Race Weekend. For one weekend every October, Austin becomes one of the biggest racing cities in the world. Formula 1 returns to COTA this weekend, bringing hundreds of thousands of fans, some of the fastest cars on earth, and enough private jets to make the airport look like a dealership.
The race itself will be decided by tenths of a second. Getting across Austin this weekend may take considerably longer. Fortunately, out here, we've got nowhere to be.
Here’s what’s happening around the lake this week.
WE ARE BLOOD BLOOD DRIVE | October 22, 3–5:30pm | Jonestown City Hall | FREE | Info
Give a pint and call your good deed for the day handled.
HAUNTED TRAIL | October 22–23, 7–9pm | Trailhead behind Chick-fil-A, Bee Cave | FREE | Info
The same trail you walk the dog on, considerably less relaxing after dark.
DON'T TELL COMEDY | October 23, 7:30–9pm | Secret location, Lakeway | $30 | Info
A surprise lineup of comedians at a secret Lakeway venue revealed the morning of the show.
EAA 1607 PANCAKE BREAKFAST | October 24, 9–11am | Rusty Allen Airport, Lago Vista | FREE | Info
Pancakes at the airport, with airplanes providing most of the scenery.
FITZHUGH BREWING HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL | October 24, 11am–4pm | Fitzhugh Brewing | FREE | Info
A Halloween carnival at the brewery, so everyone gets something out of this.
COMMON GROUND ARTS FESTIVAL | October 24, 11am–5pm | Hill Country Galleria | FREE | Info
Local artists take over the Galleria, giving you something to browse besides stores.
BBQ & WATCH PARTY | October 24, 2–7pm | Bella Loma Tasting Room | $15/plate | Info
Hamburguesas, bourbon, and football on the screen.
FALL FEST AT HCI | October 24, 5–7:30pm | HCI Sports & Fitness | FREE | Info
A Halloween warm-up with enough kid activity to earn the candy afterward.
LAKEWAY HALLOWEEN COMEDY FESTIVAL | October 24, 6:30–8pm | Highland Village Community Center | $30+ | Info
Halloween gets a stand-up set in Lakeway.
NOSFERATU WITH THE LAKE TRAVIS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA | October 24, 7–9pm | Lakeway Activity Center | $7 | Info
A 104-year-old vampire movie gets a live soundtrack for seven bucks.
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: TOP GUN | October 24, 7pm | Lakeway Airpark | FREE | Info
Top Gun inside an airplane hangar. Sometimes the venue really does the work.
Image courtesy of Josh Cobb
SPICEWOOD COMEDY | October 24, 8–10pm | Highway 71 Brewing | $20+ | Info
Standup at the brewery, with a front row for anyone feeling brave.
ROLLING SCULPTURE CAR SHOW & TRUNK-OR-TREAT | October 25, 10am–3pm | Hill Country Galleria | FREE
Classic cars take over the Galleria, with candy in the trunks this time.
9TH ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL | October 25, 12pm | Lakeway Church | FREE | Info
Bounce houses for the kids, a coat drive for the closet you’ve been meaning to clean out.
TACO BOUT IT: CARS & TACOS TRUNK OR TREAT | October 25, 5–7pm | Hudson Bend Middle School | FREE | Info
Tacos for the adults, candy for the kids, decorated trunks for everyone to judge.
TENNIS & BREWS | October 28, 6–8pm | Highway 71 Brewing | $10+ | Info
Beginner-friendly tennis with the first beer already built into the plan.
PLANT BINGO | October 28, 6:30–7:30pm | Hops & Thyme | $20 | Info
Bingo where the prizes are plants, which improves the format considerably.
KIDS CRAFT YOUR OWN POTION BOTTLE | October 22, 3–5pm | Spicewood Community Library | FREE | Info
Kids make their own potion bottle, presumably without being trusted with actual potions.
MCCOYS HALLOWEEN BUCKET DECORATING | October 24, 10am–2pm | McCoys | FREE | Info
Decorate the candy bucket now. Fill it later.
SAFE'S TRUCK-OR-TREAT | October 24, 10am–2pm | Q2 Stadium, Austin | $20 | Info
The stadium trades soccer for trick-or-treating for the morning.
VIVA LA VIDA FESTIVAL & PARADE | October 24, 12–6pm | Downtown Austin | FREE | Info
Austin’s biggest Día de los Muertos celebration takes over downtown with lowriders, marigolds, and a downtown procession that’s worth the drive in.
FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX | October 23–25 | Circuit of The Americas | Various pricing | Info
COTA gets the world’s fastest cars for the weekend, followed by Maroon 5, Post Malone and Alesso.
VENETIAN MASQUERADE | October 31, 6:30–10pm | Tillie's at Camp Lucy | $225 | Info
A masked dinner at Camp Lucy, where subtlety has the evening off.
BREWS & BALLOONS FESTIVAL | November 6–7 | Bar K Park, Lago Vista | $135 VIP, $35+ GA | Info
Hot-air balloons over Lago Vista. VIP is on sale, with general tickets still to come.
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Oct 22nd – Oct 25th
ANGEL’S ICEHOUSE (Spicewood)
Fri: Curtis Lee | 6pm
HWY 71 BREWING COMPANY (Spicewood)
Fri: Dakota Spellman | 7-10pm
IRON WOLF RANCH (Spicewood)
Sat: The Caterwaulers | 2-5pm
JULES DESIGN BAR (Bee Cave)
Fri: Andrea Marie & Brian Andrew Lee | 8pm-late
LT CORNER PUB (Lakeway)
Fri: Karaoke w/KJ Kevin Young | 9pm-2am
LUCKY RABBIT (Jonestown)
Fri: The Lonestar Souvenirs | 7-10pm
Sat: Mark Chandler | 2-5pm
Sun: Travisty | 2-5pm
PLATE BY DZINTRA (Bee Cave)
Thu: Tanya Winch Band | 6-8:30pm
POODIE’S ROADHOUSE (Spicewood)
Thu: Colton Sanders 6pm | Dukes of the Hill Country 8pm
Fri: Mac Leaphart 6pm | Square Grooves 8pm | Autumn Michelle & The Pearls 10:30pm
Sat: Bayou Dawgs 8pm | Sophia Johnson Band 10:30pm
Sun: Otis Wilkins | 7:30pm
SAF WINE BAR (Lakeway)
Thu: Gigi Worth | 7:30-10:30pm
Fri: Shawn Matthews | 8:30-11:30pm
Sat: Phil Luna | 8:30-11:30pm
Sun: Emily Shirley | 6:30-9:30pm
STEINER RANCH STEAKHOUSE (Steiner Ranch)
Thu: Robert Wagner | 6:30-9pm
Fri: Howlin’ Waters | 6:30-10:30pm
Sat: Christine Baird | 6:30-10pm
Sun: Mike Gonzales | 6:30-9:30pm
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Last Week’s Poll Results. We asked about the fate of your pumpkins, and half of you chose the path of least resistance: leave them whole on the porch. Carving and painting tied, while a few of you wisely opted out of pumpkins altogether.
One reader, however, has the full fall operation down: “My adult kids are coming over Saturday to continue our family tradition of pumpkin carving and seed roasting!”
Halloween is a week out, and every porch is about to pick a lane. So this week, we want to know:
What kind of Halloween house are you?
For the Candy Route: Want to know which streets are worth the walk before heading out? Nextdoor’s Treat Map shows which neighbors are handing out candy this year, helping you plot a trick-or-treat route with fewer dark porches and more full-size-bar potential.
For the Spooky Drive: Lakeway has done the Halloween scouting for you. The Fright Up Lakeway Map plots decorated homes and businesses around town, complete with a “Spooky Meter” for each stop. Pull it up, pick a route and go see who took Halloween a little too seriously this year.
Wellness, Supersized. Canyon Ranch Austin is officially open in Spicewood, bringing the longtime wellness brand to 600 acres along Lake Travis. The new resort has 141 rooms, a 40,000-square-foot spa, fitness and wellness programming, and enough room to make your neighborhood facial appointment feel slightly underachieving.
A Better Fit. Fit 4 Birdies is headed to Lohmans Spur in Lakeway, offering custom golf club fittings, repairs, and an indoor practice bay with a launch monitor. Basically, one fewer thing to blame the next time your drive ends up two fairways over.
A Fresh Canvas. Hawaii Fluid Art has a new name: Bee Artsy. The locally owned Bee Cave studio in the Galleria is stepping out on its own with the same hands-on art experiences for kids, adults, families, and groups—just under a new local identity.
Adopt Me. Meet Sully, a Chihuahua who packs a lot of personality into a very couch-friendly package. He’s house-trained, loves hikes and car rides, gets along with other dogs, and happily curls up beside you after his evening zoomies. He even sings along to his favorite songs. A tiny best friend with his own soundtrack.
Post of the Week. Road to the Race returned to The Long Center, bringing more than 100 hypercars and supercars downtown ahead of F1 weekend. Basically a very expensive parking lot, in the best possible way.
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