Austin, TX

My advice for this weekend? Stock up on groceries and some movies tonight and then lock you doors and hide inside until tax free weekend is over! Unless you’re a shopaholic you’ll want to at least avoid the outlet mall or any mall, for that matter!

Here are some ideas that don’t involve shopping:

Wait until the sun goes down and slip out to dance under the stars or stuff your face with cupcakes.

Dance Under the Stars
When: Saturday, 16 August, 8pm-12mid
Where: Lucila’s Studio, 1700 S. Lamar
$$$: $5 (kids free)

Bring your musical instruments and dancing shoes, something to sit on the beautiful grass and be ready to have Fun!! Kids welcome.

Munch on cupcakes and help out a good cause. That’s my idea of fun!

KVRX Cupcake Social
When: Saturday, 16 August, 10pm
Where: Carousel Lounge, 1110 E. 52nd
$$$: $5

The money from this show goes to the KVRX Station Survival Fund. There will be the expected live music but also cupcakes for the first 100 partygoers from Polkadots Cupcake Factory.

Moonlight Float
When: Saturday, 16 August, 6:30pm
Where: Texas Rowing Center (across from Austin High School)
$$$: $15, Children, $10

Bring a dish for the potluck and a nonalcoholic beverage for yourself before heading out on Lady Bird Lake on your own floating device. Don’t have your own? Rent a kayak or canoe from the boathouse, and all the proceeds go to the Texas River School and its efforts to get kids on the water. Your destination is the Congress Avenue Bridge to watch the bats.

If you feel you must go out, then add some spice to your life and and some shrimp to your belly with the:

Southside Cajun Festival
When: Saturday, 16 August, 6pm-2am
Where: Garrison Park Harbor, 730 W. Stassney #120

Enjoy Zydeco music, a shrimp and crawfish boil and music by Dr. Zog and Clif Tipton & the Blue Squeezebox Band. Mmmm…Cajun food!

Here’s one for you cat lovers:

2008 South Central Cat Show
When: Sat.-Sun., Aug. 16-17, 9am-5pm
Where: Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd
$$$: $5

Features 225 cats of all shapes and sizes from around the world. Expect all manner of kitty accouterments, and stick around to find out which feline is the friskiest.

If that’s a bit too slow for you then speed things up with the:

5th Annual Austin Grand Prix
When: August 15, 16 & 17, 8:00am-5:00pm
Where: Iron Rock Raceway, Spirit of Texas Drive
$$$: Free for Spectators

Every year, Iron Rock Raceway hosts their biggest race of the year awarding drivers MEGA CASH! This year, Iron Rock will be awarding $2,500 to podium drivers in ALL TAG classes…that’s $10,000! All ages of kart drivers aging from 5 to 65 years are invited to compete if they own their own kart.

I love to watch skateboarding and if you do, too, then head over to Whole Foods:

Whole Foods Back to School Event
When: August 16, (Saturday) 4:00pm-8:00pm
Where: Whole Foods Market, 525 N Lamar Blvd
$$$: Free

Professional skateboarding demos from No Comply Skate Shop and Satori Movement. Check out the awesome deals on apparel and school supplies in Whole Body. The fashion show begins at 7:30 p.m. Sample some delicious, easy school lunch options from Steaz and Dr. Kracker. Relax in our chill-out and crafts areas, and learn more about a great local organization, Urban Roots.

Last, but not least, in this geek town:

ArmadilloCon 30
When:Aug. 15-17th
Where: Doubletree Hotel North
$$$: 3 day pass $50 at the door

A long time ago, some people who enjoyed the sci-fi genre got together and decided that Central Texas needed a literary sci-fi convention. SolarCon was born. Once those people figured out what they were doing (it took a couple of years), they created ArmadilloCon and it is still running to this day for a whole new fan base.

The primary focus of ArmadilloCon is literary science fiction, but that’s not all we do — we also pay attention to art, animation, science, media, and gaming. Every year, dozens of professional writers, artists and editors attend the convention. We invite you to attend the convention especially if you are a fan of reading, writing, meeting, sighting, feeding, knighting, and all the other things folks do at a sci-f/fantasy convention.

Well, those are my picks. Have a great weekend!

For a look at this weekends music scene, check out Austin Sound.