Passing Through. Somewhere around 300 million monarchs funnel through Texas each fall, and this week a few of them are drifting over the lake. None of them have made this trip before. The ones that left Mexico in spring lived only a few weeks, and it took several generations to get as far north as Canada. This fall's batch is built differently: they live up to eight months, and they're flying back to the same mountain forests their great-grandparents left, on instinct alone.
Look up between 10 and 3 on a sunny afternoon. They're just passing through.
Here's what's happening around the lake this week.
SIP & DIP CAKE POP WORKSHOP | October 8, 6–7:45pm | Fitzhugh Brewing | $35 | Info
Cake pop decorating meets happy hour in this hands-on workshop
LAKE TRAVIS RUN CLUB + SHOE DEMO | October 10, 7:30am | Cafe Lago | FREE | Info
Test-drive a pair of Mount to Coast before committing, which is more than most of us manage.
AIM TUTUS AND TIES FUN RUN | October 10, 7:30–9am | Hill Country Galleria | Donations encouraged | Info
A fun run where the dress code is tulle or neckwear and nobody is exempt.
WHIPS & WAFFLES MOTOR SHOW | October 10, 9am–12pm | Next Level Ceramic | FREE
Cars and waffles, a pairing that works every time.
LITTLE FALL POP-UP | October 10, 9am–1pm | The Yoga Tiki | FREE | Info
Yoga first, then sourdough, jewelry, and a trunk you hadn't planned to fill.
ONE MORE OKTOBERFEST | October 10, 11am–9pm | Frontyard Brewing | FREE | Info
One more weekend, because one was never really enough.
BOTANICAL BUDS ART RECEPTION | October 10, 12:30–2pm | Lakeway Library | FREE | Info
Meet the four local artists whose botanical work takes over the library walls this month.
SIP & SHOP | October 10, 1–6pm | Iron Wolf Ranch & Distillery | FREE | Info
An afternoon market where the distillery conveniently handles the sipping.
BOLD. ICONIC. VIBRANT. | Opens October 10, 1–5pm | Bee Cave Arts Foundation | FREE | Info
Bee Cave’s newest exhibition puts pop and urban art front and center.
BEE CREATIVE: GRAPEVINE WREATHS | October 10, 2–4pm | Bee Cave Public Library | FREE | Info
Spend two hours making your front door look considerably more like fall.
UT VS OU WATCH PARTY | October 10, 2:30pm | Bella Loma | $9 margaritas | Info
Red River on the big screen, with $9 margaritas for emotional support.
FALL MINI SESSIONS WITH LOTTIE | October 10 | Farmer Dave's | Info
Family photos on a working farm, with fall doing most of the set design.
J-TOWN RUN CLUB | October 11, 9am | Solstice Coffee & Cocktails | FREE | Info
Walk, jog, or run — the coffee at the end is the same either way.
BUMPERS & BREWS | October 11, 10am | Highway 71 Brewing | FREE | Info
Now officially monthly, which is how a parking lot becomes an institution.
MOONLIT HALLOWEEN PAINT PARTY | October 11, 1–3pm | MK Art + Design | $29+ | Info
Paint a spooky moonlit scene that gets to become part of the October decorations.
STEM PROGRAM | October 9, 1:30–2:30pm | Lake Travis Library Spicewood | FREE | Info
A UT student runs the experiments, which means someone else handles cleanup.
SING, MOVE, AND SPEAK SPANISH! | October 10, 10:30–11:30am | Lakeway Library | FREE | Info
Spanish taught through songs and movement, before anyone realizes they’re learning.
40TH ANNUAL GRUENE MUSIC & WINE FESTIVAL | October 8–11 | Gruene Hall & The Grapevine, New Braunfels | Various pricing | Info
Texas wine meets Texas music in one of the state’s most storied dance halls.
ACL FESTIVAL, WEEKEND TWO | October 9–11 | Zilker Park | $170+ | Info
ACL takes another swing at it, hopefully on drier ground.
HOT LUCK FEST | October 16–17 | Franklin Barbecue, Mohawk & Assembly Hall | $349 | Info
Aaron Franklin brings together live-fire cooking and live music for two very Austin nights.
LATTE ART 101 | October 15, 6:30–8:30pm | Peaches Coffee | $75 | Info
Learn to pour the little leaf your home latte has been missing.
ANDY RODDICK FOUNDATION POKER PICKLEBALL CLASSIC | October 18, 11am–1pm | 5 Soul Wine Co | $400/team | Info
Pickleball meets poker scoring, because apparently regular pickleball wasn’t competitive enough.
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Oct 8th – Oct 11th
ANGEL’S ICEHOUSE (Spicewood)
Fri: Robert Parker Band | 6pm
CARMELA’S (Lakeway)
Thu: Presley Grace | 5:30-8:30pm
GRAVEYARD POINT ICEHOUSE (Lakeway)
Fri: Zach Aaron | 7:30-9:30pm
Sat: David Miner | 7:30-9:30pm
HWY 71 BREWING COMPANY (Spicewood)
Fri: Josh Field | 7-10pm
IRON WOLF RANCH (Spicewood)
Sat: Men of Madam Radar | 2-5pm
JULES DESIGN BAR (Bee Cave)
Fri: Andrea Marie | 8-10pm
LT CORNER PUB (Lakeway)
Fri: Karaoke w/KJ Kevin Young | 9pm-2am
LUCKY RABBIT (Jonestown)
Fri: Flashback | 7-10pm
Sat: Keepers of the Rock | 7-10pm
Sun: Jazz Brunch w/ Max Robertson & Josef Pelletier | 12-3pm
POODIE’S ROADHOUSE (Spicewood)
Thu: Ryan Lawless 6pm | Galvezton 8pm
Fri: Candy Coburn 8pm | Calloway & The Prickly Pears 10:30pm
Sat: Strange Dayz 8pm | Lauren Diamond 10:30pm
Sun: Switcharoos 4pm | Chuck Shaw 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: Weldon Hansen | 7:30-10:30pm
Sat: Christine Baird | 6:30-10pm
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Back to School. We made it to Escuela, the new dining destination in Oak Hill, and the name isn't just clever branding. Escuela means school in Spanish, and the 5.5-acre property is home to the former Oak Hill Elementary, including a restored century-old limestone schoolhouse. The land was originally donated by James Andrew Patton, a longtime school trustee, and the old school grew over the decades before Oak Hill Elementary moved to a new building in 1974.
Today, the old schoolhouse is home to Fino, Escuela's more refined Tex-Mex restaurant — and if first impressions count, this is one we’ll be going back to.
They did a beautiful job with the space. Inside is polished but still warm, with its own bar and lounge. Outside, tables sit beneath a lush canopy of greenery with another bar and covered seating.
Escuela takes farm-to-table literally, with a sprawling garden on the property providing much of what makes its way into the kitchen. Everything else is sourced from local farms and producers.
Reservations are definitely recommended, especially on a weekend night. We arrived around 6pm with reservation, and walk-ins were already waiting. If you do have to wait, grab a drink at the outdoor bar until your table is ready. One other thing to know before you go: parking is valet only.
Speaking of drinks, the cocktails may have been our favorite part of the night. We tried the Tepache Sour, Show and Tell, and the Old School — a bourbon cocktail made with brisket fat and served with candy cigarettes, bringing a little childhood nostalgia to a decidedly grown-up drink.
We did our best with the food menu, too. Our table quickly filled up with bone marrow mousse, charred beets, blue crab flautas, grilled quail with mole, and tilefish. The standout was easily the quail — smoky, rich and the dish we'd order again without even looking at the menu.
Photo credit: Lake Travis Current
And Escuela isn't finished yet. Campo is coming soon to the same property, trading Fino's date-night feel for a more relaxed, family-friendly Tex-Mex and barbecue concept with outdoor dining among the gardens. In other words, Escuela may soon work just as well with the kids as it does with a babysitter.
Last Week’s Poll Results. Best Willie song turned into a photo finish. Always on My Mind took it by a single vote over Whiskey River, with On the Road Again just one more vote back. That last one came with the best testimony, from a reader who flies for a living: “I drive to Dallas and then fly all over the place.” Willie would approve.
The monarchs are only passing through. The rest of us, one way or another, decided to stay. So this week, we want to know:
How did you end up at the lake?
No Membership Required. Here’s one hiding in plain sight: Vivel Crepes & Coffee is tucked inside Hill Country Indoor, but you don’t need an HCI membership to go. Walk right in for coffee, sweet and savory crepes, smoothies and a surprisingly good excuse to stop by even when nobody has practice.
Coffee With a Car Wash. Jasper Coffee might have one of the more unexpected locations around Lake Travis: inside Texas Hand Wash on 620. It’s a proper specialty coffee counter with espresso drinks and house-made syrups — meaning you can knock out a car wash and coffee run in one stop. Efficient.
For the Garage Cleanout. If a collection of old paint cans and mystery chemicals has been slowly taking over your garage, here’s your excuse to deal with it. The Lake Travis Regional Reuse & Recycling Center is hosting a free household hazardous-waste drop-off October 14 for eligible local residents. Reservations are required.
Welcome Home, Cavs. For the first time since September 2025, Lake Travis plays a home game at its home stadium. The Cavaliers host undefeated Cedar Ridge this Friday at the $50 million renovated Cavalier Stadium, which now holds 11,090 fans, almost 4,000 more seats than before. Coach Hank Carter says it'll feel "like a college game."
Adopt Me. Meet Bird, a 1½-year-old Lab/Collie mix who likes to start her mornings with a serious game of fetch or a good hike, then happily settles in for the day. She’s smart, affectionate, house-trained, and looking for a quieter home with an active canine sidekick — and someone willing to accept her signature hugs.
Mudchella. By the end of ACL Weekend One, avoiding the mud was apparently no longer the goal. Rain turned Zilker into one giant slip-and-slide, and some festival-goers decided the only reasonable response was to fully commit — flopping, sliding and belly-diving straight into the mud pits. At some point, you just accept the shoes are gone.
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