meow!

Apolcalypse Wow
When: October 11th, 2008, 9pm
Where: The Compound, 1300 E. Fourth
$$$: $15

This is your last weekend to catch the Black Arts Movement Festival which ends October 14th. This multidisciplined and multivenued festival offers audiences the wide range of African-American voices in the arts. Expect theatre, dance, opera, and hip-hop performances throughout the festival. Comedian Charles Dutton will be performing as part of this event at 8pm on October 13th at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. All proceeds will support Pro Arts Collectives’ continued fundraising efforts and programming. all proceeds will support Pro Arts Collectives’ continued fundraising efforts and programming. Tickets are just $20.

Black Arts Movement Festival
When: Oct. 3-14
Where: Check www.bamaustin.org for a complete schedule
$$$: $15 individual event, $50 festival pass

If your little one is more of the four-footed variety then Barktoberfest may be more your speed. Hosted by the Central Texas SPCA, this is a pooch and family friendly fundraiser. There will be a walk, vendor booths and even a canine costume contest! This is a great cause at a great location.

6th Annual Barktoberfest
When: October 11th, 2008, 9:30am-2pm
Where: Old Settler’s Park, 3300 E. Palm Valley Round Rock
$$$: Festival, free; walk, $20

Another fun sounding fundraiser is the Violet Crown Fall Arts Festival which benefits an oral history project underway for the Brentwood and  Crestview neighborhoods. Dozens of local artisans will offer their wares at the event, and local musicians  and other performers will entertain. There will be activities for children, as well as 
neighborhood history and other information.  It’s also a great opportunity to visit 
the 120‐foot mosaic Wall of Welcome, which was dedicated last spring. 

The Violet Crown Fall Arts Festival
When: Saturday, October 11, 10 am-4 pm
Where: Crestview Shopping Center, 7100 Woodrow
$$$: Free

This weekend is definitely going to the dogs. Not only do we have Barktoberfest but we also have Dogtoberfest. This one is put on by the Blue Dog Rescue Group. Blue Dog Rescue is a volunteer organization whose purpose is to end the needless killing of homeless dogs. Live music, food, silent auction, and we will pull the winners for our BIG TIME raffle, featuring a Spaten Cruiser Bicycle and a custom Gibson Epiphone Dot 335 Guitar.

Dogtoberfest
When: Sunday, October 12 2008, 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Where: The Ginger Man, 304 W 4th St
$$$: Free

If you love our Texas Rollergirls, and how could you not, then you won’t want to miss the Calvello Cup Championship! The Hellcats are on top of the world since their hard-won victory against the Cherry Bombs, but the Holy Rollers are still feeling the sting of their hellacious defeat at the hands of the Rhinestone Cowgirls, who recently smashed the Rollers’ two-season winning streak in the biggest upset in TXRD history. The Hellcats are staring down their first chance at the Calvello Cup since 2002, but the defending champion Holy Rollers aren’t gonna give up that title without a serious battle royale. Who will walk out of the Austin Convention Center with that coveted cup, and who will walk out bruised up and empty handed? One thing’s absolutely certain: this bout is not to be missed.

TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls Calvello Cup Championship
When: October 11 2008, 7:00pm
Where: Austin Convention Center, 500 E Cesar Chavez St
$$$: $13.00-15.00

Are you’re an Alice in Wonderland fan you’ve just got to get out to Pioneer Farms this weekend for their Lewis Carroll Halloween. For three nights only, Oct. 11, 18, and 25, many characters from the writings of Lewis Carroll will inhabit Pioneer Farms. Hayrides will transport visitors to the world of Lewis Carroll to meet such characters as Alice in Wonderland, Jaberwocky, Hiawatha, and many more. Seating is limited so make your reservations early. Appropriate for all ages so bring the whole family out! RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED

Lewis Carroll Halloween
When: October 11 2008, 6:30p-10:00p
Where: Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive
$$$: $10.00 ($11.24 w/service fee)

Watch out, things are going to get a little hairy this weekend. That’s because this weekend is the Round Rock Hairy Man Festival. Now in it’s 14th year, the Hairy Man Festival is a benefit event that raises $20-35k a year in non-perishable food and cash for local charities. The festival includes an arts and crafts area with numerous artisans participating. Local civic groups, school clubs, homeowner associations, and charitable organizations raise funds through dozens of food and games booths. There are special performances and live music by local groups and organizations on the Festival Stage. Judged by local community leaders, the festival closes out with the legendary ‘Hairiest Man’ contest. Not to mention a $500 prize for the hairiest man!

The Hairy Man Festival
When: Saturday, October 4th from noon to 7pm
Where: Cat Hollow Park in Round Rock
$$$: 2 non-perishable food items or $2 per person to go to local food banks

If you’re a beer lover this is your weekend. There are two fun events. The first is Independent Brewery’s 4th Anniversary Party. With live music, and the choicest Independence beers on tap, this is their way of saying thank you for making them a success. Free beer samples and a commemorative mug for only $10! There are no ATM’s there so remember to bring cash for merchandise, food, and to tip the bands.

Independence Brewery’s 4th Anniversary Party
When: Saturday, October 4th, 5-9 pm
Where: Independence Brewery, 3913 Todd Lane #607, Austin, TX 78744
$$$: Samples are free. Commemorative mugs are $10

Also up this weekend is the Flying Saucer’s Fall Brew Fest. With 5 beer tents and 20 excellent beers on draft, this is a beer lovers dream come true. There is no cover and they’ll be serving beer brats and pretzels, too!

The Flying Saucer’s Fall Brew Fest
When: Saturday, October 4th, noon-10 pm
Where: Flying Saucer, 814 W. 47th, Austin
$$$: No cover. 10 Punch Tasting Card for $15. You get to keep the glass!

If you’re a food snob like me, or just like to cook then you may want to take advantage of Herb Fest. Learn your herb basics. No, not that kind of herb! Learn what herbs to grow best in Texas, ancient herbal remedies, and how to tell a good bug from a bad one.

Herb Fest
When: Saturday, October 4th, 9am-1pm.
Where: Sunset Valley Farmers Market, Toney Burger Center, 3200 Jones Rd
$$$: Free.

Want an outdoor experience where visitors fish, shoot, kayak, rock climb, mountain bike, see and touch wildlife, learn about recreation in the Great Outdoors and see and buy the latest in outdoor gear and services. Well, you’re in luck! The Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo celebrates its seventeenth anniversary this Saturday and Sunday by celebrating the diversity of the outdoor experience in Texas. From camping and outdoor skills to shooting sports and fishing, from bird watching to paddle sports, Expo visitors have an opportunity to try their hands at two full days of fun in the outdoors.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo
When: October 4th & 5th, 2008, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily
Where: Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin
$$$: Free

One of my favorite events is happening this weekend. It starts on Friday and that’s a great day to go because there are less people in attendance. If you love jewelry and all things sparkly, don’t miss this event. You’ll be absolutely amazed at how inexpensive gems are when you buy them unstrung. You’ll find aisles and aisles and more aisles of every imaginable gem and many you’ve never even heard of before. From loose gems to mounted gems, they’ve got it all going on! With exhibitors from around the world, this is the largest selection of jewelry you can find under one roof.

International Gem & Jewelry Show
When: 3, 4 & 5 October, 2008
Hours: Friday 12pm-6pm Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday 11am-5pm
Where: Palmer Event Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX
$$$: $7 ($6 with the special offer)

Click here to receive $1 off your entry price. Note: No strollers. No photography.

Music lovers, have I got your event for this weekend! The music and related memorabilia available here, at one time, is larger than anywhere else in the US. Ranging from the 78’s of the 1930s to the latest compact discs of today, over one million 78s, 45s, LPs, CDs, cassettes, posters and collectibles (probably even a few 8-track tapes!) are in the auditorium. Over 300 different dealers from all over the USA and Europe are spread out over 50,000 square feet of floor space. The show is so big that to see everything takes most of the weekend, so if you’re in a hurry we have search announcements at 12, 2, and 4 o’clock from the concession area to help in locating specific items. Again, go Friday if you can, for the least amount of foot traffic.

The Austin Record Convention
When: 3, 4 & 5 October, 2008
Where: Crockett Event Center, 10601 N Lamar
$$$: Regular Admission $5
(Good for 2 days - Saturday October 4th and Sunday October 5th from 10am-6pm)

If you’re up for a bit of a drive you might consider heading to Fredricksburg for their annual Oktoberfest. Three stages of continuous music, a hearty menu of delicious German and Mexican-American foods. Over a dozen vendors will be sizzling up fajitas, tacos, burgers, as well as a variety of sausage on a stick and plates with kraut, Cajun goodies, strudel, plus other scrumptious surprises. Adventurous tasters can sample over 30 varieties of domestic and imported beers. Oktoberfest is great fun for the youngsters as well. Kids can play to their heart’s content on the Rock Climbing Wall, Super Slide, Jumping Castle, and other fun games and activities right on the grounds. Over 45 juried artisans from across the state fill two big tents, offering their best arts and collectibles. In yet another tent, a select group of hill country artists will be selling their fine art to the public in a rare showing.

Fredricksburg Oktoberfest
When: Oct 03 - Oct 05, 2008, 6:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Where: Marktplatz, 100 West Main Street, Fredericksburg, Texas
$$$: $6.00 $1.00 for children 6-12, and under 6 free. 2 day pass $10.00. 3 day pass $15.00

Here is one for the kids. Parents can learn about great local family friendly businesses while the kids enjoy great kids entertainment, kids workshops by Home Depot, and more that are available right here in the local area. In addition, The River will be on hand to keep the tunes rolling. You can think about planning your next kid’s party or maybe your next fundraiser or just enjoy some shopping with the kids. In addition, you can benefit local charities. It’s all good. Join us for a great day where we can all celebrate everything kid!!

Kidz Fall Fun Fest
When: Saturday, October 4th
Where: Arbor Walk, 10515 No Mopac Expressway
$$$: Free but donations are encouraged. Bring a can of non-perishable food or new/gently used clothing.

There are so many great events going on this weekend that I just can’t list them all. For music listings check out:

• Now Playing In Austin
• The Austin Showlist
• Austin Sound
• Do512

For more listings of things to do:

• Austin Chronicle
• Yelp
• ParentWise
• Texas Festivals & Events

Whatever you do, have a great weekend!

Thank goodness the weekend is finally here! It was a busy week for me. Of course the big news this weekend is ACL Fest which kicked off today. My youngest brother is in town from McKinney, Tx and my best mate is also in town from England. The two of them have been at ACL all day and will be there until closing on Sunday night. At this point, if you don’t already have a ticket, your only options are Craigslist or purchasing a single day ticket for Sunday. Every other day is currently sold out. I’m sitting out ACL Fest this year but I can’t wait to see what my brother and friend have to say about today’s events. I would have loved to have seen The Killers, who were today’s closing act. You can catch many of the festival bands playing around town this weekend so if there is someone you particularly want to see, check around!

7th Annual Austin City Limits Festival
When: September 26-28, 2008, 11:00am - 10:30pm
Where: Zilker Park, Austin, TX
$$$: $80 for a Sunday pass

In place of ACL, I went to the 2008 Quilt Show today with Jennifer Bartos, owner and operator of All in One Bakeshop. I went in part to see the quilts but I also went because the show was being held at the Crockett Center which is where my cake club will host our 2009 Cake Show. The Austin Area Quilt Guild is 30 years old this year and it really shows in their organization and attention to detail. We were very impressed with how they managed traffic, how well the vendor booths were laid out and how they managed to direct the flow of traffic inside the hall. There was a wonderful array of gorgeous quilts and I encourage you all to go see the show. See 350 quilts, a judged show, exhibits, demos, a kid’s area, a gift boutique, and a silent auction.

2008 Austin Area Quilt Show
“A Legacy of Quilts”
Pearls of Wisdom from Our First 30 Years
When: September 26-28, 2008
Where: Crockett Center, 10601 N. Lamar
$$$: $6, Free Parking

If you’re looking to escape Austin and the added traffic that ACL Fest brings, then head out to the Texas Hill Country and help the Driftwood Winery celebrate their 10th Anniversary.

Driftwood Winery 10th Anniversary
When: Sep 27, 2008 (Sat), 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Where: Driftwood Vineyards, 4001 Elder Hill Road, Driftwood, Texas 78619
$$$: $5 Wine Tasting ~ Wine Sold by the Glass & Bottle
Phone: (512) 692-6229

If you are looking for a family activity and enjoy an education adventure the you might want to visit the Fall Fest at Dr Pound Pioneer Farmstead. Enjoy these fun activities:

• Tours of restored 1850’s pioneer home and farmstead.
• Craftsmen demonstrating early Texas tastes and traditions.
• See spinners at work, soap being made, a civil war medical unit, and many other demonstrations of crafts and skills.
• Docents in period dress will be on hand to tell the tales of early days on the farmstead.
• Food vendors and mouth-watering barbeque will entice you to fill a plate from the chuck wagon.
• Children’s area featuring games such as corn cob toss, sack races an many other games and activities of a by-gone era.
• The General Store will have old-time games, candy apples, soaps, wildflower seeds, handwork kits and other traditional offerings for sale.
• The Artists of Dripping Springs will show and sell locally made fine art during their Harvest of the Arts annual event.
• Music
• Silent auction

Dr Pound Pioneer Farmstead Fall Fest
When: September 27, 2008, 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Dr Pound Pioneer Farmstead, Dripping Springs
$$$: $5.00 per person, Children 4 and under FREE!

Those are my picks for the weekend. One last thing, the Browncoat’s are coming! The Browncoat Ball, that is, more later on that!

Be safe and have a great weekend!

With just 48 hours to go until the opening of the 2009 ACL Fest, I’m sure the crowds have already begun arriving. Last year I wrote a fairly comprehensive Survival Guide but here is some useful information.

Wristbands:

As of today, the Zilker box office is OPEN. You can beat the crowds and redeem your 3-day passes for a wristband between now and Thursday between 3pm-8pm. Wristbands must be worn for entry into the park. Children 10 and under are free when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. Having your wristbands means you can slip into the wristband-only lines and cut down significantly on your wait. If you are unable to get your wristband early then you can redeem your tickets for a wristband at either entrance.

Zilker Box Office
2201 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX 78746

On Barton Springs Road, across from the Festival entrance.
Week-of Hours: Mon. 9/22 - Thurs, 9/25, 3pm-8pm
Show Days: Fri, 9/26 - Sun, 9/28, 10am-10pm

Transportation & Parking

I must stress to you that there is NO on-site parking. There are lots of bike racks so biking in is a great option. Otherwise you’ll definitely want to use the Shuttle. The Shuttle is FREE and you can catch it at Republic Park. Republic Park is located at 5th and Guadalupe. That, of course, means you need to find somewhere downtown to park your car. I had a great deal of luck parking across the street from Republic Park last year at the State Garage. Another Fri-Sat city office parking garage that works great is the one at South First & Barton Springs Rd. Park there and you can just walk to the festival. Those won’t work too well for Friday as people who work will be parked there but on Saturday and Sunday it’s open and ran me $5 a day. Extremely reasonable. Cap Metro will be picking up at various locations around town and you can visit their website for information on their routes. Here is a list of Downtown Austin parking garages. Parking will generally run you $5-10 a day. You also have the option of taking a cab or if you have a relative or friend who has pity on you then you might beg them to just drop you off. Click here to see the Cap Metro bus schedule.

Things you CAN take into the Fest:

You may bring in the following items:

• Blankets
• Umbrellas (small hand-held style)
• Soft-sided coolers
• Baby Strollers
• Portable/collapsible chair (individual units only; no “double-wide” connecting chairs)
• Regular-size/unframed backpacks
• Two factory sealed water bottles up to 1 liter each
• Empty Camelbak or other empty plastic container (ie, Nalgene bottle)
• Ice in soft-sided cooler or Camelbak. No large bags allowed.
• Binoculars
• Personal camera equipment (i.e. small digital cameras or point-and-click 35mm cameras). Cameras with any type of detachable lenses are prohibited.

Things you may NOT take into the Fest:

• Weapons of any kind
• Illegal substances (including narcotics) or drug paraphernalia (Um, yeah…)
• Framed or large backpacks
• Alcohol (alcohol will be sold at the Festival)
• Glass containers
• Food or beverages, except for factory-sealed water bottles
• Skateboards, scooters, or personal motorized vehicles
• Bicycles inside Festival grounds (bike racks are available near each entrance)
• Carts
• Large chains or spiked jewelry
• Fireworks
• Explosives
• Large umbrellas
• Non-collapsible chairs
• Hard-sided coolers
• Tents
• Pets (except service dogs)
• Video equipment: No video recording will be allowed.
• Professional still camera equipment (no detachable lenses, no tripods, big zooms, or commercial use rigs)
• Audio recording equipment
• No illegal vending is permitted. No unauthorized/unlicensed vendors allowed.
• Unauthorized solicitations, handbills, sampling, give-aways, etc
• Metal aerosol containers, including sunscreen

For some more in-depth information check out my previous guides:

Part 1 - What to Wear
Part 2 - What to Take
Part 3 - Getting There
Part 4 - A Quick Summary

Here is a look ahead at the weather:

This weekend hails one of my favorite Austin festivals, the Pecan Street Festival. Back with a brand new sponsor, Capital One. With over 250 arts & craft vendors, music, and performing artists, art classes, dance classes, a scholarship competition, international foods, a carnival, petting zoo, and much more, the Pecan Street Festival has something for everyone. Even better, it’s free!

Old Pecan Street Festival
When: Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 20-21st, 2008
Where: 6th Street, Downtown Austin
$$$: Free

For something a bit different you might try this:

The Bicycle Film Fest
When: Fri. & Sat., Sept. 19 & 20th, 2008
Where: 501 Studios, 501 N. I-35, 900 block of East Fifth
$$$: $25

Movies from a human-powered, two-wheeled perspective.

Want to enjoy wine and chocolate while learning how to pair them up? Then head over to Cork & Co for this class:

Cork & Co. Wine & Chocolate Class
When: Satureday, September 20 2008, 5:00pm
Where: 308 Congress Ave
$$$: $25

Learn the secrets of wine and chocolate. Sample different chocolates and pair it all up with some delicious wines. Before you reach a chocolate coma, you’ll learn what makes them interact in such an intense way, and what makes for a great wine-and-chocolate match!

Need a good laugh? Alamo Drafthouse has got you covered. Over the past year or two, YouTube has been filling up with groups of people performing the zombie dance from Michael Jackson’s Thriller. There are videos of newlyweds performing that choreography as part of their first dance together at wedding receptions, and of course there’s the clip of the 1,500 inmates of the Cebu Prison in the Phillipines. We were watching those videos last winter and thought to ourselves, “What if we could make that even more awesome?” This fall, that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

They’ve joined forces with Ines Markeljovic, a dance teacher and founder of ThrillTheWorld.com, to help her complete her task of setting a Guiness World Record for having the most people around the world doing the Thriller dance at the exact same time. For the past seven months, they’ve been hosting Michael Jackson Sing-Alongs at the Alamo Ritz, then following the music video orgy with two hours of dance instruction that gets everyone in the crowd up to speed on how to do the Thriller dance themselves. They’ve partnered with local theater groups, dance companies, and schools as well, and they’re convinced that when it comes time to participate in the Thrill the World dance, on Saturday, October 25th, they’ll have more people in one place than anywhere else on the globe!

Michael Jackson: THRILL THE WORLD Sing-Along!
When: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 7:00p
Where: Alamo Downtown
$$$: $12.00

Go forth and learn how to Thrill.

Also, Fantastic Fest is going on this weekend at the Alamo. Fantastic Fest is a week-long festival featuring the best in new science-fiction, fantasy, horror, animation, crime, Asian, and all around badass cinema. The event was created to offer exposure to genre films which are often overlooked by the traditional festival circuit. We strive to offer acquisition, media and exhibition opportunities for undistributed films as well as to spotlight upcoming genre theatrical releases and give audiences a chance to see 35mm prints of repertory classics.

Well, those are my picks for the weekend. It’s going to be in the comfortable 80s this weekend. Roll on fall!

I was out and about today. That was a mistake. Every place I went was crowded. You’d think there was a hurricane headed our way. Heh. I was in Pasedena, Tx earlier this week taking a cake decorating class with Debbie Brown. I’m very glad I got out of town Wednesday night. At the time they didn’t think the hurricane was going to hit Galveston, which I was very close to, but now we know differently and Galveston is looking scarier by the minute. My poor brother, who lives in Miami, has had a hectic hurricane season so far but he is relieved the pressure is off them for a while. Having said that he’s concerned for the 15-25 million estimated people still in the Galveston are.

There were a lot of schools and businesses that let out early or were closed entirely today. I think half of Houston and Galveston are in town, too. They also canceled this weekends football game with Arkansas. I’m going to go ahead and list weekend events but I don’t know at this point which, if any, will be canceled.

Creative Research Laboratory presents the UT Fall Faculty Exhibition. Lest you be frightened that does not mean the UT Faculty will be dancing naked in the streets. Instead, you’ll see recent work by faculty artists in Studio Art, Art Education, and Design at the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin. The opening reception will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Creative Research Laboratory. This celebratory fall semester opening exhibition will feature a large number of works with a wide range of themes. This annual exhibition will offer a rich survey of recent works by the University’s faculty artists.

UT Fall Faculty Exhibition
When: Saturday, September 13 2008, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Where: UT Creative Research Lab, 2832 E Martin Luther King Blvd
$$$: Free

Enjoy live music from Chaparral and Sons of the Revolution, have some BBQ and benefit the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association.

Biker Barbecue Bakeoff
When: Fri.-Sat., Sept. 12-13, 3pm-12mid
Where: C. Hunts Ice House, 9611 McNeil Dr
$$$: Free ($5 platefuls of BBQ)

If you’re looking for a bit of healthy exercise this weekend then put on your walking shoes and head for the Bright Leaf Preserve for a 2 hour guided tour.

Bright Leaf Preserve
When: Second Saturdays and Sundays of the month, 9am.
Where: Bright Leaf Preserve, 2222 & Creek Mountain Road
$$$: Free

Sunday is your day for cultural events. Step out to Round Rock for a stroll down historic streets. Meet talented artists & musicians in Historic Downtown Round Rock each month, displaying their wares and entertaining strollers.

Round Rock Artisan Stroll
When: Sunday, Sept. 14th, noon - 6pm
Where: Downtown Round Rock, depending on weather (call: 512.535.5761)
$$$: Free

One of the best opportunities of the year happens this Sunday. It’s our annual Museum Day! Museums throughout Austin will be open and free to the public. That is a great value! Take the kids and go see them all. If you want to go outdoors, hit up the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. Take the kids to the Austin Children’s Museum. Learn all about Texas history at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. See the beauty of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Your biggest challenge will be deciding which museums to visit!

11th Annual Austin Museum Day 2008
When: Sunday, 14 Sept. 2008
Where: Participating Museums (See website)
$$$: FREE!

Here are some cancellations coming in:

• The Diez y Seis celebration has been canceled for Saturday
• The Westcave Preserve birding habitat walk for Saturday has been canceled
• CHI VS. YORKIE CUTE-OFF meet-up group has been canceled

Those are my pics, have a safe weekend!

Interested in Historical Recreation?

Wells Branch MUD, and The Society for Creative Anachronism Brings You:

“RENAISSANCE DAY IN THE PARK”

Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008
10am to 5pm
Location: Katherine Fleischer Park
2106 Klattenhoff Drive
Pflugerville, TX

Visitors will get a taste of medieval times thanks to collaboration between Wells Branch and the local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronism. The society is an international association of people who re-enact the Middle Ages as they will for visitors with chivalric and rapier demonstrations and approximately 17 guilds including clothiers, fiber artisans, leather workers, dancers, scribes, brewers, metal workers, glass engravers, enamelers, herbalists, and others. Many of the ancient arts will be on display in the baseball field at Katherine Fleischer Park. The event is free to the public.

Historical Dancing will follow inside from 6-10

(This is a small, non-commercial historical recreation demo put on by volunteers)

If you’ve missed the old Excalibur Faire in Smithville, a new Faire is opening this weekend on the same grounds. I know I’ve missed Excalibur! If you make it out there please let us know how it compares.

Serendipity Haven is located at the “OLD” Excalibur Site on the Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville TX 45 miles from Austin on HWY 71. Take HWY 71 East to Smithville and turn north (left) on FM 153 and it is on the left. There is a link below to a Google map.