The Season Waits. Lake Travis has canceled its football game against Dripping Springs. In a letter to families this week, head coach Hank Carter called the past two weeks “incredibly difficult for everyone involved” and said the decision came down to “the physical and mental safety of our players and staff.” As it stands, the Cavaliers open the season against Weiss on September 4.
A celebration of life for Odin Hensley will be held Saturday, August 22, at Austin Ridge Bible Church. The GoFundMe supporting his family has passed $208,000 and is still open.
BINGO NIGHT | August 20, 7–9pm | 5 Soul Wine Co. | FREE | Info
Last call for the Thursday run, rosé still within reach.
PLANNING AHEAD: WILLS, TRUSTS, AND PROBATE | August 21, 10:30am–12pm | Lake Travis Library Lakeway | FREE | Info
The paperwork everyone avoids, explained by someone who doesn’t.
AI CLASS: TALK TO AI LIKE AN EMPLOYEE | August 21, 12–1pm | North Lake Travis Chamber | $20-$25 | Info
Learn how to write better prompts, which is apparently a skill now.
TILES & TASTINGS MAHJONG LEAGUE | August 21, 12–2pm | 5 Soul Wine Co. | $180 | Info
Eight weeks of tiles, wine, and increasingly serious competition.
PAINT POTTERY & WINE NIGHT X MY POTERIE | August 21, 7pm | Peaches Coffee | $50 | Info
A paint-your-own mug workshop where the wine steadies nothing.
EAA 1607 MONTHLY PANCAKE BREAKFAST | August 22, 9–11am | Rusty Allen Airport | DONATION | Info
Pancakes on the tarmac, airplanes included.
PARK CLEANUP DAY | August 22, 10am–1pm | Jones Brothers Park | FREE | Info
Three hours of leaving the park better than you found it.
MAMMA MIA! BRUNCH | August 22, 12–2pm | Runaway Luna | $89 | Info
Two-course brunch, flower crowns, and enough ABBA to briefly relocate you to Greece.
Image from Runaway Luna’s website
COOL ARTS SHOW & SALE | August 22, 1–5pm | Lakeway Activity Center | FREE | Info
Local art, local artists, and — crucially in August — air conditioning.
TEXARTS FALL OPEN HOUSE | August 22, 2–4pm | TexARTS | FREE | Info
Meet the teachers before the fall class schedule fills up.
SUMMER LOVIN’ NIGHT MARKET | August 22, 6pm | Angel’s Icehouse | FREE | Info
One last evening of local vendors, cold drinks, and summer after dark.
Image from Angel’s Icehouse’s website
SIP & PAINT: LAVENDER FIELD | August 23, 11am–1pm | 5 Soul Wine Co. | $60 | Info
Everyone paints the same lavender field. Results will vary.
ADULT RECESS: BACK TO SCHOOL BINGO | August 26, 6pm | Angel’s Icehouse | FREE | Info
School’s back, so the grown-ups get their own recess.
END OF SUMMER SPLASH | August 22, 11am–2pm | Hill Country Galleria | FREE | Info
Summer’s going out soaking wet.
KIDS VENDOR MARKET | August 22, 11am–2pm | Volente Beach Resort | FREE to browse; waterpark $10–25 | Info
Kid vendors running real booths, with a waterpark as backup.
LAGO VISTA SPLASH BASH | August 22, 1–4pm | Lago Vista City Pool | FREE | Info
The pool’s last hurrah, with Kona Ice for the first hundred.
MORNING STORY HOUR WITH THE LIBRARY BOOK MOBILE | August 25, 10–11:30am | Winston’s Coffee Spicewood | FREE | Info
Story time where the parents can get a decent coffee.
TASTE LAKE TRAVIS 1ST BITES: GOOD BBQ COMPANY | August 20, 5pm | Good BBQ Company, Austin | Info
A preview taste on the east side ahead of the main event.
Image from Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook
PBR GAMBLER DAYS | August 21–23, 7:45pm | Moody Center | $31+ | Info
Eight seconds at a time, three nights running.
AUSTIN HOME SHOW | August 22–23, 10am–8pm | Palmer Events Center, Austin | FREE passes online; $10 at door | Info
Contractors, design ideas, and several new reasons to reconsider your kitchen.
ZZ TOP | August 22, 8pm & August 23, 7:30pm | ACL Live at The Moody Theater | $91+ | Info
Two nights of beards and blues with opener Mike “Drifter” Flanigin.
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August 20–23
ANGEL’S ICEHOUSE (Spicewood)
Fri: Mary Said | 6pm
Sat: Blevins | 6pm
BELLA LOMA (Spicewood)
Sun: The Bayou Dawgs | 4–6pm
CARMELA’S (Lakeway)
Thu: Presley Grace | 5:30–8pm
GRAVEYARD POINT ICEHOUSE (Lakeway)
Fri: Brock Stephen | 7:30pm
Sun: Dakota Spellman | 4pm
IRON WOLF RANCH (Spicewood)
Sat: Tylor Brandon | 2–5pm
JULES DESIGN BAR (Bee Cave)
Fri: Brian Andrew Lee | 8pm
LT CORNER PUB (Lakeway)
Fri: Karaoke w/KJ Kevin Young | 9pm–2am
LUCKY RABBIT (Jonestown)
Thu: Whiskey & Rosin | 6–9pm
Fri: Drew Preston Band | 7–10pm
Sat: Troy Stone 2–5pm | Tish & The Mizzbehavin 7–10pm
PLATE BY DZINTRA (Bee Cave)
Thu: Tanya Winch | 6–8:30pm
POODIE’S ROADHOUSE (Spicewood)
Thu: Adam Johnson 6pm | Dukes of the Hill Country 8pm
Fri: Hector Ward & The Big Time 8pm | Josh Calvin & Co. 10:30pm
Sat: Dakota Spellman 1pm | Whitey Johnson Band 8pm | Mathew Payne 10:30pm
Sun: Shufflehawks 4pm | Chuck Shaw 7:30pm
SAF WINE BAR (Lakeway)
Thu: Gigi Worth | 7:30–10:30pm
Fri: Shawn Matthews | 8:30–11:30pm
Sat: Janie Balderas | 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 | 6:30–9pm
Sun: Mike Gonzales | 6:30–9pm
THE OASIS (Lake Travis)
Fri: Rockin’ Relics | 6:30–9:30pm
Sat: Variantes Del Ritmo | 7–10pm
Sun: Dysfunksun Junkshun | 6:30–9:30pm
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Last Week’s Poll Results. We asked which yard visitors you’ve hosted this summer, and you delivered a three-way tie: roadrunners, deer, and “something else.” Scorpions indoors came in next, with a few snake encounters, and one very solitary armadillo bringing up the rear.
The write-ins were the real highlight: possums, a ring-tailed cat, skunks, hawks, crows, and one reader with a pair of foxes that stop by nightly. As backyard guest lists go, that’s hard to top.
From backyard traffic to the kind we’d all rather avoid…
For the Tacos: We finally stopped at Taqueria El Compadre Manzano, the taco stand at 71 and Bob Wire, and our only complaint is that we waited this long. The breakfast tacos were excellent, the chilaquiles even better, and it’s officially going into the regular rotation.
For Something Different: Speaking of tacos, don’t sleep on Nasha. The Bee Cave spot mixes Indian and Mexican flavors in ways that sound unusual until you try them. We went for the first time last weekend and are already planning a return for the weekday lunch thali, preferably followed by happy hour and one of their Indian-Mexican cocktails.
For the Match: Austin FC is trading verde for violet. The new Violet Crown Kit is the club’s third jersey and ditches the traditional green and black, with a purple palette inspired by Austin’s violet sunset skies. Even if you don’t follow the table, this one might be worth wearing.
A Local Favorite Gets a Front Door. House of Shan is going permanent with its first brick-and-mortar location, House of Shan Cottage, opening August 28 on Bee Cave Road. Pop-up no more.
Austin Gets a Theme Park. COTALAND officially opens September 26 at Circuit of the Americas with 30+ rides and attractions, including Texas’ first tilt coaster. Apparently the racetrack wasn’t enough adrenaline.
Adopt Me. Meet Poco, a one-year-old Dachshund mix with short legs and, presumably, very big plans. He’s currently accepting applications for a new address.
Times Have Changed. Take a trip back to Austin in 1999, when the skyline was shorter, the roads were emptier, and plenty of what we know today simply wasn’t there yet.
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