Hot in Here. There’s a point every Texas summer when 100 degrees stops feeling like weather and starts feeling like the default setting. This week, apparently, the default wasn’t hot enough.
Temperatures this week reached 104–105 degrees, with the heat index pushing 108. That’s hot even by Central Texas standards — the kind of heat where the pool feels like bathwater, the steering wheel becomes a legitimate hazard, and walking across a parking lot starts requiring strategy.
The good news: we live next to a very large body of water. The bad news: it’s probably warm too.
Here’s what’s happening around the lake this week.
WE ARE BLOOD: BLOOD DRIVE | August 27, 2–4:30pm | Jonestown City Hall | FREE | Info
One hour, one donation, a very good day for someone else.
ICE CREAM SOCIAL | August 27, 5:30–7:30pm | Lago Vista Women’s Club | FREE | Info
Ice cream and a low-pressure look at what the club actually does.
CHAMBER NETWORKING MIXER AT FLAT CREEK WINERY | August 27, 5:30–8pm | Flat Creek Estate, Marble Falls | $15–$20 | Info
Networking among the vines, which improves the format considerably.
DRINK + DRAW | August 28, 5–8pm | Contracommon, Bee Cave | FREE | Info
No teacher, no critique, just drinks and something to draw with.
BEDAZZLE NIGHT WITH DEERDREAM STUDIOS | August 28, 6pm | Peaches Coffee | $30 | Info
Rhinestone a lighter — or anything else that could use an unreasonable amount of sparkle.
GOAT CUDDLES & BREWS | August 29, 11am–12:30pm | Fitzhugh Brewing | $10+ | Info
A perfectly reasonable late morning of beer and mini goats.
LOTERIA / MEXICAN BINGO AT BELLA LOMA | August 30, 3–4:30pm | Bella Loma Distillery | FREE | Info
Cocktails and the satisfying slap of a winning card.
GROWING MICROGREENS: A SUPERFOOD | August 31, 2–4pm | Lakeway MUD | FREE | Info
Gardening for people who prefer results in weeks, not seasons.
LAGO VISTA GARDEN CLUB | September 1, 11:45am | K Oaks Clubhouse | FREE | Info
Bring lunch. Dessert and gardening wisdom are covered.
SUMMER MOVIE NIGHT: FINDING NEMO | August 28, 8:20–10pm | Frontyard Brewing | FREE | Info
The summer movie series swims off with one final classic.
MARIACHI PARTY FOR MS. MELISS | August 29, 10:30am | Bee Cave Public Library | FREE | Info
A library farewell with considerably more trumpets than usual.
TEEN & TWEEN CRAFTS: PAINTING WITH A POP | August 31, 5:30–6:30pm | Lake Travis Library Spicewood | FREE | Info
Painting, sodas, and an hour without a screen.
JACK JOHNSON | August 29, 7:30pm | Germania Insurance Amphitheater, Austin | $60+ | Info
The soundtrack to every laid-back summer since 2001.
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August 27th – August 30th
ANGEL’S ICEHOUSE (Spicewood)
Sat: Andrea Marie & the Magnolias | 6pm
Sun: The Fabulous Jacks | 6pm
BELLA LOMA (Spicewood)
Sat: Gigi Worth | 3–5pm
Image courtesy of Bella Loma
GRAVEYARD POINT ICEHOUSE (Lakeway)
Fri: Gus Clark | 7:30pm
HWY 71 BREWING COMPANY (Spicewood)
Fri: Brian Lee | 7–10pm
IRON WOLF RANCH (Spicewood)
Sat: Kim Meeks | 2–5pm
JULES DESIGN BAR (Bee Cave)
Fri: Trevor Helt | 8–10pm
LAKEWAY PUBLIC LIBRARY (Lakeway)
Thu: Holly Frost | 3–4pm
LT CORNER PUB (Lakeway)
Fri: Karaoke w/KJ Kevin Young | 9pm–2am
LUCKY RABBIT (Jonestown)
Thu: George Gurganus | 6–9pm
Fri: Rock House | 7–10pm
Sat: JD Casper 2–5pm | Natural Causes 7–10pm
Sun: Travisty | 2–5pm
PLATE BY DZINTRA (Bee Cave)
Thu: Julie Slim Duo | 6–8:30pm
POODIE’S ROADHOUSE (Spicewood)
Thu: James Hearne 6pm | Dukes of the Hill Country 8pm
Fri: Brodie Lane 8pm | Keegan McInroe Band 10:30pm
Sat: Guy Forsyth 8pm | The Wainthropps 10:30pm
Sun: Carl Hutchens 4pm | Scott Allison 7:30pm
SAF WINE BAR (Lakeway)
Thu: Frank Cavitt | 7:30–10:30pm
Fri: Phil Luna | 8:30–11:30pm
Sat: Shawn Matthew | 8:30–11:30pm
Sun: Andrea Marie | 6:30pm
STEINER RANCH STEAKHOUSE (Steiner Ranch)
Thu: Robert Wagner | 6:30–9pm
Fri: Howlin Waters | 6:30–9pm
Sat: Christine Baird | 6:30–10pm
Sun: Mike Gonzales | 6:30–9pm
THE OASIS (Lake Travis)
Fri: Natural Causes | 6:30–9:30pm
Sat: Diamond Days | 7–10pm
Sun: Home At Last | 6:30–9:30pm
Photos courtesy of Colorful Creations
Made by Hand. Tucked into West Austin, Colorful Creations is a home-based ceramic studio from mother-daughter duo Sarah Cathey and Suzanne Meyer, built around a refreshingly simple idea: put down the screens, pick up a paintbrush, and make something worth keeping.
The studio hosts ceramic painting and clay classes for kids and adults, along with birthday parties, private events, group gatherings, and take-home pottery kits. No artistic credentials required. You create the piece; Sarah and Suzanne handle the glazing and firing before it comes back looking considerably more polished than when you left it.
And because Colorful Creations operates from their home, it feels less like a traditional pottery shop and more like being invited into a particularly creative backyard. Sessions are smaller, personal, and intentionally relaxed. The exact West Austin address is shared after booking.
On the Calendar: a handful of seasonal workshops for both kids and adults.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL ORGANIZER | September 16 & 24 | $30
Paint a personalized ceramic organizer for pencils, homework supplies, or whatever else is already taking over the kitchen counter.
LUNCH & LEARN: HALLOWEEN YARD ART | September 23 | From $40
A little painting, a little lunch, and an excuse for the adults to get in on the Halloween crafting, too.
PUMPKIN & GHOST CLAY WORKSHOP | Starts October 15 | $50
A two-part workshop where kids create their own delightfully spooky clay decorations from scratch.
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Last Week’s Poll Results. We asked which drive is worse, and 620 took it with 71% of the vote — a result roughly as surprising as August being hot.
The comments ran like this: “Sooooo sloooowwww,” “The LTHS traffic is the worst,” and one reader who settled the whole debate — “620 is worse due to so many traffic lights. 71 is worse because people haul ass and it’s scary.”
Speaking of things that make you want to stay home…
How are you handling the heat?
For the Cool Down. Summer hours may be over, but the Lakeway Swim Center isn’t done yet. The Leisure Pool and slides are still open Saturdays from 10–2 through September 5 — four very useful hours when the forecast starts with a 1.
Bookmark This. Weather apps are fine, but LCRA’s Hydromet system gets much more local. You can check rainfall, temperatures, lake levels, streamflow and even water temperatures, with much of the data updating every 15 minutes. A surprisingly useful bookmark when the weather gets weird.
Two Tables Close to Home. Austin Restaurant Weeks returns August 28–September 13 with 100+ restaurants offering prix fixe menus that benefit the Central Texas Food Bank. Two are right in our backyard: Café Blue at the Hill Country Galleria, with a $50 three-course dinner, and Taco Flats in Lakeway with a $25 lunch.
Blood Moon. A deep partial lunar eclipse peaks tonight at 11:12 pm, when roughly 95% of the moon slips into Earth’s shadow and turns coppery red. No telescope needed, just look up.
Before You Fire Up the Pit. Travis County is now under a burn ban as dry conditions raise wildfire risk. If you’re outside city limits, it’s worth checking the rules before anything involving an open flame.
Adopt Me. Meet Phoenix, who was found sleeping in a pile of trash at a construction site, sick and barely hanging on. After months of care, he’s healthy, happy, and living up to his name — now he just needs the home to complete the comeback. (Warning: the before photos are difficult to see.)
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