It's the weekend! You've worked hard to get to this point, so you deserve to play hard, too. We've curated our favorite events happening around Austin for the next few days, from pop-ups to festivals to grand openings—all you have to do is round up your crew. Have a great weekend, y'all!
Fri 18
Fruit Loop Bar Crawl
Pride Week kicks off with an evening spent hopping around some of Austin’s best gay bars. Start at BT2 at 8pm, then strut your way through Iron Bear, Highland, Rain on 4th, Sellers and Oilcan Harrys until the clock strikes midnight and we all turn into pumpkins (kidding, we’re definitely finding the after party). Prizes are given away at each location. Friday at 8pm
Sat 19
Homecoming Dance
Put on your old formal and wish Haymaker a happy fourth birthday at this dance with three themes: Under the Sea, Casino and Under the Stars. The beer and liquor specials will change on the hour, a DJ will spin your favorite slow-dance songs and if you're not crowned king or queen, take a picture in the limo photo booth. Sat at 11am
Bat Fest
Three stages with acts like Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 75 arts-and-crafts vendors and a bat costume contest are among the highlights at this festival celebrating the 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats that will swoop out from under the bridge at dusk. Rain or shine—for both the bats and the event. Sat at 4pm
The Avett Brothers
Scott and Seth Avett will wail on the guitar (and the banjo and the piano and, oh yeah, they can sing) at Whitewater Amphitheater, about an hour from Austin where you can enjoy some cajun food and a beer before the opening act (Langhorne Slim). The band has more than a dozen albums to their name but the most recent is True Sadness, released last summer. We bet the show will inspire some other feelings, too. Sat at 7pm
Sun 20
Hot Sauce Festival
Sample hundreds of hot sauces at this annual Austin Chronicle fest that also features local food and live music. To enter your own salsa in the competition, mail this form with a check or money order to the Chronicle at PO Box 4189, Austin, TX 78765 by Aug 17, or bring both to the register the morning of the event. Entry to the festival is free with a donation of three non-perishable food items. Sun at 11am
Cochon555
Five Austin chefs will have one week to prepare six dishes using every bit of a whole 200-pound heritage breed pig for this national nose-to-tail cooking tour that crowns a prince or princess of Porc (that's pork en français). This year, James Flowers (Trio), Sarah McIntosh (Épicerie Cafe & Grocery), Nicholas Yanes (Juniper), Clinton Kendall (East Side King) and Evan Leroy (Leroy and Lewis) will be competing. Don't worry if you're not feeling pig feet—a salami snack bar, pop-up bakery and beef tartare tasting are among the alternative options. And if you can't make Sunday's event—or just want some extra education—be sure to snag a ticket for Saturday's scholarly BESPOKE event, featuring panel discussions from industry experts. Sun at 4pm
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