Summer includes an excess amount of free time and many fun things to do, especially in Austin. From listening to live music at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q to exploring local farmer’s markets, Austin has a lot to offer in the summer. Even if you are staying home or on a budget, there’s still plenty of things you can do around the city.
One of the best parts of summer in Austin is the live music events and concerts throughout the city. Live music at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q and concerts at the Moody Center are just two options among many to experience Austin’s musical culture. Ellie Walsh, a junior at Anderson stated that, “The Moody Center is the best because so many artists perform there and there is always a concert to buy tickets for ”. Another place to catch live music is Blues on the Green at Zilker Park, which is Austin’s longest running free concert series. Additionally, Hot Summer Nights includes many local artists, celebrating Austin’s music scene .
There are also many local farmers markets like the SFC Farmers Market Downtown, Barton Creek Farmers Market, and the Arboretum Food and Artisan Market that happen every Saturday morning to early afternoon. Austinites favorite booths across the city include Round Rock Honey, Lady Babka, and Tamale Addiction. Besides these booths, the local markets listed above include organic produce, artisan foods, baked goods and handmade crafts.
If you want to beat the heat, there are many outdoor activities that are enjoyable even on a very hot day. One of these is swimming at Barton Springs, a landmark Austin swimming location that is always between 68 and 70 degrees. If that temperature change sounds too crazy for you, paddleboarding at Lady Bird Lake is another great option. Zilker Park also has a lot of things you can do under the sun including having a picnic or playing beach volleyball.
If it’s a rainy day or you just want to do something chill with friends. You can always catch a movie at any theatre like Alamo Drafthouse, IPIC Theaters, Regal Gateway, and AMC Barton Creek Square. This summer, there are lots of anticipated movies coming out like the live-action Moana, Toy Story 5 and Minions and Monsters. Movie lovers who want to spend the summer in theaters can even subscribe to the AMC Stubs A-List, which includes no online fees and allows you to watch up to four movies a week for a flat fee of $29.99 a month.
Shopping can also be a fun summer activity, especially thrifting. Austin has a lot of good thrift stores like Austin Pets Alive, Buffalo Exchange, and Pavement to explore; finding unique and vintage pieces can take up your whole day. If you’re not interested in thrifting but still love shopping, The Domain and Barton Creek Mall are some good options that are popular amongst Anderson students.
For those who want to do touristy things to explore the city from a new lens or because they have family in town, there are many corners of the city to explore. Going to restaurants and cafes like Jo’s Coffee, Perla’s, or Aba, or taking pictures at the I Love You So Much Mural are great ways to explore South Congress. Austin is also home to the world’s largest colony of Mexican free-tailed bats, so bring your digital camera to watch them fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset for a fun evening.
Staying in Austin can be just as fun as vacationing in another city, especially if you add some of these activities to your bucket list. This summer doesn’t have to be filled with doomscrolling- make it exciting instead!
